The Best Dying Books of All Time

Offers families, friends, and care-givers of terminally-ill patients advice on understanding their needs.

Ironically, as we move toward a more technologically advanced world, the simple domestic crafts of old are making a comeback. People of all ages are discovering a deep love for weaving, knitting, crocheting and other fiber arts. Along with that has come the desire to create their own one of a kind, artisan yarns. When it comes to yarn, fiber lovers know that spinning and dying go hand in hand. Yet many books on the yarn craft cover only one topic or the other. In Spinning and Dyeing Yarn, fiber artist Ashley Martineau covers both subjects with rich, illustrative detail and step-by-step tutorials.

Simply put, this book a must have for fiber enthusiasts of all levels. Inside, four sections cover:. Fiber Identification and Preparation Explains the various fiber types--from animal wools and plant fibers to silk and synthetics-- how to clean and store them, and preparation techniques for spinning. Dying Techniques Richly illustrated and easy-to-follow tutorials cover dyeing techniques such as hand painting, dip dyeing, gradient dyeing, solar dyeing, and more for animal and plant fibers. Spinning Techniques Both drop spindle and wheel techniques are included, along with instructions on how to build drop spindles and a spinning wheel and setting spun yarns. Going Professional When readers are ready to share their craft, they'll find helpful advice for buying wholesale supplies, preparing for shows, and marketing and selling their work. You will also find instructions for creating novelty yarns, spinning with fabric and feathers, advice from professional yarn designers, tips on improving work process, and more. With breathtaking images throughout, Spinning and Dyeing Yarn is one of the most comprehensive volumes on yarn design our editors have seen.

"This is the most comprehensive manual written on natural dyes since the early 1800s. Jim Liles has rescued ancient skills from near-extinction and shared them in a book that will inspire, challenge, and guide the modern dyer."—Rita Buchanan, author of A Weaver's Garden, and editor of the new Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Handbook on Natural Dyes" . . . a must for every dyer. The recipes are explicit and detailed as to success and failure."—Mary Frances DavidsonFor several thousand years, all dyes were of animal, vegetable, or mineral origin, and many ancient civilizations possessed excellent dye technologies.

The first synthetic dye was produced in 1856, and the use of traditional dyes declined rapidly thereafter. By 1915 few non-synthetics were used by industry or craftspeople. The craft revivals of the 1920s explored traditional methods of natural dyeing to some extent, particularly with wool, although the great eighteenth- and nineteenth-century dye manuals, which recorded the older processes, remained largely forgotten. In The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing, J. N. Liles consolidates the lore of the older dyers with his own first-hand experience to produce both a history of natural dyes and a practical manual for using pre–synthetic era processes on all the natural fibers--cotton, linen, silk, and wool. A general section on dyeing and mordanting and a glossary introduce the beginner to dye technology. In subsequent chapters, Liles summarizes the traditional dye methods available for each major color group. Scores of recipes provide detailed instructions on how to collect ingredients--flowers, weeds, insects, wood, minerals--prepare the dyevat, troubleshoot, and achieve specific shades.The book will appeal not only to beginning and veteran dyers but to students of restorations and reconstruction as well as to craftspeople--spinners, quilters, weavers, knitters, and other textile artists--interested in natural dyes for their beauty and historical authenticity.The J. N. Liles is professor of zoology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has taught at Arrowmont School and other regional craft schools and has exhibited his work at the Arrowmont School, the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild Folk Art Center, and the Carol Reece Museum.