Ask any writer, and they will tell you that books will never wholly go out of style. This could be why so many spinners and industry pros rely on their collections of hard copy, spinning-themed reference books. We keep these works where they are easily accessible and refer to them time and again because we can count on the accuracy we find within these pages.
We, your School of SweetGeorgia handspinning instructors (Diana, Katrina, Kim, Rachel, and Debbie), thought we’d share with you an index of our own most used titles. We encourage you to read those that appeal to you so that you can start (or add to) your own at-the-ready reference library.
Please note: For ease of reference, this list is in alphabetical order, by title. Some titles are no longer in print, but most can be acquired through online sellers, including Amazon, Abe Books, and eBay. (One or two are self-published and available only from the authors.) Please do your research as to the best prices and sellers’ reputations.
Our Favourite Spinning Reference Books
A-G
- A Spinner’s Dozen: 14 Darn Useful Tools, Stephenie Gaustad, 2020 (PLY Publishing)
- Color in Spinning, Deb Menz, 2005 (Interweave Press)
- Dyeing to Knit and Spin, Felicia Lo, 2017 (Interweave)
H-L
- Hand Woolcombing and Spinning, Peter Teal, 1976, (Sterling Pub Co Inc)
- Hands On Spinning, Lee Raven, 1987 (Interweave Press)
- Handspinning: Art And Technique, Allen Fannin 1970 (Van Nostrand Reinhold)
- In Search of Wild Silk, Karen Selk, 2023 (Schiffer Publishing)
- In A Spin, Pat Old, 2009 (Sherborne Group)
- In Sheep’s Clothing: A Handspinner’s Guide to Wool, Nola & Jane Fournier, 1995 (Interweave Press)
- Learn to Spin with Anne Field: Spinning Basics, Anne Field, 2011 (Trafalgar Square Books)
M-R
- Merino: Handspinning, Dyeing and Working With Merino and Superfine Wools, Margaret Stove,1991 (Interweave Press)
- Pure Wool: A Guide to Using Single-Breed Yarns, Sue Blacker, 2012 (A & C Black Publishers Ltd)
- Respect the Spindle, Abby Franquemont, 2017 (Interweave Press)
S
- Spin Art, Jacey Boggs, 2012 (Interweave)
- Spin Control, Amy King, 2009 (Interweave Press)
- Spin to Weave: The Weaver’s Guide to Making Yarn, Sara Lamb, 2013 (Interweave Press)
- Spinning Wool: Beyond the Basics, Anne Field, 2010 (Trafalgar Square Books)
- Spinning and Dyeing Yarn, Ashley Martineau, 2014 (B E S Pub Co)
- Spinning and Weaving with Wool, Paula Simmons, 1977 (Pacific Search Press)
- Start Spinning, Maggie Casey, 2008 (Interweave Press)
- Synthetic Dyes for Natural Fibers, Linda Knutson, 1968 (Madrona Pub)
T
- The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning, Alden Amos, 2001 (Interweave Press)
- The Big Book of Fibery Rainbows, Suzy Brown, Arlene Thayer, 2016 (FiberyGoodness Publisher)
- The Essentials of Yarn Design for Handspinners, Mabel Ross, 1983 (Mabel Ross/Kinross, Scotland)
- The Field Guide to Fleece, Carol Ekarius, Deborah Robson, 2013 (Storey Publishing)
- The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook, Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius, 2011 (Storey Pub)
- The Intentional Spinner, Judith MacKenzie McCuin, 2009 (Interweave Press)
- The New Zealand Woolcraft Book: Constance Jackson, Judith Plowman, 1981 (William Collin)
- The Practical Spinner’s Guide – Cotton, Flax and Hemp, Stephenie Gaustad, 2014 (Interweave Press)
- The Practical Spinner’s Guide – Rare Luxury Fibers, Judith MacKenzie-McCuin, 2015 (Interweave Press)
- The Practical Spinners Guide to Silk, Sara Lamb, 2014 (Interweave Press)
- The Practical Spinners Guide – Wool, Kate Larson, 2015 (Interweave Press)
- The Spinner’s Book of Fleece, Beth Smith, 2014 (Storey Publishing)
- The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs, Sarah Anderson, 2012 (Storey Publishing)
- The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook, Lynn Vogel, 2002 (Interweave Press)
U-Z
- Unbraided: The Art and Science of Spinning Colour, Rachel Smith, Katrina Stewart, 2019 (Blurb)
- Woolcombing and Spinning, Peter Teal, 1976 (Sterling Pub Co Inc)
- Your Handspinning, Elise Davenport, 1964 (Craft & Hobby Book Service)
- Yarnitecture, Jillian Moreno, 2016 (Storey Publishing)
- 51 Yarns to Spin Before You Cast Off, Jacey Boggs Faulkner, 2018 (PLY Publishing)
Final Thoughts
I keep my reference books within arm’s reach of my desk and my laptop, as I most often refer to them to fact-check my articles. I don’t keep the titles in alphabetical order. Rather, I group my reference books by theme: weaving, sewing, and handspinning.
I once had a professional organizer tell me that we all think differently, so it’s best to file items in the way that works best with your own brain. (This is the reason it can be so challenging to find an item after “cleaning up” a space!) Wherever you build your spinning library is fine, so long as you can access the books easily and you know where they are when you need them.
Industry magazines can also be a terrific source of trusted (and beautiful!) spinning material for the ages, so be sure to keep them after reading them.
What about digital titles? Digital downloads make for beautiful and handy reading on any device, and they tend to be more affordable than hard-copy publications. I prefer leafing through a book when I have a question (it’s much faster for me), though I definitely do have a few titles stored in my Kindle library, too.
Did we miss any of your favourite titles? Want to suggest more spinning reference books? Let us know in one of our communities!
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Original publication: September 22th, 2022; Refreshed: March 6th, 2025
