"When it comes to life, we spin our own yarn, and where we end up is really, in fact, where we always intended to be."
β Julia Glass
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Hello there fellow knitter!
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Knitspiration
World's biggest yarn stash
π 7 Books To Better Understand Your Yarn
The other day I received an email from one of our readers that went a little something like this:
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I joined the Knit Happy summit on you advice , and learned so much! My favorite presentation was on wool and sheep! Is it possible to dig deeper into that subject? I learned valuable information and have a better understanding of how breeds and wool work! I don't want to spin or die wool, I want a greater understanding of what works for what kind of project! It would be beneficial to understand the diversity of what's out there! It could help me to make better choices! I don't think I'm alone in this! I feel this would be a great service to educate us knitters, I have been knitting 55 years plus and would love to understand this in more depth !
β Elizabeth Whiteside
Now, I think better understanding yarn is one of the most important things a knitter can learn. It's right up there with learning to read your knitting.
However, it's a REALLY big topic because just within wool alone there are dozens of sheep breeds used for hand knitting.
Each has characteristics the make it unique and suited to particular types of knitting.
Then there's synthetic yarn, plant based yarns, and fiber blends.
You have spinning methods and different plies and unique yarn constructions and dye techniques.
There's A TON to talk about.
In fact I have a list of topics just about yarn that will take me almost two years to get through.
So if you don't want to wait that long I've complied a list of books that will give you a big head start.
If you want to became a yarn expert, these books will get you most of the way there.
For years Clara Parkes blog Knitter's Review was THE PLACE to go if you wanted to learn about the latest yarns. So it's fitting that the yarn queen complied her years of yarn expertise into the definitive guide for knitters. It covers everything from fiber types to yarn construction, and even includes A BUNCH of patterns to highlight the strengths of different yarns.
If you buy one book from this list this the one to get.
Ok remember a few paragraphs ago when I said wool is its own world to explore. Well in this follow up to her first book, Clara dives deep into what makes wool so unique. She goes into detail about how wool is turned into yarn, different breeds from around the world, and even what projects are best to make from specific types of wool.
This book completely changed my understanding of how yarn worked. I had no idea there were thousands of sheep breeds, and that only a fraction of those had wool worth knitting with. But this book covers many more animal fibers than just sheep. It's a little bit geared toward hand spinning, but don't let that deter you. This book is a virtual encyclopedia of yarn fibers that's definitely a worthwhile investment.
Understanding yarn is one thing, but understanding how to swap out one yarn for another is an entirely different skill. This is something that I often see knitters struggle with, and this book will have you subbing in yarn like an expert. If you've ever wanted to knit with a different yarn than a pattern suggested, this is the book for you.
I have no interest in spinning my own yarn. I have tried and failed and I know when something is not for me. HOWEVER, I do think understanding how spinning works is useful for all knitters. Jillian is the perfect person to learn from, as the editor of KnittySpin she has plenty of experience with turning fleeces into beautiful yarn. And I think even if you don't spin you'll still learn something valuable from this book.
Ever dream about raising your own sheep and living that locavore life on a rural farm? Me neither. I'm a city boy at heart, but I can appreciate the desire to live off the land, and the satisfaction of producing your own artisanal yarn. This book documents a year in the life of a family doing just that, and what it takes to turn that beautiful fleece into a lovely hand knit item.
I told you Clara Parkes was the yarn queen. Back in 2013 she and about 750 other knitters purchased a 676-pound bale of wool and embarked on a journey to turn it into yarn. This book chronicles her exploits, working with farmers and mills and dye houses across America. Along the way she documents the struggling fiber industry and the interesting people who are keeping it alive.
If you love reading non-fiction and want a different perspective on yarn, this book is a great read.
Ok, so you have a bunch of yarn and you have a better understanding of how to use it. But how do you manage all of it so you don't end up with the new world record yarn stash? This book has plenty of tips and tricks for curating a stash you'll make the best of, along with a few patterns to use up those loose skeins.
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Conclusion
So there you have it!
If you're not a yarn expert after reading all of these books, then I don't know what to tell you.
But what do you think?
What resources have you used to learn more about yarn?
Hit reply and let us know!
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