In Sheep's Clothing [Paperback]

Nola Fournier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

This highly readable, authoritative reference provides a comprehensive look at the characteristics of wool of 100 breeds of sheep. Essential reading for handspinners, wool growers, and other fiber craft enthusiasts, this guide gives special attention to fleece characteristics, methods of preparation and spinning, and best end use. Everything from baby-soft merino to silky lincoln to sturdy karakul—the full range of nature’s miracle fiber—is represented here with expert advice on selecting top-quality fleeces; cleaning wool efficiently and thoroughly; teasing, flicking, combing, carding, and other preparation methods; and spinning and plying a variety of yarn styles. Actual fleece locks are shown in full-size photographs. Knitting, crochet, weaving, and other techniques illustrate the importance of matching wool type to end use. This replaces 188301011X.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nola Fournier is a master spinner. Jane Fournier, her daughter, holds a certificate of excellence in handspinning and lives in Helena, Montana.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Interweave Press (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931499381
• ISBN-13: 978-1931499385
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #691,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful reference book, December 5, 1999

By 

Jennifer Lyons (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Sheep's Clothing: A Handspinner's Guide to Wool (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful reference book for handspinners. It covers many sheep breeds, giving descriptions of the fleece (staple length, quality rating, typical uses, and even a photo of a lock for about 90% of the breeds). As a beginning handspinner, I found this to be indispensible information, since most of the stuff I've managed to find about sheep breeds has been directed at livestock types. I appreciated the technique sections, since they scratched the surface of matching your spinning style to the fleece. If you are trying to get a good idea of how to consciously select appropriate wool and technique for your projects, this is the place to start. The only thing I would change would be to have color photos, and more of them - particularly in the colored fleece section.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful reference book for handspinners., August 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In Sheep's Clothing: A Handspinner's Guide to Wool (Hardcover)

This book is a guide to the wool of common and uncommon breeds of sheep: 94 breeds in all. It is divided into four main sections (fine wools, long wools, down wools and other wools). Each section begins with a few pages on general characteristics of wools in that category, typical uses for them, suggestions for washing and processing, and a handy chart comparing the main characteristics of each breed covered. Then each breed is presented seperately, with a photograph of a lock, information on fiber diameter in microns, spinning counts, staple length, fleece weight, etc., followed by a textual description of the wool and its uses. There are also a couple of chapters with good basic information on handspinning, though since anyone who buys this book probably already owns several spinning texts, I wish they would have used the space for photos of sheep or perhaps swatches. Still, anyone tempted to mail order a fleece will find this book useful; it can also help you realize that the sheep common to your area may have interesting wool. No information is given on locating fleeces, but that is understandable. Recommended.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but not for beginners, April 29, 2004

By 

"joy_in_colorado" (Elizabeth, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Sheep's Clothing (Paperback)

When I bought this I was a beginner, and to put it mildly, I was underwhelmed. I thought this book would describe the fleeces in such a way as to help me select fleeces to spin. The problem was, my own knowledge at the time was so meager, the book was not helpful. Now that I know more, it is a lot more helpful.

The book is divided into sections, such as "fine wools" like Merino, and "longwools" like Lincoln. Each breed is alloted a picture of a lock of wool, a brief description of the history of the breed, and where that breed tends to be found on the planet. Some of the breeds show a picture of an individual sheep, but most of them just show a lock of fleece.

This is a great reference if you are considering buying fleeces or animals from a breed with which you have no familiarity. It's also a good book if you want to know a little about the history of diverse breeds. However, there is not much detail on any of it.