Customer Reviews

Morehouse Farm Merino Knits: More than 40 Farm-Fresh Designs

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Morehouse Merino is a beautiful yarn--soft, thick with that roundish stitch you only get from this fine fibered, tightly crimped soft wool from the Merino sheep. Merinos, developed in Spain, were so valued that it was a capital crime to take a breeding pair out of the country. Someone did, however, and haha, lo and behold, the French developed Rambouillet sheep and the secret was out. Even today, Merino is the king of wools. Soft and light, it makes garments that can be worn, without itching, next to the skin.

Morehouse Farms provides 40 patterns in this book to go with their wool. The patterns are for the most part rather basic. There are pillows, kids' clothes, hats, mittens, vests and sweaters. The photos are large, colorful and very nice to look at.


If you want to find production patterns that would suit your own handspun merino or Morehouse or similar wools, this is a great book. Many of the patterns would make easy to knit but popular items for Christmas gifts, or just household knitting. If you want easy patterns for you family, this book is very good.


If you are looking for style or advanced knitting technique, this is NOT the right book for you. Some people, including myself, were a bit disappointed in the patterns. If you are an advanced knitter or experienced in using the design-it-yourself systems of say, Elizabeth Zimmermann or her daughter Meg Swansen, you will not need this book, unless you collect knitting books with nice photos, which this certainly is.

For basic, useful patterns for socks, vests, and other items, and for those who really love Morehouse yarns and like to look at a pretty picture book, I highly recommend "Morehouse Farms Merino Knits." If you are already somewhat experienced as a knitter, you probably will be somewhat disappointed.

Suitability:

A good gift book for a starting knitter with some yarn to do one of the projects.

Beginners

Moms and Dads who knit for their kids

Let me start by saying I feel my standards from knitting books have risen a great deal. No too long ago I might have rated this book higher but after just reading "Mason Dixon Knitting", "Knitting Nature" and "Knitting Rules", I expect more, much more. "Morehouse Farm Merino Knits" just didn't deliver what I was looking for. I expected better designs, better instructions, better antedotes and better pictures. I just expected more bang for my buck and it wasn't delivered.

Not that I didn't find the information about how the farm came to be and the information about the merino sheep interesting but I wanted more. The wool looked so beautiful in one picture, but the sweaters and hats designs were too simple and uninspiring - hardly farm fresh. In fact the designs seemed a little stale, not worthy of the yarn.

The book might be okay for beginners, but I won't recommend it because I believe new knitters need to be inspired to stick with this craft. So this is my final word - if you have a passion for sheep and you want a book with some basic knitting patterns, this is your book. I was looking for a bit more that's all.

In the sea of recently published knitting books, Morehouse Farm Merino Knits: more than 40 farm-fresh designs quickly separates itself from the flock with its opening line: "Morehouse Farm began with a voodoo chicken." An opening like that is difficult to live up to but while the patterns that Margrit Lohrer offers are simple, the book itself and its reasons for such simple patterns hold up admirably to that first sentence.

Morehouse Farm is well known for the sumptuous merino yarn they produce. This collection was designed by Lohrer to highlight the inherent beauty of merino yarn by designing to play to its strengths. Merino is one of the oldest breeds of sheep and has the finest wool, due to its tightly crimped and springy nature, making for finer, softer, and itch-free garments. As the author: "None of the patterns are particularly challenging, but all will yield attractive and functional knitted items...The patterns in this book are a starting point. Be creative...Knit what you want, the way you want it to look, feel, and wear."

The patterns are divided into five sections: home, lace, children, accessories and sweaters. While Lohrer does specify which of her yarns to use for each pattern, weight and gauge information is provided so that knitters can substitute other yarn as desired. The patterns, while basic, are great foundation pieces that will provide years of knitting and leave room for individual creativity.

Armchair Interviews says: Lohrer's introduction, scrumptious photos and in-depth details about Morehouse Farm make Morehouse Farm Merino Knits a worthwhile addition to any knitter's library.

This book arrived just after Mason Dixon knitting arrived...so my standards were high. This book has gorgeous pictures, a great story which is lovely to read. This book is worth it for the pictures and story alone! There are 24 patterns, and if you've visited the website, you'll have a good idea what sort of patterns are in the book. The foulard with case and the rabbit proof fence scarf are wonderful. The pictures of the yarn make my fingers ache to knit it. These are more simple, everyday things that you would actually make to use; nothing ultra "hip" (which I appreciate). The children's patterns are inventive and cute. Heartily recommended!

For me the book is worth having for the lace patterns alone. I've always loved lace yarn and have a lot of it, but do not have the time or patience to knit complicated patterns for lace shawls and scarves. This book has 5 shawl/scarf patterns plus a laceweight pouch pattern that look easy to do yet are more than just a simple garter stitch. Before I even finished looking through the book I cast on the Huck Lace Shawl.
Besides the lace, there are some really cute kids designs - especially the mittens that look like little bugs.
I'm really glad I bought this book.

Within ten minutes of opening it, I fell in love with this book; and having read it, I now know it's one I'll always cherish. Morehouse Farm produces some of the best yarn you'll find, and this book by farm founder Margrit Lohrer is a fitting, delightfully companionable complement to it. Yes, the focus here is on simpler, more repetitive designs--but that's a deliberate and gratifying choice for those of us who share the author's philosophy that the best knitting projects are "yards of scarves and acres of blankets. Stop-and-go projects bother me--stop and check, stop and read, stop and count--they don't give me time to think. . . . Life's meaning, for me, resides in the rhythm of knitting" (page 16). I read that and knew I'd found a knitting soulmate. This is therefore not a book to grab a couple of showy patterns out of and then lay aside. If you do that, you'll not only be disappointed; you'll also miss the unassuming pleasures scattered throughout, such as the endearing, family-album-style photos, or the list of good things you can do with unspun wool, tucked away near the back. There are plenty of intricate pattern books out there, but far fewer that combine techniques within the reach of most knitters with beautiful, fun things to make and the friendliness and well-earned wisdom you'd want from a dear and experienced companion in the knitter's art. This charming, homey, and gently personal book offers all that. Savor it as you would the company of a good friend.

Inspiring, practical and original. This book gives a diverse, reachable variety of patterns. With delightful photography showing a climate I am unsed to this book is a true delight. I have dabbled in woollen crafts for some decades, not only knitting but formerly spinning, though I have done no dyeing this book positively starts the mind whirring and the fingers itching to get started on some of the many ideas. Delightful philosophy interspersus the descriptions of Morehouse Farm life with original knitting ideas including a man's sweater knitted from the neck down! Starting with knitted cushion covers, and covers the concept of felting. This book is an utter delight.

This is an inspiring book, full of color and unconventional design. The photography is delightful, giving a feel of the farm where the yarn company is based, and there is remarkable variety in the patterns--everything from a felted blanket to the most delicate lace. The directions are very clear and easy to follow, even when somewhat unconventional. A very appealing book to fill even the most jaded knitter with excitement and remind them why they started knitting in the first place.

I would have preferred more patterns and less information about the Morehouse Farm animals. If I wanted to know about sheep, I'd buy a book on sheep. The patterns themselves are nothing new or earth shattering.

If you like to make cute mittens for children and the young at heart, there are at least 1/2 dozen in this book.

Otherwise, not much to write home about, as my mother used to say.

Over the years, I've loved reading about Morehouse Farm Merino Knits in my favorite magazines, reviews and books. It is a special place, run by people who love knitting. It is a knitter's treasure.

This book is beautifully laid out and has a wealth of patterns some that should appeal to most all knitters. The Huck Lace Shawl is great for a cool breeze on a summer's eve; The children's section is whimsical and fun. There is a whole page of 'buggy' mittens that are bound to bring a smile to that child in your life. The children's hats are whimsical and fun, as are the sweaters. I like the double-sided hat. Living in Alaska, I look for hats to knit that are both warm and different. These fit the tee.

I loved reading about the farm. Someday, I hope to visit there.