Lee Raven

I didn't find the directions for using a spindle as clear as I have found elsewhere, but this has a lot of useful information for the steps after you spin that first yarn, including some really nice looking patterns for using it. I really love the sweater with just a bit of decoration of other colours - with instructions for how to make it fit you and your wool. Just what I need. (Nov. 2011)

A few years on I'm reducing my rating on this. The directions for carding are very helpful. I find show more other sections hard to follow. I'm not as familiar with my wheel as I should be, but her directions confuse me more than they help. The black and white photographs are often less than clear. Plying comes much later in the book than I would have put it. I wonder how many beginners can really spin singles even and strong enough to function as warp in a loom as is suggested in the shawl pattern. I hadn't noticed the first time around that that sweater pattern is suggested for singles, but no note is made that the yarn will pull the knitting off the straight.

My final criticism is that she is very prone to think that there is only one way of doing things. For example, that with a spindle one hand controls the spindle and the other the fibres resulting in a one handed draw. I use a two handed draw on the spindle, as most of the time the spindle takes care of itself.

If this is the book you have, you can probably learn to spin from it, but don't assume that her word is the final one. (Jan 2015) show less

This is a nice book, but it was not for me. The focus is not only on spinning yarn but also on how to prepare fibers for spinning. (I would guess that it is more common in the US to buy unprocessed wool fresh from the sheep. Also, from what I've seen and the vocabulary in each language, english-speaking countries seem to have more types of carded wools while in german(y) combed wool seems to be standard.)
The spinning section does mention spindles without a hook (like mine) but clearly show more focusses on spindles with a hook.

I have only skimmed over the projects. They look very nice though are not things I would make or use. show less

This book will guide a beginner on how to prepare and spin wool and other fibers on a spindle and wheel; includes attractive woven and knitted projects. Good beginner's book.

Too much fiber prep, not enough spinning, and the example photos are with yucky CD spindles. I couldn't figure out how-to from this book and ended up taking a class.