Unwound

A ball winder and umbrella swift have been high on my wish list for many years.  Is there anything more inspiring than seeing perfect little yarn “cakes” lined up ready to become something wonderful?

So beautifully wound! 

 I love the way yarn streams smoothly from a center pull skein, and that the skein does not roll around the way a ball of yarn does. Stranded knitting is also easier because the skeins don’t tangle as much.

When I purchased the lace weight Jaggerspun Zephyr  that I am using for my Queen Silvia’s wrap I was captivated by the perfectly put up skeins.  I knew the white yarn would stay cleaner because there was no risk of it rolling around.  I also find that intricate patterns are easier to work with a center pull skein, because the yarn comes out so evenly.

Ready to pull center thread...

Delighted with my purchase, I quickly went to Ravelry to read all about my new yarn. ( Do you do that? I learn so much...)

     Good thing I did.  Ravelry is such a font of information.  I stumbled onto a thread which was discussing something I now call the “ball collapse” syndrome.  A center pull skein in very fine yarn unwinds well at the beginning but can deflate and tangle once the center yarn is used up. That sparked the memory  from a few years ago of another fragile merino lace weight yarn  that became so hopelessly tangled that I finally had to snip the yarn and purchase more. The merino fibers literally stuck together, and could not be  separated with out damaging the threads.  I did not have the time or patience to use any tried and true separating methods!

You would think  that I should have remembered,
especially because I clearly kept this as a warning!

   Needless to say, this time I tucked the center end of yarn back in the middle and started working this shawl with the yarn end from the outside of the skein.  I keep it in a Ziploc bag so it is protected as it rolls around. It is working out pretty well.  But, I have to admit, every time the yarn tightens up a little bit as I am working one of the countless nupps (bobbles)in the pattern and I have to unwind the ball to keep the yarn slack, I have to restrain myself from giving into the temptation of  using the yarn from the center of the skein.

Have you ever had a pull skein of fine yarn collapse?

Plan B

I always have a back up project ready for the times when I am in between designs and gift knitting, or unable  to give an intricate project my full attention.

Embroidered bag and unblocked lace

 I try to select a pattern that is challenging enough to capture my interest, yet rhythmic enough to not require deep concentration.  It needs to be portable, so that it complements my peripatetic lifestyle.   I always enjoy selecting the bag that will house this project, because it will travel with me everywhere, and I am delighted by bags that are the ideal mix of form and function. 

  

Cotton lawn lining

 My current  back up project is the lovely Queen Silvia Shawl by Nancy Bush.  I prefer to call it a wrap, because of its rectangular shape.  I love to work on lace shawls and have knit a number of them, but I have realized that I truly never wear them.  

Queen Silvia Shawl    Interweave Press 2008

I find the lure of hand dyed yarns irresistible, and as Elizabeth Zimmermann famously put forth in A Knitters Almanac, a shawl is perfect vacation knitting.  Fetching triangular shawls do not seem to fit into my daily wardrobe so I chose this pattern based on its shape and simplicity. I am knitting this wrap in a neutral creamy white that I can foresee wearing over formal wear year round  , or as a scarf with my dress coat in the winter.  I purchased the yarn, Jaggerspun  Zephyr on a scenic New England vacation from the Elegant Ewe in Concord, NH.  I had the foresight to bring my copy of Nancy Bush’s Knitted Lace of Estonia book with me, as well as my compact selection of 24” inch circular Addi Turbos needles.  I started the wrap in August, and have it ready to bring with me to every destination, from  a lunch break to basketball practices to weekend trips.  I work on it sporadically, and is often the case with my “travel knitting” I often knit happily while conversing, only to have to rip some of it out when I go home. It is a pleasure to work leisurely, with no deadline in sight, and I am enjoying this pattern tremendously.  The bag is a tote I designed, sewed and embroidered years ago.  It was packed away for ages, and when I recently came across it, I realized that it was the perfect size (7.75 x 9 inches) to tuck in my pocketbook. I have my project and yarn in a Ziploc bag for protection, and carry a crochet hook and a laminated copy I have made of the pattern. I also carry Post It notes to highlight the row I am working on. Although I have not made much progress, I always look forward to completing a row or two.

Do you have a Plan B project?