THE TWISTED SISTERS SOCK WORKBOOK: Dyeing, Painting, Spinning, Designing, Knitting, Lynne Vogel.
The title gives you a big clue: this book is about sisterhood, sharing, crafting, giving, laughing. It’s also about spinning yarn and making socks—not just any old yarn or any old socks, but glorious, zany, wildly colorful yarn for perfect-fitting socks of character. Dip-dyeing, pour-dyeing, and hand-painting yarns or wool rovings is as easy as making homemade soup, whether you use commercial dyes or Kool-Aid®. If you like starting from scratch, spinning one-of-a-kind yarn is easier than you think. And the socks—a pair of well-crafted, perfectly fitting socks is one of life’s true luxuries. It’s all right here in this book.  The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook has it all—the techniques, the patterns, the invaluable tips—for creating authentic, perfect, made-to-order footwear. Even socks for new babies or socks with ten toes. And who are the Twisted Sisters? A hospice nurse, a post-doc scholar, an organic farmer, an assistant attorney general for the state of Oregon, a high school teacher, a finance and operations manager, a touch therapist, a mom. Your spinning and knitting mentors, your friends.  Paperbound, 8 ½ x 9, 96 pages, 101 color photographs, 35 line drawings, 6 charts.  ISBN: 1-931499-16-0.  $18.95  #239010

TEACH YOURSELF VISUALLY HANDSPINNING, Judith MacKenzie McCuin.
With its soothing, meditative effect, hand spinning is a relaxing hobby, and the beautiful yarns you create are an even better reward. This visual guide shows you the basics, beginning with the tools and fibers, and takes you through spinning, plying, making novelty yarns, using exotic fibers, dyeing, and more. Whether you use an inexpensive hand spindle or splurge on a spinning wheel, stick with wool or try alpaca, cashmere, or cotton, you′ll learn how to create fun, original, one–of–a–kind yarns that you can knit or weave into truly unique, handmade, and all–natural creations. ISBN-10: 0470098457.  Softcover, 224 pages.  $21.99  #139512

THIS IS HOW I GO WHEN I GO LIKE THIS: Weaving and Spinning as Metaphor, Linda Ligon.
Linda Ligon is familiar to many fiber artists from many different textile disciplines, mainly through her editorials and articles in Handwoven Magazine and the Interweave family of publishing. This collection of anecdotes and essays on weaving, spinning, knitting, and editing, certainly gave me some food for thought. This important publisher is an important mentor and example for us as we explore our crafts.  ISBN-10: 1931499764.  5½'' x 7'' softcover , 144 pages.  $16.95  #239129

UNDERSTANDING THE SPINNING WHEEL, Eric Corran.  This very important book has a split personality.  Is it a technical manual for woodworkers on the most minute details of spinning wheel construction?  Is it a complete history of the modern spinning wheel?  Is it an advanced spinners' manual for the more proficient use and maintenance of their various wheels?  The center of this manual is the vast amount of information collected over the past 35 years by the author, who is a retired engineer and woodworker.  In his hands, this information becomes the most thorough exposition of the development of the modern wheel, the variations on the flyer.  The book has charts, tables, illustrations, and photos of the most important developments in spinning wheel design over the past 500 years.  Complete working drawings are here for woodworkers.  Complete discussions of how the various parts of the wheel have developed are here for anthropologists.  Complete know-how for spinners to use in refining their skills is here.  This is definitely the book for understanding the spinning wheel.  182 pgs.  Hardcover. $89.95  #139166

YOUR SHEEP: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing,
Paula Simmons & Darrell L. Salsbury.
Forget the subtitle. This book will be valuable to you whether you're a child or adult. If you haven't raised sheep before, you'll have dozens of questions. Can I get my sheep to come when I call? What kind of pasture and home must my sheep have? What shall I give my sheep to eat? This book will be a constant source of help in answering those and other questions. Both authors have had many years of experience with their own sheep, and their wise and friendly advice will help you to be the very best shepherd of your sheep. ISBN: 0882667696.  120 pages, illustrated.  Softcover.  $14.95  #139054