Book Review: A Fine Fleece

Just out this month is a new book from Lisa Lloyd: A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns. This book is not a “how to spin book” – instead, it covers a topic that in my opinion hasn’t been covered all that thoroughly before: what to knit with your handspun yarns.

The book starts out with a discussion of the general characteristics of wool and the characteristics of the wool produced by the specific breeds that are showcased in the book. There is also a bit of information here on the fibers of other animals used in the book: mohair, alpaca, and llama. The first chapter also covers the topics of blending and dyeing fiber and gives some really valuable information about how to decide what fiber or fiber blends to use based on the project you have in mind.

The knitted projects in the sections that follow are what really make the book. Most of the patterns are fairly classic but still manage to be unique. And the wonderful part is that each project is shown knit with both a handspun yarn and a commercial yarn, with details given about the blend used to make the handspun version. I haven’t yet had the chance to knit any of the projects in the book, but in reading through some of the patterns, I’ve found them to be well written and easy to follow. Levels of difficulty of the patterns range from “intermediate beginner” to “experienced”.

In short, A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns is a wonderful book for any spinner who wants to get some ideas about what to make with their handspun yarns, or a knitter who wants to learn more about what types of yarn work well in what projects.

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