Pulling the wool

 

     "I have always loved wool - I mean really and truly loved it, like Claude Monet loved his Giverny and Julia Child loved her butter. Discovering a new wool yarn, smelling it, touching it, dreaming of what I can do with it, knitting and washing a swatch and seeing how it transforms ... those things make me feel complete and fulfilled."

    That is Clara Parkes in the preface to her The Knitter's Book of Wool, and her love of her subject comes across very clearly! But what a fascinating book - I didn't know there was so much to know about wool, but many breeds of sheep are listed with all their various properties and suitabilities, there's a comprehensive section on how the raw fleece is processed to make yarn, and then you get to the patterns and there's a good selection from small items to large ones, simple to more complicated, all designed to properly exploit their chosen wool.

    If you've ever wondered about 'crimp' and 'staple length', puzzled over microns or the meaning of 'amphoteric', these arcane terms are all explained, and you'll look at that not so humble stuff on your knitting needles with new eyes!

Comments

[rosie]

I feel a purchase coming on...

[Jennifer]

So wonderfully put. I love picking out wool, reading the names, holding it in my hands.

[adele geras]

I love yarns too! Am about to do what I THINK is called 'frogging'. That's to say: undoing a partly knitted thing I've lost interest in and then finding something else divine to make it into. After a phase of multicoloured scarves and some lovely shawls, I think I may be about to embark on a garment....something I've not done for ages, because the wool is black and grey. I will order this book from the library, I think.

[Clara]

Thank you so much! I am truly honored that you like my book. Wishing you a magnificent New Year filled with endless luster and high crimp and happy needles.

[Cornflower]

Thank you, Clara, and how kind of you to drop by! I am so enjoying your book (which was a Christmas present from my son)- it really is an eye-opener. A happy new year to you!