Vanishing Fleece

Adventures in American Wool

By: Clara Parkes

Narrated by: Clara Parkes

A fast-paced account of the year Clara Parkes spent transforming a 676-pound bale of fleece into saleable yarn, and the people and vanishing industry she discovered along the way.

Join Clara Parkes on a cross-country adventure and meet a cast of characters that includes the shepherds, dyers, and countless workers without whom our knitting needles would be empty, our mills idle, and our feet woefully cold. Travel the country with her as she meets a flock of Saxon Merino sheep in upstate New York, tours a scouring plant in Texas, visits a steamy Maine dyehouse, helps sort freshly shorn wool on a working farm, and learns how wool fleece is measured, baled, shipped, and turned into skeins.

In pursuit of the perfect yarn, Parkes describes a brush with the dangers of opening a bale (they can explode), and her adventures from Maine to Wisconsin ("the most knitterly state") and back again; along the way, she presents a behind-the-scenes look at the spinners, scourers, genius inventors, and crazy-complex mill machines that populate the yarn-making industry. By the end of the book, you'll be ready to set aside the backyard chickens and add a flock of sheep instead. Simply put, no other book exists that explores American culture through the lens of wool.

©2019 Clara Parkes (P)2020 Tantor

I LOVED IT!

A beautifully written story of yarn making. Since I work in the industry it was so great to hear someone write of how it is all done. I laughed, I cried and I appreciated our work even more.

I learned something new

I had no idea what this book was about other than the fact there was a sheep on the cover. Boy did I learn a lot! It was an amazing journey and I loved every moment. Thanks for the experience it was fun!

Excellent story -

Although I don't knit or typically wear wool, the book intrigued me from the beginning and it was well written that kept my interest. All of the backstories and journeys that Clara and the wool took to become a finished product were well done and interesting.

Additionally, the insights about the people, their lives in the industry, and how they ended up working in the industry.

Everything was well written and kept me interested until the end. I highly recommend this book, which is not only about wool, but the textile industry, sheep farms/ranches, and the history of the United States.

Beautiful

I crochet, when I can. Hearing the entire effort of what goes into making our beloved yarns was both interesting and beautiful, in equal measure. I am inspired to continue crocheting, but now, will use more wool.

An Adventure

wow, what an adventure this book took me on along side Clara. As a total wool nerd and yarn fanatic I so enjoyed this journey.

Very interesting project

I learned a lot in following Clara’s journey. As a fellow ‘Parkes,’ I could relate soooo well to her statement about the common misspelling of our shared last name.

Our consumerism can fuel or cripple an industry

This has been on my TBR list since it was released. Seriously, I have no idea why it's taken me so long to read it. I'm also rather clueless about how much manufacturing of American goods has diminished. It's really not anything I think of... I'm an immigrant. I drive a Japanese imported car. Our consumerism can fuel or cripple an industry. As a hand knitter, I'm proud to say that I've purchased yarn from indie dyers that are located in the US as well as abroad. I'm also a fan of Quince & Co and am a subscriber of their Quince Quarterly yarn subscription. While I make it a point to purchase most things from small businesses, I am guilty of taking advantage of Amazon's Subscribe & Save. le sigh. I see there is room for improvement.

Must read for knitters

Clara narrates her story beautifully!
If you are interested in where your Wool comes from this is a fascinating tale.

I loved this book!

I laughed, & cried. This was an awesome listen & I recommend it highly.

Marvelous story! 10 stars worthy

Ms Parks takes sewers of all kinds through the vanishing state of wool textiles from growing and shearing, through detailed processing taking the reader from Maine to San Antonio to Canada in order to find the best place to process and dye her precious bale of exclusively bred fine wool. This is a great read for Ranchers, mill owners, and yes, for people who knit or use yarn in creative ways. Great book. Thank you.