Product Description

In The Natural Knitter, Barbara Albright takes readers on a rich journey through the joys of all-natural fibers–materials that can make an incredible difference, both in your knitting and in the health of our planet. From the animals and plants that produce the fibers to the artisans who work with them, The Natural Knitter presents the first-ever all-encompassing look at the world of natural knitting.

Tempted by the versatile and beautiful yarns produced from the fibers of llamas, sheep, cashmere-producing goats, and angora bunnies–as well as from cotton, hemp, linen, and silk–some of the most renowned designers in the textile industry have contributed patterns to this collection. There are more than twenty wonderful projects in all, and each highlights the softness, drape, and quality of the fiber used–from Norah Gaughan’s “Architectural Rib Pullover” in cashmere and wool yarn and Vicki Square’s “Uma Sweater” in silk yarn, to clever designs like Debbie New’s “Cast-Off Clothing” in hemp yarn and Barbara Albright’s “Lilliana’s Organic Cotton Poncho and Drawstring Pouch” design for organic cotton yarn. Meet the entrepreneurs who are creating beautiful products that are also non-toxic and earth-friendly, using plant-dyed fibers and unique processes. For the adventurous, step-by-step instructions are included for dyeing yarn naturally at home.

Lavishly illustrated and thoughtfully detailed, The Natural Knitter offers a thorough and engaging picture of the natural fiber industry–and a beautiful palette of designs for readers to knit, savor, and enjoy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #95786 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-06
• Released on: 2007-03-06
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

About the Author
Barbara Albright was a seasoned writer as well as a passionate knitting and craft designer. Barbara authored several books including Odd Ball Knitting, Knitter’s Stash, and Simple Knits for Sophisticated Living. She was a contributing editor to Interweave Knits and has written about knitting for Vogue Knitting, Knitter’s, Family Circle Easy Knitting, Cast-On, and Knit It. In addition to fiber, Barbara was passionate about food and authored more than twenty cookbooks and wrote for many newspapers and magazines, including the Associated Press, Good Housekeeping, Traditional Home, Classic American Home, Country Living, the Los Angeles Times, Working Mother, 1001 Home Ideas, and Americana. She was the editor in chief of Chocolatier magazine.

The Natural Knitter was the final accomplishment in her illustrious career. A native of Nebraska, Barbara resided in Wilton, Connecticut, with her husband, Ted, and two children, Samantha and Stone.

Customer Reviews

Eye-candy for the politically correct Green Knitters
Definitely eye-candy - the photos are gorgeous. Be prepared for heavy "Organic is the ONLY choice for Responsible Knitters" propaganda. I know this is the new religion for a lot of people, but if left me cold and was a real turn-off. Indoctrination doesn't belong in a knitting book.

Patterns are designed to use with the special fibers from the profiled farms. Since wraps per inch are not indicated it would be harder (but not impossible) to convert to other yarns.

If you want a "green" coffee table book, this is it. If you just want information, good patterns and the freedom to decide for yourself whether or not spending twice as much for organic yarn is worth it and actually saves the earth, you might not like this book.

a beautiful book
I bought this book for myself for Christmas. I love natural fibers. I love learning about them, how they are made, where they come from. I love knitting with them, and best of all I love wearing them. This book is therefore a delight, in my opinion. I read it for pleasure. And as a resource. This book offers several beautiful knitting projects, which I may not make, but from which I will borrow ideas. It describes each fibre, their animal source, their properties, and how to find them online. I am now knitting the 'Qiviut Twinset' pattern, which I have easily adapted for my top-down approach, out of yarn I purchased from Mini Mills Ltd. Based on this book, I have also purchased a handknitting hat kit in qiviut from Oomingmak, in Alaska. I have enjoyed my gift (to myself), and recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the natural yarn they like to knit with and where to get it. Also, shop around for the best price. I ordered mine online from 'knit picks' which at the time had the lowest price.

Everything you need to know...
As a dedicated, life-long fiber arts enthusiast, I opened The Natural Knitter with anticipation, and it didn't disappoint. This is a beautifully written and presented book full of interesting and useful information about natural fibers and the countless ways of putting them to use. While much has been written about sheep's wool (still my favorite), it's been more difficult to find info about the more exotic fibers, such as yak and bison, but now The Natural Knitter has filled the gap. Nicely illustrated, with patterns, tips, and suggestions that will stimulate the reader's creativity, it is very much worth the attention of fiber artists of every stripe.