Shear Spirit

Ten Fiber Farms, Twenty Patterns & Miles of Yarn (Isn't that a great subtitle?)

Gale and Joan crisscrossed this country visiting farms, ranches and the people who have found their fibery passion and built their lives around it. The fruit of their collaboration is the book Shear Spirit, a beautiful book full of animals, people, projects and the places they live.

No matter your favorite fiber craft, whether knit, spin, weave or crochet, chances are you'll love this book and find it inspirational and usable.  Gale's photographs of animals and the countryside, in combination with Joan's stories of the artisans who tend them, will take you on a wonderful adventure. The book shares in depth stories of how the farms were started, the problems faced and overcome, and the daily lifestyle of fiber ranch/farm life.

If you love sheep (and other fiber animals), beautiful pictures, and fabulous projects (doesn't every knitter?!), you'll love this book.  Several projects from the book have been added to my queue.  The Luna Lace Scarf is on my short list, as is the Noho Boho hat.  Maybe I'll spin the yarn, too.  So many possibilities!

Speaking of spinning…I'm so far behind in the Tour de Fleece that I may as well drop out.  Together the fluff and spun fiber on the bobbin total 1 oz. and that means I've not even spun half an ounce!  It would take days of constant spinning to stay in the running and have any hope of finishing this by the end of the Tour.  I'll keep plugging away, as I love what's going on…it just seems races and alongs are no longer 'my thing'.

Miles to go before the end....sigh.

Several people wanted to know what I was holding in my hand yesterday. It's the eye glass case. When she pulled the case from the cupboard Smith got asked, "How did they know?"  There it was a pink eyeglass case!  The blue frames had called to me from across the room and I didn't look at anything else.   They glasses are Kate Spade, but I'd just as soon they were Sponge Bob like Teri's. The case is rather cute, however.

Since it is Flower Friday, how about a little pretty.

Poppies in Park City.

Happy Weekend!!

Comments

[Laurie]

Lace always takes forever, but the result is worth it! The race must be finished, even if you don't get the jersey.

You have poppies now?? Seems late.

Can't wait to leaf through the book and check it out.

[Barbara-Kay]

My very first glasses case (when I was almost 3) was a red hard snap-close case, lined with red plush. I loved it! (The glasses were ugly, but the case was fab.)

Interestingly, for years and years they stopped making cases like that. Now we've gone full circle, and I'm given hard cases with my glasses again.

[Marcia]

I think I would have liked that book more if it had not arrived a day or so after A Fine Fleece...which is a very hard act to follow! Interesting book, though. Keep plugging on that lace yarn....it will be worth it!

[Carole]

I love Shear Spirit, too! That eye glass case is just too cute.

[CindyCindy]

No races or alongs. I'm caving myself. I knew it was your glasses case, but mine is an elegant yet uninspired black. Now, I want pink or red. So, your lace singles are stunning. You will finish at your own pace. I seem to completely lock up and become unproductive the minute I "join". Dammit. Love the flower. What is it? Oh, and have a fabulous weekend, grrrl!

[Chris]

That book is intriguing! Love the glasses case - clever. I know just what you mean about alongs... sigh.

[Joy]

The spinning is looking great, even if spinning fine *does* take forever. Hang in there!

[Wool Winder]

Shear Spirit sounds like a great book. I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but I've been wanting to.

[Ann]

Well, the ply you're coming up with is gorgeous, behind or no. Now we need a colorway for that poppy!

[Robby]

Based on your current passion for scarves, I can see exactly why you fell for that Luna Lace project. That alone is urging me to go look at the book. I too got new glasses in the last couple of weeks. The case is a hard case, but it is very unique. The end of it has a flap/tab that comes around to the front and closes magnetically. Funky, but very useful.

[deb]

Awesome looking book - lucky you. Um - I knew exactly what that was in you hand yesterday. Hmmmmmm - silly bloggers!

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

Thanks so much Margene for your kind words! You can't imagine how fun it is to have knitters/spinners/fiber lovers like you react to the book, after it lived in our heads for so long unseen.
Can't wait to see a Noho hat from your handspun, I think that'd be perfect!

[Stitch-n-Snitch]

Cute glasses. I'd rather have your Kate Spades, though. Wanna borrow my Sponge Bobs?? :)

[Anne B.]

Good suggestions on the projects. And what pretty flowers, I've never seen any like them!

[Hillary]

Those flowers are really cool looking. Wha are they? They're doing a Shear Spirit event near here over the weekend and I really wish I could go. The book looks like fun even though I don't have a copy yet.

[Cheryl S.]

The case is darling! I was surprised when I saw the poppies until you said they were from Park City. Mine have been gone for weeks. I'm looking forward to getting up there for some cooler weather this weekend!

[elizabeth]

Maybe it's because you're spinning so finely? It takes a long time to spin that fine!

My glasses are Kate Spade but I didn't get a cute case. *pout*

[Beth S.]

It's funny, I feel the same way about my own bag of Foxfire: "I'll never, ever, *ever* be done with this." And I'm spinning way thicker than you! What is it about this stuff?... ;-)

I have admired Shear Spirit in the bookshop, but have left it on the wish list for the time being. Still not done ogling Fine Fleece yet. ;-)

Have a lovely weekend!

[Romi]

:gasp: Your spinning is gorgeous! I am coveting it. :)

[Birdsong]

I will have to track down seeds/plants for those poppies! You did a much more thorough and commendable review of Shear Spirit, though I did convince Steph to get her own copy:) Have a lovely weekend sporting your new peepers.

[Cayenne]

I think SHEAR SPIRIT looks fabulous and I've wanted to get it since I first saw it advertised. It just sounds so neat and I agree--what an awesome title.

[Judy Wilkinson]

Hi! I've been a lurker for some time and always enjoy your blog. My 16-year-old son recently played in a national boy's volleyball tournament in Salt Lake City, and I've been meaning to write to tell you how much we enjoyed seeing your mountains up close. They are beautiful in your pictures, but they are truly majestic in person!

We didn't have time for much sightseeing, but we did get to Snow Bird, which the boys all loved. Virginia boys have never had a snowball fight in July before!!

Judy

[claudia]

Cute eyeglasses. I love the styles available now -- beats my horn rims way back when.

;-)

[Danielle]

That laceweight will be lovely when it's finished, though!

[Knitnana]

OH! I LOVE the eyeglass case! Mine is dull old black.
:(
And I keep looking at Shear Spirit - guess this means I should buy it, huh?
((((Hugs))))

[Sharon]

I bought Shear Spirit and yesterday laid in the hammock reading about these hard working shepherds, while my hammock swung from side to side. I spun some afterwards - wouldn't want any fiber guilt on my hands.

[Dianne]

You were helpful in my selection of a gift for a friend with an upcoming birthday..I ordered her Shear Spirit..she's a fiber person as well as an avid reader.

[Sharlene]

KnitPicks has a really lovely new podcast about this book--it sounds very interesting!

[Teyani]

thanks for the review of Shear Spirit - it looks like a must have.

And the spinning is soooo pretty. I know what you mean about 'races' and "alongs'... I just cannot keep up with them all any more. On the good news side, you have miles of gorgeous fiber yet to spin (yay - happy dance - lots of hours of great entertainment!)

[Sarah]

The fiber is too lovely not to enjoy it, whether you finish with the Tour, or later.