It’s not often that you can actually sit down and read a craft book through, but the Knitter’s Book of Yarn is one that you can. It’s a very readable, very informative book.
The other starts by breaking the various types of fiber into broad groups – Synthetic, Cellulose, Cellulosic and Protein. Within these groups, the yarns share certain characteristics, but beyond that, they’re broken down into source, be it animal, vegetable or mineral. There’s a ton of good information in the book that would be helpful to anyone trying to figure out exactly what yarn would be best for what project.
The book also discusses the making of yarn, and then breaks out into a discussion of various plying methods, with patterns for each type of ply. There are a variety of patterns included, in everything from quick knit mitts to sweaters.
All and all, this is a great resource book, one I’m sure I’ll be referring back to often.