The Green Mountain Spinnery Knitting Book: Contemporary and Classic Patterns (Hardcover)

~ (Author), The Green Mountain Spinnery (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Gorgeous knitting patterns designed for the colorful natural-fiber yarns produced by the Green Mountain Spinnery of Putney, Vermont.

The Green Mountain Spinnery was founded twenty years ago with a distinctly Vermont mission: to produce the highest quality natural-fiber yarns, to help sustain regional sheep farming, and to develop environmentally sound ways to process natural fibers. Since then the collective has grown and thrived, designing and producing richly colored yarns in alpaca, mohair, wool, and organic cotton that are known and loved by knitters and weavers across the country. The yarns are produced in their mill in rural Vermont with vintage equipment and are available in a spectacular array of 75 natural and dyed colors.

Now in this beautiful, inviting book, the Green Mountain Spinnery has collected for the first time more than 30 of their contemporary and classic patterns. Beautiful full-color photographs, pattern charts, and schematics accompany detailed knitting instructions for appealing sweaters, vests, cardigans, children's sweaters, and accessories, including hats, scarves, socks, and mittens. 36 color photographs, 30 pattern charts and schematics, full color throughout.

About the Author

Margaret Klein Wilson is the sales and marketing coordinator for the Green Mountain Spinnery. Her work has appeared in Handwoven and Interweave Knits magazines, and in Knit Lit: Sweaters and Their Stories. She lives in Putney, Vermont.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Countryman; 1 edition (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 088150579X
• ISBN-13: 978-0881505795
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #339,390 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone in my family in this book, very nice!, July 30, 2004

By	Catherine Martin (Sheboygan, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have made several items from this book, mostly substituting less expensive yarns, and the patterns are clear and not at all confusing. I did splurge and buy from the Green Mountain Spinnery (using their website) to make Rosemary's Little Sweater and the Artisan's Vest, and it was well worth it! Beautiful yarn, and the sweaters will last for a long time.

The cover photo depicts one of the most complicated sweaters--I've only been knitting for a year, and wouldn't tackle one like that yet. But there are plenty of easy patterns inside the book, for all ages. I've made sweaters for the whole family from age 4 through 36, and all have loved them.

To me, these are classic patterns and this is a book that won't become dated. I have Stitch N' Bitch and Hot Knits, and they are great too, but I think I'll be knitting things from this book long after the other two books start collecting dust on my shelf. You don't have to be an experienced knitter to make many of these patterns, and the results are very pleasing. I would give the book five stars if the GMS yarn wasn't so expensive! It's not too difficult to substitute yarns--I found out the yardages from the GMS website and then consulted with my local yarn shop staff to come up with suitable substitutions.

As for the book advertising the spinnery, I don't think this is a big deal at all. There are four pages in the beginning of the book which discuss their spinnery, and then four more pages that go into technique, abbreviations used and using the patterns. There are ninety pages of patterns, and then an appendix section where they provide photos and information about their yarns (there is also a page entitled, "What makes Spinnery yarns so special?"). Grand total of spinnery promoting pages: 8.

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars from Knitter's Review!, May 27, 2004

By	Clara H. Parkes "Publisher, Knitter's Review" (New England, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In a world of super-bulky scarves, knitted cell phone cozies, and make-it-in-a-weekend sweaters (all of which have their place, don't get me wront), this book is a beacon for those looking for a little more meat.

Many of these patterns have been available through GMS for years. On the one hand, this means you don't get hip, trendy, up-to-the-minute innovation. But on the other hand, this means you get tried and tested patterns that are as close to perfection as you can get. The instructions are clearly written, the layout is easy to navigate, and I couldn't find a single confusing element in any pattern.

Stylistically speaking, I'd consider these patterns "nouveau New England." They use Green Mountain Spinnery yarns exclusively, eschewing fringe, fluff, and bouclé for the beauty of a well-turned cable and balanced intarsia.

And the pictures! Don't get me started. Lush and gorgeous from start to finish.

That's why I give this book five stars. It is a fixture on my bedside table. Any time I need sweet knitterly dreams, I just pop it open and start reading.

68 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OH Boy! OH BOY! It's here, at last!, October 19, 2003

By	Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

I have WAITED for this book for a long time. I used to drive to Putney to visit Green Mountain, back when I lived in neighboring New Hampshire. It was fun to sniff the machine oil used on the spinners, while watching them churning out the most lovely yarns imaginable, and look at all the great original patterns in the outlet shop there.

The famous Green Mountain patterns that previous were only available in pamplet form are assembled here in this attractive book, showing off the hazy beauty of the mohair mix yarns. The patterns are not only for this yarn--there are some others as well but the mohair mix is my personal favorite, and you can always substitute another yarn with the right gauge.

The famous Artisans Vest, with its appealing simple beaded rib, two versions of Rosemary's Sweater and the Toasty IBH Socks are here, and much more. If you know these yarns, you will want to have this on your shelf. If you don't know Green Mountain Spinnery, these are basic, nicely-designed and simple-to-knit patterns that deliver a lot of design for not a lot of knitting effort. A big thumbs-up here to the folks in Vermont.