« My Foot! (ie) | Main | All wound up! »
06.28.2005 :: One handed
Is this the cutest note card ever? Jenn, the KnitWitMomma herself surprised me with a pack of these and a starbucks gift certificate! Thank you, Jenn! What a wonderful surprise!
Onesies
Looks like I'm getting things done by the onesies lately. One mitten done:
A little freaky looking with the thumb trying to blend in and not really succeeding! This mitten is love. Songs could be written about this mitten. Or perhaps it's more about the alpaca yarn from Knitpicks. Cheap AND wonderful. A girl's dream, is it not?
I believe I have now sunk to a new low. Really. I have a hankering to begin (again, with 2 strands lace weight this time) the flower basket shawl. What's stopping me? This is the sad part: I have to roll up 2 skeins of alpaca lace weight. Roll by hand a mile and a half of skinny minny yarn. And the avoidance of such a task is making me put off knitting it.
Yes. I know.
I should invest in a swift and ball winder. Why aren't they cheaper for us FRUGAL gals??
I wonder if I can pay someone around here to do it for me.
Hmmm..
Since when has rolling yarn become such a dreaded activity? I even contemplated laying it across the back of a chair and knitting from it there.
That would be bad, right?
Posted by Sandy on 06.28.2005 AT 07:11 AM
Comments
The mitten looks great, and the thumb is fine. I'm the same way with winding yarn. My hand wound balls just stink. I got some yarn at a lys sale (they weren't winding yarn cause they were so busy) and it's still waiting till I get up the courage/patience to wind it. And it's not even tons and tons of laceweight...
Posted by: Vicki on 06.28.2005 AT 08:18 PM
I've done the chair thing. I also like the idea of enlisting the kids.
Posted by: Susie on 06.28.2005 AT 06:17 PM
I have knit yarn off the back of a chair. But when I'm not quite that lazy, I wind a center pull ball with a nostepinne (basically a slighly tapered dowel rod, but a regular dowel rod from a hardware store can substitute). It is inexpensive and fairly fast. With practice, some people think they can become almost as fast as a ball winder. And you get a nice center-pull ball. For instructions, see http://www.hatchtown.com/nostdir.html
Posted by: Emily on 06.28.2005 AT 04:47 PM
A swift and ball winder are SO worth the money. You'll never be sorry. But you might have to build a room on so you can keep them up all the time, at the ready.
Posted by: margene on 06.28.2005 AT 11:20 AM
Take it to your friendliest LYS. Usually they have ball winders and swifts that you can wind your yarn on. Easy and free!
Posted by: Johanna on 06.28.2005 AT 08:59 AM
Anne Marie's Yarn Shop in Gloucester is going out of business. This is the last week. Her email dated 6/26 said she has ball winders and a swift 50% off. Her phone number is 978-283-0302.
Posted by: Karen on 06.28.2005 AT 08:58 AM
Joanns.com - sign up for their mailing list and you'll get coupons via email. They have a swift and ball winder and if you use their 40% off coupon they are affordable. Would be nicer if you didn't have to pay their expensive shipping charges too...
Posted by: diane on 06.28.2005 AT 08:48 AM
Here's my sneaky solution.
You have boys in the house, right?
Tell them you are trying to see how fast
the ball can be wound...you know,
to see if boys are faster
than ball winders that cost....
One pair of outstretched arms=
swift, a seond pair of hands=
winder.
get a stop watch and say
*GO!* (or gentleman start your engines, or whateveah...)
it worked for me for a LONG time...
I only now had to get a swift.
My boybird moved to his own nest.
Posted by: greta on 06.28.2005 AT 08:47 AM
i can't wear mittens with that kind of thumb. too restrictive. my thumb likes to be off to the side. they need to rethink the fair isle aspect and find a way to deal with the thumb gusset and not disturb their pattern too much. get to work on that will you!!
Posted by: carolyn on 06.30.2005 AT 10:20 AM