Saturday 30 May 2009

New Knitting Toy

Vintage Yarn WinderThis is my new knitting toy. It's a vintage late 60s/early 70's yarn winder that I picked up on eBay and I love it. It came in its original box with the price of 39/6 on it. Retro!

I buy my yarn in skeins and then I wind them into balls. I was using chairbacks and elbow grease to do this but now I don't have to. Dad kindly made me a wooden swift to hold the skein and then I wind it with the winder and it makes a beautiful 'cake' of yarn. It's quite mesmerising to watch the windy-uppy process. I've named the winder Ace, because he is.

Wild Fire Fibres YarnThis yarn is Wild Fire Fibres Mermaid Lace in Purple Lotus. It's a fabulous mix of orchid pinks and delicious purples. I like it plenty!

I'm off to make beads now. Have a great Saturday!

10 comments:

  1. Nice! I've just started knitting. I've been attempting to teach myself since I was a teenager. It's about time I learned! I had a friend teach me and now I'm making my first project (a shawl/throw). Lots and lots of mistakes! I'm loving your sock!

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  2. Gosh very retro - not seen one of those for a while. My mum's got one knocking about somewhere from her knitting machine days. Lovely yarn!

    HP x

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  3. Ooh, I could do with one of those! Are you sure it doesn't double up as some sort of cookery appliance in it's spare time....

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  4. I love retro!
    Followed a link to a sock pattern off a pervious post by you, and as soon as my jersy is finished, I will start on some socks. Have not knitted them in years, so it might end up to be a serious fugly pair of bedsocks ...

    I was taught by some German friends the 'German' way, with the yarn in my left hand, similair to crochet.

    Love your work!
    Diana

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  5. I am very jealous. I literally (REALLY) spent five hours untangling 500 yards of yarn. Wasn't a happy camper and now I don't even want to knit!

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  6. One of my earliest chidhood memories is my arms aching like mad holding a skein of wool whilst my mum made a ball out of it; I wish she'd had one of these!

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  7. Jenn - Good to hear that you're knitting. Well done you!

    HP - Great isn't it? How are your Mum's socks going?

    Caroline - I reckon it would make a mean meringue! ;o)

    Diana - Another sock addict. Yeah! Wendy's patterns are great. I highly recommend her 'Socks From The Toe Up' book. Yarn in left hand? Rather you than me! ;o)

    Lori - I can totally believe that. I had a big knot of green yarn the other day that was more tangled than my hair. And that is saying something .....

    Sue - It's great. If you buy skeins of yarn, get yourself a winder and swift. :o)

    Laura x

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  8. Hi Laura - yeh they're great aren't they. She's doing really well with the knitting! Thanks for all your help. :-)

    She's got loads of stuff on the go including a fabulous afghan blanket from Debbie Abrahams' "Blankets and Throws to knit" book, so there are lots works in progress at the moment. And we visited "Stash" in Chester a couple of months ago too! Wonderful shop!!!

    Glad to see you're still knitting up a storm.

    HP xxx

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  9. Oooh! My Grandma had one of those! I used to love it. Heaven knows what happened to it though.

    Yarn in the left hand? That seems to make a lot of sense. I might just give it a try.

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  10. I remember being allowed to wind wool for my mum on one of those :)

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