Product Details
Spin to Knit: The Knitter's Guide to Making Yarn

Spin to Knit: The Knitter's Guide to Making Yarn
By Shannon Okey

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Product Description

Knitters who want new worlds to conquer can reach for this guide to handspinning their own designer yarns. A rundown on equipment introduces the drop spindle, supported spindle, niddy-noddy, McMorran balance, and yarn meter, while the following sections include choosing wool and other fibers, presenting knitting patterns suitable for handspun yarn, and in-depth profiles of real urban spinners. For crafters who want to experiment with spinning but don't want to sacrifice too much of their knitting time, there are lots of ideas for jazzing up a thrift-store cardigan with handspun trim or knitting a boatneck pullover in a combination of commercial and handspun yarns. Methods for incorporating beads and threads into yarn and a technique for dyeing yarn in the dishwasher are also featured.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #390397 in Books
  • Published on: 2006-10-28
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 128 pages

Features

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Short of shearing the sheep, author Shannon Okey provides everything knitters need to know to take fiber from fuzz to fab."  —BUST


"Full of inspiration and stories to get those of us who are a little intimidated by spinning over our fear."  —Crafts.LovetoKnow.com


"A lighthearted introduction to an ancient craft.... fun tips of the trade to spin and knit with panache."  —MonstersandCritics.com


"A wonderful new book. . . . I believe this book can take you to new creative heights, and I highly recommend it."  —Anchorage Daily News


"This book is perfection for newbie and wanna-be spinners who want to do it NOW!"  —Knitty.com


"Nicely illustrated with a homely, folksy approach, this book offers some technique, patterns and a variety of tips."  —KnitNet


"With Spin to Knit everything you need to create one-of-a-kind designer yarn is right at your fingertips."  —Get Creative


"All in all, this publication is a fast read, beautifully written and illustrated, and a joy to linger over."  —Spindlicity.com

About the Author

Shannon Okey learned to spin in 2002 after many years as a knitter and artist. She has appeared on the DIY Network’s Uncommon Threads and Knitty Gritty, and HGTV’s Crafters Coast to Coast. Her books include Knitgrrl (Watson Guptill, 2005) and Knitgrrl 2 (Watson Guptill, April 2006). She is a city coordinator for national indie craft show Bazaar Bizarre and lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Customer Reviews

Great for a newbie spinner5
I'd been spinning with a drop spindle for a couple of years without really understanding what I've been doing, when finally something clicked and I started getting obsessed. I bought a spinning wheel and started complementing my yarn stash with roving, and as soon as it came out, I bought "Spin to Knit." This book is great -- Okey's instructions are clear, and the patterns are a great inspirational jumping-off point (I particularly like the yoked sweaters which combine simple solid handspun with a yoke of self-striping Noro yarns). The other day I successfuly Andean-plied some leftover singles using the instructions in STK, and I feel like I really understand the technique now. If you're already more advanced, you may want the book just for the inspiration in the patterns and the profiles of different spinner/designers, but you should probably flip through the book before buying to see if it appeals to you. If you are, like me, relatively new to the world of spinning and you want to understand how it all "works," this book is perfect for you and you should order it -- and some more fiber -- ASAP.

Disappointing2
I am both a crocheter and knitter and have recently started spinning. I was rather disappointed by the fact that although the name would lead you to believe the book has a great deal of spinning instruction, the reality is that it is mostly knitting patterns worked with homespun which was produced by many different people and little to no instruction as to how to produce similar yarn yourself.

Great for a beginner (like me)4
Although my mother has been spinning since I was a little kid, I had never really had the urge to try it until recently. I purchased a spindle and some fibre, but have not yet worked up the courage to try it. The instructions in Spin to Knit are very clearly written and accompanied by step-by-step photos--just what I needed to help me really visualize the process! I am already looking forward to learning to use a wheel as well!
Besides being easy to understand and quite detailed, this is quite a funny read in bits as well. I have not tried any of the patterns yet, but several of them are quite appealing and I will be giving them a try later. The profiles of different spinners included were an unexpected inspiration!
If you are looking for lots of patterns or a complete, comprehensive encyclopedia of spinning, this isn't it. If, however, you would like something to help you get started in spinning and some ideas for neat stuff to make with your handspun, check this one out.