Customer Reviews

No Sheep for You

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have problems knitting with wool (a combination of various allergies and skin sensitivities) but I've have been frustrated getting non wool fibers to work. Most knitting books wax poetic about the greatness of wool and scorn other fibers. Which isn't helpful when you can't even touch most wool.

Singer starts out by describing the properties of various types of non-animal fibers (her one exception is silk). This section is amazing since she explains what various fibers can and can not do. Singer is positive and focuses on what they can do, rather than complaining about what they can't. She has tables which let you know the relative weight, elasticity, strength, etc. of various yarns. Singer also has a good section on using swatches (or "geeky things") to help figure out if your non-wool fiber will work in a particular pattern.

The patterns are really great. They're all solidly designed and by pattern makers you may already know from Knitty and designers with an online presence. I've already started a hat and am completely fixated on a sleeveless linen sweater and a silk sweater with mosaic color work. The sizing covers a wide range of sizes (through at least a 52" bust for the sweaters). She also has patterns for thrummed mittens (thrumming with silk instead of wool) and how to steek with non wool yarns. My only complaint is that none of the patterns showcase bamboo (though she does give plenty of guidelines for substituting yarns).

This is a great addition to any knitting library.

What a terrific book! The patterns are challenging enough to keep things interesting, but not at all intimidating. I've always knit with wool but have been hestitant to work with a lot of other fibers because I was reluctant to spend a bunch of money without having a sense of how the fiber would behave, drape, hold up to repeated washings, etc. Besides featuring interesting, well-written patterns for extremely wearable garments, this book offers highly detailed information about linen, silk, bamboo, hemp, cotton, rayon, polyester, etc. and even offers a section about how to substitute non-wool fiber in patterns written with wool in mind. A terrific collection to anyone's knitting library.

Let me start by stating that I have neither a physical nor an ethical problem knitting with wool or other animal fibers. Nope, no allergies here. My desire for this book is driven largely by climate issues. Living in the Mid-to-Deep South (USA) the season for cushy, cuddly, woolen garments is lamentably short. What's a natural fiber girl to do in the face of overwhelming heat and humidity through much of the year?

This book provides many alternatives that fit my needs. Where this book really shines is the section on different fiber types and their properties. I had already developed a good relationship with cotton and linen, and recently delved into bamboo and other "semi-synthetics", but didn't always know enough about the fiber characteristics to use them to their best advantage. Amy covers a full range of natural, created from natural sources, and pure synthetic "non-hair" fibers: what they can and can't do in and for your knitting and how to get the best from yarns that have been at best misunderstood and at worst maligned by much of the knitting community.

The chapter on Geeky things has changed forever how I approach swatching, especially for a new yarn or fiber type. The patterns -- some I love, some I like, some are... meh. This is typical for me with books that feature multiple designers. There were enough patterns that I can see myself knitting to make the pattern section worthwhile.

If you have any interest in plant based yarns and silk, this book would be an invaluable resource and a great addition to any knitting library.

There are 4 main reasons I really like this book - the patterns, the fiber knowledge, the knitting skills, and the friendliness. The patterns are ones a normal, non-model person would actually wear. The instructions are well presented and cover a wide range of knitting skill levels. The fiber knowledge for non-wool knitting is awesome. I live in Florida so I need to convert wool patterns to fibers I can wear for more than a month a year. There are helpful little tidbits of knitting skills sprinkled throughout the book that guide and encourage. And finally, the friendliness. Reading this book is like talking to an old friend that shares my passion (and obsession) for knitting. This book is a welcome addition to my library.

I got this book because I was curious about non-wool yarn. I've been taking my own notes and researching on the web. It's truly cool to know down to the nitty gritty what is a fabric made of and capable of. Right now, I'm considering the silks and the seacell.

This is a very detailed book, well illustrated and all is explained. For example, one store told me that linen is hemp when in fact they are from two similar plants. This book is worth the effort.

Reviewed by Janelle Martin

Subtitled: Knit happy with cotton, silk, linen, hemp, bamboo & other delights

Amy Singer, editor and founder of Knitty.com, learned to knit at age six, and as she puts it, "learned she was allergic to wool soon after." For many years, knitters allergic to wool were stuck knitting with synthetic substitutes that felt too much like plastic or with cotton which bagged or drooped. With the recent explosion of yarn options, non-wool knitters finally have their day in the sun.

No Sheep for You: Knit happy with cotton, silk, linen, hemp, bamboo & other delights explores the fabulous options open to the modern non-wool knitter. With her trademark wit and personal understanding of the subject, Singer introduces knitters to the five "families" of non-wool fibers and their characteristics: bast (flax, hemp, linen); seed (cotton); manufactured fibers from natural materials (rayon, bamboo, corn, seacell®, soy fiber); protein (silk); and synthetic (nylon, lycra, acrylic). Understanding the characteristics of each family, the best needles to use for each, appropriate stitch techniques, and how to wash and block the garments, is essential if knitters wish to produce garments they're happy to wear. Perhaps the most important section is on adapting patterns written for wool to non-wool fibers.

The latter part of No Sheep for You is dedicated to the twenty-one patterns designed for non-wool fibers. The patterns, many from designers familiar to regular readers of Knitty.com, are marked with an icon indicating which fiber family is used for the design. Scattered throughout this section are sidebars full of helpful hints (how to wind slippery yarn on a ball winder, finishing steeks) and useful information (why does yarn pill, why does yarn shrink).

Singer, as befits one of the authors of Big Girl Knits, includes a wide range of sizes in No Sheep for You. Women's patterns range from a finished chest of 31" to 64" (78.5cm to 162.5cm), averaging 34" to 54" (86.5cm to 137cm). Several patterns are included for men, as well as ones for hats, mitts, wraps, socks and bags.

Armchair Interviews says: Whether you are allergic to wool or just looking to expand your knitting repertoire, No Sheep for You is an essential addition to any knitter's library.

This is one of the only pattern books I own where I have read (and enjoyed) the first 20 pages. Amy Singer talks not only about the perks of non-wool yarn, but also about caring for said - how to block bamboo, wash silk, etc. The patterns are lovely and well-written, and manage to cover a great spectrum of garments (from sweaters to wraps to socks). As someone who wears wool easily, I bought this primarily to branch out, especially into warmer-weather clothing.

My only caveat - if you are a beginning knitter or unsure of how to substitute yarns in a pattern you may be overwhelmed when you finally look at the price tag. There is a stunning shawl in the book that, if you buy the yarn suggested, will cost you over $115. Bamboo, silk and many other "vegetarian" fibers (since silk is NOT vegan) tend to be FAR more expensive than wool or even alpaca. There are plenty of bamboo/silk/hemp/etc yarns out there for a reasonable price, but if you don't feel like hunting for them in gauge these patterns might frustrate you.

Otherwise I think this is a necessary book at a time when all kinds of "alternative" fibers are on the market, and knitters are being presented with many fabric options that don't act like wool at all (and must be cared for differently). No Sheep For You gives great advice, beautiful patterns and is well worth the asking price.

For those who can't/don't knit with wool or other animal-based yarns, or simply those who prefer cooler fare for summer knitting, No Sheep for You is an invaluable reference. Amy Singer gives a lot more than patterns (though the patterns are lovely). Her notes on the various types of fibers, their properties and how the construction of the yarn alters them, makes substituting these yarns in your own patterns much more doable. One star loss for a) not enough charting in the patterns (which echoes Knitty, Singer's on-line magazine), and b) rather hideously expensive yarns given in the patterns. I priced out the yarn as given in one of the sweater patterns at over $600, which is a good deal more than I'll be spending on yarn for one pattern in the foreseeable future. The information on yarn substitution is good enough to give me hope of finding more affordable alternatives, though, even if I have to spin them myself.

No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo & Other Delights
Finally, a book for non-wool knitters that offers more than just patterns for alternates. The author explains how you can substitute alternate fibers to conventional patterns by explaining their properties and best applications. She also has some very nice non-wool patterns included in the book. A book for the creative knitter who wants to have more freedom in putting together yarns and patterns.

Overall, I enjoy this book and found it an interesting read, nice patterns. I can see myself making many of them. I haven't seen this mentioned but almost all of thse patterns could be made with wool as well if you are so inclined. It makes the book more versatile if you work with wool as well.

While I liked the fibers discussion, I was disappointed in the section on cotton and cotton yarns. Most knitters I know avoid cotton yarns because of the properties involved. I thought the author skimped on the cotton discussion and I had hoped to get more out of this book on that topic. I did enjoy the other fiber discussions and would be much more apt to take a risk on bamboo or hemp yarns now that I know more about them.

I read in interview/blog with the author and she had no intention of creating a vegan knitting book. It was all about wool avoidance for her.