Swift and Simple

Knitting season has been officially extended by another couple weeks. Maybe it's the groundhog's doing, but it's another good thing about the snowy stuff that came down all day today.  It seems like I got fired up late in the yarn year, so I appreciate the extra time to finger the fibers and needles to see what will come forth.

Adjustable for various skien sizes

Ease in life comes from simple tools that work well.  I've found mine.

In cahoots with the wool winder

I've wanted a yarn swift for some time but have been stubborn about paying nearly $100 for something I "need desperately," would have to store, but would use infrequently.  And then I found the simple version--an Amish style swift.

This baby is truly SWIFT

One quarter of the cost brought it right to my door.  And the yummiest of Things I get to do today is try it out for the first time.  Sweet!

Not the best part, but close:  storage is simple

I'm in love already.

Peace of Yarns

Chaos

There was chaos in the "warehouse." Generous gifts from two friends who encouraged me to sort through and keep treasures from their huge yarn bins resulted in bags that overflow my warehouse (single, previously-half-full crate). Bags are on the floor and a great mishmash lives in the crate. I am not complaining! But I like order.  And I like to handle the wool--the more I did repeated hands-on reviews of my stash, the more tangled it became.

Another dear friend, the wool winder

My delight  after finishing other Things I get to do today is to settle into some serious wool winding.  There is a soothing magic that happens as scrambled hanks of yarn are transformed into beautiful cylinders of wound wool.  It is a restful and unhurried process, draping the opened hanks of fiber around my knees to hold it in place, one hand holding the strand high and one hand turning the handle of the winder.

Never thought of my knees being a substitute for hands before

Still space for the last bag

It creates such peace and order that three bags of fibers now fit neatly in the space which before held only one.  Make peace in the yarn bin.  Make peace with where you are.  Make peace.  Look how tightly we can live together when we are at peace.

Everybody's in the bin!