Saturday, April 01, 2006

In the balance


We've had this scale packed in a box in the basement for years. We bought it at a teacher's store for the kids to weigh and compare things with but it wasn't used a whole lot. That was until now! Now I use it whenever I need to wind one skein of yarn into two balls. Most commonly, a 100 gm skein of sock yarn into two 50 gram balls. I just start winding a center-pull ball. When I think I'm almost half way I put one half into each basket. I keep winding if it is too light or pull some off and put it in the other basket if it's too heavy. Once they are even I cut the yarn and wind the second ball, making sure that if it is a patterned yarn that I'm winding the same direction as the first ball.

I don't have a swift or ball winder...just a loosened lamp shade and my hands. Sometimes a helper will kindly pull the yarn from the lampshade so I can wind faster! But if all the helpers are in bed then I just go slowly pulling the yarn a good distance and winding it up. This is a up on your feet job...walking backwards when pulling and forwards when winding. I love winding yarn!

1 comment:

Shelly said...

I love it! There's a lot to say for those who can make do with what is available and you've done a great job of it.