Welcome to Litsy!

I'm shocked I haven't heard of this book until now. As a handspinner myself, I was pretty familiar with the subject matter. That said, I still learned a lot along the way. I enjoyed her writing and thoughts and reflections on the industry. And yes, this is just a fraction of my own wool stash. The grey in the middle is jacob wool that is slated to become a sweater. My daughter is going to knit it for me once I'm finished spinning it.

Thank you for the birthday package @catiewithac ! The wrapping paper was so fun 🤩 The book sounds really interesting - I like learning about niche trades, hobbies, etc. Thanks for thinking of me for my birthday - I value our Litsy friendship ❤️
#LitsyLove

I don‘t know how I missed this two years ago but here is the story of Clara Parkes journey through the yarn making world with the Great Bale. If you are a knitter, spinner or have any interest in the processes that take wool from sheep to skein this is an a very enjoyable look at that trail.

I dabble in knitting, so when I found this I thought it would be fun to learn a little more about the process of creating yarn. What a fun adventure! A thoroughly enjoyed this look at American wool, and now I feel compelled to go find a wool sweater made with American wool for Autumn too!

I always appreciate it when someone chases a goal with fervor, and such is Clara‘s journey into the American wool industry. She follows a bale of wool from sheep to finished yarn. As a vet, I enjoyed the bits on husbandry and initial processing. After watching @Lindy ‘s amazing natural dyeing on Instagram, I found the chapters on the various dyeing techniques from natural and small batch to commercial and synthetic fascinating! Neat #audible deal!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I picked this up in honor of my MIL who passed away last year, far too soon. For years, she raised angora goats, ran a spinning mill, and personally hand-dyed/painted her gorgeous yarns. Not sheep, but it‘s the same idea. Parkes, a natural storyteller, takes us along as she transforms 600lbs+ wool into yarn at various places using different techniques, all while teaching us about the waning wool industry. Kathy would‘ve loved this! 💚

Having acquired a LOT of wool, Parkes set out to have it become yarn. She uses different types of production to create the yarn. In this educational and fascinating book, readers get to hear about wool production in the US. Parkes is a vocal advocate for wool and for responsible care of the animals it comes from. Reading this and following her on Instagram has encouraged me to be better with my yarn purchases.

#yarn #sheep