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The Intentional Spinner
Offering a blend of technical knowledge, history, and easy-to-use tips, this inspiring collection of spinning wisdom deftly explores the three fundamental areas of yarn production: understanding fibers, managing yarn structure, and making yarns that precisely meet the spinner's needs. The rich, historic traditions of plant and animal fibers are fascinatingly juxtaposed wit...more
Paperback, 152 pages
Published
March 1st 2009
by Interweave Press
(first published November 1st 2008)
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Normally I don't "Goodreads" (yes, I'm using it as a verb) knitting/spinning/fiber/craft books because usually I don't read them. I flip through, skim, and maybe make something from a pattern. They aren't read, they're reference.
But this I actually read, cover to cover. True to the title, The Intentional Spinner is all about spinning the yarn you want, rather than sitting down at the wheel, spinning something and then trying to figure out what to do with what you ended up with (after jumping up...more
But this I actually read, cover to cover. True to the title, The Intentional Spinner is all about spinning the yarn you want, rather than sitting down at the wheel, spinning something and then trying to figure out what to do with what you ended up with (after jumping up...more
Ok, this is more of an upper 3.5. It's wheel spinning focused, while I am more interested in spindling. There's great coverage of some basics, she goes into more detail about fibers than most, as well as caring for fiber and products, pest issues, and so on. Great section on art yarn. It may not be extremely in depth but it's the best I've seen so far, it covers a good number of techniques and seems to provide quite practical information for each of them, not merely abstract definitions. Haven't...more
Awwww yeah, here's some highly technical information on the chemical and physical properties of a wide variety of fibers, the mechanics of spinning wheels and twist dynamics, all presented in a highly readable and understandable way. There's even a yarn diameter control algorithm
Because sometimes you have to
before you can
Because sometimes you have to
before you can
I borrowed this book from the library in order to browse through it & see if I could find anything interesting in it. I think I will actually have to buy this book, however. Judith MacKenzie has included so much valuable information, and I think I could use this book as a reference for years to come. Highly readable style, too. With all the detail, this could easily have been a dry read, but it's not at all.
This is really a great resource, and I'd like to read it again sometime. It's definitely based on wheels rather than spindles, so it's not very useful to me now (I don't think I can do most of the plying tricks with a drop spindle--not enough hands), but if I end up with a wheel someday, I might go and buy it.
The DVD (included) helped with with plying--I'm a beginning spinner, but the early chapters with a taxonomy of fibers, where they're found, how their processed, what they're used for and why is absolutely engaging. Author seems just quirky enough to be really interesting.
Amazingly detailed book. As a more experienced spinner I rarely find something new in spinning books but this one is chock full of facts!
I learned the most from the fiber sections - detailed info on how every fiber goes from plant to yarn! Awesome!
I learned the most from the fiber sections - detailed info on how every fiber goes from plant to yarn! Awesome!
Great reference book for handspinner. I espcially love the spinning for perfect sock yarn and the knitting pattern toward the end of the book.
Quite wordy and (frankly) above my head. Shows a lot more more advanced techniques as well as history. Just a little too much for me.
Wonderful resource book. I learned so much about different fibers, preparation & spinning methods and how to plan before I spin.
Fantastic book that is rich with Judith's knowledge of spinning and fiber. Very high-level and abstract in some ways and I kept feeling that I wished some topics were covered more in depth, but I'm still processing the information I gathered. I think this is a book I will come back to repeatedly in order to figure out more spinning skills in the future.
This is an excellent book to help you master your wheel and figure out what the different types of fiber mean to you as a spinner. It provides enough information to make you feel comfortable enough to start experimenting more on your own. I'm glad I took the time to read through it, and I imagine I'll refer to it often as I'm spinning.
this was very in depth about fibers and history. most is spinning wheel knowledge vs spindle spinning. I left confused about plying vs cabling, so need to reread those.
This is one of the best books I've seen on handspinning yarn. It covers all the different fibers extensively and contains interesting information on them that I haven't seen elsewhere, and it is filled with great tips and information. I highly recommend it to anyone who spins.
I am trying to improve my spinning skills, and read this book for some ideas and advice to help me. As a spinner, it kept me engaged, and I did actually read it cover to cover. Highly recommended for spinners.
Haven't read every word of this, but thumbed through... well-written, lots of information, detailed. I need to remember this book when I'm spinning more again.
Read through 12/2010.
Read through 12/2010.
Dec 24, 2011
Luann
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Luann by:
my friend Melissa
Shelves:
library,
handcrafts
Very good information. I would highly recommend this book for others like me who are just getting into the world of fibers and spinning.
Awesome book. Chock full of info about fiber and turning it into yarn. This is one I'll reread again and again!
A must for your library AFTER you understand and can do the basics.
Feb 16, 2011
Jennie
marked it as set-aside
Rayon and tencel are the same thing. Optim is actually treated wool.
Just started but loving the info so far.
Mar 25, 2012
Sabrina
added it
Recommended to Sabrina by:
Heather from Highland Handmade
Shelves:
2012
great for fiber enthusiast
Apr 05, 2013
Jenny
marked it as to-read
Mar 15, 2013
Shannon Okey
added it
Mar 13, 2013
Lory Hess
marked it as to-read
Mar 09, 2013
Bluetoespinner
marked it as to-read
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