Adventures in Yarn Farming: Four Seasons on a New England Fiber Farm - Hardcover

Parry, Barbara

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1590308239 ISBN 13: 9781590308233

Publisher: Roost Books, 2013

Synopsis

A knitting book focusing on the sheep-to-shawl process by a well-known knitter, shepherd, and artisanal yarn producer.

Gain an insider's view on fiber farming and yarn craft, from sheep to skein, all told through the eyes of shepherd and textile artisan Barbara Parry. Follow her flock over the course of a year and discover all the facets of life with sheep: from shearing day and lambing season, to preparing fiber for yarn. Along the way you'll find projects for the fiber obsessed by top knitwear designers, essays on country life, and over 100 stunning photographs. With the growing locavore movement, the rising trend in sustainable farming, and the ever-increasing interest in crafting, this book is perfect for those who yearn for a closer connection to a rural lifestyle and who enjoy making things by hand.

About this title

About the Author

BARBARA PARRY raises sheep on her 220-acre Springdelle Farm in western Massachusetts. She and her husband, Michael, keep a flock of 77 sheep, goats, and llamas. Every year Barbara converts hundreds of pounds of her spring wool clip into high-quality yarn and handspinning fiber. She markets her yarns and fibers under her label Foxfire Fiber & Designs and has created a substantial presence, both online (www.foxfirefiber.com) and at major sheep and wool festivals throughout the Northeast. She has worked collaboratively with several well-known designers in the industry. Barbara's diverse background in fiber arts, sheep farming, and yarn production makes her a sought-after speaker for fiber retreats and guild presentations. Barbara regularly chronicles farm life on her blog, Sheep Gal: Notes from a Shelburne Shepherd (www.sheepgal.com). She is also the author of Teach Yourself Visually Hand-Dyeing (Wiley Publishing).

Reviews

*Starred Review* Visually as well as informatively inviting, Barry’s story of her New England farm, particularly how she produces yarn for crafters, will absorb readers regardless of their previous interest in or even exposure to the nearly magical world of yarn preparation. Barry describes herself as a shepherdess and textile artisan, and those two sides of herself and her professional life are given outlets on her western Massachusetts “fiber farm” as she raises sheep for their wool and assumes the hat of a crafter, using her own product for knitting and weaving projects. Her luscious book is a year-in-the-life-of presentation. She follows her farm’s processes and procedures from spring to summer to fall to winter, from shearing to awaiting new lambs to making hay to lamb weaning to the final steps in the making of yarn. Sprinkled throughout her spirited and inspirational text are directions for knitting garments and accessories, including patterns by name knitwear designers. Photographic accompaniment to the text is more than simply support. The abundant and eye-catching photos rivet the reader’s attention in their own right. Obviously, this is more than just a how-to, and the book should be see-also-referenced from the library’s farming and agricultural section. --Brad Hooper

Edition details

• Publisher: Roost Books
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1590308239
• ISBN 13: 9781590308233
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320