If you've always wanted to go to one of the big fiber festivals but have never been able to, or if you're a longtime fan and know exactly where to go first at Rhinebeck, Michigan and Taos, you'll enjoy Joanne Seiff's Fiber Gathering: Knit, Crochet, Spin, and Dye More than 25 Projects Inspired by America's Festivals.
The book highlights 10 different fiber festivals across the country, explaining what to expect and not-to-be missed highlights, as well as offering knitting and crochet patterns and lessons on spinning and dyeing.
Taking in the Festivals
Fiber Gathering is divided into four geographical sections (northeast, south, midwest and west), each of which highlights two or three different festivals, including:
- Maryland Sheep and Wool
- New York State Sheep and Wool (aka Rhinebeck)
- New Hampshire Sheep and Wool
- Southeastern Animal Fibers Fair
- Tennessee State Fair
- Michigan Fiber Festival
- Heart of America Sheep Show and Fiber Fest
- Black Sheep Gathering
- Estes Park Wool Market
- Wool Festival at Taos
Each festival is covered in a couple of pages, complete with pictures of animals you might see at the shows, lovely yarns and other highlights. The pictures are so big and lovely you'll want to reach out and fondle the yarns and pet the llamas' heads.
Each section also includes patterns for knitting and crochet patterns (as well as one rug hooking pattern) and tips and instructions on topics such as how to skirt and wash a fleece, how to help out at a sheep sheering, how to make your own drop spindle and spin for speed, even a recipe for apple crisp.
The Patterns
There are 12 patterns for knitters in the book, as well as two for crocheters (a pair of socks and a men's sweater), a felting pattern (using a sweater to make a bag) and a rug hooking pattern.
The knitting patterns include socks, wraps, a vest, a pullover, a baby sweater and matching hat, a men's ribbed hat and a fancy aran skirt.
My favorites include the Natural Alpaca Ruana (that's a really big wrap) worked in many colors and lovely diamond shapes; Evergreen, a large, lacy stole worked in kid mohair; and the southwestern-style pillows, which are knit with intarsia but look woven.
The really wonderful part of this book, though, is the information about spinning, dyeing and dealing with fresh fleece, which are vital things to know if you're doing serious shopping at fiber festivals. Of course these roundups offer just a quick overview of techniques, but they almost all recommend books or sources for more information if you really want to learn the techniques.
In all, this is a lovely, wide ranging book that is both a fine overview of the spectrum of fiber festivals and a look at some of the many wonderful things that can be done with the products purchased there.
Publication date: March 2009.
