Customer Reviews

Spinning Wool: Beyond the basics

5 star:		(5)
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This is the book that first got me interested in all of the sheep breeds and how their wools differ from each other. I was a knitter who thought wool was wool was wool except for Merino. Then I took up spinning and read this book and I was off and running. I now collect wool from every sheep I can and spin the in as many ways as I can. This book was my jumping off point for my 10 year obsession. Out of print for a long time, now it's back. if this book isn't in your spinning library it needs to get there pronto even if you never have any intention of touching a raw fleece.

Spinning Wool: Beyond the Basics appears in a fine revised guide to all spinners who want to move to the next level in their work. It's now in full color and goes beyond basics in teaching spinner how to analyze fleeces and get the most out of a spinning wheel. Yarn design is presented with step-by-step instructions and photos of the spinning process as a whole.

Spinning Wool Beyond the Basics is the best spinning reference I have ever seen. I am not a novice, but having this book when I first began to spin would have been a God send. Even now, I seem to learn something from nearly every page. If I could recommend one book to every spinner, no matter what the skill level, it would be Spinning Wool, Beyond the Basics. This book is worth much more than the cost.

This book has lots of good information about wool that is a step beyond the bare-boned basics, including information about different breeds of sheep and how the wool varies among breeds. This should give more understanding about why some techniques work well on some wool and not on others, and give a less experienced spinner some basic knowledge that will enhance their experience of spinning.

My go-to spinning book has always been Judith McCuin's Intentional Spinner and I thought it couldn't be more comprehensive. But I was pleasantly delighted by Anne Field's book. Interesting information on spinning various types of wool (although perhaps not many spinners would have access to many of the wools included)and the information on spinning to the number of crimps per inch in the fleece and to the various drive ratios on your wheel is very helpful. The book is heavily illustrated with useful step-by-step photos including how to use hand carders, combs, drum carders and spinning woolen and worsted yarn techniques. The projects at the end of the book are probably the only disappointment in an otherwise outstanding book. Many look kind of dumpy or are a retread of things you can find in other books. Still, it's worth five stars or more for all that the book offers. It will definitely make you a better spinner if you experiment with some of the techniques offered. Bravo!