The Spinner's Book of Fleece
A Breed-by-Breed Guide to Choosing and Spinning the Perfect Fiber for Every Purpose
Published on 12. August 2014
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-1-61212-039-3 (ISBN)
Description
The characteristics of fleece - its structure, grease content, and fiber diameter - vary widely depending on the breed of sheep the fleece comes from. In this comprehensive guide, Beth Smith profiles 21 types of fleece, from bouncy and pliant to lacy and lightweight. A sheep-by-sheep reference describes the best way to wash and spin each fleece into rich, soft yarn. You'll soon be confidently choosing the right fleece, spinning it to perfection, and enjoying the perfect yarn for your next fiber creation.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Workman Publishing
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 210 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
893 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-61212-039-3 (9781612120393)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Beth Smith, author of How to Spin and The Spinner's Book of Fleece, is renowned for her love of the variety and versatility of sheep breeds, and she teaches the whys and how-tos of preparing and spinning wool from different breeds. For seven years she owned The Spinning Loft, a shop celebrated for its selection of hard-to-find quality fleeces. She teaches internationally and writes for PLY, Spin Off, and Knittyspin magazines. She also sits on the editorial board of PLY magazine. She lives in Howell, Michigan. Deborah Robson is co-author of The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook and Knitting in the Old Way. She is a former editor of both Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot and Spin-Off magazine, and she is currently the editor and publisher of Nomad Press, which publishes books on traditional and ethnic knitting and spinning. Robson is also an artist, working in textiles, printmaking, and oils. She lives in Colorado with her daughter.
Content
Foreword by Deborah Robson
Introduction: Spinning with Purpose and Confidence
Chapter 1
THE VALUE OF RAW FLEECE
A Consistent Yarn: Fantasy or Possibility?
An Introduction to Hand Scouring
Chapter 2
BUYING A FLEECE: DOS AND DON’TS
Deciding How Much to Buy
First Consideration
Chapter 3
GETTING TO YARN
Spinning Yarns for Knitting or Crochet
Spinning Yarns for Weaving
Spinning Singles
Chapter 4
FINE WOOLS
Washing Techniques for Fine Wools
Preparing to Spin Fine Wools
Spinning Flicked Locks
Merino
Chapter 5
LONGWOOLS
Avoiding Stereotypes
Appreciating Yarn Differences
Washing Longwool Fleece
Combing the Longwools
Making Top after Combing
A Short Lesson in Worsted Spinning
Wensleydale
Romney
Lincoln
Bluefaced Leicester
Chapter 6
DOWNS AND DOWN-TYPE BREEDS
Skirting a Fleece
Scouring Down-Type Wools
Handcarding Techniques
Drumcarders
Suffolk
Southdown
Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset
Black Welsh Mountain
Chapter 7
MULTICOATED BREEDS
Working with the Multicoats
American Karakul
Scottish Blackface
Shetland
Icelandic
Chapter 8
OTHER BREEDS
Hand Prepping Your Fleece
California Red
Jacob
Tunis
Glossary of Terms
Metric Conversions
USDA Standard Wool Specifications
Reading List
Resources
Acknowledgements
Index
Introduction: Spinning with Purpose and Confidence
Chapter 1
THE VALUE OF RAW FLEECE
A Consistent Yarn: Fantasy or Possibility?
An Introduction to Hand Scouring
Chapter 2
BUYING A FLEECE: DOS AND DON’TS
Deciding How Much to Buy
First Consideration
Chapter 3
GETTING TO YARN
Spinning Yarns for Knitting or Crochet
Spinning Yarns for Weaving
Spinning Singles
Chapter 4
FINE WOOLS
Washing Techniques for Fine Wools
Preparing to Spin Fine Wools
Spinning Flicked Locks
Merino
Chapter 5
LONGWOOLS
Avoiding Stereotypes
Appreciating Yarn Differences
Washing Longwool Fleece
Combing the Longwools
Making Top after Combing
A Short Lesson in Worsted Spinning
Wensleydale
Romney
Lincoln
Bluefaced Leicester
Chapter 6
DOWNS AND DOWN-TYPE BREEDS
Skirting a Fleece
Scouring Down-Type Wools
Handcarding Techniques
Drumcarders
Suffolk
Southdown
Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset
Black Welsh Mountain
Chapter 7
MULTICOATED BREEDS
Working with the Multicoats
American Karakul
Scottish Blackface
Shetland
Icelandic
Chapter 8
OTHER BREEDS
Hand Prepping Your Fleece
California Red
Jacob
Tunis
Glossary of Terms
Metric Conversions
USDA Standard Wool Specifications
Reading List
Resources
Acknowledgements
Index