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Oct 9, 2013

The Field Guide to Fleece, A Review


In The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds and How to Use Their Fibers, authors Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius give in depth reviews of a variety of wools, discussing the amount of crimp, natural area of the breed, breeding changes throughout history, and what the wool is best used for, along with dye effects, fiber diameters and staple lengths, as well as fleece weight and natural colors.

If you are looking to expand your knowledge base in spinning from a variety of sheep, for different effects, this would be a great and handy resource to have with you.  The Kindle version, even in black and white, was easy to read and the pictures were clear.  The book itself is about 7x5 inches for the cover and only about half an inch thick, for over 200 pages, that's a great size, easy to slip into your spinning bag for retreats or spindling in the park and the inevitable questions from passersby as to what type of sheep you are spinning.  Or, maybe that's just me? ;)

The pictures are lovely in this one too!  I love the various backgrounds and seeing the sheep up close and personal.  It was a new experience for me.  I have yet to handle a sheep's fleece, but when I do, I will be sure to look it up in this book.

I gave this book 5/5 stars because I strongly think every spinner should own it at some point in the spinning career.  You should get to know the sheep and wools very well, and this book will take you a long ways down that path.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Storey Publishing, LLC, through the NetGalley Reviewer Program for free.  That said I was under no obligation to give any kind of review, glowing or otherwise.

Oct 3, 2013

Vest or Waistcoat for 18" Dolls






Because folks seem to really like the Mermaid Tail for 18" Doll pattern I posted a while ago, I decided to share my pattern for what we in the USA call a vest and what the British world calls a waistcoat for the same kinds of dolls.



Materials

Worsted weight yarn, I used acrylic and got 2 from a 3 ounce skein, about 85 grams

US size 4 or 3.5 mm knitting needle

Ravelry has been causing  folks to have seizures, migraines, vertigo, and other health problems, so I am including an alternative shopping link for folks to access my patterns through. 

My patterns are also available on Etsy, and here's the direct link to the Vest or Waistcoat for 18" Dolls Pattern