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

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.

Shannon Okey is the founder of Anezka Homemade and the author of Knitgrrl. She has appeared on the DIY Network's Knitty Gritty and Uncommon Threads and on HGTV's Crafters Coast to Coast. She is a cofounder of Boston Blogs. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

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.

Shannon Okey learned to spin in 2002 after many years as a knitter and artist. She has appeared on the DIY Network'sUncommon Threads and Knitty Gritty, and HGTV's Crafters Coast to Coast. Her books includeKnitgrrl (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.