Book Reviews

These are not sock books, but they do have patterns in them, including some for socks.

The Knitter's Book of Wool by Clara Parks



This book begins with an entire chapter titled "What is Wool?" In it the author discusses skirting and shorting, scouring fleece, how wool is spun into yarn, and dying yarn. Further in the book she describes difference sheep breeds and how that determines how the yarn will look, feel, and behave. This chapter is extremely detailed and fascinating

She further describes how wool "plays well with others"; in other words, how it can be blended with other fibers for different effects. Following these chapters she presents many beautiful patterns.

One was this scarf which I hope to find time to make this winter.




And, of course,socks.



A companion book by the same author is The Knitters Book of Yarn.



It begins with a chapter on fiber foundations (protein, cellulose, cellulosic, and synthetic) following by one detailing how yarn is made including yarn production by mills and microspinneries, farm yarns and fiber festivals, how yarn is colored, and how wool is prepared for spinning. The next chapter describes single ply, two-ply, three-ply, and four-ply and more and what projects they are each best suited for.

The rest of the book offers many patterns. These were some of my favorites:

These mittens are just gorgeous and another project I'd love to do this winter.



And more socks!





NOTE: Errata for The Knitters Book of Yarn can be found here.