Customer Reviews

Spinning Designer Yarns

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With color photo examples, excellent clear black & white illustrations and well written step by step instruction, this book shows how to advance beyond the creation of a simple basic yarn on a spinning wheel. Fascinating techniques such as core-spun, overtwist, snarl, knotted, tuffed yarns are just some of yarns you will be able to learn along with various dyeing methods, yarn texture and design

A lot of good information, attractively presented. I learned about a few specialty yarn constructions and overall the book was easy to read.

When I took it out of the envelope, I was a little disappointed by the size of the book. It's pretty thin. A lot was covered, but it didn't really seem like it was covered in depth. I was hoping to hear MORE about fibers, MORE about twist, etc.

To be fair, my main reference up to this point has been the Alden Amos Book of Handspinning, and that's a tome, so that might have affected my perspective. Still, this book just seems a bit "broad brushstrokes" for me.

I have only been spinning for a short while, but I knew I wanted to explore beyond the basics, maybe get into making art yarns and the like...this book fits the bill perfectly, it assumes you know basic techniques and explains ways to move beyond....I am very pleased with this book!

Having gone to Nova Scotia for a spinning workshop in exotic and novelty spinning, this book was a wonderful find on my return home. Diane Varney clearly and consisely details how to create slub yarns, snarl yarns, fuzzy yarns, boucles, various cabled yarns. Using her techniques as a foundation, the possibilities become endless to apply these to any combination of fibers and embellishments to one's yarn creations. A definite plus to any spinner's library!

This is an excellent overview of novelty yarns, with a very good introduction to considerations such as intended use, fiber type, preparation, and color. But when it gets into the actual spinning and plying techniques, it's mostly useful for knowing what's possible rather than how to do it. For such a visual/kinesthetic art, it would help to have many more pictures or at least more detailed descriptions of how to produce each type of yarn. This is likely to be most helpful for an advanced spinner looking for specific ideas, rather than a beginner or intermediate crafter trying to break out into more advanced techniques.

This book covered a lot of ground, but some parts were very frustrating. The full color images are great, but the little numbered captions are not easy to understand at all -- it is hard to tell which yarn is described by which number.

Some instructions just seem to need editing. For one yarn, instead of saying "you'll need mohair for this" in the beginning, she ends with something like "if you don't use mohair it won't work well."

It was an interesting book to read, but borrow it from a friend or the library first to see whether you want to own it.

I love this book. It has tons of stuff in there that I've never even thought of doing. The instructions are clear enough, and the little illustrations are helpful. I just wish that the pictures at the beginning of the different sections were more clear. There's a picture of a number of skeins of yarn and the opposite page has a "key" to the opposing picture, telling you which yarn was made using what technique. It's a little confusing at times and I wish there were some more in depth pix. But other than that the info is great, and amazon has a great price! I'm not giving up my copy any time soon! =0)

Great book I was looking for... Well written with step by step instructions and illustrations. I like this book!

Outstanding guide to making designer yarns. She covers a lot of territory and inspired me to try things that I would not have thought about on my own.

I bought this book after having borrowed it a number of times and everytime I read a section, I learn something new. I love to experiment with spinning fibre and this book hepled me gain confidence in trying different methods of creating fibre. Great for all spinners who wish to branch out and try creating their own special yarns. A good first book in designing yarn from spinning.