A book on spinning basics for beginners from internationally acclaimed spinner and weaver Anne Field. With easy-to-follow, step-by-step directions, Anne guides the novice spinner through all they need to know to get started. She explains the spinning process and techniques, including preparation of fleeces, worsted and woolen spinning methods, plying, adjusting tension, treadling, skeining, drafting and blending as well as helpful advice about spinning wheels and how they work. A wide range of fibers suitable for spinning are featured--wool, alpaca, silk, mohair, cotton, angora, and synthetic and blended fibers--with details on the characteristics of each fiber and best spinning methods to use. Also included are many great projects with full instructions on how to use your newly spun yarns. Fully illustrated with full color photographs throughout.

Internationally acclaimed masterweaver Anne Field always found that people learn best when they can start making things right away. So this book takes a project-based approach, where beginners learn techniques through actually doing a weaving project. Each project is described in detail, with photographs showing every step in the process, as well as the finished work. Learn to Weave with Anne Field focuses on shaft looms only, with most projects woven on four-shaft looms, plus one or two eight-shaft projects. Table looms are also covered. The first part of the book looks at choosing your loom and setting it up, then the second part gets straight into the projects, which include scarfs, wraps, table runners, table mats, weaving fabric for a jacket, cushions, wall hangings and rugs. As well as traditional yarns such as wool and cotton, Anne also explores the latest yarns, such as Tencel and bamboo, and discusses the use of computers in weaving.

Spinning is a practical, fascinating and satisfying hobby with continuing appeal in an age of mass production. It is a comprehensive spinning primer written by a leading New Zealand spinner with an international reputation as a teacher and craftsperson. This book describles a physical skill clearly and concisely and her instructions are illustrated by over one hundred step-by-step photographs and diagrams. In addition to advice on spinning wool with a variety of techniques, she offers chapters on the use of other fibers and novelty yarns, and on dyeing. There is also an introduction to the craft of felting and a useful selection of patterns for knitting , crocheting and weaving your own handspun yarn.

With its soothing, meditative effect, handspinning is a relaxing hobby, and the beautiful yarns you create are an even better reward. This visual guide shows you the basics, beginning with the tools and fibers, and takes you through spinning, plying, making novelty yarns, using exotic fibers, dyeing, and more. Whether you use an inexpensive hand spindle or splurge on a spinning wheel, stick with wool or try alpaca, cashmere, or cotton, you'll learn how to create fun, original, one-of-a-kind yarns that you can knit or weave into truly unique, handmade, and all-natural creations. Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick review The skill demonstrated is defined and described Detailed color photos demonstrate each step Step-by-step instructions accompany each photo Helpful tips provide additional guidance

An essential book for all spinners who want to get the best out of their craft. This revised and updated edition, now in full colour, is intended for spinners who have mastered the basic spinning techniques explored in the author's The Ashford Book of Spinning.

Collapse cloth--cloth that, when removed from the loom and washed, takes on an entirely different appearance as the threads draw up and create puckers. Combinations of various weaving techniques are presented alongside photos and diagrams, providing clear instructions for sewing scarves, wraps, tops, and harem-style pants made from this fluid and unusual cloth. Additional chapters describe in detail how to warp the loom and add special effects such as double weave, supplementary warps, spaced cloth, overshot, and deflected double weave. Tips for those who want to spin their own yarn for collapse projects are also included.

Pairing detailed instructions with clear, step-by-step photography, this dynamic guide of spinning techniques and demonstrations explores an array of fiber possibilities--such as wool, glitz, and sari silk--to create unique yarn for fiber art projects. Designed for the advanced beginner to the intermediate spinner, this reference covers a variety of subjects such as spinning fundamentals, techniques for wool and silk, spinning with nontraditional materials, introducing add-ins, and creating plying effects. Additionally, the comprehensive tutorial offers information on easy home dyeing and directions for using a drumcarder to blend colors and fibers.

The characteristics of fleece — its structure, grease content, and fiber diameter — vary widely depending on the breed of sheep the fleece comes from. In this comprehensive guide, Beth Smith profiles 21 types of fleece, from bouncy and pliant to lacy and lightweight. A sheep-by-sheep reference describes the best way to wash and spin each fleece into rich, soft yarn. You’ll soon be confidently choosing the right fleece, spinning it to perfection, and enjoying the perfect yarn for your next fiber creation.

A classic work of American literature that has not stopped changing minds and lives since it burst onto the literary scene, The Things They Carried is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling. The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O’Brien, who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three. Taught everywhere—from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing—it has become required reading for any American and continues to challenge readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, courage and fear and longing. The Things They Carried won France's prestigious Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize; it was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

This book is a delight to the enthusiastic fiber crowd that is growing by leaps and bounds. It captures all the excitement of experimental, handspun yarns, and includes recipes for handspun yarns, project ideas for knitters and crocheters, tips on how to use one-of-a-kind handspun yarns (whether you spin them or buy them at yarn boutiques), and a gallery of handmade creations. The book also features profiles, anecdotes, essays, and thoughts on fiber arts and the creative process. Contributors range from Alpaca farmers and cutting-edge spinners to well-known knitwear designers.