Customer Reviews

The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn

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Since I'm writing a sheep book (The Backyard Sheep) for Storey Publishing, Storey graciously sent me a PDF of the sheep section of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook. It's so beyond fantastic that I don't know what to say except WOW.

The British Wool Board's British Sheep and Wool was my wish book until now, but this book goes way, way, way beyond that. The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook is 448 lavishly color-illustrated pages simply jam-packed with information. Every breed of sheep you can possibly think of (and more) is covered, along with goats, rabbits, horses, camelids, bison, yaks, musk oxen, dogs and cats, and even wild animals such as wolves.

Each breed section incorporates wonderful color pictures of the breed in question, of raw and washed staples of its wool (in several colors, where applicable), and of several types of yarn spun from its fiber along with information about the tools used in its creation. Breed sections range from two to ten pages; Shetland people, you are going to love the Shetland section!

As I write this I'm reviewing the three-page section about Rough Fells, a breed I would keep if they were available in North America. Material includes a comprehensive description of Rough Fells illustrated by a gorgeous picture of a group of five sheep (love those guys!), a big color picture of Rough Fell staples and yarn, and a page with "Rough Fell Facts" (fleece weight, staple length, fiber diameter, lock characteristics, and natural colors) along with a half page write-up on "Using Rough Fell Fiber" including dying, fiber preparation and spinning tips, and knitting, crocheting, and weaving.

And, a photo I took of Lori Olson's ram (Lori is my friend and partner-in-sheep), Shepherd's Croft Oran, illustrates the Brecknock Hill and American Miniature Cheviot pages. The Miniature Cheviot write-up is right on!

Carol Ekarius and Deborah Robson know their sheep. They have written an absolutely must-have volume not only for fiber enthusiasts but sheep fanciers everywhere. Well done, ladies! I can hardly wait to own a copy of this book.

This book-a true sourcebook-is like the Who's Who of the sheep world. It's exhaustive and chock-full of huge amounts of research. This not only includes the list of over 200 different breeds, families, groups (along with non-sheep species), but ... Photos! Stories! Songs! Legends! Charts! Maps! If there's a story behind a breed, pertinent facts about the geography, a farmer who dedicated his life to raising them, a legend about their origin, it's in here. And did I mention the photos? Oh, the photos! Not only pictures of the sheep (in the fields as well as properly posed "show" pics), but of the fleece-both clean and raw-yarn spun from it, swatches knitted and woven from it. So many beautiful photos. This book is full of true eye candy for a sheep lover.

I was prepared to be impressed by this book. Just knowing the amount of work that went into it, I was ready to like it. (How much work? Just for starters, the bibliography is five pages long. The index ix nine pages.) But "like" is too mild a word. I was floored by how exceptional this book is. Though it's true-there are no patterns in this book. There are no instructions on spinning. No step-by-step guides on how to prepare a fleece for spinning. There are plenty of books that do those things. But this? This is a love letter to sheep, to wool, and to the history of human beings and natural fiber.

The Fleece and Fiber Source Book is everything I had hoped for and more. The information is so complete! No matter what your interest in the fiber world, this book has something to teach you. Starting with the cellular make-up of different fibers, archeological facts, the specifics of breeds, and the photographs are beautiful. As a spinner, knitter, weaver, and dyer this is a book I will reference again & again. It has become the star of my (quite large) collection of fiber books. No matter what area of fiber use you prefer or what your level of accomplishment, this book is a treasure and a bargain. I have paid much more for much less.

This book is awesome!! I would think this book would sell for $50.00 with all of the information and photos it has in it. Do not give it a second thought. I have been spinning for over 33 years and am reading this like a novel. Excellent job!!! Have recommended it to many friends. thanks

I had just started buying different types of fibers to spin and wasn't sure of some of my choices. This book helped me know exactly what I had and how to use it. The pictures are fantastic and the information has saved me time and money. Now I'll buy only the fibers that will work for me. This is a large book, filled with everything you need to know about wool and other fiber sources. The price is a bargain.

I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool Afterparty to the release of this book. I was amazed at the wonderful presentaion from the authors and their wit between each other. I was also pleased that the book contained their personalities. I cannot imagine the undertaking of this book project. I saw slides of their homes full of all sorts of boxes full of wool while working on this. The information contained in this is enormous. The pictures of the many many animals are worth the price of admission alone. I am a spinner and knitter myself and I found all the knowledge very insiteful. I love understanding how my yarns are going to work in a garment I knit. I love to know the available natural colorways any sheep have for my pallette. You will meet all those sheep breeds you have heard of or spun up out of a bag. You will meet creatures you never have seen (did you know some sheep can have up to 6 horns??). We read this aloud on our roadtrip home from the festival and it was full of intresting facts. When they first showed us the book I thought for sure it was going to cost more than any book I own but was pleasantly surprised I could get all of this awesome info and facts for the price. And hardbound. Also, each animal is listed as it's availability or noted if it's a rare or concervation breed. If we don't know of them and ask for their products, they will go away.

This book is so well written. It covers how the fiber reacts, what it's best use is for, how to scour it (if you're a spinner), and how to care for it. There are not only many (many I've never heard of) sheep breeds but also covers rabbit fiber, camelid, musk ox, etc. There are also pictures of swatches of the fibers knit up and spun up, as well as the fiber washed and in their raw state.

If you're having problems deciding on what type of fiber to use on a project, whether knitted, crocheted, felted, woven, this is the go to book. The authors also found in their research that about 70% of these various yarns can be found online and an even higher percentage for those looking for raw fleeces. I love how they urge readers to keep these breeds going by purchasing their yarns and fleeces from the small farmer. When you're thinking of going green and the local movement, what more can you do than buy from the small farm?

It's also a very interesting read and I did read it cover to cover. Because of the many side notes and pictures, it's a quick read. I also love how the authors did their research on all the breeds covered and dispelled many myths about some of these wonderful fiber bearing creatures.

This book is an absolute must to have in a fiber enthusiasts' library. I'm not ever planning on even loaning my copy out for fear I wouldn't get it back. Great research and a wonderful book!

I was completely blown away by the extensive list of sheep breeds, detail on each, and the amount of research and historical information that went into this book. Going well beyond a who's-who of the sheep world, the authors have presented exactly what I want to know as a spinner. The sub-categorization of breeds beyond the general fine wool/long wool/down/primitive groupings, and explanation of what makes each sheep type unique, greatly helps in planning how to approach the preparation and spinning of specific fibers. Clearly written, with great photography (especially of the fleece and spinning samples), this is an enjoyable read as well as an invaluable reference book.

This book was a gift for a knitter. She was thrilled to receive it and commented that she would use it to get creative with her knitting as it contained a wealth of information of interest to fibre artists.

I love this book!!! It not only has beautiful photographs of different breeds of sheep, but so much information about their fiber. During my recent travels through Whidbey Island I could identify sheep breeds because I couldn't leave this book home or closed. I learn something new every time I open it. Thanks.