Review: The Knitter's Book of Yarn

First impression: this book is beautiful. The layout and design are beautiful; even the paper feels beautiful.

Beyond first impression: Yay! The content is good, too.

In The Knitter's Book of Yarn, Clara Parkes (founder of Knitter's Review) sets out to demystify the world of yarn: "how it's made, who makes it, how it gets to you, and what it longs to become in your hands." There's tons of information here, and it's presented clearly. (The glossary is very helpful.) I feel like this book was written for me: I'm not a spinner, I'm not very knowledgeable about different fibers -- I really just learned at Rhinebeck two weeks ago that wool from one kind of sheep can feel noticeably different than wool from another. I don't know crimp from loft. But even though I've really only skimmed TKBOY so far, I can see that it's going to be a useful reference book, like a handy dandy yarny encyclopedia.

To give you an example of the kinds of information in this book, let's say you're thinking of knitting something with cashmere. In the space of a few pages, you'll learn that cashmere is a protein fibre that comes from a goat, probably from China; that the fleece was probably dehaired and the fibres are short and delicate; that U.S. manufacturers may not label a produce "cashmere" if the average fibre diameter exceeds 19 microns; that it suits any weight of yarn, but requires a definite twist; that if it's good-quality stuff it should, according to Parkes, "make you stop dead in your tracks and emit at least one 'ooooooh' as you touch it"; and that while it is good for nearly any garment, it will, sadly, pill and thin over time.

And TKBOY is an encyclopedia with patterns, which is even better. Patterns are arranged according to yarn type; patterns for single-ply yarns are grouped together, followed by those for two-ply yarns, those for textured yarns, and so on. Most of the patterns are for accessories: bags, mittens, hats, socks. There are a few simple tops, too.

My two favourite patterns just happen to be mittens designed by mitten queen Adrian Bizilia. I figured there's no time like the present to figure out continental knitting, and I cast on for the Double-Thick Mittens.


I haven't used DPNs in a while, so my Fair Isle is a little shaky on that cuff. Now that I'm into the solid-gray hand of the mitten, it superfun -- the hand is stranded, too. (Hence the Double-Thickness.) So I figured out how to "pick" with the yarn in my left hand, and now I'm alternating one stitch from each hand. Crazy! I'm not fast at it, by any means, but I'll get faster.

Anyway, if you're looking to buy a book, this is a good one. It's the whole package: beautiful design, useful information, a few great patterns. Highly recommended.