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In the Footsteps of Sheep: Tales of a Journey Through Scotland, Walking, Spinning, and Knitting Socks
In the Footsteps of Sheep details the completion of a mission the author, a Welsh-born Scot, set for to travel and camp throughout Scotland, find cast off tufts of wool from 10 Scottish sheep breeds, then spin the wool on her spinning stick while walking (or waiting for ferries), and finally design and knit one pair of socks to represent each breed...all the while writing about her adventures and taking plenty of photographs. Debbie has written beautifully about her journey; the hills, shorelines, and bogs explored; the sheep and people she met along the way; weather both foul and fair, and a particularly exciting chapter about the intriguing St Kilda archipelago and its feral Soay and Boreray sheep. The eleven sock patterns, one at the end of each chapter, are a bonus and, for those of us unable to gather and spin our own fleece, all were test-knitted with commercial wool. The designs are knitted from top to toe with different motifs, among them color-patterns, cables, spirals, stripes, Kilt Hose with top-turnovers, and a pair of baby booties.
192 pages, Paperback
Published October 7, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 12, 2016
Debbie Zawinski tells an enchanting story of her journey around Scotland to collect fleece from ten Scottish sheep breeds, spin it into yarn, and knit those yarns into a single pair of socks. The breeds are found in the farther corners of the country - in the Shetlands, the Borerays, on North Ronaldsay, and so on. These old breeds are usually not shorn, so it is possible to collect rooed (naturally shed) bits of fleece from fences and bushes. The socks serve as a diary of her travels. As someone who enjoys hiking, camping, knitting, and spinning, I was bound to like this book.
I tried to read it slowly and relish the journey. For this American reader, it was helpful to have phone/tablet at hand to look at maps as I began each chapter. Zawinski includes some hand drawn maps, but they were too zoomed in for me to have any idea where she was. (I should say that at the very end of the book on page 183 there is a full map of Scotland...but I didn't know that until I finished!) I also found myself looking up a lot of words. There is a helpful two-page glossary at the back (which I discovered about halfway through the book), but there were many more terms which left me scratching my head. How nice to have google to sort it out. For instance, when Zawinski mentions buying "some flapjack and millionaire shortbread" in Langholm, I discovered that flapjack is a sort of Scottish granola bar and millionaire shortbread is a classic tray bake with layers of shortbread, caramel, and chocolate ("tray bake" is British for "bar," something I learned on the Great British Baking Show). I also found some recipes I want to try!
I was continuously intrigued by the differences between hiking in Scotland and in the U.S. Zawinski tromped over a mix of private and public lands, some with trails and some without, and nearly always had the option of catching a local bus or ferry to hurry her journey along. She packed light, carrying only a "rucksack" (there was no photo included, so I'm not sure if it was a large frame backpack like we use for backpacking here) with a lightweight tent or bivvy. She didn't seem to plan her campsites ahead of time and sometimes asked permission to camp on private land. And rain? No worries. She trekked through any weather.
I was also very interested in Zawinski's "spinning stick," which was described as a stick and not a drop spindle. She includes one photo of it (page 24) and there is definitely no whorl. That led me down a whole new rabbit hole and along the way I watched the delightful Spin like you're Scottish video. This entire book was a grand reminder that you don't need a bunch of fancy tools to make stuff. You can do a whole lot with very little. Packing light, Zawinski didn't bring a niddy noddy - so she made one by lashing together sheep bones and twine which she found while beachcombing. This sort of ingenuity is very appealing.
Zawinski's photos are stunning (she didn't mention her camera but I wondered how high-tech her photographic setup was, given the excellent results in a mostly grey climate). I wish they had been captioned, though. This and a few other details could have (should have) been addressed in the editing process. One detail that confused me was that Zawinski described the socks she knit during the journey in the text of each chapter, but the only photos were of the socks she designed after her trip using the breed-specific yarn - or commercial yarn - for a specific recipient she met along the way. After much narrative description, where were the photos? I didn't see one until page 180.
Whether you knit, spin, hike, or camp, this account of a "hobo of the woolly arts; a forager of fleece" (36) is likely to catch your fancy. If you enjoy more than one of those activities, you should definitely check out this book.
Update 10/12/16: Franklin Habit's review of the book
I tried to read it slowly and relish the journey. For this American reader, it was helpful to have phone/tablet at hand to look at maps as I began each chapter. Zawinski includes some hand drawn maps, but they were too zoomed in for me to have any idea where she was. (I should say that at the very end of the book on page 183 there is a full map of Scotland...but I didn't know that until I finished!) I also found myself looking up a lot of words. There is a helpful two-page glossary at the back (which I discovered about halfway through the book), but there were many more terms which left me scratching my head. How nice to have google to sort it out. For instance, when Zawinski mentions buying "some flapjack and millionaire shortbread" in Langholm, I discovered that flapjack is a sort of Scottish granola bar and millionaire shortbread is a classic tray bake with layers of shortbread, caramel, and chocolate ("tray bake" is British for "bar," something I learned on the Great British Baking Show). I also found some recipes I want to try!
I was continuously intrigued by the differences between hiking in Scotland and in the U.S. Zawinski tromped over a mix of private and public lands, some with trails and some without, and nearly always had the option of catching a local bus or ferry to hurry her journey along. She packed light, carrying only a "rucksack" (there was no photo included, so I'm not sure if it was a large frame backpack like we use for backpacking here) with a lightweight tent or bivvy. She didn't seem to plan her campsites ahead of time and sometimes asked permission to camp on private land. And rain? No worries. She trekked through any weather.
I was also very interested in Zawinski's "spinning stick," which was described as a stick and not a drop spindle. She includes one photo of it (page 24) and there is definitely no whorl. That led me down a whole new rabbit hole and along the way I watched the delightful Spin like you're Scottish video. This entire book was a grand reminder that you don't need a bunch of fancy tools to make stuff. You can do a whole lot with very little. Packing light, Zawinski didn't bring a niddy noddy - so she made one by lashing together sheep bones and twine which she found while beachcombing. This sort of ingenuity is very appealing.
Zawinski's photos are stunning (she didn't mention her camera but I wondered how high-tech her photographic setup was, given the excellent results in a mostly grey climate). I wish they had been captioned, though. This and a few other details could have (should have) been addressed in the editing process. One detail that confused me was that Zawinski described the socks she knit during the journey in the text of each chapter, but the only photos were of the socks she designed after her trip using the breed-specific yarn - or commercial yarn - for a specific recipient she met along the way. After much narrative description, where were the photos? I didn't see one until page 180.
Whether you knit, spin, hike, or camp, this account of a "hobo of the woolly arts; a forager of fleece" (36) is likely to catch your fancy. If you enjoy more than one of those activities, you should definitely check out this book.
Update 10/12/16: Franklin Habit's review of the book
January 14, 2016
"In the Footsteps of Sheep details the completion of a mission the author, Debbie Zawinski, a Welsh-born Scot, set for herself: to travel and camp throughout Scotland, find cast off tufts of wool from 10 Scottish sheep breeds, then spin the wool on her spinning stick while walking (or waiting for ferries), and finally design and knit one pair of socks to represent each breed...all the while writing about her adventures and taking plenty of photographs."~Schoolhouse Press.
This was such an absorbing book. I didn't want Debbie's journey to come to an end because that meant the end of the book. I hope she will explore another country and its sheep and write another book about it.
Her determination to walk and camp wherever possible, instead of driving and staying at hotels, afforded a fascinating first-hand narrative of the countryside, its people, and its sheep. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I recommend it for anyone who is interested in travel, backpacking, nature, knitting, spinning, sheep, or Scotland.
Content Warning: There are two...erm...surprisingly rude words spoken by an amusingly grumpy ferryman.
Tip: There is a glossary of the unfamiliar Scottish terms on page 188.
This was such an absorbing book. I didn't want Debbie's journey to come to an end because that meant the end of the book. I hope she will explore another country and its sheep and write another book about it.
Her determination to walk and camp wherever possible, instead of driving and staying at hotels, afforded a fascinating first-hand narrative of the countryside, its people, and its sheep. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I recommend it for anyone who is interested in travel, backpacking, nature, knitting, spinning, sheep, or Scotland.
Content Warning: There are two...erm...surprisingly rude words spoken by an amusingly grumpy ferryman.
Tip: There is a glossary of the unfamiliar Scottish terms on page 188.
March 19, 2016
In many ways, this was a fascinating and engaging book. I loved following Debbie through Scotland as she searched for Scottish sheep breeds and gathered their fleece. In addition to the evocative stories of her travels and the people she encountered along the way, I loved seeing the socks she knit from her spun fleece. Her gorgeous photographs enhanced the text beautifully.
May 1, 2016
I LOVED this book. It's kind of a dream/fantasy of mine to do much the same as the author so I was living vicariously through her. But I loved learning about the different breeds and reading about her adventures and the folks she met along the way. It made me want to pick up my spindle again!
February 6, 2016
This is exactly what I needed in a book right now. It was simultaneously uplifting, inspirational & soothing. I was sad when I finished.
June 6, 2018
As a spinner, knitter, and Scotland lover (not necessarily in that order), I had to read this book.
In this walking, spinning, and exploratory memoir, Debbie Zawinski hikes over a period of months (at varying intervals) to locations that are home to specific Scottish sheep breeds. She spins as she walks and describes her surroundings, the landscape, the people she meets, the history of the places, as well as details on the various unique breeds of sheep she targets for the Scottish 'socks' she intends to knit with the wool she is seeking and spinning.
Ms. Zawinski's prose is surprisingly gorgeous and richly describes the Scottish landscape, as well as the unique personalities of both the people and sheep that she meets.
She follows each section on her experiences hiking to the region that is home to a specific breed, with a sock pattern that she has knit with yarn handspun by her using wool from that breed.
A charming book and must read for any lover of fiber arts (or Scotland!)
In this walking, spinning, and exploratory memoir, Debbie Zawinski hikes over a period of months (at varying intervals) to locations that are home to specific Scottish sheep breeds. She spins as she walks and describes her surroundings, the landscape, the people she meets, the history of the places, as well as details on the various unique breeds of sheep she targets for the Scottish 'socks' she intends to knit with the wool she is seeking and spinning.
Ms. Zawinski's prose is surprisingly gorgeous and richly describes the Scottish landscape, as well as the unique personalities of both the people and sheep that she meets.
She follows each section on her experiences hiking to the region that is home to a specific breed, with a sock pattern that she has knit with yarn handspun by her using wool from that breed.
A charming book and must read for any lover of fiber arts (or Scotland!)
September 7, 2020
Fascinating, fun to follow this adventurous spinner, knitter and fiber/sheep enthusiast throughout the British Isles. So many specialty sheep breeds--I had no idea! Zawinski knits together her camping experiences in this often climate-unfriendly place with all the landscapes' natural beauty and the friendliness of inhabitants in the Orkney, Shetland, and Outer Hebrides islands (among other North Sea villages and towns). Interesting as both memoir/travel journal and wanderlust-inducing!
May 26, 2016
I loved this book -it was perfect to read before turning the light off to sleep. Debbie Zawinski told a simple but very informative story of her walk around Scotland looking for the various breeds of sheep in the country. From the interior of the country to the islands in the north, every chapter was clear. Her travels put her in touch with interesting people, places and situations.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who knits, especially the sock knitters, but also to anyone who just wants to sit and be entertained and informed.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who knits, especially the sock knitters, but also to anyone who just wants to sit and be entertained and informed.
July 19, 2016
In the Footsteps of Sheep is a beautiful book about how the author carried out her idea of walking through Scotland while spinning found wool from different sheep breeds and knitting socks. There may be some people that think this sounds crazy, but to almost anyone entranced by fiber, it sounds like heaven. I don't spin and I may never walk through Scotland, but this book with Zawinski's eloquent writing and lovely photographs provides the next best thing.
March 12, 2017
Reading very casually, here and there.
Sheila Roderick, a weaver from chapter 3. http://www.scotsman.com/news/intervie...
Sheila Roderick, a weaver from chapter 3. http://www.scotsman.com/news/intervie...
April 22, 2020
I bought this book for a fellow knitter and she read it and kindly passed it back to me. As a sock knitter, I was intrigued by the premise of gathering the wool, spinning the yarn and knitting the socks. And having taken a knitting trip to the Shetland Islands myself last year (although in a much less 'rugged' fashion) I wanted to learn about all the areas I had not had a chance to visit. Zawinski writes a delightful book, develops her characters fully and gave me the sense of being along for the journey. A most enjoyable read.
December 13, 2019
The writer made a long backpacking journey through Scotland to where various sheep breeds now live. The journey is recorded both in this book and in a sock she designs and knits that incorporates un-dyed wool she collects from each breed. It’s interesting to read about the local people and other backpackers she meets and of the beauty of the wilder parts of Scotland from the Shetlands, to the western islands and to the southern borders of Scotland.
August 28, 2020
The story is about a lady tracking down rare breeds of sheep in their natural habitat, collecting their wool, and spinning it into yarn for socks. I don't remember how many sheep, but after the first couple the stories started to blend together. Sheep...rain...tent...bus and repeat. The patterns are ok. I would have really liked to see them out of the wool she actually spun, instead of commercial equivalents. Perhaps have both?
December 14, 2023
I'm a knitter. I've also enjoyed my share of empty Scottish landscapes and fields of wooly sheep. This journal of a not-too-young (except at heart) woman, following her dream to walk and gather "Henty leggits" to spin and knit the wool from different breeds of sheep across Scotland, is charming, engrossing, and thoughtful. It's full of fascinating characters as well as tidbits about sheep and the wool they provide. Beautifully illustrated by the author - I loved every page!
September 18, 2017
A very enjoyable walking/camping trip through the north of Scotland, including the Shetland islands. As the author described some of the challenges of getting to and hiking the less populated areas, Mendelssohn's Overture "The Hebrides" kept running through my mind.
Thank you, Debbie Zawinski, for writing this book and sharing your "sock trip"!
Thank you, Debbie Zawinski, for writing this book and sharing your "sock trip"!
May 27, 2020
The book wasn't what I expected but I learned about a different style of travel - tramping - and an appreciation of sheep breeds. At first, I was waiting for more, than I realized that Zawinski' journey increased my ability to be patient and notice what was happening around me. And, for that I gave her five stars.
August 12, 2020
This book satisfied my growing appreciation of sheep and the numerous breeds on the threshold of extinction. I enjoyed the beautiful photography of Scotland, and most of all, the anecdotes of adventures among fellow walkers. As a spinner and knitter, I appreciated the interspersed sock patterns that marked the author’s journey.
January 23, 2023
As someone with Scottish heritage but who may never get to go, I appreciated learning about Scottish sheep and wool, the weather while living close to the elements, and Ms. Zawinksi's experiences meeting other folks along her travels. The many color photos and sock knitting patterns definitely enhanced the book. I can't wait to make at least 2 of the patterns.
February 12, 2019
I had no idea what Scotland looked like or that there were so many breeds of scottish sheep. I loved that Zawinski added so many pictures. I have always been intrigued by backpacking now I am inspired. Great and fun read.
January 25, 2021
I enjoyed this. It’s tough to rate and perhaps should have its own category for rating. If you enjoy backpacks, knitting or sheep it is especially enjoyable! I enjoy them all so for me, probably higher rating than someone else would give.
February 16, 2021
Intriguing account of the author's quest to collect and spin fleece from different breeds of Scottish sheep. She hikes and camps on her journey, and knits socks along the way. Patterns included, along with beautiful photos.
February 18, 2023
What a wonderful journey through sheep filled parts of Scotland this writer shares. I would love to visit the areas described in her adventures. If you love Sheep, spinning and knitting then this book is for you.
May 21, 2019
Love the photos in this boo. Has great sock patterns.
January 5, 2020
This book makes me want to travel to far away places and visit with the sheep there.😊
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October 14, 2020Such an extraordinary journey! It makes me want to jump on a plane to Scotland. Well, once the world opens up again, I need to make that happen.
February 14, 2018
This is a charming accounting of the author's journey through Scotland, and a very interesting account of the sheep she found. I love her spirit of adventure, and her dream of spinning all of the fibers into socks to honor the history, the sheep, and the people she met along the way.
My only regret is that the pictures were not titled/labeled in any way. I would have like to be sure of what I was seeing, as I will likely never recreate her journey to discover the beautiful sights she shared.
My only regret is that the pictures were not titled/labeled in any way. I would have like to be sure of what I was seeing, as I will likely never recreate her journey to discover the beautiful sights she shared.
February 24, 2017
I loved this book of hiking, spinning and knitting, camping and finding wool of Scottish sheep. There are also the patterns she came up with, beautiful photos. A fun adventure,.....except seems like a lot of rain
July 2, 2022
This is a wonderful book for an armchair traveler like myself, full of pictures and descriptions and experiences of exotic (to me) places. Moreover it's all about sheep and spinning. The most intriguing thing was finding out that Debbie spins using just a stick, something I'd never heard of before. Doing a little online research I found a couple of videos on how to do it, one of them by the spindle spinning guru Abby Franquemont. So I gave it a try. I'm sure with a lot of practice it would become easier, but I have to say that while it does work it is excruciatingly slow.
My favorite place that Debbie visited is North Ronaldsay. The last couple of years I've been getting periodic newsletters from Sian Tarrant, the Sheep Dyke Warden of North Ronaldsay, with news about all the fascinating projects she's been working on there. So it was fun getting a glimpse of the place from a different person's perspective.
My favorite place that Debbie visited is North Ronaldsay. The last couple of years I've been getting periodic newsletters from Sian Tarrant, the Sheep Dyke Warden of North Ronaldsay, with news about all the fascinating projects she's been working on there. So it was fun getting a glimpse of the place from a different person's perspective.
August 31, 2016
Minus one star for the lack of variety in the sock patterns. Yes, I know the point was to highlight the different colors/textures of each wool, but I expected more along the lines of Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road.
January 15, 2017
Fun read. Vivid travels through rain and interesting landscapes and mostly friendly folk met along the way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews