Knit (Spin) Sweden! Second Edition

All knitters like to acquire new and different kinds of yarn, especially during their travels. It's easy to find a local yarn shop, find a traditional knitted item to buy as a souvenir, and go home satisfied that you've made a connection to a new place. For author Sara Wolf, that wasn't enough. She wanted to see what the locals were doing; talk to other knitters about their craft; find yarn from local sheep, and understand the culture. In writing this book she not only visited yarn shops but also sheep farms throughout the Swedish countryside, countless museums with textile collections and a few spinning mills, too.

She's spent significant time swatching various Swedish yarns, learning about native sheep breeds, and how to locate commercially available Swedish yarns. Many are truly artisanal craft yarns found only at fairs or craft shops. Others are available online, although often only in Europe. This book intends to create a wider audience for Swedish fibers, both commercially produced and conservation breeds. If there is a demand for the fleece, wool, and yarn, there will be encouragement for farmers to rebuild these herds.

Enter Josefin Waltin, spinner and teacher, who collaborated with Sara on the book to produce hand-spun yarn from a number of local breeds, and provide information on how each fleece handles to encourage hand-spinners to enjoy Swedish sheep.

While there are only 13 recognized endangered or heritage breeds in Sweden, the authors have identified up to 19 breeds that deserve a mention and are generally available across the country. Most spinners and hand knitters will need to dive into and research a little on their own to locate sellers of fleece and yarn, but there is constant movement by shepherds and shepherdesses to make their products known and available through a variety of websites and social media sites mentioned throughout the text.

There is something for everyone in this book, from the hardcore fiberista to the armchair traveler.

Sara Wolf is a life-long knitter who spent her career in a variety of museum storage rooms as a textile conservator. Her love of textiles and travel led her to seek out yarns and knitting techniques around the world. She now uses West Brookfield, MA as a jumping off point to research, write about and teach knitting. She also thinks of herself as a spinning wannabe, and occasionally dips her toes into weaving, all while dreaming of the next sheep-based adventure.Josefin Waltin has been a knitter since age ten but now considers herself first and foremost a spinner. She focuses mainly on different spindle types and wool processing from raw fleece to a finished textile. She runs a blog from her home in Stockholm, Sweden, where she dives into new spinning experiences every week. Josefin teaches spinning in Sweden and in her online school. She is habitually curious of textile techniques and enjoys learning how to spin for new purposes.