She Had Me at 'Imagine': A Review of The Knitter's Book of Wool

"Imagine if all the wine in the world - red and white alike - were mixed together and sold as generic 'wine'." -Clara Parkes, The Knitter's Book of Wool

I should preface this review with a disclosure, or more accurately three disclosures. First, the links embedded in this post link you to my Amazon store, which means that if you buy through that link I make a small percentage of your purchase. This goes for all of the books in my store, not just the knitting ones, so feel free to shop around. Second, I am holding in my hands books sent to me free of charge for the purposes of review. And last, as if making a dime and getting free books weren't enough, I've also worked for Clara, teaching at her Knitter's Review Retreat last year and again this year. That said, if I don't like something, you won't see it here even if it's free as a bird and the company in question is charming me with all manner of delights. I won't recommend things I can't stand behind. I also won't rip something to shreds here. If I think something isn't what it should be I may share that information with the people who asked for the review, but not you. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's proceed to my review of The Knitter's Book of Wool.

Let me say that this woman knows more about wool than I knew about my children, and I knew my children pretty well when they were small. The information she presents is approachable and applicable to all of the wool arts. We all can benefit from the information within the pages of this book.

I received a sound education in the first 20 or so pages alone, and the information I gleaned was so compelling I just kept on reading. Long past "lights out" pages were turning and my pencil was scritch-scratching away. There is enough information to make you a whiz at wool but not so much that you feel like it's finals week. Clara's comfortable, easy writing style make this a wonderful read for interested fiber folk. As with The Knitter's Book of Yarn, this book had me underlining bits of information that I believe strongly will make me a better knitter, spinner and teacher. In chapter one, What is Wool?, we learn about the structure of wool fibers from scales to crimp and back again. We learn why wool does what it does, and why not all wool is created equal. Chapter two, From Pasture to Pullover, follows the processing of that wool into the yarns we use every day. Skirting, scouring, spinning and dyeing are all outlined here. Knowing what happens to wool from sheep to skein helps us as knitters to evaluate wisely our yarn investments. The chapter ends with an excellent "Wool 101"; a series of quick tips for yarn evaluation. As in The Knitter's Book of Yarn, Clara empowers us to make better yarn choices by learning to be yarn whisperers. We move from wool processing into the wool providers. In Meet the Breeds we learn about the animals that provide our most commonly used wools; what makes them different from one another, how wools are chosen for use, and what the intended function of the wool fibers are. General information on each wool category is presented, followed by specifics about each breed within that category. It's enough information to last a lifetime. A handy list of facts for each breed is given, with data about the fineness, staple length, crimp, luster and suitability of the finished yarn for your intended project. This is very much a spinner's book as well. The final wool-tech chapter, Plays Well With Others, explains how wools can be blended either with one another or with other non-wool and non-animal fibers to create yarns perfect for every use. Luster, halo and warm weather comfort are all touched on. Different fiber types are discussed giving knitters insight into why a specific fiber helps wool to work it's magic on our projects. Just when you think you've gotten every dime you spent out of this book, you discover more - patterns that, as Clara says, "...let you experience everything wool has to offer..." And folks, she's not just saying that! The pattern section begins with a Shakespeare quote: "Joy's soul lies in the doing". I agree, and the range of projects is both expansive and joyful! There are enough patterns in this book to keep any knitter happily busy for a very long time. On my first quick skim through the book, my eyes were drawn to Sandi Rosner's Bella Baby Ensemble, Clara's Sweet Fern Mitts, Sivia Harding's exquisite Tibetan Clouds Beaded Stole and Pam Allen's Comfy Cardigan. The list goes on. There's an adorable family of pullovers; The Three Bears; Mama, Papa and Baby Bear, each knitted in a different yarn yet singing sweetly enough together for the family Christmas photo (get knitting - there's always next year!). Four additional sweater patterns round out the group. Heads and hands are covered with two hat patterns and two hand covering patterns. A trio of sock patterns are presented, and a host of five knit shawls, scarves and stoles. Finally a knitted bag and pillow cover finish off this brilliantly compiled collection of highly knittable items.

Finally, a comprehensive resource list, including hints on washing wool and (dare I say it) moth prevention, helps you find the yarns used in the book. A detailed glossary as well as a list of wool processors, a recommended reading list, designer bios and author acknowledgments round out the book.

In closing, let me say that this book is well worth the investment, as was it's predecessor. Let's hope Clara continues to bring us the best of the best of useful knowledge about the animals and fibers that grace our lives and bring us that joy the Bard talks about above.Now if you'll excuse me, I sense a project needing to be knit...but where to begin? I think we'll start with Fern Leaf Mitts, just in time for Rhinebeck. Or maybe a Baby Bear pullover for Aidan. Although April would be lovely in that little wrap cardigan of Sandi's...stash raid!!

Patience is a Virtue

I'm a SQUARE! I'll be wearing a cowboy hat, and travelling in a varying sized pack of knitterlyness. Other identifying markings - large brown with pink knitted shopping bag, not tall, and often confused.

Yesterday while I was in the shower the mail lady came. She left behind a little bit of paper that said I had a registered package that she could not leave behind. It said the sender was "Sweden" (the nation got together and sent me yarn?). But it was 11am. I had a class at noon. The package would not be available until 1pm. My class gets out at 2pm. The PO closes at 4pm. I had to pick up grain. I needed a grocery stop since I, in my inimitable crappy housewife manner, had yet again forgotten to take anything out for supper. Due to the molt and general laziness exuding from my hen house we don't even have eggs, so I could not do my "Look, honey, I PLANNED a quiche, really I did!!" thing. It takes me about 20 minutes to get back into Greenfield from Webs, if I skipped stopping for food (lunch?). Then fifteen minutes for chicken food and fifteen for grocery store and then another twelve or so on back roads into my little home town. So...by 2:50 I should be pulling into the PO, right? If all goes according to plan. Which, of course, it never does.
And it didn't. I got distracted leaving Webs and wasted ten minutes yakking and looking at garments just in from Classic Elite. I then spent five minutes in the parking lot trying to locate the following: keys. mp3 player. cell phone. headset for cell phone. wallet. water bottle. I finally merged onto route 91 only to discover that I had managed to get myself stuck behind a series of progressively slower drivers, all well under the posted 65 MPH speed limit. Then I got off the wrong exit in Greenfield, adding about ten minutes onto the whole "stop for grain and groceries" thing. I had two choices.
Lose my mind.
or
Let it go.
I let it go. I quit, I gave up. The PO, I reasoned, would be there this morning. Miraculously everything shifted. All of a sudden people were going the speed limit. They moved out of my way as if guided by an unseen hand. Slow people disappeared. All-natural chicken was on sale. I arrived at the local PO at about 3:45pm, fifteen minutes before closing. I handed over my little pink slip. That nice boy handed back a box. A cardboard box packed with loving hands and containing things of great delight and bliss.
Inside were two well-packaged kits - one Green Meadow Mitten and one Wild Apple. The Yarn. Oh the yarn is so yummy it makes my fingers itch to look at it. The colors are unreal, and totally not done justice to by crappy camera that hates me (And I hate it. We're not in love. The thing just gets worse. It's going over the bank soon). Now here's a brutal bit of Melissaknits-ness. I will not (and I am saying this publicly, so I have to stick to it)- I will not touch this yarn to knit it until I have completed my personal Radiance, written the pattern for Gail's angora booties, and started the next Colrain project. Inspired, I knit faster.
I also managed to get the little Hitchhiker all ready for Rhinebeck. We are totally good buddies now, bonded, sanded, and finished, although not particularly well. I have a gripe. It is against this PolyShades product by MinWax. I keep trying. I keep thinking to myself "this is better for the environment, right? It's lower in VOC's. It does not require mineral spirits to clean up. It's healthier. I could probably drink it." Someone probably should, because as a consistent, smooth, covering wood finish? It stinks. Note the "artistic" splotchy appearance of my wheel? That's what happens when a girl just gives the heck up and realizes that there is no point. If three coats have been applied and the consistency is still wretched and obscenely splotchy, one has two options - paint it, or "get creative". I went with option two. Remember this is a stain product, so sanding it off is not an option. Hind sight being what it is, I wish I had gone with my original thought which was satin poly over natural wood. I did not have time to oil it properly, and I really wanted to be certain that the laminated wood parts were well and truly sealed in case of rain. But it's cute and it does the job - see?! Fleece from Jacob ewe 'Heart' lightly carded and spun in the grease, and I cannot wait to ply and knit it. Well, maybe I can...I have some Bohus to get to next I think. But I can get it spun in spurts between knitting - a little break. It also makes my hands feel wonderful and I stink like sheep which is about my favorite smell on earth.
Very excited about Rhinebeck - we've got cool printed postcards to hand out announcing the book launch, and pins for the first hundred people who get handed one. But when they're gone, they're gone! Also, if you're around Saturday morning early, there's going to be a bit of a breakfast at a minivan with balloons perched on the hill by the entrance. Come and find us, have a cup of coffee, a bagel, maybe even a mimosa before the show gates open. I am determined to have a kick-off bash of a weekend, heading into the launch in December. It also will be amusing to see if I can stick to my budget. Ready for this? $200 for food, drink and shopping for two days and two nights. If nothing else, it will provide interesting blog fodder on Monday. "Lookit what I didn't buy!"
Look, a FO! A Megan Shawl Collared Cardigan for ME. I even followed my own directions...sort of. I added extra waist shaping to compensate for my curvy-ness and my shortwaisted-ness and also shortened the garment by 2" because I am short - remember, I look like a tomato in anything I wear, and not in the good "Woo, hot tomato" way. I plan to close it with a shawl pin I bought myself recently at the store. Very luminous, more than shows, and lovely. Less green-y, more turquoise. I really have to go eat lunch, and get ready for drop-in, and knit some more, and make my list for tomorrow...pack, I should pack eventually, right?? See you in NY!!

Catching Up

First of all, check this out - I got this link a while ago but was so overwhelmed by Susanna and the Bohus that I forgot about it (Sorry Diane!!). I LOVE this picture - full circle, sheep to sock! Go, buy yarn, support local farmers! Diane will be at Fiber Twist on October 27th and 28th (I will be teaching). Look, the sheep are begging you. How can you turn down those faces? I love the colorway with no name, and may have to invest in some shortly. I also love I Shall Wear Purple, in part because I fully intend to. And I have been starting now.
Now some catching up - I can't respond to comments any other way than through the blog itself. This is a huge failing of blogger in my opinion, and one that could be remedied in some way if they chose to, I just know it!! (personal rant over.) SO - I thought I'd take a minute toady to respond to some of the comments left over the last two posts, and update you on the how's of the Bohus that is, even as we speak, jetting itself to my door in kit form. This is only my second kit purchase ever by the way - the other one was for a certain fair isle bag. Back then I had no respect for gauge. I was so novice and so unaware - but I loved the bag and eventually gave it to one very deserving friend (Hi Sharon!!). After much turmoil and debate I settled on The Wild Apple. Although green is not a great color for me, I love the pattern entirely too much to settle for anything else on my first shot (I plan to own more than one.). I also tacked on a pair of Green Meadow mittens, just because. The how is quite simple - I actually EARNED money to buy my Bohus kits and still pay the (miserable, money grubbing) government my self-employment tax. The whole tax thing causes me pain. The amount they sucked out of my advance was scandalous. I still cannot talk about it without feeling a little dizzy and nauseous. The result of my actually earning money, however, is that Mr. Wonderful did not have to sacrifice his bikes. My money, my choice. Lovely way to resolve the issue. We did agree in future to establish some sort of savings account for our various hobbies. I, of course, feel that mine should be weighted more heavily since yarn is, to some extent, work-related. But we'll negotiate that later. Maybe it should be two seperate savings - work yarn and fun yarn? In the midst of the excitement regarding the Bohus windfall, I got an email asking me if I was still interested in the Hitchhiker wheel. Of COURSE I am!! I collect wheels, the way some people collect key chains. It's like yarn. You can never have too many. I managed to work a delightful trade entirely thanks to Mary-Alice - one roving carder (I have two) for one spinning wheel. I am excited to report that by next Friday you'll find my perched on my deck, spinning whatever I can lay hands on. Now I have a REASON to take time to spin - new wheel - must practice!! I'd like to spin up my Black Welsh fleeces that are all in roving and waiting for me. Big deal for me, being of Welsh descent and all. These are even sheep I would own. I love dual purpose animals, whether chickens or sheep.

Tina said: Well I don't mind telling you that I actually gasped. Out loud. Only the dogs heard me of course so it was okay...but still! Whatever that knitted frippery is, I want to knit it.
That knitted frippery is a close up of The Wild Apple Bohus sweater. The garments have a wonderful history which you can read about in Poems of Color. The kits are available from Solveig Gustafsson. You should know that the sweaters are knitted at a gauge some might call "insane". I look at it in terms of socks, since the gauge is the same. Knitting a garment like this at any other gauge would be true insanity. The detail, the drape, everything here is determined by that small gauge. I figure if it takes me a day to knit one sock in a complicated pattern, then after the yoke is done this thing should fly (relatively speaking of course) off my needles. I plan on allowing full and complete surrender to the Bohus when it arrives. I've got my ball-winding Girl in reserve to ball it all up for me. I am planning modifications; I may or may not knit it in the round - this is undecided. I will most assuredly remove any and all ribbing, substituting a turned hem which is my general favorite and add waist shaping to compensate for my short waist and bigger than average hips and chest, which result in most garments making me look like a small tomato of varying color. Knowledge of one's figure peculiarities is POWER.

Blogless LizzyJaine (who needs to remedy that) said: Awesome!! I'm going to turn the wristlets into cuffs for a pair of socks. I now have a goal for Rhinebeck.

And I wanna SEE 'EM!! Find me! I'll be traveling in a varying pack of knitters plus Girl, with a bottle of 2-at-a-Time Sock pins in my red Lexie bag, possibly wearing a Ravelry t-shirt, and more than likely a cowgirl hat (not that I'm planning or anything).

OtherMelissa (also blogless. Let's get on this, shall we!?) said: Haha! You win!

Now, Grasshopper, we do not say that I won. Rather we say that Mr. Wonderful wanted, deep in his soul, for me to have the Bohus but knew better than I (who just do not have a head for these petty things) it was not budgetarily possible. When I received my little windfall, he was more than willing to acquiesce and really should be given a badge of honor for putting up with me in the first place. He married a full-time student, single mother, becoming a registered nurse who decided five years after graduation that she didn't like the nursing game, encouraged me to quit in spite of my saying I had no clue what I wanted to do next except it needed to involve wool, and continues to support me unfailingly while I play around with "...now I wanna be a designer/author/teacher cause it makes me feel good!" Not many other men would do that, and support two kids biologically not his own at the same time. So really, Mr. W. is and always shall remain totally and utterly my hero, right after Number One who spends much time shaking his head at the antics of his youngest progeny, I am certain. I know if I was my own father or husband I'd do nothing but shake my head, smile wryly, and shrug. Really, there's not much else to do with me.

Lastly, Soren (I do not know how to do that with the O, sorry) said: hi Melissa! Do you think that your book will be out in time for Christmas? My mother is already asking me what I want because she's going away in December! :)
The answer is YES, especially if you're in Western Massachusetts, your best chance for getting the book by Christmas is Webs, in person or ordering online or through the mail, hands down. There's a rumor that they are promising delivery by Christmas, and a free pattern AND a signed copy, but don't quote me on the delivery part. Amazon is lovely and cheap. But EVERY pre-order I have placed in the last two years has been delayed, from Brad Paisley's latest to Jamie Cullum's. Always, at least a week or two off from the anticipated ship date, books or music, makes no never-mind, always-always late. There will be a AWESOME, FUN, dare I say kick-a$$ launch party at Webs on December 16th. There will be raffles, prizes, food and holiday cheer for all! I will be signing books, and just generally having a great time, and you're all invited to come!! And may I say that those Anemoi mittens are lovely? And I love the Smile Bird. Very much a smile maker!!

So now that I have talked your heads off, and shown you basically not a heck of a lot - - that's it for me, as I await the arrival of my sauna (yippee!!) and consider what to have for lunch in a home where life revolves much more around what mamma's knitting or writing than what mamma's cookin' or buyin'!!