Spinning

Review: Spin Art

by --Deb 12.21.2011
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I’ve always fallen firmly into the Traditional camp–preferring to let the knitting showcase the stitchwork and patterns rather than trying to deal with funky, sparkly, bumpy stuff that looked good in the skein but worked up into odd and quirky projects.

But, oh, this book. It’s dedicated to the art of making textured yarn, and it is chock-full of meticulously tested techniques to enable you to spin exactly the kind of yarn you’ve dreamed of.

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Review: Judith MacKenzie DVDs

by --Deb 04.18.2011
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More spinning excellence from Judith MacKenzie

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Review: A Collection of Spinning Videos

by --Deb 04.11.2011
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Spinning DVDs by Rita Buchanan and Margaret Stove–because you can never have too many spinning DVDs.

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Review: Spinning Around

by --Deb 03.27.2011
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Spinning Around is a spinning book that devotes itself to making yarn so you can knit Elizabeth Zimmermann’s patterns. More or less.

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Review: Abby Franquemont Spinning Videos

by --Deb 05.16.2010
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Two really great videos by Abby Franquemont.

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Review: Get Spun

by --Deb 05.05.2010
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A few years ago, when novelty yarn was all the rage, it didn’t appeal to me. So, when I received this review copy, I wasn’t expecting to actually like the book. I figured it would be a good book, since Interweave’s usually are, but I didn’t expect it to be a book I would get much out of. Yes, well, where do we keep the crow? Because this book is full of lots of interesting detail, even for a plain-vanilla kind of spinner like me.

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Review: Respect the Spindle

by --Deb 01.17.2010
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You know how they say the best way to learn a foreign language is to completely immerse yourself in the language? To go where it’s spoken, to live it, and breathe it as if there simply is no other language? Well, that’s how the author learned to spin.

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Review: Spinning in the Old Way

by --Deb 08.06.2009
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Almost every other spinning book I have tends to be broad in nature. They discuss everything from where the fiber comes from, to how it’s prepared, to the parts of a spinning wheel, to drafting, to finishing … everything. It’s all in there, like that old tomato sauce commercial.

This book (if you’ll forgive me for referring to the pair of them as if they were one and the same) is refreshing because it focuses on making yarn with one tool only–the high-whorl spindle.

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Review: Start Spinning The Video

by --Deb 07.25.2009
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The DVDs–there are two in the package–are basically a spinning lesson from Maggie Casey (author of the companion book) to Eunny Jang, with just a few thousand of their closest friends watching over their shoulders.

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Review: Spin Control

by --Deb 06.21.2009
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This book has been sitting next to the computer for days now, waiting for me to review it, and I have no idea what’s been holding me back, because it’s a great book.

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Review: The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook

by --Deb 02.23.2009
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This is one of those kinds of books that almost makes you rethink everything you know about knitting.

It was written in 2002, at just about the time that sock knitting started becoming popular, and spinning hadn’t taken off. Seven years ago, most people who knit automatically headed to their local yarn shop or craft store to buy yarn–the concept of making their own was still new. (New to our generation, that is. Obviously, people have been spinning their own yarn for quite some time.)

Enter Lynne Vogel.

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Review: The Intentional Spinner

by --Deb 02.10.2009
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The subtitle is “A Holistic Approach to Making Yarn.” Now, I don’t claim to be an expert in holistic anything, so I’m not entirely sure where that came from, but what I can tell you is that this is one of the most in-depth books on spinning I’ve seen in a long time.

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Review: A Fine Fleece

by --Deb 09.28.2008
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The idea behind A Fine Fleece is simple–making things out of your handspun yarn, except, you don’t NEED to be a spinner.

Hmm, let me rephrase that. The patterns in this book can be made out of commercial yarn, or yarn of your own.

Maybe I should just let the author explain:

“Every piece in this book is shown in both handspun and a commercially available yarn. … Ultimately, I feel being a spinner has made me a better knitter simply by teaching me to see yarn differently. You don’t need to spin to enjoy this book, but if you have even the slightest interest in learning to spin, I urge you to act on it. Most knitters I know are fascinated with yarn and fiber and have well established favorites, either in gauge, yarn company, or type. Being a spinner takes all these things to the next level and beyond. Handspinning opens up unlimited possibilities of yarn. If you can imagine a yarn, you can make it. As a knitwear designer, spinning has added a depth to my design work I never imagined possible.”

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