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In Sheep's Clothing: A Handspinner's Guide to Wool

"Very useful reference book for handspinners. This book is a guide to the wool of common and uncommon breeds of sheep: 94 breeds in all. It is divided into four main sections (fine wools, long wools, down wools and other wools). Each section begins with a few pages on general characteristics of wools in that category, typical uses for them, suggestions for washing and processing, and a handy chart comparing the main characteristics of each breed covered. Then each breed is presented seperately, with a photograph of a lock, information on fiber diameter in microns, spinning counts, staple length, fleece weight, etc., followed by a textual description of the wool and its uses. There are also a couple of chapters with good basic information on handspinning, though since anyone who buys this book probably already owns several spinning texts, I wish they would have used the space for photos of sheep or perhaps swatches. Still, anyone tempted to mail order a fleece will find this book useful; it can also help you realize that the sheep common to your area may have interesting wool. No information is given on locating fleeces, but that is understandable. Recommended." Amazon review

RRP £19.99 Hardcover