When my friend Deb offered to curate a Holiday Gift Guide featuring books, I was pleased but I wouldn’t say I was excited about it. That was before I read her contribution. Deb has a special gift for capturing the spirit of a book in a way that gives you a taste without giving anything away. Enjoy Deb’s recommendations and be sure to enter her giveaway at the end by sharing your own favs! Meanwhile, I’ll be on Amazon ordering some of these…

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One of my favorite things to do is to recommend books, so I was so excited when Susan said I could share some of the books I think you’d enjoy. (Yes, you.) I was going to include some actual
knitting books (since heaven knows I’ve got a lot of them to choose from since I write a blog of knitting book reviews), but decided to go with books that are more fun to curl up with without needles in your hand. Perfect for a snowy day, a lazy afternoon, or a cozy night.

Or, you know, for when you’re recovering from the holidays.

Basically, there all just good books.

In no particular sequence:

Epitaph for a Peach
by David M. Masumoto
Beautiful. Elegiac. Poetic. Wistful. Evocative. Just . . . a beautiful read. I stretched this book out over a month when I read it, just to be able to savor it. It is a memoir of a year on the author’s farm as he struggles to save his heirloom peaches in a marketplace more interested in durability than in taste. Not only does he write beautiful prose, but I could almost taste those Sun Crest peaches. Absolutely wonderful memoir.

A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way through Love, Loss, and
Laughter

by Rachael Herron
Best known for her knitting-themed romances, this book is a delight of heartwarming essays. They’re touching, funny, entertaining, and just truly a good read. She’s such a good writer, I never get tired of it. In fact, I liked this book so much, I bought a paper copy and then bought a second copy for my Kindle. Her writing is heart-felt and vivid and rings true not just for knitters, but anybody trying to feel her way through the world. (Her first book is How to Knit a Love Story.)

Phoebe’s Sweater and Freddie’s Blanket
by Joanna Johnson, illustrated by Eric Johnson
Two of the sweetest picture books you’ll ever want to read. These are produced by this husband/wife team, and I do mean “produced.” Joanna writes them, Eric illustrates them, and together they run their own publishing company to create them. And they’re awesome. (The books, I mean … but, the people, too.) Both books start with a sweet little story. Phoebe is a mouse whose mother knits her a beautiful sweater when she becomes a Big Sister. Freddie is a platypus who can’t get to sleep at night without his special blanket. The illustrations are amazing, with so much incredible detail. You can (and should) sit and pour over them because there’s so much detail. But then each book gets even better–because after the story, come the patterns so that you
can knit these for yourself or your child. Not to mention dolls of the characters with their own scaled-down versions of the knits in the stories. If you have a child in your life (or even if you don’t), you
MUST check these out.

Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep & Enough Wool to Save the Planet
by Catherine Friend
I know, you’re already reading about a woman’s adventures on a farm with sheep (why else would you be here?), but it never hurts to get a different perspective, and this book was delightful. The author was convinced by her wife to buy a farm (told in an earlier book), and now spends her days caught between writing and helping with the sheep … except she’s still not entirely sure WHY. What good are sheep, really? And so she begins her exploration of wool and the things you can do with it and suddenly,
she’s a convert. She’s “of” sheep now, like a Spanish person is “of” Spain, and the journey and explorations on the way? Fun.

Fifty Acres and a Poodle: A Story of Love, Livestock, and Finding Myself on
a Farm
by Jeanne Marie Laskas
Another farm-memoir. Here, the author falls in love and decides to move to the Pennsylvania countryside with her boyfriend, even though neither of them has ever run a farm before, and then of course,
hilarity ensues. It’s heart-warming and wholly enjoyable reading. There’s a sequel, too.

Extraordinary Chickens and Extra Extraordinary
Chickens
by Stephen Green-Arnytage
I had to include these, if only because I knew Susan would love the amazing photos of beautiful chickens (Because we know how Susan feels about exotic chickens.) This is eye-candy at its best for chicken lovers. (It doesn’t hurt that he has an “Extraordinary Pigs” book, too.)

Still Life with Chickens: Starting Over in a House by the Sea
by Catherine Goldhammer
After a messy divorce, this now-single Mom had to move to whatever house she could afford, and the only way she could convince her daughter was by promising her that they would have a yard so she could get chickens. Do I need to say more? You know, other than that I really enjoyed reading this, and that their trials and tribulations as new chicken owners were entertaining?

The Case of the Missing Marquess

by Nancy Springer
These are written for younger folks (like middle-grade/young-adult age), but oh! They are so much FUN. They tell the story of Enola, the much younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes, who runs away when they threaten her with boarding school. Being as brilliant as her brothers, she goes to the last place they’d expect–London. I can’t tell you how much I loved this series of six books. I wanted to cheer every time she outsmarted her brothers. I started the first book with grave misgivings … I mean, a SISTER for Sherlock Holmes? The purist in me had doubts but … oh. Fun, fun, fun. I’ve read the entire series three times now, and it’s been less than a year.

Expressive Photography: The Shutter Sister’s Guide to Shooting from the
Heart
by the Shutter Sisters
We all like good photography like Susan provides here, but maybe your own photos aren’t quite up to snuff? Maybe you want to improve your skills but you’re not interested in learning about f-stops and apertures and lens focal lengths and all that other technical stuff. You just want to improve your eye for a good picture. Well, this book is charming, with some of the sweetest photos and tips on what to look for. It’s not a ‘how-to’ book, exactly, because it’s not about equipment and jargon. It’s about figuring out a new way to LOOK at the world through your camera.

Nine Coaches Waiting
by Mary Stewart
Actually, it was hard picking just one of Mary Stewart’s books to mention to you. If you’ve never read her delicious blend of romance and mystery, well, you should. She started writing decades ago and her books are gentle little mysteries with exotic locales, scrumptious food, and always a brave heroine. They’re not gritty, hard-edged mysteries, they’re not even all murder mysteries–but they’re wonderful, atmospheric, and charming. This particular one has always been one of my favorites, with its Cinderella-like parallels, but almost all of them are a delight. (And, of course, let’s not forget her Merlin series which retells the story of King Arthur and is a classic in its own right.)

Learning to Swim: A Novel
by Sara J. Henry
This is a page-turner of a book with SUCH a good story. I mentioned it on Ravelry when it came out (and even interviewed the author) and am still spreading the word because it’s GOOD. It begins when Troy, riding the ferry home, sees what she thinks was a person fall overboard from a passing ferry and, without thinking, dives overboard to help. She finds a little boy drowning in an oversized sweatshirt and gets him to land but when they arrive–there’s nothing. No worried parents, no emergency crews. Nobody who appeared to miss him. So she begins to wonder … did he really fall overboard? Or was he thrown.

And, folks? That’s just the first chapter!

This was fun! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. (Honestly, I could keep going.) Now–go to your library, grab your ebook reader, or head to your favorite bookstore and start reading! They all make great gifts OR excellent rewards for you for getting through the holiday season.

Now, as a prize? I’ve got LOTS of books, and I periodically weed out my library (much as it pains me), and I’ve got a pile of about seven knitting books looking for a new home. If you’re the lucky winner, they could be yours! All you have to do is recommend one of YOUR favorite books. (Because, hey, a devoted reader such as myself is always looking for recommendations.)

We are living in uncertain times. The economy is troubling. Wall Street is being occupied (along with streets in 1423 cities.) The world that we have known suddenly feels unfamiliar and unstable.

But you know what? You and I are going to be just fine. How do I know that? Because we can make things. Things like food. And clothing. And maybe even shelter. We can cook and garden and knit and sew. We can read recipes and patterns and plans.

We can turn nothing into something and that is always going to be madly valuable. You and I will be heavily scouted and vied for when people are putting together their post-apocolyptic teams. We will be picked first. But more importantly, whatever happens, we will be warm and well fed.

There is also a subtle, some times even inadvertent, form of protest involved in making things. Filmmaker and artist Faith Gillespie said:

There is clearly another imperative at work now in our exercise of the old crafts. It has to do with reclamation, with reparation. The world seems not to need us any more to make ‘the things of life.’ Machines make more and cheap. The system needs us to do the maintenance jobs and to run the machines that produce the so-called ‘goods,’ to be machines in the consumer societies which consume and consume and are empty. Our turning to craftwork is a refusal. We may not all see ourselves this way, but we are working from a position of dissent. And that is a political position.

Isn’t that amazing? The first time I read it, it gave me goose bumps!

So you can imagine how excited I was when I heard about Craft Activism, the new book by Joan Tapper and Gail Zucker. [Full disclosure: Gail Zucker is a personal friend and has taught a photography class here at the farm. She's also a kick-ass photographer.]

Here’s the blurb from the back:

Craft Activism is an inspiring celebration of this growing movement. Inside, dozens of superstars of this grassroots phenomenon share their experiences, tips, and advice on living, teaching, and promoting a more meaningful DIY lifestyle. Learn to craft for your cause, connect with other crafters, think green, organize a fair, host an online exchange, create yarn graffiti, and more. The book also includes 17 creative projects from designers who challenge you to reimagine how your craft skills can be used to make a difference. Whether you knit, sew, crochet, or collage—and even if you’re not sure where to begin—this book is your guide to the incredible power of handmade.

When I think of lace, shawls often come to mind. And lace-weight yarn. Both are beautiful, but not very practical for everyday wear, and often make for lengthy, time consuming projects. I don’t have a lot of time to knit, generally I squeeze it in during some TV time after dinner (and yes, often accompanied by reality TV… a guilty pleasure that I see by Shepherd Susie’s tweets she may share!). I like to make things I can wear often to show off my work because let’s be honest, we don’t knit because it’s fast and easy. So generally, I’m not quick to reach for the size 2 needles and gossamer weight yarn (confession: I’ve never knitted with gossamer yarn but I’m way impressed if you have). Thankfully Wendy Johnson’s latest pattern book has knitters like me in mind!

Wendy Knits Lace is so much more than just a pattern book. Its subtitle Essential Techniques and Patterns for Irresistible Everyday Lace says it all. If you are a new to lace knitting, or have dabbled a bit like me, you will find a valuable resource full of lace knitting know-how. Already have years and years of experience lace knitting? No worries! This book is full of patterns for lovely, wearable, and yes, irresistible lace items.

Nearly the first third of Wendy Knits Lace is devoted to tips, tricks, and methods specific to knitting lace (or lace knitting if you want to be picky about it as Caroline alluded to in a previous post). This includes directions on how to knit from a chart, and various methods for blocking based on fiber type. Wendy’s voice really comes through in this section, it feels like she is right there in the room, patiently demonstrating how to fix a missed yarn over, or how to thread a lifeline. She sets down no rules, instead explains advantages and disadvantages of this or that type of knitting needle or yarn fiber. Even after professing her ardor for knitting with circular needles, she follows up by making sure the reader doesn’t feel the need to use them as well! I must admit one thing, I think I may have found a mistake in one of the diagrams depicting the lace cast-on. Try as I might, I couldn’t quite get my knitting to look like drawing (h) after performing drawing (g) and wasn’t sure how the fictitious cartoon knitter could either without defying laws of physics (ie: matter cannot pass through matter) so perhaps a bit more explanation was needed in this section. This small difficulty aside, the rest of the instructions were extremely helpful and clear. I learned quite a bit from this book!

Wendy has also not failed to provide a fabulous assortment of patterns with which to put all her equally fabulous tips and tricks to good use. Wendy puts a fresh spin on lace with bright, cheery accessories. Almost all are in fingering weight or greater yarn allowing for a nice satisfactory feeling of accomplishment at the end of a session of knitting. I am especially smitten with the project on the the cover, the True Love Scarf, which I fantasize about knitting for my wedding next year, and the Poor Poet’s Mitts that are on my short list of projects to do and seem like a quick knit.

To share an example with you I wanted to choose project a little larger than the mitts and bit a faster to knit up than the elaborate True Love Scarf. I picked the Cranbourne Scarf which Wendy charmingly relays reminds her of the diamond-shaped panes in the bedroom window of her childhood home in an English village. This project knit up easily and beautifully, I am so happy with the light airy finished product. I can’t wait for the fall weather to begin so I can wear it without sweating too much on the cashmere blend yarn I used, found hiding in my stash (are you drooling? I bet you are). The colors remind me of stained glass windows.

There are also mittens, gloves, socks, hats, and scarfs and shawls aplenty. In all there are twenty projects, although it feels like more to me since it is so rare I find a pattern book with so many patterns I actually want knit. I highly recommend picking up Wendy Knits Lace to discover Wendy’s charm for yourself.

Jennifer Leslie is a contributor to A Shepherd’s Tale. Her blog is called Scientific (Mis)Communications.

You know a knitting book is truly first-rate, or at least has products that appeal to non-knitters, when your husband picks it up and thumbs through it before you even had a chance to look through it yourself! Immediately there was a request for some tiny knits for Mr. Mason’s desk at work, and it was at that point I knew we had a phenomenon on our hands.

First, the specs:

Looking through Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi (original retail $19.99) is a delight – not only is the layout of the actual text visually appealing (many photographs, great color, clear directions), Anna Hrachovec has also created 40+ teeny-tiny things for you to knit. Knitters have choices of: Tiny Animals, Tiny Edibles, Tiny Humanoids, Tiny Inanimates, Tiny Naturals, and Tiny Holidays.

In addition to an appealing layout, and a lot of variety in teeny-tiny knitting options, Hrachovec has kindly included a chapter entitled “How Tiny?” which breaks down necessary ingredients, tips, techniques, and ideas for making these teeny-tiny toys a bit larger for very small children. As someone who is going to have a newborn by the end of the year, I liked the tips on creating larger projects for small children – I have a sneaky suspicion that many of Hrachovec’s creations will end up in the nursery. I also found the tips on embroidering facial features in this section quite helpful, as most of my attempts prior to her pointers end up making any stuffed toy look like it is possessed by the devil, or said embroidery comes out after one use by a child. Hrachovec’s directions are clear, easy to follow, and are accompanied by photographs which are helpful a visual learner like myself! My embroidery techniques, while still not top-notch, have improved after using her directions.

Another item worthy of mention – Hrachovec’s projects are not going to break the bank. All projects require very small bits of yarn, and most of the projects suggest either Knit Picks Palette or Koigu Premium Merino. However, while I did use some Palette to create a few projects, I also ended up using some left over sock yarn as well. What I really enjoy about these teeny-tiny knits is that you can use stash yarn and you can complete a project within an hour or two. Nothing feeds the knitting soul like a FO, and in my house where there are many projects on the needles I need those milestones of FOs to keep the fire burning on the more long-term projects.

Put to Use:

Nevertheless, what I want to know when I page through any knitting book is how practical/useful a book will be. In the age of Ravelry, where we can buy single patterns easily, a book needs to be worth the money I am going to spend on it. So, taking the husband’s earlier requests in to consideration, I decided to test the book out for myself. I knit two projects, the first being the Tiny Gnome from the Tiny Humanoids chapter. Tiny Gnome-o (as he came to be called in my house) required five colors of yarn, and I raided the stash – Knit Picks Palette and some leftover sock yarn did the trick. Using my size 1 DPNs, I got to work. One episode of Mildred Pierce later and Gnome-O was complete. He was easy to knit, and the husband was pleased.

Teeny-tiny knit number two was a Tiny Robot from the same chapter. I had to take some liberty with this particular pattern, as Mr. Mason requested that the finished product look like Bender from Futurama. I followed the directions, but instead of using three colors as the book suggests, I used one (once more from my stash) to keep my FO as closely resembling Bender as possible. Yet again, this project took right around an hour, and was easy-peasy.

For both projects I used Hrachovec’s tips on embroidering and the facial features on both turned out better for me then they have in the past. No possessed looking little knits for this gal!

The Verdict:

Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi is an enjoyable book – not only can you knit up a project in a short amount of time with stash yarn, you create something fun and whimsical. Hrachovec suggests using any of the projects as earrings, keychains, ornaments, and gift toppers just to name a few. While I plan on using some of these projects for those very purposes, I also thought of the fun one could have yarn-bombing a coworkers desk, a family members house, a child’s room (or dorm room), etc with one of these teeny-tiny knits! Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi is bound to bring smiles to a knitters face, but also to any recipient lucky to be gifted one of these small treasures.

Jennifer Mason is a contributor to A Shepherd’s Tale. Her blog can be found at http://teammaxine.wordpress.com/.

Here are the books I’ve read since my last Summer Reading post. Actually, this is only a partial list, because I’m only listing the books that I like and would recommend.

Non-fiction

French Milk by Lucy Kinsley

Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom by Jennifer S. Holland

1491: New revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles C. Mann

1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann

The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World’s Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser

Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists by Anthony Amore and Tom Mashberg

Bossypants by Tina Fay

Mysteries

Tigerlily’s Orchids by Ruth Rendell

The Lake of Darkness by Ruth Rendell

A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell

Face of Trespass by Ruth Rendell

Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch

Fiction

The Family Fang: A Novel by Kevin Wilson

The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

The Watery Part of the World by Michael Parker

What did you read this summer? Hook me up! I’m nearly finished with my current book.

Is it just me? Or do you find yourself reading a lot more in the Summer time? Maybe it has something to do with daylight savings time? I dunno, but I burning up the Kindle these days and I wanted to share some of my new favs with  you.

First up, The Hypnotist by Lars Lepler. This is another one of those “Just as good as Steig Larson” books, and I have to say, it is really, really good. Scary as hell, a little gruesome and very twisty. This one kept me guessing till nearly the end. Highly recommended if you don’t mind some gore.

The Inspector and Silence is another thriller, set, inevitably in Scandinavia, but it’s a bit harder to get through. Maybe it’s a translation issue? I’m not sure, but I struggle to get through this book even though, in retrospect, the story is great. This book is the latest in the Inspector Van Veeteren mysteries. I haven’t read any of the others and I’m not sure I will.

The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, Books 1 and 2 of The Maze Runner Trilogy, are so incredibly good that I read both of them in one 48-hours marathon. If you liked the Hunger Games, you’ll love the Maze Runner books.

This is- HANDS DOWN- my favorite book of the summer. It’s charming, and weird, and just delightful. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is about a teen-ager named Jacob, who is given a mysterious letter after the unexpected (and violent) death of his beloved grandfather.  The letter sends him on a journey to the Welsh island where his grandfather spent World War II. I can’t really tell you anything else without revealing details, but I can tell you it’s one of those books that transports you.  Do me a favor and don’t read the blurbs on Amazon or the back of the book- just read it and enjoy the journey.

Tracking the Chupacabra is a non-fiction investigation into the mythical goat-sucking monster. The most interesting thing about this book is that it debunks so many details that we have all heard as “facts”.  Fun and interesting, this books explains how and why these urban legends get started.

Next on deck for me- The Moral Lives of Animals and Fireflies, Honey and Silk. I’ll let you know what I think of them soon. In the meantime, what are you reading this summer?!? Hook us up in the comments.

My darling readers, I can’t begin to express to you how excited I am about today’s guest post by Deb Robson. Suffice to say that I written and re-written this introduction a dozen times, deleting each of my efforts because none of them seemed even vaguely worthy of the event.

When I heard that Deb Robson and Carol Ekarius were collaborating on a book about spinning and knitting with specific breeds of sheep fleece I was over-the-moon. Deb is the former editor of Spin Off Magazine and has been incredibly generous in her support of Juniper Moon Farm. And Carol, well, she’s the reason Juniper Moon exists in the first place. She’s the author of Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep, the book that changed my life.

Then I got my hands on their book. You know how every once in a while something completely surpasses your wildest hopes for it? The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook is a very, very important book, one that I’ve spent hours and hours pouring over. It’s positively encyclopedic. Honestly, it’s a game changer for the handspinning world.

Because I love this book, and I love these writers, I’ve asked each of them to do a guest blog post just for you. And, without further ado, I’ll turn things over to Deb.

A fiber artist’s palette of breeds

Note to Susan:

I love what you are doing at Juniper Moon Farm with your fiber CSA. It’s a creative way to not only set up a new economic model but also to establish relationships between the fiber folk who are making things and the shepherds and farmers who care for the animals who grow the fiber. I think that’s one of the most important aspects of the fiber world’s next direction of growth, and you are definitely creating a wonderful model and setting a superb example of what can be done.

Because you’ve left the topic of this guest post completely open, I’d like to talk about the wonderful selection of animals that you have at Juniper Moon Farm, from a fiber perspective. You and I can simply read down the list of names and know a great deal about the diversity and delight of the types of animals you are have invited to be part of your extended farm family. That sort of quick overview isn’t obvious to people who haven’t been spinning for as long as I have (and who haven’t just come from four years of researching and sampling for The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook) or who haven’t been in your position of making the choices that you have pondered in order to determine which breeds to include in your flock.

So, from my outsider’s perspective, here’s what I see in your mix of Mohair goats and four breeds of sheep: Cormo, Babydoll Southdown, Cotswold, and colored Border Leicesters. As an overview, this collection provides a terrific variety of options, very balanced and diverse.

Deb

Mohair goats

Also called Angora goats, from a fiber perspective these critters are like several breeds in one! The term Mohair goat helps distinguish these animals from Angora rabbits, so we don’t have to clarify statements like “I have Angoras” by asking questions like “the big kind with attitude, or the little kind with the ears that stick up?”

When I say they’re like several breeds in one, I mean that the qualities of fiber, from finest to strongest, span a huge range. By selecting the right quality, mohair can be used to make next-to-the-skin garments (kid mohair), durable rugs (sturdy adult mohair), or items in between (yearling). Although there are age-specific labels on the types of fiber, the fibers are classified on the basis of their actual qualities, not on the age of the animal that grew them. A grown-up Mohair goat who happens to produce extra-fine fiber would have its clip classified as kid.

Mohair tends to be long, lustrous (or shiny), and to take dyes with a brilliance that’s hard to match in any other fiber. It’s vulnerable to damage at temperatures over 140 degrees F, which can be useful to know for people who want to scour or dye it. It’s impossible to say that someone “knows” mohair until that person has experienced all the ranges of its possibilities, including kid, yearling, and adult.

Mohair goats are lively, personable creatures that invest a huge proportion of their metabolic resources in producing masses of fiber, so they need knowledgeable caretakers who have the time and knowledge to keep them healthy and happy.

Cormo sheep

Cormos were developed in Australia in the mid twentieth century. They originated through the use of Corriedale rams on Merino ewes, with the Corriedale genetics increasing the fleece size and several other qualities in the new breed. Cormos produce very consistent fleeces, both throughout the breed and on a given animal, that covers the fiber-diameter (fineness) range characteristic of fine-to-strong Merinos (17 to 23 microns), so the fiber works for next-to-skin garments for most potential wearers and is durable enough to stand up to a fair amount of wear. Folks could make camisoles from this, as well as hats and mittens and sweaters.

Cormos grow a soft, fine wool that provides a consistent clip (or group shearing) of fiber that is bouncier and loftier than Merino, and is very versatile. It’s a great choice as the working foundation of a flock of sheep. Which, of course, is why it’s here.

Babydoll Southdown sheep

Southdowns are one of the core Down breeds of sheep that originated in England–in fact, the Southdown is considered the ancestor of the other Down breeds. There are several strains, of which the Babydolls are the middle-sized version, likely most closely resembling the first Southdowns, whose history can be sketchily traced to medieval times. (Lots of tracing of sheep family trees is “sketchy,” because the sheep don’t care and in the early days people didn’t, either.)

The Down wools are noted for their resilience and elasticity. The micron counts for Southdowns run from about 23 to 31, so this breed picks up in sturdiness where the Cormos leave off. Most people will be able to handle Southdown for next-to-skin wear, yet the insulation qualities are higher than the Cormo because of the crimp patterns, or waviness of the fiber. Instead of a camisole, I’d make a nice everyday cardigan or scarf or hat that would be warm and sturdy. Down wools also make great socks. Although it’s almost impossible to guarantee that any wool either will or won’t felt, with the Down fibers it’s worth doing a test. Because many Down wools are reluctant to felt, they are candidates for making socks and other utilitarian items that can be machine washed and dried even though they haven’t had a superwash treatment.

Cotswold sheep

Cotswolds have long, sleek, shiny wool that takes dyes well and makes sturdy textiles. It felts as readily as the Down wools don’t. In micron counts, it spans the 33 to 42 range, neatly picking up (once again) where the last breed selection left off, although the character of the wool is dramatically different from both the Southdown and the Cormo.

Although Cotswold has often been called “the poor man’s mohair,” I don’t like that description. Cotswold and mohair have many external qualities in common but they handle quite differently and make very different types of yarns. Although both drape well, there is an almost weighted quality to the way mohair drapes that is replaced by a lighter hand in the Cotswold.

Lots of people think that the English Longwools, of which Cotswolds are an example, grow wools meant for weaving rather than knitting or crochet. It’s true that they work exceptionally well in woven textiles, yet they also make exquisite fabrics when constructed with the other techniques. Cotswolds grow so much wool in a year that they are often shorn twice, so that the length remains manageable.

Border Leicester Sheep

And now we come to the farm’s newest addition, some colored Border Leicesters. Like the Cotwolds, these are English Longwools, known for luster, broad crimp, and long fibers. Wool qualities in this breed vary a lot, depending on which geographic region the sheep are being raised for and the way the shepherds in that area prefer their sheep to be. In North America, the micron counts tend to be around 30 to 38.5, which means the wool may be (overall) slightly finer than that of the Cotswolds.

Despite the family resemblances between all the English Longwools, Border Leicester has a quality quite different from that of the Cotswold. It has a bit more open staple and the wool spins up with more bulk (or air) in it. There’s more fluff than is found in Cotswold yarn, for the most part, and less silky drape. It’s a great, durable wool, fantastic for working garments (the hat and mittens that are best for ice skating, or a trip to the woodpile), blankets, and other items where the plan is to enjoy their coziness today and possibly hand them down to the next generation to enjoy as well.

Color in this breed can come about naturally in North America, especially blacks and grays, although breeding in other parts of the world focuses strongly on white. Border Leicester is a great and versatile wool and we need more colored lines. Thanks for providing a place where that potential can be developed!

In sum

What the outsider sees here is a flock set to reliably produce fiber for all seasons, and for all reasons. I love thinking of this spectrum of possibilities as if it were a painter’s palette. Painters do have something called a limited palette, where they choose a handful of colors (often six, plus white) and learn to use them to produce any effect they can envision. That’s what the animals at Juniper Moon Farm offer: a limited palette of fiber producers who hold the potential to meet a huge variety of textile needs.

Me again. The lovely people at Storey Publishing have generously given us a copy of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook to giveaway with Deb’s and Carol’s guest posts. To enter to win today’s copy, leave a comment on this post; all entries must be in by Wednesday, June 22 at 11:59 p.m. We’ll pick one winner at random and post the winner’s name on the blog on Thursday.

I had such big plans for this week but this stupid flu had something else in mind. I’ve spent the whole week in bed, sleeping most of the time and feeling thoroughly yucky when I am awake.

Since the only thing I’ve been able to do is read this week, I thought a book post was in order. Here’s what I’ve been reading from my sick bed.

The Red Market is a fascinating look at the world-wide trade in human blood and tissue and the ethical issues that go hand-in-hand. I was absolutely gobsmacked by much of what I read in this book! For example, there is a village in India nicknamed “Kidneyvakkam” because nearly every resident has sold one of their kidneys. There are chapters on the trade in human eggs in Cyrus for the Western European “IVF tourist”, the problems with an all-altruism based blood donation system and even the inherent problems with couples from wealthy countries adopting children from very poor ones.  There aren’t a lot of answers here, but I do think knowing what the problems are is important.

Jo Nesbo is being marketed as “The Next Stieg Larsson” and with good reason. I read the first book in his Inspector Harry Hole (pronounced Hooley) series, The Redbreast, on vacation in two days and immediately downloaded (and devoured!) Nemesis, The Devil’s Star, and The Snowman on my kindle. Each book in the series has twist and turns that surprised me and all are full of tense, hair-raising moments. I am annoyed that the first two books have never been translated from Nesbo’s native Norwegian, since all the other books reference things that happened in them, but it’s not a stumbling block to reading them. Also, for some bizarre reason, two books in the middle of the series- The Redeemer and The Leopard aren’t available in a downloadable edition. Reading the books out of order isn’t a problem though, and, since I don’t want to own two physical copies in the middle of a series when I have all the rest in a digital format, I’ll wait to see if they make it the kindle. Highly recommended if you like police procedural mysteries.

The Art of Political Murder is a non-fiction investigation into the murder of Catholic Bishop Juan Gerardi, the Guatemalan human rights leader who was gunned down in his home in 1998, one day after publishing a scathing report on the campaign of genocide by the army against the indigenous people of Guatemala. I knew almost nothing about Central American politics when I picked this book up but it reads like a novel and I couldn’t put it down.

Finally, I have become addicted- addicted I say!- to Mark Armstong’s Longreads blog, a compilation of links to the best long-format non-fiction articles available online. The website isn’t fancy-fancy, but spend some time digging around and you will be rewarded! I’ve read discovered articles I never would have stumbled across on my own on a vast array of subjects- from Zionist Summer Camp to Charles Whitman to the guys who make South Park.

What are you reading that you can’t put down? Please share- I’m nearly finished with my current book!

Before I got my Kindle, packing for a long trip was an exercise in anxiety for me. One of my biggest fears is being stuck somewhere without anything to read. Without several things to read, actually. I generally have three or four books going at a time; something serious and non-fiction, a couple of novels for fun and, for the past year, books on color theory or the textile industry.

The thing is, all those books take up a lot of room in my suitcase and carry on bag, leading me to occasionally arrive at my destination with one pair of pants, a couple of t-shirst and an aching back. Not good for anybody. I’ve tried just taking what I’m currently reading and buying something new books on my trip, but I just end up with the same situation in reverse, except that the jeans and t-shirts are dirty on the way home.

Hence the Kindle. I’d only had it for a few days when I realized what a GENIUS Jeff Bezos is. He is selling Kindles. He’s putting a bookstore 24-hour IN YOUR LAP. For people like me- people who devour 8 or 10 books a week- it’s the greatest invention since Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press.

I do still buy books. I mean actual, physical books, in addition to the ebooks I buy on the Kindle. I haven’t quite figured out what my criteria is for which books I prefer to to buy physical copies of, but I can tell you that I would never buy Kindle versions of cookbooks, knitting pattern books or books in a series that I already own any part of. Ironically, I sort of thought I buy all mysteries on the Kindle, because who wants to take up space on the bookshelf for paperback? But most of the series I have are mysteries, so space they will continue to take up, at least for now.

Here’s what’s currently on my Kindle, in the un-archived section:

Among the Truthers: A journey through America’s Growing Conspiracist Underground. This is my current serious book. It’s very interesting, but also kind of disturbing. I’m not deep enough to say if I like it or not, but I think it’s an important book.

Started Early, Took My Dog.This is the fourth Kate Atkinson book in the Jackson Brody series, which is my favorite series of all time ever. I broke my own rule and bought this one on the Kindle, even though I know I’ll buy the physical book eventually, because I really wanted to take it on my trip. Haven’t started it yet, but Kate Atkinson never disappoints.

Frommer’s Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque and Off the Beaten Path New Mexico. This is the first time I’ve purchased guide books for the Kindle and I’m not sure I like it. It’s hard to find things quickly and I don’t really like the book marking function. I’ll let you know how it works in the field.

Sissinghurst, An Unfinished History: The Quest to Restore a Working Farm at Vita Sackville-West’s Legendary Garden. Sachem Farm House owner Jennifer King recommended this. Saving it for the trip.

House of Prayer No. 2: A Writer’s Journey Home. This is a wonderful memoir. Highly recommended. Reminds me a it of Mary Karr’s The Liar’s Club, in the best possible way.

A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire. You will never wear red without thinking about it’s history again after reading this. Fascinating.

Sweet Ginger Poison. A light mystery I bought just for the plane trip.

In the Garden of Beasts. I have read all of Erik Larson’s books and I can honestly say that I’m not sure how I feel about them. I told myself I wasn’t going to read him anymore, but his new book about the American Ambassador to Germany during Hitler’s regime sounds promising.

I have 140 books archived on my Kindle as well, and the ability to buy new ones in about 30 seconds anywhere there’s WiFi, so I’m all set for this trip.

By the way, I was one of those people that SWORE I’d never buy a Kindle. I adore books, love the way they feel in my hands, the weight of them, the way they look on the shelf. I love them for their reliability, the fact that they are always there when I need them. But as soon as I held a Kindle in my hands I knew that I could love more than one way of reading. My Kindle doesn’t diminish my love of books, if anything, it makes me love them more because I have the ability to read more of them. Plus, it will make moving day a much, much happier day, if I should ever be drug kicking and screaming from my house.

I’d love to hear what your reading and your where you come down on e-readers. Do you own one, and if you do, do  you now buy e-books exclusively?

Today we have a guest post by author Vicki Stiefel about her new book, 10 Secrets of the Laid Back Knitters, which she wrote with Lisa Souza.  In celebration of the book we are giving away two, count ‘em, TWO copies of this book.  To enter just leave a comment on this post!

10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters: A Q & A with author Vicki Stiefel

What the heck do you say about a book that was both crazy-fun and hair-pulling to write? I mean, really, a book should stand on its own, correct? Except Susan asked me to write this column and I —naturally without thinking—said yes. Because I love the damned book so much, I never thought for one second how hard it would be to write about the 10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters.

So I thought I’d do a Q&A with…me! (Perhaps another dumb idea, but here goes.)

Q: Where did you get the idea for the book?

I was over my friend Kim’s house, and we were knitting. Well, I was knitting. It looked like Kim was giving birth, and if you’ve done that or even seen that, you know how much it hurts. Well, heck – knitting shouldn’t hurt, I thought. I then took a closer look. Her stitches were tighter than death. This first project was a sock. A sock! She was using yarn that didn’t suit either the sock or her hands.

A mess, right?

It was then that I realized how much pleasure and joy I got from the simple act of picking up the needles. I wanted Kim and everyone to experience that same joy.

And, no, I never thought of starting a church. In fact, that already exists: The Church of Craft.

But I digress.

From that simple event, the seed for the book was planted.

Q: How did you and your co-author Lisa Souza hook up for this book?

I’d met Lisa because of the Web and her yarn. Her spinning is sublime. Her dying, incandescent. I bought some yarn and then more yarn. Okay – I bought a lot of yarn. I admit my yarn addiction. Anyhow, we became friends. So, years later, I approached her with the idea of doing this book together. We batted around ideas for about six months and came up with our 10 secrets.

Q: Why include profiles in the book?

Because Lisa and I love people, and each person profiled exemplifies a particular secret. Anne Hennessy is my Wise Woman. I am so lucky to know her. And Lisa’s was Elizabeth Zimmermann, a woman she met, not in person, but through books.

Q: What’s with that subheading, A Guide to Holistic Knitting, Yarn, and Life?

Lisa and I like to be inclusive. Our “type” of knitting, if you can call it thus, is a holistic – aka all-encompassing – view of the art/craft. It’s not just about what you’re making or the fiber or the people. It’s…everything. That’s what makes it all so cool. And don’t doubt it for a second—knitting is cool. So’s crochet.

Q: What’s your favorite movie?

That’s a dumb question, but… Fargo and Gone with the Wind and…

Q: Let’s move on.

You’re relentless.

Q: You’ve got 21 designers in the book, not counting yourself and Lisa. Was that challenging?

Only in that I’d have liked even more. It was so hard to choose. There are so many amazing knitting designers out there. The designers we worked with range from unpublished to luminaries in the knitting world. If there was one universal, I’d say it was the kindness, humor and creativity of our designers. From Rebecca Danger to Sivia Harding to Romi Hill to Norah Gaughan to… well, you can meet them all on our website, laidbackknitters.com, or check us out on our Facebook page.

It was a juggling act having designs for everyone from beginners to advanced, and patterns from kids to home to sweaters to accessories. But Lisa and I really wanted the book to be in-clusive, rather than exclusive. Know what I mean?

Q: Sure.

Aside: (It’s really fun doing a Q&A with yourself. You always “get” the question and understand the answer. And it’s also quite silly.)

Q: What was the most fun in writing this book.

Honestly?

Q: Duh.

The photography. I had to show a portfolio to my editor at St. Martin’s. It was never just a fait accompli. And once she gave me the go-ahead, I had a blast. Great fun seeing all the pieces in their natural environment—sweaters on people, a hoodie on a child, a pillow on a couch. But my fave is always the critters. Cashmere goats. Buffalo. Sheep and more sheep. Guard dogs and herding dogs. The Juniper Farm folks know. I was lucky enough to visit the farm. Thepeople were wonderful, but, oh, how I love those animals. In fact, I have several photos taken at Juniper Moon Farm in the book!

Q: What else do you have to say?

Not much…just that I think it’s the coolest thing to collaborate with so many marvelous women and men to create something I believe to be special. It rocked my world.

Vicki Stiefel is a contributor to A Shepherd’s Tale.  She writes psychological thrillers and also tweets about the latest knitting news at @knittingnews. You can read more about Vicki and her work on her website, http://vickistiefel.com/.