Book Review: Bog Fashion by Nicole DeRushie

Bog Fashion: Recreating Bronze and Iron Age Clothes by Nicole DeRushiePublisher: ChronoCopia PublishingHardcover, 192 pagesPublication date: April 2025Find a retailer hereReview by Karen Robinson I heard about this book from the author, Nicole DeRushie, who has an article on lime bast in our forthcoming Plants issue (Autumn 2025), and as someone who is intrigued by […]

Book Review: Swatch Critters by Deb Essen

Swatch Critters from the Pin Loom: Step-by-Step Instructions for Making 30 Cuddly Animals from Woven Squares by Deb EssenPublisher: Schiffer CraftUS$24.99, 168 pagesPublication date: August 28, 2025Buy now at Bookshop.orgReview by Meagan Condon I am usually hesitant to review pattern books, in part because it takes so long to test out the patterns and I […]

Book Review: The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible by Debbie Held

The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible: From Woolen to (Nearly!) Worsted and Everything in Between by Deborah HeldStackpole Books$32.95, hardcover 8.2 x 10.1 with 136 pagesPublished: April 1, 2025Buy now at Bookshop.orgReview by Jillian Moreno I’ve noticed that spinners are more interested in fiber preparation lately, both working from fleece and the fiber fun of creating […]

Book Review: In Search of Wild Silk by Karen Selk

In Search of Wild Silk: Exploring a Village Industry in the Jungles of India by Karen SelkSchiffer Craft$39.99, hardcover 8.5 x 11 with 270 pages, and 360 photographs. Published: March 28, 2023 Buy now at Bookshop.orgReview by Jacqueline Harp (Instagram: @foreverfiberarts) Just as the title implies, Karen Selk’s book focuses on the struggles of small wild silk […]

Book Review: Marking Time with Fabric and Thread by Tommye McClure Scanlin

PLY had the pleasure of sharing an article by Sarah Swett in the Cloth (Autumn 2019) issue. I remember being fascinated while reading about her practices of creation. She writes the foreword in this book, and her words about marking time using crafting made me want to dive right into the book. 

Book Review: Japanese Paper Yarn by Andra F. Stanton

Released just before the holiday season, Japanese Paper Yarn: Using Washi and Kami-ito to Knit, Crochet, Weave, and More by Andra F. Stanton is a engaging read for papermakers and handspinners alike.

Book Review: Women’s Work by Elizabeth Wayland Barber

reviewed by Sukrita Mahon First published 27 years ago, Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth and Society in Early Times by Elizabeth Wayland Barber is still considered essential reading for contemporary textile artists. Its importance cannot be understated, considering that thread- and cloth-making have been so vital to our civilisation from the very […]

Book Review: Dyeing to Spin and Knit by Felicia Lo

reviewed by Sukrita Mahon With every kind of tutorial and technique easily searchable online, dyeing has never been more accessible to spinners and knitters. Most crafters are likely to experiment with some type of dyeing or colour blending at some point in their practice. The creator of Sweet Georgia Yarns, Felicia Lo, has managed to […]