Review Thursday: Fiber Gathering

Fiber Gathering by Joanne Seiff is a celebration of the fiber arts. Rather than simply offering patterns for knitting or crocheting, Seiff introduces the reader to fiber festivals around the country. Traveling coast to coast from Maryland Sheep and Wool, one of the oldest and largest in the country, to the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene Oregon, the reader gets a picture of the vibrant culture of the fiber community. Each festival has its own character where Seiff met “warm, kind people who rushed to embrace this idea of festival as much more than just buying and selling.”(xi) She made me want to pack my bags and spend a year going from festival to festival. If you can’t do that, she tells you how to build your own.

This book is not just a travelogue. Each festival provides inspiration with patterns to try or instructions to follow. Seiff has included a wide range of fiber activities for you to try. For example, have you ever wanted to paint your own yarn? Detailed instructions are here. Or, what on earth do people do with the fleece as it comes off the sheep? This book will show you. Knitting, crocheting and rug hooking are not forgotten either. So, whether you are just curious about the fiber arts or if you are an experienced artist, there is something in this book for you.