The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning

Originally, I wanted to title this review "Lunch with Alden Amos". I had read a little bit of it before I bought my wheel, but after I got my wheel I dedicated most of my lunchtimes to reading this book, sure that I was going to get an incredible discussion of how to spin.

However, if you buy this book thinking that you are going to learn to spin from it, you will probably be disappointed. It contains a treasure trove of information, but it really isn't a "how to" book in the way most people think of them. When I first got the book I thought it looked an awful lot like a text book. And, in fact, a textbook is what it really is. It's a book meant to appeal to your inner spinning engineer -- full of terminology explained and generall process outlined. And if you're like me, your inner spinning engineer is always looking for opportunities to break free.

Organizationally, the book will make sense to most spinners. It starts with a "why spin" section, covers the basics of the "big 4 fibers" (wool, cotton, flax and silk) and then moves on to fiber preparation, fiber properties, carding and spinning tools, spinning wheel mechanics, a general discussion of spinning and how to relate your singles to the yarn you want to prepare, yarn handling tools and plying. It ends with a collection of schematics for tools for those of you who in addition to a spinning habit also have a wood-working workshop or know someone who might do that sort of thing.

When I first started reading this book, I was looking for technique. How could I create a single ply yarn that I liked? How could I learn to control the diameter of my singles? Exactly how much twist is the right amount of twist? But this book didn't really have any of that. Instead, it focuses on the conceptual issues related to fiber preparation and spinning. What is the process that a fleece takes to becoming prepared fiber for spinning? How do you select the right tools for the job you are planning to do? It introduces you to terms like "twist", "grist" and "TPI" that provide you with the vocabulary and the measuring skills that you need to be able to compare your yarn to other yarns and help you determine how much you need to spin in order to complete a project. It gives you a fairly exhaustive discussion of spinning wheel types and the mechanics of how particular wheels work so that you can understand which weels might be best for your intended application. You'll learn the difference between an umbrella swift and a reel, what consititutes a "good skein" and the dynamics required for good plying.

Nowhere in the book will you be told how to spin other than in relatively general terms.

However, as I began to work my way through the book, I also got my wheel, and a spinning lesson. Teaching your hands to spin is a relatively easy process. But learning how to describe your yarn or what all the parts of your wheel do are things that require a new vocabulary. This book not only provides that vocabulary, but gives you a lot of food for thought about getting the most out of your tools, thinking through your projects from start to finish, and being realistic about what you can expect a certain fiber to do.

This book could be unremittingly dull if it was just about spinning-related equations and cut-and-dried descriptions of spinning wheel parts and the like. Instead, it actually turns out to be a pretty good read because you get a healthy dose of Alden Amos' personality (some have complained that he spends too much time on digressions, but most of those are in footnotes that you can choose to ignrore). If you're one of those people who don't like technical book authors to have opinions, you probably won't enjoy reading this book as much as I did. For instance, it's easy to be offended listening to his somewhat negative opinions of double treadle wheels and the spinners who use them after purchasing your shiny new Lendrum DT. Alden Amos clearly has opinions on everything spinning-related. That said, he usually provides a lot of support for why he has the opinions he does. In other words, his opinions come as a result of much experience. Thus, you can determine for yourself whether those things matter to you. For instance, for me, the "extra effort" of the double treadle is something that I like because it helps me keep a nice rhythm between my hands and feet and I am not a production spinner. For Alden, that extra effort is wasted effort. And if I were spinning for production reasons, I would probably have a similar point of view.

This book is the kind of book that you won't be able to digest in a couple of sittings. Nor is it a book that once you've read it, you'll never need to look through it again. Instead, it's a technical fiber preparation and spinning guide that you will refer to time and time again. I'd consider it a book best suited for the "apprentice" spinner -- someone who has done enough spinning to know how to know how the basics work, but is looking to understand the science behind it a bit better, to start speaking in the termnology that other spinners understand and to describe yarns in a way that is much more precise than terms like "sport weight". It's a book for people who want to think about the process of spinning as opposed to the product.

For the average knitter it will be of relatively little interest other than as a technical spinning glossary unless you are looking for an in depth understanding of what's involved in getting unprepared fiber to the point where you can knit with it. For the handspinner still in the earlier phases of the learning curve, I'd put this book in the "must have" category, and I think it would likely be a great reference for more experienced handspinners as well.

Teddy Bears

This is mostly for Theresa who was asking about this book in her post today.  It's a mini-review of  Teddy Bears by Debbie Bliss which includes 25 designs for knitted bears.

The bears are all knit with Rowan dk weight yarns from what I could tell, but I suppose you could size them up or down depending on whatever yarn you had.  Many of the actual bears look similar, although there is a garter stitch bear thrown in and a couple of colorwork bears too.  Many of the bears have little outfits, some quite elaborate!   

I haven't knit any of these up yet, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of the patterns or the ease of following them, but the bears are super cute and so are the outfits.  In fact, when I pulled out the book to write this up, Maddie asked if I'd knit her some of them.  I haven't looked at this book in a while, but Theresa's post today has gotten me thinking.  Bears and handspun may just be a great match!

The Art of Knitting

The book is called The Art of Knitting and it was written by Francoise Tellier-Loumagne (in French originally, but it has been translated into English).  The sub title is "Inspirational Stitches, Textures, and Surfaces" and that is a great explanation for what this book is all about. 

The basic format is this -- there is a graph with a basic stitch pattern, following that  is a diagram of the pattern (this is in a format strange to me, but very useful in describing what the yarn "does" in a particular stitch pattern), then there is an illustrated representation of the knitted fabric.  Next is the incredible part -- there are *numerous* photos of the stitch pattern knit with different materials including many different yarns and sometimes combinations of yarns.  It is a visual treat!

The book is massive with over 300 pages, 600 color photos and hundreds of diagrams.  There aren't any "patterns" in here, it's more of a collection of ideas that will inspire and hopefully get you creating your own knitwear!

Really -- check this book out!  I think that you will be glad that you did!

Pelle's New Suit

Today I'm reviewing a children's book -- a charming story about a young Swedish boy who outgrows his suit, so he goes about getting a new one. And of course, this is all sheepy and fiber related!

Elsa Beskow's book, Pelle's New Suit, tells how one boy does chores and helps others in exchange for having the fiber from his own sheep processed. As he goes from person to person, beautiful illustrations show the transformation from wool to suit!

One Granny cards the wool, another spins it, Pelle dyes the wool and then his mother weaves it into cloth. Finally as Pelle rakes the hay and slops the pigs, the tailor sews up the suit. A proud Pelle thanks his lamb in the end for the fine wool. So adorable!

Beskow is the author and illustrator of a number of children's books which may be hard to find, but are well worth the effort!