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Jillian Moreno

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

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The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible: From Woolen to (Nearly!) Worsted and Everything in Between

by Deborah Held
Stackpole Books
$32.95, hardcover 8.2 x 10.1 with 136 pages
Published: April 1, 2025
Buy now at Bookshop.org
Review 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 batts and rolags. 

The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible has come out at a perfect time, and it fills a gap in the spinning book world, since there are few blending board specific resources. 

You might know Debbie Held from her articles in PLY, Spin Off, her classes via The School of Sweet Georgia, or her in person classes. She’s been teaching and writing about fiber for many years. 

This book is most suited to spinners who have never used a blending board through intermediate blenders. Though there are plenty of tips and tricks, and just good reminders for advanced blending board folk. 

Debbie covers the nuts and bolts of blending boards, how they are made, carding cloth, the tools needed, and the tools that just make everything easier, step by step directions on how to use a blending board at its most basic, even has instructions for a DIY blending board, and shows ways to use your board that you may not have thought of.  

Tools in hand, the next step is to make excellent preparations. She makes a clear distinction between rolled preparations (rolags, punis, etc), the ones most spinners think of when using a blending board, and batts and pulled preparations (roving, sliver, and cloud). 

The technique of each style is covered in detail – best practices, tools, fibers, blends, more woolen or worsted leaning, and troubleshooting. Debbie’s teaching style is encouraging and she works in a practical step by step method. A complete novice could pick up this book and make beautiful preparations to spin in no time. 

Tools and techniques mastered; the fun begins. The delight of this book lies in all of the ways to make beautiful color combinations. Debbie presents a myriad of ways to work with color, tweed, heather, fractals, stripes, color blocking, smooth vs textured color, garneting, layering, flecks, vertical and horizonal gradients, add-ins, plus variations on most. 

This book is full of inspiration, creativity, and good instruction, so much so I couldn’t read it all the way through in one sitting. I had to stop, get out my blending board to play with the techniques. 


Guest Blogger

Book Review: In Search of Wild Silk by Karen Selk

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In Search of Wild Silk: Exploring a Village Industry in the Jungles of India

by Karen Selk
Schiffer Craft
$39.99, hardcover 8.5 x 11 with 270 pages, and 360 photographs. 
Published: March 28, 2023 
Buy now at Bookshop.org
Review by Jacqueline Harp (Instagram: @foreverfiberarts)

Just as the title implies, Karen Selk’s book focuses on the struggles of small wild silk producers making a place for themselves in the vast Indian textile industry. The author briefly touches on India’s wild silk history while also tying in the industry’s position in modern times, expertly guiding us through the process of making silk from the moth to the finished fabric. She addresses the industry’s ecological impacts, the importance of slow fashion, and women supporting women. The book has something for everyone: handspinners, weavers, designers, and the curious. Selk does a wonderful job describing the life cycle of three silk moths that produce wild silk: tasar, muga, and eri. Her writing style is a delightful mix of journal entries, interviews, insights, and facts about wild silk.    

The author has over forty years of textile arts experience. She has devoted her life to educating, traveling, researching, and writing about the importance of silk in the complex ecosystem of farming, fashion, and art. From the very first pages of this book, you can’t help but feel inspired by her labor of love. There is no better way to illustrate her passion for silk and the fiber arts than by sharing the dedication from page three:  

“…to all those who appreciate and support the making of natural fiber cloth. From the soil that grows natural dyes, fibers like cotton and linen, or leaves and grass that feeds animals that give us their fiber to the finished rug, garment, or home furnishing dedicated farmers and artisans gift us with their love and creativity. I am grateful for your integrity and caring to champion those devoted to providing us with sustainable, ethical, ecological, and beautiful textiles.” 

Lastly, the full-color photographs and tastefully drawn illustrations are a treat for the eyes. Each one tells a story, inspires, or helps us visualize a complicated aspect of the life cycle of wild silk as it makes its way from villages to big cities to places the world over. What are you waiting for? This substantial tome is waiting for you to begin the expedition from the comfort of your coffee table. Make yourself smarter about wild silk, fiber of legends and rich history.