A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns
by Lisa Lloyd
List Price:
Our Price: $18.32
You Save: $11.68 (39%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Lisa LloydEdition: Hardcover
Published: 2008-04-08
ISBN: 0307346838
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Potter Craft
Book Reviews of A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns
Book Review: A Fine Book
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first saw this book, I thought "Ho hum, another knitting book".
Closer examination proved how wrong that assessment was.
Yes, it is a knitting book. But it is also a spinning book. Each of the projects included is shown in both commercially spun yarn and in handspun yarn. Since knitting books usually do not include handspun projects, this concept is unique.
The patterns cover a range of classic designs in highly textured knits. There are cabled sweaters, cabled socks, and a cabled scarf. A bit of lace makes an appearance in a couple of the sweater and scarf patterns.
In the text portion, the author discusses the breeds of sheep and other fiber producing animals that produced the fleece she used to create the blends of handspun she used to spin the yarn for the handspun garments shown in the book. There are also notes on spinning, determining knitting gauge for handspun, preparing handspun for knitting, and how to figure out if you have enough fiber for your project. There is much useful information here for the handspinner.
The patterns are well written, the charts are good sized, clear and easy to read, and the garments are beautifully photographed with commemrcial yarn and handpsun versions shown side by side.
I seldom buy knitting books in this price range as there is usually only one or two patterns that interest me. Not the case with this book - I want to spin the yarn and knit almost every single pattern!
If I have one criticism, it is that there is little information given on the specific handspun yarns used in the patterns. For example, tpi and wpi for the handspun yarns is not given.
And, one question: Why is that spindle (pg.16) in a jar with what appears to be some sort of liquid?
Summary of A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns
The pleasure of knitting can be that much greater when you know you’re using the perfect yarn. In A Fine Fleece, designer, knitter, and spinner Lisa Lloyd explores the different qualities of handspun yarn and presents projects that show them to their best advantage. There is valuable information here for every knitter, even if you’ve never considered learning to spin (though you may find inspiration in this book to do just that).While educating you on the differences in fibers (like Alpaca, Merino, Cormo, Rambouillet, and Suffolk) and the characteristics you can achieve in a handspun yarn by combining fibers according to certain recipes, Lisa Lloyd also shares the three important concepts that enlighten her designs: the use of contrasting color and fiber; scale and perspective (chunky yarns with chunky cable stitches versus chunky yarns with delicate ones); and the creation of “poetic” sweaters that try to capture an emotion.
Each of the 26 projects in A Fine Fleece shows the finished project knitted in both a handspun yarn and a commercial yarn so that you can train your eye to understand how fiber and texture can truly transform a piece.
General Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Spin your own yarn!
Creative Spinningby Alison Daykin, Jane Deane
Lark Books; Published: 2008-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.50
Price in other shops:
A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarnsby Lisa Lloyd
Potter Craft; Published: 2008-04-08; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.37
Price in other shops:
Color in Spinningby Deb Menz
Interweave Press; Published: 2005-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.36
Price in other shops:
Color Works: The Crafter's Guide to Colorby Deb Menz
Interweave Press; Published: 2004-05-01; Spiral-bound; Book
Best price: $14.97
Price in other shops:
Spinning Designer Yarnsby Diane Varney
Interweave Press; Published: 2003-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.49
Price in other shops:
Spin OffInterweave Press; Interweave Press; Magazine; Magazine
Best price: $27.95
A Handspindle Treasury: Collected Works from the Save the Sheep Exhibitby Spin-Off Magazine
Interweave Press; Published: 2002-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.32
Price in other shops:
The Spinner's Companion (Companion)by Bobbie Irwin
Interweave Press; Published: 2001-10; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook: Dyeing, Painting, Spinning, Designing, Knittingby Lynne Vogel
Interweave Press; Published: 2002-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.37
Price in other shops:
Intertwined: The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns and Creative Spinning (Handspun Revolution)by Lexi Boeger
Quarry Books; Published: 2008-02-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.73
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Knit So Fine: Designs with Skinny Yarnby Lisa Myers, Carol Sulcoski, Laura Grutzeck
Interweave Press; Published: 2008-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $16.21
Price in other shops:
More Big Girl Knits: 25 Designs Full of Color and Texture for Curvy Womenby Jillian Moreno, Amy R. Singer
Potter Craft; Published: 2008-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.99
Price in other shops:
The Yarn Lover's Guide to Hand Dyeing: Beautiful Color and Simple Knitsby Linda Labelle
Potter Craft; Published: 2007-11-13; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.35
Price in other shops:
Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Togetherby Larissa Golden Brown, Martin John Brown
Stewart, Tabori & Chang; Published: 2008-03-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.40
Price in other shops:
Intertwined: The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns and Creative Spinning (Handspun Revolution)by Lexi Boeger
Quarry Books; Published: 2008-02-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $19.52
Price in other shops:
Creative Spinningby Alison Daykin, Jane Deane
Lark Books; Published: 2008-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.76
Price in other shops:
The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarnby Clara Parkes
Potter Craft; Published: 2007-10-16; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.29
Price in other shops:
Things I Learned From Knitting (Whether I Wanted To or Not)by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Storey Publishing, LLC; Published: 2008-03-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.00
Price in other shops:
Start Spinning: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great Yarnby Maggie Casey
Interweave Press; Published: 2008-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.80
Price in other shops:
Shear Spirit: Ten Fiber Farms, Twenty Patterns, and Miles of Yarnby Joan Tapper
Potter Craft; Published: 2008-04-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.70
Price in other shops: