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Dying to Knit

by Elaine Eskesen

Rating: 4 sheep

I purchased this book on a whim without really knowing what it was supposed to be about. I have some interest in dyeing yarn, so that was all I needed to hit the "send" button.

The book is broken into 4 basic sections. First, there's a pretty good primer on color, describing the different types of color schemes and how to use a color wheel. It's easy to understand and has great photographs demonstrating different color schemes using knitted swatches.

Next up are the actual dyeing process instructions. Although the instructions are very thorough, I was disappointed that only one type of acid dye and only protein fibers are covered. Based on her instructions, this is not a home kitchen operation. You need a separate space with good light, a stove and a sink.

The third, and most impressive section of the book is on designing projects around hand dyed yarn. Looking at art and nature are themes the author uses to design projects and develop color schemes. She also demonstrates ways in which to use variegated and space dyed yarns to their best advantage. Even if you have no interest in dyeing yarn, or just don't have the space for it, this section of the book can help a lot in creating your own color schemes and figuring out how to use those multicolored skeins that look so beautiful in the shop. I will no longer shy away from them now that I know how to use them. Again, great photographs of swatches showing off the qualities of these yarns.

The last section of the book is the patterns. I was underwhelmed with these very simple and basic shapes. Granted, the purpose of the book has more emphasis on showing off the yarn, but with few exceptions, the patterns were uninspired.

I read this entire book in just a few hours, admittedly skimming through the pattern section. As I was reading, I had to laugh a bit at the prose. For you Seinfeld fans out there, parts of this book read as if they were written for the J Peterman Catalog.

Overall, I give this book a thumbs-up for inspiration in creating color schemes and using some of the great yarns that are available today.

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Ann Mueller

Buy this book from Amazon.com

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