Book Review: Follow the Flock

Humans and animals have grown up together and influenced each other in ways obvious and less so. Sally Coulthard explores the connections between sheep and people throughout history in her book Follow the Flock: How Sheep Shaped Civilization.

The book is a collection of stories about how sheep and humans have helped each other, including theories about how and when sheep were originally domesticated, the importance of felted wool for many nomadic people, the rise of the woolen industry in Britain, the origin of iconic sweaters, how sheep helped protect people from anthrax and more.

Maybe it doesn’t sound super interesting, but it actually is a fun read that will make you appreciate our animal friends even more. As if sheep weren’t already great enough for giving us fleece and meat!

It’s an entertaining and enlightening read that knitters and natural history lovers are sure to enjoy.

About the book: 320 pages, hardcover, published 2021 by Pegasus Books. Suggested retail price $27.95

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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