It was desperation that drove me to pick up a copy of Amy R. Singer's No Sheep for You. I had purchased some Louet sportweight linen yarn for a loose-fitting spring top. Upon bringing it home, I was horrified to discover that according to Louet, "This yarn is more suitable for pattern knitting than for plain knits. Small areas of plain knitting are fine, though." Since I had planned a nearly all-stockinette garment, I was really worried that this was not the appropriate yarn for the project at all. I was seeking Amy's advice (and hopefully reassurance) about my choice.
Amy begins with a fairly exhaustive discussion of each type of fiber, where it comes from, and its properties. Manufactured fibers from natural materials (e.g. like rayon and corn) and synthetic fibers are covered as well. She also talks about how fibers are combined with others to produce stronger, softer, lighter or drapier yarns. Amy's casual writing style makes even the most arcane yarn production detail interesting and clear. The only fiber I would have liked to read about is milk fiber, a component of one of Vickie Howell's new yarns. Maybe it will be included in a sequel (Still No Sheep for You?).
I read the section on linen carefully. Although she discusses Louet’s warning and some gentle advice from Sally Melville on not knitting linen in stockinette, her advice reads, “But what if you don’t expect perfection in your stockinette? What if quirky is just what you wanted? Then knit on!”
The next section of the book is all about swatching. Amy stresses the importance of getting to know a non-wool yarn before embarking on a project. Some fibers, especially linen and cotton, can behave very differently after a "bath." She even suggests hanging a swatch for a day or two, so as to compensate for the "sag factor" common with non-wool yarns.
Of course, there are patterns. Amy's book is filled with glorious patterns for sweaters, tops, socks and accessories, and a beautiful silk shawl. (There is even a tank knit in linen, with a lacy back and a front that is – gasp! – all stockinette! More reassurance that my project will look great.) There is a heavy emphasis on intricate colorwork;perhaps this is what knitters miss most when using wool is out of the question. One particularly impressive pattern mimics the woolliest of Norwegian sweater designs! The book's designs show that non-wool projects can be comfortable year-round.
Amy Singer’s sheep-less book adds something that was definitely lacking from the knitting book scene. She has offered a great resource for non-wool knitting, with consideration of every aspect of the process including fiber history, substituting yarns, swatching, and ultimately knitting some beautiful designs in a wide variety of natural and manufactured fibers.
Amy will be at Loopy Yarns in Chicago on April 4.
