There are at least three reasons for laminating wood into vertical grain blanks for carving. They are: strength, flexibility and ease of carving.
If it were my project (and it isn't), I would select relatively knot free flat sawn wood. small 'pin knots' and such would be acceptable. I would get one edge straight then rip into suitable widths. Any true 'center heart' wood I would kindly throw away.
These strips would be glued into a carving blank in a manor similar to this:
|(((|)))|(((|)))|
I would let glue cure and then carve.
Ron