In the Footsteps of Sheep: Tales of a Journey Through Scotland, Walking, Spinning, and Knitting Socks

Not only sheep but where they live and what they are good for (beyond just the wool). A wonderful trip through the Scottish highlands.

Beautiful book. Very well written. The author writes so that you feel like you are right there.

Published in October of 2015 this is a beautiful book in concept, design and execution. The inclusion of so much information about the routes walked, the various locations, the types of sheep, and similar plus the patterns, and the gorgeous photographs makes this a very valuable book for anyone interested in knitting, socks, or Scotland! My only reservation would be that many of the wools shown, although I understand the reasons for knitting socks from each type of sheep, are not likely to be the most suitable for socks. Fortunately Mrs. Zawinski has thoughtfully included instructions for commercial wool, and she may write address this issue in the book -- I've only just received it. Socks are very utilitarian as well as lovely, and get a lot of wear and tear in addition to needing to be washed thus yarns have been developed that are used for socks, or some recommend knitting some nylon or very durable fiber in with the yarn on the heel.Now that winter is approaching, this book will make you get out your knitting needles, find some yarn and cast on!

I love this book and am so glad I bought it. I do not knit but I love sheep and spinning and wanted to read about her journey i do agree with some of the other reviewers that this would have been nicer had it been a hardcover book. This is such a gorgeous book and will be read and used allot so will be difficult to keep the covers in good shape. I also agree with some of the reviewers that since this is a book about her journey gathering up wool and spinning there were no photos to show that-a little thing but should have been included and disappointing as it is the premise of the book Other than that I love this book and would highly recommend. I really debated about giving this book 4 stars as explained or the 5 stars-In the end I gave 5 stars since it is such a beautiful book

I enjoy knitting and am learning to spin. I backpack and was supposed to do a backpacking trip in Scotland 2020. And I like sheep. This was the next best thing as it covers it all. It’s the journey of an older woman who is collecting wool and spinning it from different Scottish breeds on her hike. She then makes socks for people who have helped her along the way.

I've wanted to read this book ever since it came out in 2015 but sadly, I couldn't afford it. I finally got to buy it & received it today!! I sat down & spend the next 3 hours just reading it, it was so worth waiting for. Not only is it a Walker's travelogue but it's also a Spinner's gem of Scottish sheep & wool. I love the little maps that show where each walk took place & how she got around - train, bus, boat, truck, foot!! The pictures of the sheep & the scenery itself are glorious. The patterns are good to have but the walk, the stories, the people & the sheep were worth the cost of the book. Not just another craft book or travelogue but a terrific combination of both.

This book is just delightful, from the whole premise, to the photography, the inclusion of sock patterns, and the writing. Highly recommend for anyone who loves knitting socks, Scottish scenery, and background on the sheep that provide us wool

Found this book from reading about it from a knitting magazine. It tells the story of one woman's mission to gather wool from every breed of sheep found on the various islands west of Scotland. She not only spun the wool fiber but knitted a pair of socks from each breed. Sadly, the main sock photos were done with an equivalent commercial yarn. The originals had a fluffier, woolly quality of unknown gauge, and this being a knitting book, the author's gauge details were rather sketchy. Beyond that, each chapter detailed her adventures camping, visiting, spinning, and knitting - which prompted me to pick up the needles, knit some socks, and dream of traveling to far off lands!

Love this book, Recommended by a friend and wish I could do the same as the author.