Not Wool

A parcel arrived in the mail finally - to dispel any notion I may have had that my empty space of a Post Box was on strike. Along with Lace Style (which is destined for the Guild Library) Amazon had a very good deal on Amy Singers new book "No Sheep for You". I bought it after reading some very good reviews and I must concur with them.

This book is an enjoyable and informative read. I normally skip straight to the patterns when I get knitting book but not in this case. The first three chapters on all the different types of non-wool yarn, their history and properties kept me engrossed for a full train commute and the information continued in other little essays like 'How to Wind Slippery Yarn', 'Needle Fuss Factor' and 'Are you really allergic to wool?".

The 20 patterns that are included were so much icing to the cake. I can't say much about them that hasn't been said by others but they're in a great range of sizes and have clear instructions and diagrams in the Interweave Press style (of course). There is a good variety of garments for women and men, including aran jumpers, ganseys, sweaters, cable cardigans, jackets and accessories.

The yarns vary from cotton, cotton blends, silk, linen and hemp. There is not one pattern that is a waste of paper and the book is not aimed at the beginner or the hip knitter ( a welcome relief), in fact it has several top-down patterns, a steeked Cardigan and an amazingly complex but beautiful aran. The pattern is called Morrigan, after the celtic goddess of sex, strife and war and by the look at the 4 pages of detailed charts it is aptly named.

My favourites are the Hemp 'Manly Maze' sweater (as modelled by Franklin), the Classic Elite 'Sweet Indugence' silk robe and the deceptively simple 'Tuscany' Shawl. It is definitely on my 'todo' list

Update on Other Knitting Progress

Before I digress into knitting distractions there is progress being made on other projects. The intoxicating speed of the Mega Stoppino jacket inspired me to keep up the pace with the Cleckheaton Cardigan. Because the striping properties of the Vero yarn ended up looking like a football jumper I used three balls at once to give a much smoother colour transition. It was interesting to see Meg's progress on the same pattern with the Vintage Hues yarn. It seems to have a nicer variegation and so tempts me to try it. This does not bode well with my commitment to the Stash-Along Wool/Silk jumper which still waits, armless and so near completion.