Luxury Knitting: The Ultimate Guide to Exquisite Yarns: Cashmere*Merino*Silk

By Joseph a Essilfie and Joseph Essilfie

The owner of New York City's premier knitting boutique--String--takes knitters on a tour of the world where superior fibers are found and woven into luxury yarns. The softest cashmeres, sensuous silks, fine merino wools...Knitters are inevitably drawn to the look and feel of gold-standard yarns found in a Gucci sweater or a Zegna suit. Now they're invited on a superbly photographed journey with knitting aficionado and entrepreneur, Linda Morse, to the regions of the world where luxury yarns were born. Meet the shearers and spinners of Ireland, Asia, and Italy. Go back in time to when Spain's king wore Merino underwear in testament to its wonderful feel--and breeding secrets were national treasures. Find out how prized textiles are manufactured, from raw fiber to finished product, and why one fiber is more precious than another. Detailed fabric characteristics and valuable tips on care and handling included.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931543860
• ISBN13: 9781931543866
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Sixth&Spring Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.5" x 1.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A nice book..

..to anyone interested in knitting. I bought it in order to find more information about the fabrics, but the book really is more for those interested in knitting techniques.

One of the BEST!

This is a FABULOUS book. Elegant and informative....definately on my top ten knitting book list. You will not be disappointed!

SO SOFT!!!

I HAVE BEEN KNITTING FOR ABOUT 3 YRS NOW & GET TO EVERY KNIT STORE I CAN. I JUST HAPPENED TO BE IN NYC LAST SATURDAY & STOPPED IN THE AUTHOR'S STORE FOR SOME CASHMERE. I WALKED OUT WITH A LOT OF CASHMERE & A FULL PRICE COPY OF THIS GORGEOUS BOOK! THE DESIGNS ARE BEAUTIFUL, ESPECIALLY THE PLEATED DRESS. I BOUGHT THE BOOK FOR THAT PATTERN ALONE. YOU WON'T BE SORRY UNLESS YOU PASS UP THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK.

A great resource

The three chapters in this book talk about everything from where the raw fiber comes from and how it's processed to how to knit with it and how to buy the best quality yarns. The pictures in each chapter are incredible, like a National Geographic. And each chapter has patterns for that particular type of fiber, designed with each fibers' characteristics in mind. The cashmere cape with mink trim is stunning, and the baby items...