Customer Reviews

A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book might be geared towards spinners who are looking for beyond-the-basics use for his or her handspun (and provides tons of great information for those that do), but even if you've never spun a foot of yarn in your life, you can get something out of this book.

The patterns included are *fabulous*. Beyond fabulous. They're rich and intricate and have a nice mix between smaller things and to-die-for sweaters. The photography is amazing and inspiring, and for a closer look at each garment, there are diagrams and stitch charts provided for every wearable. (One of the previous reviewers commented that the photos weren't clear -- not all of them, no. But the charts make up for that, plus some. And the photos are inspirational, so it's all good with me.)

Each pattern gives you not just the required amount/wpi of the handspun yarn needed, but also gives a commercially-spun equivelent AND shows the knitted item in BOTH variations (hand/commercially-spun), so you can see how the handspun aspect changes the nature of the fabric (if it does)...it's an amazing extra that the author gives us.

Speaking of extras -- the sizing on these patterns ROCK. Being one of the Large Chest Brigade, it's often hard to find books that go beyond the 32 - 34 - 38 sizing for miniature people and get into the sizes more realistic for my...uh...front additions. Not a problem here. I think the smallest size I've seen has been 48", and that RULES. I loved the author just a little bit more than I did before after noticing that little (big?) detail.

I've been paring down my Stuff lately. Getting rid of a lot of the extraneous posessions I've been hoarding. Knitting books are included in that. And I can say, without even a hint of hesitation, that this book would be one of the five I'd keep, no matter what. It's got EVERYTHING I look for in a knitting book, plus one. I'm so glad I picked it up, and I can't wait to start knitting a wardrobe-full of handspun, handknit sweaters just for me.

I would have liked to give Lisa Lloyd's writing five stars and the photography two stars or perhaps just one. The text is well-written -- a pleasure to read, and informative; and the projects are classic -- many cabled sweaters,a bit of lace. The information provided for spinners is both inspiring and useful; although I would have liked more details about the fiber preparation and spinning techniques used for each project.

The photographs, however, which should clearly illustrate the stitches and techniques, are in such soft focus that they are almost useless for that purpose. In some instances, the entire project is fuzzy because the photographer has focused on a prop instead of the sweater. Are the photos pretty? Yes, very pretty. Are they helpful? Absolutely not. I checked the photographer's Web site and found that she is known for photos with a shallow depth of field. I think the book designer or publisher should have looked into this before selecting her.

The designer made another choice that reduces the value of the book to spinners -- the primary customer base. There are no photos of the handspun yarn used in each project. The reader must deduce what the yarn is like from the brief description.

Am I still happy that I purchased the book? Yes. But it would have been so much better had the designer or publisher made different choices.

I'm a huge Lisa Lloyd fan and have been for a long time, so this book is never going to make it to the shelf, it's going to stay in the pile next to my knitting chair. I want to make every pattern in this book. The patterns are classic, this book will be just as valuable in your knitting library in 30 years as it is today. Everyone always wants The Perfect Sweater, the one to wear on your autumn walk to go kick leaves, and there are a dozen of them in this collection. There are patterns for a variety of yarn grists, and patterns typically go up to about 52".

The beginning section on spinning and wool characteristics is a good intro to new spinners, or wannabe spinners. It was good information to get new spinners thinking about spinning for a big project. I've been spinning for years and it didn't have any new information for me, but reading it got me whipped up to start spinning with one of these projects in mind.

However. The photographs, while beautiful and artsy and fun to look at, leave a lot to the imagination - not a great thing in a knitting pattern book. They're teaser photos - look good in the picture, but if you come to a question in your knitting you won't be able to figure out what you're doing by looking at the picture. I don't think there are more than a couple of patterns with good photos you can really tell what the pattern looks like. I'd expect this would be a struggle for a person who hasn't had a lot of experience knitting cables. I've been knitting them for years and I still need to refer to pictures, it's really a shame they aren't more available. "Harriet" has a diamond lace pattern, but you would never know that the bottom third of the sweater has an entirely different lace pattern. They've pinned sweaters to make them look shaped (a BIG, BIG NO!), but almost all of the sweaters have straight sides. The publisher wants this to be a fashion layout, with fuzzy pictures and beautiful settings, but they don't seem to get that it's an instruction manual and clear pictures of the designs need to be included. And they need to know their audience - spinners like microscopic closeups of yarn!

So overall, I love the book. I am excited to have this collection of Lisa Lloyd's patterns and I expect to wear this book out. A big finger-wagging to the publisher on the photography and thankfully I have the internet available to see some other pictures.

I have waited a long time for this book. It fills a niche that many people overlook, the transition from fleece to nits.

I hate to admit it but I am first a picture person so I went through the book page by page looking at all the colorful pictures, patterns, diagrams, and charts. You can almost feel the fiber.

Then I got down to some serious reading. The front part of the book goes through theories and psychology comparing knitters and spinners as if the could be contrasted. Then a whole world of fiber opens up as we investigate the different types of sheep and other sources of fiber. Periodically Lisa mentions. Drum carders. However I find even with volume that hand carding can be a sort of therapy and gives one better control over the outcome.

There is way too much practical information in this book to convey in a simple review however one aspect I never though of is how swatters can be designed gender specific.

Even though this book is mostly knitting and I have learned a few things, I bought it for the purpose of using handspun. Not yet ready to tackle looms.

I really appreciate the author suggesting that these are just suggestions and you must learn your own way what works best.

Start Spinning: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great Yarn

I love this book although I will never become a spinner. Just for the 6 arans alone, the book is essential. But add to that one, 6 textured sweaters, 3 cabled sweaters,3 lace scarves, 1 pair of socks, 1 stole, 3 cabled scarves, 2 cabled sock patterns, 1 cabled cap, 3 cabled vests and 2 lace sweaters. Each pattern has skill level, schematic and charts plus author's lengthy intro to each one. As others have commented, the photos are poor being fuzzy and not showing the whole item clearly. The commercial yarns are easy to find or to substitute. Sizes cover a broad range and if I have the time, I'd like to knit them all. Essential purchase for every knitter. This is one of the best books I own.

While the photos in the book are pretty to look at, they're completely worthless for a pattern book. Most of the models are wearing sweaters that are far too large for them. Some of the sweaters have obviously been pinned to give them the appearance of being more fitted or having waist shaping. You can't even tell what some of the sweaters (like October Frost or the bottom half of Harriet) actually look like.

Why even bother to have photos if they're useless or misleading as to what the finished item will actually look like? The person responsible for the photography shouldn't be working with knitting books. People who like the looks of the photos may be disappointed in the results, and people who are turned off by the photos might have actually liked the patterns if they'd been properly photographed. Frankly, I think the book would sell better if the photography showed what the sweaters really look like. I don't like buying knitting books when I can see the photos don't reflect the real pattern. I would never have purchased this book after looking through it. It was only after seeing some finished sweaters from the patterns that I decided I would actually be interested in making some of them.

Photography aside, the patterns themselves are very nice. But be aware that they're very boxy designs (no waist shaping, regardless of what the photos appear to show). If you like boxy cabled sweaters, you will probably love this book. If you prefer waist shaping, you'll need to figure out your own modifications or look elsewhere. The smallest sizes start around 37-38", so it's not good for women who need extra-small sizes unless they like a lot of ease, but they do go up to around 50-52", so it's nice for larger women.

Bottom line: If this style of sweater appeals to you, there are some great designs. If you like fitted, shaped sweaters, you may be disappointed. Either way, ignore the photos and study the schematics.

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?

This book is a treasury of magnificent textured knitting patterns for women(many shaped hourglass, with a few more unisex)...mainly sweaters/ cardigans, although there are a few knock-out scarves and socks, and a bit of colorwork/lace as well.

Most are knit on size 5 to 8 needles, so the yarns aren't ultra-fine (as the book's title may suggest), and are presented in both handspun and commercial natural yarn equivalents, a nice comparison.

The photography leaves a lot to be desired as for seeing the clear patterning of the textured knitting. And the models are often posed holding large items in front of them (which obscures the whole front of their sweater), or are sitting such that you can't see the hem/ waist, or cuff finish of the garment...

Lisa Lloyd has given knitters and spinners an incredible gift with her book "A Fine Fleece" since she inspires us to imagine endless possibilities for creating elegant and classic garments from our handspun yarn or simply with our needles. Having only started to spin a little over a year ago, I never imagined the possibility that I could create garments such as the ones that Lisa has designed with my own handspun, but now the possibilities seem endless to me. She has opened my eyes to a whole other world of fiber pursuits to feed my passion for these crafts of knitting and spinning that I could never have envisioned without her wonderful writing on the subject and, more importantly, her incredible designs.

Knitters, too, will find much to adore about Lisa's book because there isn't a design in this book that I wouldn't love to sit down right now and start knitting. In fact, my mind was spinning (no pun intended) after looking through this book the other day, trying to decide whether I should get out my needles and some yarn from my stash immediately to start swatching or whether I should sit down at my wheel with some fiber to start producing yarn for a handspun version of one of the sweaters! I suspect that this will become one of my much-loved and often-read knitting books that comes down from the shelf often for my reading pleasure or to provide inspiration for the next new project I just have to start "right now"!

Absolutely gorgeous patterns - very intricate and challenging BUT there are numerous mistakes in the text. Be very careful if you buy this book. There are many erratas available online but many have gone offline and are difficult to find. Personally, I borrowed the book from a library to check it out, made two projects and have decided to not buy the book due to the inexcusable erratas.