Working With The Wool

CONTAINS ILLUSTRATIONS AND PATTERNS.

"In Raw Material, Stephany Wilkes tells not only her own story, but also that of American wool. What begins as a knitter's search for local yarn becomes a dirty, unlikely, and irresistible side job. Wilkes become a certified sheep shearer and wool classer, working at the very first step in the textile supply chain, ultimately leaving her high-tech job for a new way of life considered long dead in the American West."--Provided by publisher.

A step-by-step manual that illustrates techniques for constructing looms and other weaving tools and making Navajo rug designs.

Navajo blankets, rugs, and tapestries are the best-known, most-admired, and most-collected textiles in North America. There are scores of books about Navajo weaving, but no other book like this one. For the first time, master Navajo weavers themselves share the deep, inside story of how these textiles are created, and how their creation resonates in Navajo culture. Want to weave a high-quality, Navajo-style rug? This book has detailed how-to instructions, meticulously illustrated by a Navajo artist, from warping the loom to important finishing touches. Want to understand the deeper meaning? You'll learn why the fixed parts of the loom are male, and the working parts are female. You'll learn how weaving relates to the earth, the sky, and the sacred directions. You'll learn how the Navajo people were given their weaving tradition (and it wasn't borrowed from the Pueblos!), and how important a weaver's attitude and spirit are to creating successful rugs. You'll learn what it means to live in hózhó, the Beauty Way. Family stories from seven generations of weavers lend charm and special insights. Characteristic Native American humor is not in short supply. Their contribution to cultural understanding and the preservation of their craft is priceless.

With three balls of wool and lots of ingenuity, this mother gets down to work and sparks a small revolution.