Customer Reviews

99 Yarns and Counting: More Designs from the Green Mountain Spinnery

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love Green Mountain Spinnery - - their yarns and their first book. Their yarn works so well for our Alaskan winters and their patterns are for regular people, not just models or Bjork-type designs. This book is no exception. The patterns are great. I don't have any clue which one I'll knit first but I can guarantee that I'll knit several.

The book starts off with a neat description of the Green Mountain Cooperative Spinnery in Vermont. It discusses how raw fleece is spun to yarn, and the whole process in between. It even talks about the individual people in the cooperative who are responsible for this process.

I literally don't know where to start with my praise for the patterns in this book. The very first hat called the Ascutney Mountain Hat and Earwarmer in a burnt umber color and cabled is lovely, something to warm my head as I wait for the worst chill of winter to come. Grandma's delight sweater is a lace cardigan in a lovely rose that any little girl will cherish. The pattern is clearly written out and looks like fun to knit. I just love the cabled, Guernsey Islander's Vest in aran off-white. It even comes in REAL sizes. The Lightweight Pullover is a classic for man, woman and child. It's knit in cotton so that it will work in spring or fall, maybe even some summer days. It comes in sizes from a toddler's 2 to an adult XL (50"). The Great Meadows Cardigan is a Fair Isle treasure in shades of rose, wine and green. It's in a V-neck pattern and comes with a matching hat. The Great Meadows Hat is in glorious shades of the brightest blues and I know I'll be knitting it soon.

I can't begin to say how much I love this book. I've been waiting to receive it and have read it twice already. Green Mountain Spinnery is a knitter's dream, a REAL knitter's dream and has never disappointed either with its books or its yarns. If you knit, GET THIS BOOK!

I was happy to see this book published since I have been a fan of the Green Mountain Spinnery for a while. I've seem a lot of their designs for sale on their web site and on Ravelry so I ordered this book.

There are some things I like about the book and others I don't like.

I like:

- Classic styles, not faddish
- Designs with fair isle have very nice colors (but most sweaters are for children)
- Designs are very wearable; you'll get a lot of mileage out of them
- Very nice hats
- several attractive sock patterns

I don't like:

- The limited size range. The largest size for most adult garments is about a 48" and some are less than that. There is one 49 " vest and a 50", 51" and a 52" sweater.
- There are too many sweaters for babies and children. About 9 of the 39 patterns are for younger people.
-The nicest and most interesting sweaters are those for children. I wish they had included patterns for adults in those sweater like the Great Meadows Cardigan, the Grandmother's Delight Sweater and East Putney Sweater.

I am thinking of knitting some hats and mittens from this book and perhaps looking to see if I can make the beautiful Islander's vest larger. The vest measures 49" and you need to allow 3-6" for ease when making a garment.

In summary this would be a good book if you are knitting for little ones or if you are a smaller-sized adult. It would also be good if you want very classic, sometimes plain sweaters. If you are a plus sized person or like more colorful designs this might not be the book for you.

A week ago from today, we went apple picking in Hope Orchards in Maine. We already felt in the Garden of Eve with all those beautiful trees full of apples all around us. Come on, how could Eve not have been tempted by one?! As we were leaving the Orchard, feeling already in heaven, there, I spotted in a little corner some yarn sale...Little I knew...I told my husband that I was just going to have a pick; I was not going to buy anything. He decided to come along (for curiosity or maybe he wanted to make sure I wasn't buying anything). But then, HE immediately fell in love with one of the hats in display, the inspired "icelandic" pattern. Really beutiful. He wanted to buy the hat, but they were only selling their gorgeous yarns, the patterns, and their two books. "Honey, I can knit that for you," I said. So we decided to buy just that one pattern, and the yarns for that pattern. Because he said that it needed to be just like it. "Let me have a look at the book," I thought... The patterns in the book were so down to earth and exquisite, that I had to have the book. I only get a knitting book if there are more than three patterns that I like in it. Here, there were several. They are for people who enjoy simplicity and beauty in the world. On top of everything we had our book signed by several of the designers. What a treat!
I am so glad I discovered another little treasure on earth, the Green Mountain Spinnery.
I started reading the book and the information about their green company is really wonderful. I warms my heart. I hope others will be inspired by this company, the gorgeous yarns, and the wonderful patterns.
I just looked again the book this morning (for the 3rd time), and I was all excited. I am hoping to start the hat this evening. I can't wait. The book is gorgeous.
It is the first time I got the yarns recommended by the patterns as well. I never do it. I always get the yarn I am in the mood for... But this time...we couldn't resist it.

While this book is gorgeous to look at, most of the patterns in the book have been previously published by the Green Mountain spinnery as stand-alone patterns. I wish I had known this when I bought the book.

After buying GMS's first book, a friend and I drove down to Putney to take a tour of the spinnery (we're in northern VT). What a treat that was! Anytime you are driving up or down I-91, try to take the time to drop by (it's just feet from the highway). They give tours only at certain times, though, but it's worth adjusting your schedule. The place is tiny but they use antique machinery to produce their incredible yarns. You see the unscoured wool being cleaned, spun, and wound into skeins. A caveat: bring a credit card because you'll spend a small fortune in their shop! As for this book, I agree that it's frustrating that some of the best designs are for children only. Still, there is enough for adults and makes a nice complement to their first book, which was totally for adults (as I recall). My grandson will benefit from this one.

This book has many different projects for whatever stage of knitter you are.
There are sweaters and other projects and the patterns are not difficult to understand.

99 Yarns and Counting provides a fine collection of designs from a spinnery that has produced some 99 colors of yarn to work with. Marti Stone's fine color photos compliment projects using these colorful yarns, featuring step-by-step directions for knitters looking for something different.

99 Yarns is super. I have made almost every project in the first book Green Mtn Spinnery published and I think this book will also keep me very very busy.

I'm sorry Green Mountain Spinnery, you are a fabulous company, but these designs are terrible. Very disappointed. The last book was much better.