Shannon Okey

If you're a knitter looking to pick up a spindle, this book should be your second or third spinning book -- not your first. While it discusses some aspects of handspun yarn in terms of knitting (as opposed to, say, weaving or dyeing), it really doesn't do much to show you how to spin. And while there is good information on predrafting fiber, a step that is under-discussed in many other spinning how-to's I've seen, it really doesn't go good detail about the actual process of spinning.

This book is not about designing knitwear; it is a guide to being a professional in the knitwear industry. It covers social media heavily, how to behave professionally in the industry, the economics of patterns sales and interviews with knitwear designers.

Pros: There is a lot of good, current information in this book. The interviews with designers and editors are interesting and informative. There are online resources provided for almost every section. The importance of social media in show more modern knitwear design is covered extensively. Okey is not stingy with giving out advice or where to find more information.

Cons: A lot of the additional information are links to web sites. The majority of the links are still current, but some refer to sites that have already changed or folded. There are some interviewees with knitwear professionals who are notorious for acting unprofessionally. I found it distracting. show less

I wasn’t disappointed in this book, but I think there were some things missing. For example, I would have liked a bit more on “how to do something with this tiny amount of yarn you have spun” or “how to achieve this particular effect by adapting your handspun for knitting.” I did get some of that, but I think I wanted something meatier. Certainly, I would have preferred more on spinning to knit, and maybe less on “here are some nifty patterns!” because, really, the patterns are show more just as applicable to any knitting book, you know? show less

pretty basic mix of patterns-I haven't tried knitting in the woods in low light, which is what these are designed for
I do like the lace camp stool seat