Review: Jillian Moreno’s Yarnitecture

Rating: 4/5

Audience: Beginner to Early Intermediate Spinners

I had the opportunity to meet Moreno in person at PlyAway in 2017.  She is a passionate and vibrant member of greater fiber arts community. Her personality really speaks to the joy and playfulness of fiber arts and her book is no exception!

This is an excellent title for newer and intermediate spinners. At least some basic spinning experience will make this book an infinitely more valuable read. Moreno balances the line between technical and artistic. Subtitled the knitter’s guide, she keeps the focus on spinning for knitting and includes a section near the back with some basic knit-knowledge.

I had some technical problems with this book that meant the difference between a four and five star rating. I found that some small details were not factually accurate; for example, her explanation on silk had errors. I asked myself if the problems I noted would take away from the value of the book. For the intended audience,  Moreno’s skillful explanations are pearls of wisdom. The wrong details that I noted were minor and I doubt they would impact a majority of readers.

Overall, I found Yarnitecture to be one of the best guides to spinning written in the last several years.  It is a book that can be reread and holds new substance as a spinner grows in his or her art. This is a must-read and a great addition to the fiber artist’s library.