If I could plan the trip of a lifetime, I would visit the British Library and see the textile collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, stop in Ireland and Russia to study lacemaking, and go on to Turkey to see traditional oya edgings. I could easily plan a different fiber expedition every year of my life, but with the help of PieceWork magazine, I have already visited fiber-rich locales around the world without ever boarding a plane or ship.

First, let's take a trip to Orenburg, Russia, with the November/December 2010 issue. Join Galina Khmeleva as she explores the history of the Orenburg goat. Galina's interest was piqued by a crocheted lace shawl she received from Russian knitter Svetlana Vaseluk. Orenburg shawls are usually knitted, but this example was crocheted in the luscious cashmere of the region. Orenburg goats, from which the cashmere is derived, live near the southern tip of the Ural Mountains. White and gray are the most common fiber colors, but some Orenburg goats also produce rare variations such as silver and brown. Finish your journey with your own airy lace shawl created from Galina's authentic Orenburg lace pattern (at right).

With the September/October 2011 issue, an expedition to explore the satirical magazine Punch is in order. Punch was published from 1841 to 2002 and many of the issues can be found at the British Library in London. Crochet was the object of satire in the May 1852 article "The Law of Crochet." British husbands, the victims of "Crochet persecution," were offered recourse in the form of the "Law of Crochet." Many of the nine clauses might still hold true today, including Clause 1 that "enacts that no married lady shall, under any circumstances . . . be permitted to work on Crochet more than fourteen hours of the twenty-four." Hm, I may have broken that particular clause a time or two.

I have already planned a visit to Leicester England, with the November/December 2011 issue. While we are there we will study the rare sheep breeds that call this area home and, of course, pick up a pattern to remember the trip by.

Now you can travel the world with PieceWork digitally. With Zinio, you can download past issues to your PC, iPad, or Android device. Zinio allows you to bookmark your favorite articles and pages and record notes about your adventures. You can also sign up for a digital PieceWork subscription and never miss a fiber expedition.

Best wishes,