I was lucky enough to receive three wonderful knit-related books for my birthday. My birthday was on January 14th but I’m a big believer in celebrating my birthday for not just a day but a week or two! So please indulge me while I share some of the presents I received.

Potter Craft (October 13, 2009)

The Knitter’s Book of Wool was written by Clara Parkes, the author of the immensely popular The Knitter’s Book of Yarn and editor of Knitter’s Review. This book is big and beautiful and I can hardly wait to dig in.

The book is a guide to the anatomy of wool fibre, turning wool into yarn, sheep breeds, and different effects achieved by blending wool with different fibres. There is also a pattern section that goes into more detail than most about why a particular yarn was chosen for each project. Thanks to my Aunt Shelley for this one!

Interweave Press (June 1, 2009)

I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time (thanks Aunt Tracy!). Amy King, the author of Spin Control, is the owner of Maine-based fibre studio Spunky Eclectic. The book covers basic spinning techniques but with an emphasis on producing the type of yarn that you want, and want to knit with. I haven’t demonstrated much control in my spinning up to this point, so here’s to hoping I’ll learn some helpful tips from Amy!

Front Street (April 2007)

My knitting partner for life gave me this sweet book. The Surprise is a wordless picture book by Sylvia van Ommen about Sheep’s quest to make a special gift for her best friend. It’s such a nice story of generosity and gift giving!