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Doing Battle with the Yarn

navy blue silk yarn being balled up from a swift
navy blue silk yarn being balled up from a swift
You’d think I’d learn, but apparently not. Never ever try to ball up a hank of yarn you’ve had in storage for three years unless you have a lot of time on your hands. Or when you’re really too tired to do it. Either of those two factors are a sure bet that the hank will be a twisty, loose mess. In fact, the more rushed and the more tired you are? The worse it will be. Trust me. I know.

The mere mention of the February Lady Sweater last night got my heart all a-flutter. I could not stop thinking about the prospect of starting that project all day. But I know enough about myself to know that I just dread winding yarn. Every time I try, it never cooperates. I even thought maybe I should wait until a weekend when I can have a friend over to help me.

Patience, however, virtue that it is, is something that I lack. Not just lack. Patience? I no haz it. So there was no waiting for the weekend, no pleading with some poor sucker one of my good yarny buddies to help me with the winding. So, start out on my own, I did, and this tiny ball, representing maybe one tenth of the yarn yet to be wound (from this hank; I have two more) is all I have to show for an entire evening’s work. I am not surprised by this, but I am nonetheless disappointed. I wanna knit! And I have miles to wind (literally) before I stitch.

My fingers are blue with navy yarn dye. It is the mark of a battle not yet won. I do so love this yarn, and the color, and the way it feels in my hands. I can’t wait for it to become something more than a pile of stringed frustration. Someday this beautiful yarn will be transformed, and perhaps I will forgive it for the trouble that it gives me now.

But it’s a long way before I’m there. For tonight, UGH!

Listen to this article
Listen to this article

3 responses to “Doing Battle with the Yarn”

  1. erin's artsy crafty side Avatar

    I totally got lucky when I knit my scarf from one strand of Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Brushed Alpaca (already comes in ball format) and one strand of Briggs & Little Regal (comes in a hank). I just lay it out on the sofa next to me, opened it up so it was an O shape, and somehow managed not to get it all tangled into a mess while I knit. And a few times the kittens even tried to “help” me unravel it.

    I’m not going to press my luck next time, but I can’t imagine myself having remotely close to enough patience to ball the yarn myself.

  2. Liz Avatar

    I have always wanted to knit a hat/felted like your blue one in the slideshow. Great blog/website. So professional!

  3. Lina Avatar

    I absolutely hate it when that happens! And I agree with you 100%… it always happens when you’re at your most tired and/or in a hurry. I hope you will win the war against the yarn soon!

    Oh and I love the February Lady Sweater… I just bought some yarn to make it myself! 🙂

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