Morehouse Farm Merino Knits: More than 40 Farm-Fresh Designs (Hardcover)

by Margrit Lohrer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Thirty years ago, the author and her husband bought a farm in upstate New York, stocked it with sheep and began what has become a knitting world legend: Morehouse Farm. In this, her first book, Lohrer presents an array of patterns interspersed with tips on caring for wool and short anecdotes about farm life. The best of the collection shows off Morehouse Merino yarns, including a fringed throw/shawl and a clever three-size foulard with case. Designs using variegated yarns are especially eye-catching, and several projects, such as the double-sided hat, are perfect for outdoor winter work. Though the designs for children tend toward the frumpy, and few designs are not already available in some form in other knitting books, these vastly utilitarian items (the authors run a working farm, after all) are as warm as they are durable. This is not a book for beginners, as there aren't any knitting instructions-just patterns-so readers who want to cast on should already know what they are doing. The functional wardrobe and household staples and color photographs make this a worthwhile addition to the knitter's bookshelf. Photos.
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Product Description
Tucked away in a valley surrounded by a luscious landscape and rolling hills, Morehouse Farm is home to two former Manhattanites—Margrit Lohrer and Albrecht Pichler—who sought refuge from city life to raise Merino sheep and create the plushest wool of them all. Morehouse Farm Merino Knits opens the gates of this magical farmland with a true city-to-country fairy tale and a fresh crop of patterns for merino handknits.

Margrit Lohrer has developed more than forty patterns that range from lacy shawls and classic sweaters to adorable baby garments and colorful mittens, along with a selection of gorgeous accessories for the home—all inspired by the beauty of merino wool and the comfort of life on Morehouse Farm. These inventive patterns include something special for each member of the family, even the cat. Lively sidebars include anecdotes about farm life, helpful knitting tips, and methods for caring for merino wool.

Full-color photographs of each handknit set against the lush Morehouse landscape will transport you directly to the farm. As you escape into this charming backdrop, discover the enchanting tale of the farm and follow the wool from sheep to shawl as you read firsthand accounts of caring for the flock, shearing, dyeing, spinning, and knitting with merino wool.

Morehouse Farm Merino Knits offers more than forty designs geared for knitters who delight in the soothing qualities of working with a plush fiber.

Spoil yourself with merino, the world’s most luxurious wool yarn.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400097444
• ISBN-13: 978-1400097449
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #286,230 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful projects from a beautiful yarn, May 7, 2006

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

Morehouse Merino is a beautiful yarn--soft, thick with that roundish stitch you only get from this fine fibered, tightly crimped soft wool from the Merino sheep. Merinos, developed in Spain, were so valued that it was a capital crime to take a breeding pair out of the country. Someone did, however, and haha, lo and behold, the French developed Rambouillet sheep and the secret was out. Even today, Merino is the king of wools. Soft and light, it makes garments that can be worn, without itching, next to the skin.

Morehouse Farms provides 40 patterns in this book to go with their wool. The patterns are for the most part rather basic. There are pillows, kids' clothes, hats, mittens, vests and sweaters. The photos are large, colorful and very nice to look at.


If you want to find production patterns that would suit your own handspun merino or Morehouse or similar wools, this is a great book. Many of the patterns would make easy to knit but popular items for Christmas gifts, or just household knitting. If you want easy patterns for you family, this book is very good.


If you are looking for style or advanced knitting technique, this is NOT the right book for you. Some people, including myself, were a bit disappointed in the patterns. If you are an advanced knitter or experienced in using the design-it-yourself systems of say, Elizabeth Zimmermann or her daughter Meg Swansen, you will not need this book, unless you collect knitting books with nice photos, which this certainly is.

For basic, useful patterns for socks, vests, and other items, and for those who really love Morehouse yarns and like to look at a pretty picture book, I highly recommend "Morehouse Farms Merino Knits." If you are already somewhat experienced as a knitter, you probably will be somewhat disappointed.

Suitability:

A good gift book for a starting knitter with some yarn to do one of the projects.

Beginners

Moms and Dads who knit for their kids

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Average - I expected more, April 30, 2006

By	nanapama (Dorchester, MA USA) - See all my reviews

Let me start by saying I feel my standards from knitting books have risen a great deal. No too long ago I might have rated this book higher but after just reading "Mason Dixon Knitting", "Knitting Nature" and "Knitting Rules", I expect more, much more. "Morehouse Farm Merino Knits" just didn't deliver what I was looking for. I expected better designs, better instructions, better antedotes and better pictures. I just expected more bang for my buck and it wasn't delivered.

Not that I didn't find the information about how the farm came to be and the information about the merino sheep interesting but I wanted more. The wool looked so beautiful in one picture, but the sweaters and hats designs were too simple and uninspiring - hardly farm fresh. In fact the designs seemed a little stale, not worthy of the yarn.

The book might be okay for beginners, but I won't recommend it because I believe new knitters need to be inspired to stick with this craft. So this is my final word - if you have a passion for sheep and you want a book with some basic knitting patterns, this is your book. I was looking for a bit more that's all.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You're going to want this one!, May 10, 2006

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

In the sea of recently published knitting books, Morehouse Farm Merino Knits: more than 40 farm-fresh designs quickly separates itself from the flock with its opening line: "Morehouse Farm began with a voodoo chicken." An opening like that is difficult to live up to but while the patterns that Margrit Lohrer offers are simple, the book itself and its reasons for such simple patterns hold up admirably to that first sentence.

Morehouse Farm is well known for the sumptuous merino yarn they produce. This collection was designed by Lohrer to highlight the inherent beauty of merino yarn by designing to play to its strengths. Merino is one of the oldest breeds of sheep and has the finest wool, due to its tightly crimped and springy nature, making for finer, softer, and itch-free garments. As the author: "None of the patterns are particularly challenging, but all will yield attractive and functional knitted items...The patterns in this book are a starting point. Be creative...Knit what you want, the way you want it to look, feel, and wear."

The patterns are divided into five sections: home, lace, children, accessories and sweaters. While Lohrer does specify which of her yarns to use for each pattern, weight and gauge information is provided so that knitters can substitute other yarn as desired. The patterns, while basic, are great foundation pieces that will provide years of knitting and leave room for individual creativity.

Armchair Interviews says: Lohrer's introduction, scrumptious photos and in-depth details about Morehouse Farm make Morehouse Farm Merino Knits a worthwhile addition to any knitter's library.