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Vanishing Fleece
Vanishing Fleece: Adventures in American Wool | Clara Parkes
6 posts | 9 read | 20 to read
A fast-paced account of the year Clara Parkes spent transforming a 676-pound bale of fleece into saleable yarn, and the people and vanishing industry she discovered along the way Join Clara Parkes on a cross-country adventure and meet a cast of characters that includes the shepherds, dyers, and countless workers without whom our knitting needles would be empty, our mills idle, and our feet woefully cold. Travel the country with her as she meets a flock of Saxon Merino sheep in upstate New York, tours a scouring plant in Texas, visits a steamy Maine dyehouse, helps sort freshly shorn wool on a working farm, and learns how wool fleece is measured, baled, shipped, and turned into skeins. In pursuit of the perfect yarn, Parkes describes a brush with the dangers of opening a bale (they can explode), and her adventures from Maine to Wisconsin ("the most knitterly state") and back again; along the way, she presents a behind-the-scenes look at the spinners, scourers, genius inventors, and crazy-complex mill machines that populate the yarn-making industry. By the end of the book, you'll be ready to set aside the backyard chickens and add a flock of sheep instead. Simply put, no other book exists that explores American culture through the lens of wool.
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JamieArc
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Thank you for the birthday package @catiewithac ! The wrapping paper was so fun 🤩 The book sounds really interesting - I like learning about niche trades, hobbies, etc. Thanks for thinking of me for my birthday - I value our Litsy friendship ❤️
#LitsyLove

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome gifts!! Happy early birthday 🥳 🎊🎉🎈 2y
Ruthiella Happy Birthday! 🥳🥳🥳 2y
catiewithac I just love that gnome magnet! Happy birthday! 2y
44 likes3 comments
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Sumi
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Pickpick

I don‘t know how I missed this two years ago but here is the story of Clara Parkes journey through the yarn making world with the Great Bale. If you are a knitter, spinner or have any interest in the processes that take wool from sheep to skein this is an a very enjoyable look at that trail.

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BookInMyHands
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Pickpick

I dabble in knitting, so when I found this I thought it would be fun to learn a little more about the process of creating yarn. What a fun adventure! A thoroughly enjoyed this look at American wool, and now I feel compelled to go find a wool sweater made with American wool for Autumn too!

36 likes1 stack add
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

I always appreciate it when someone chases a goal with fervor, and such is Clara‘s journey into the American wool industry. She follows a bale of wool from sheep to finished yarn. As a vet, I enjoyed the bits on husbandry and initial processing. After watching @Lindy ‘s amazing natural dyeing on Instagram, I found the chapters on the various dyeing techniques from natural and small batch to commercial and synthetic fascinating! Neat #audible deal!

Cinfhen Not really drawn to this one 🤷🏼‍♀️ 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen yeah, it was an audible daily deal I picked up. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn‘t have sought it out otherwise. 👍🏻 3y
Lindy This sounds interesting. Stacked! 3y
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britt_brooke I loved Clara‘s sense of humor! 3y
Megabooks @Lindy I think you‘d like it. 👍🏻😊 3y
Megabooks @britt_brooke she did have a fun sense of humor! 3y
BookishMarginalia Stacked! 3y
85 likes7 stack adds8 comments
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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I picked this up in honor of my MIL who passed away last year, far too soon. For years, she raised angora goats, ran a spinning mill, and personally hand-dyed/painted her gorgeous yarns. Not sheep, but it‘s the same idea. Parkes, a natural storyteller, takes us along as she transforms 600lbs+ wool into yarn at various places using different techniques, all while teaching us about the waning wool industry. Kathy would‘ve loved this! 💚

Trashcanman 🤗👋👋 3y
Cinfhen Your MIL sounds like she was an amazing woman. Sorry for your loss 💔 3y
britt_brooke @Cinfhen Thank you 💚 - she was a great lady and deserved better. Alzheimer‘s is difficult always, but especially early onset. 😔 3y
79 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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PurpleTulipGirl
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Pickpick

Having acquired a LOT of wool, Parkes set out to have it become yarn. She uses different types of production to create the yarn. In this educational and fascinating book, readers get to hear about wool production in the US. Parkes is a vocal advocate for wool and for responsible care of the animals it comes from. Reading this and following her on Instagram has encouraged me to be better with my yarn purchases.

#yarn #sheep