Vanishing Fleece: Adventures in American Wool

This book was recommended by a good friend who run a yarn shop, Coastal Purl in NC. I enjoyed reading this book very much. Learning about the process and the struggle of the wool industry was eye opening. Wool is very important to me as a knitter who wants quality yarn to make the best garment I can. American wool has new meaning and importance to me. If you do anything with wool fiber this book should be on your read list.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I was concerned that a story following the path of American wool through the American yarn-making process would be dry, that the chapters would get repetitive. But Parkes manages to keep it fresh, engaging, and remarkably personal. It was well worth the read.

The first 3/4 of Parkes book were incredible. These pages felt like a college mini-course on history, science, agriculture, and creativity using wool. Parkes sense of humor is a good balance to the otherwise concerning state of American wool. Especially appreciated is that she professionally points out two major retailers (LL Bean and Woolrich) who have played an integral part of the loss of American jobs and the decline in the use of American wool. The last pages of VF really disappointed me. It was completely unnecessary to discuss the details of Eugene’s death. Has Parkes ever stopped to consider triggers amongst her readers? What did the specific details add to this book on wool? And why draw a parallel to putting sheep on the cull truck? Parkes was very thorough in her list of references of things discussed amongst the pages- even animal rights. There was no reference to a Suicide hotline, however. I really wish this book could’ve ended on a high note. Further, much like the wool industry itself, many of the links and businesses mentioned are shuttered. Though not surprising, this was disappointing.

Reading this book moved me in ways I did not expect. Knitting and wool is a huge part of my life. I thought I was cognitive to my purchases and sharing the love but, I now realize I’ve got to pay closer attention to my material needs in regard to my country and its survival. I make a difference.

I first read this book on the Libby app. It’s an in-depth story of how wool is processed from sheep to yarn. The sad reality is that many of the wool processing companies have shut down or will soon be closed. I realized this would be a great resource to pick up and read whenever so I purchased the book.

Clara is a gifted writer with a fun sense of humor. As she describes her journey her word pictures come to life in your minds eye. If you’re a fan of wool, textiles or history this book has much to offer. Indeed it is a powerful call to action to save American wool and textiles. Buy American!!

Vanishing Fleece is, quite simply, an amazing story of wool. I was fascinated from start to finish. Parkes tells the entire processing story of something I truly love, wool for hand knitting, from lace weight to hearty winter weight. Visiting yarn shops, touching yarn, choosing yarn will never again be the simple pleasure it was before I read Parkes story. It is a much deeper, fuller, love story with wool, and I cannot thank the author enough!

The book describes a journey into an understanding of what has happened to wool in America...it's growth on farms to how it becomes yarn and a peak into the farms, mills and dye houses that limp along today. Limping is the key word. American consumers became enamored with the convenience of synthetics since WWII and wool use dropped. Couple that with globalization and the horrific deal of NAFTA which chased manufacturing overseas and wool and wool yarn and clothing production is a whisper of its former self. So now we are beginning to see the error of our ways. Clara shines a light on wool warriors who struggle and fight to keep the precious wool industry alive, albeit on fumes. This book is for all lovers of yarn to gain an understanding of the state of yarn production and gain a new perspective of appreciation for that skein in your hands. I for one have a slightly different vantage point on the wool journey. I have worn many of the hats of wool production on my single head. I have been a shepherd farmer, a yarn designer, pattern designer, yarn shop owner sock producer (from yarn I have grown designed and dyed) owner and operator and chief dyer of a line of wholesale hand dyed yarn . (Some of the yarn I dyed I sourced from one of the mills written about in this book.) I had learned the hard lessons taught in this book. I hope folks will read it and be emboldened to support the American wool industry any way they can. Wool is an essential part of our heritage as a nation and also our heritage as human beings.

This book is a true case of an author taking their readers along on a journey, in this case through the US wool processing industry. Without hyperbole, absolutely unpardonable.

Great read for all fiber artists. A well documented account of the life of a bale of raw fleece. Extremely well researched and written. Fiber artists world wide; support your local producers, farmers and keep the great tradition of wool production and processing in you home land alive and viable..... PLEASE

An interesting read about the different mills and ways of dying processes. A unique idea of buying the bale. What it did bring clear is the need to look to where the yarn we use is grown and manufactured. I hope to start trying to buy my yarns from those manufactured or at least grown in the USA and Canada.