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By Randall Hayden

Spindlers already familiar with Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts' High Whorling will experience a pleasant sense of deja vu in reading her latest book Spinning in the Old Way. While retaining much of the organization of High Whorling, this new work is more comprehensively indexed, with an updated list of suppliers. New spindlers, in particular, will enjoy the logic and clarity of the revised illustrations that amplify the text. Even Andean plying (Peruvian hand-wrap plying) will be a snap after reading her explanation of how and why.

Gibson-Roberts, a self described nomad, is an unabashed exponent of high-whorling. In her own words, "I can do without my spinning wheels. I cannot do without a high-whorl spindle." Techniques from worsteds to complex cables are covered with equal parts good humor and good sense. Gibson-Roberts details how to achieve your ends quickly and without breaking the bank on a bagful of expensive tools. When it comes to equipment, her approach is unquestionably, "less is more."

Whether it is what to look for in buying your first spindle, or how to wind a nostepinne, Gibson-Roberts' explanations are as clear as they are concise. The author's engagingly enthusiastic style makes the 176 pages of Spinning in the Old Way an easy and pleasant read. It is a book that can serve both as an introduction and a valuable reference for the novice spindler.