Since realizing that the sweater was at a stall, I’ve been in a bit of a funk. I’m left without a compelling sock project, and the only other project that I have on the needles that I could take to work for my breaks is a scarf. For whatever reason, I really don’t feel like working on the scarf, so I’ve been looking for a good sock project. Right now I’m waffling on either designing my own sock (flora or fauna!) for the SKA challenge for this month, or whether I should work on a pair of Breaking Hearts socks (pattern by Cristi H. Brockway, aka Turtlegirl76. While I play around with pattern ideas, I decided to wind the yarn for the Breaking Hearts and maybe cast them on while I’m thinking.
Now, I have a ball winder and a swift. Really I do. I had put this skein of yarn onto the swift, started winding….and had to stop. Why? Because there was a tangle that I had to navigate around. After doing so, I started re-winding again, only to have to stop yet again for the exact same reason. Since I was already running late for work, I left things as they were, and the next day pulled the skein off the swift and started hand-winding. I even took the yarn to work with me, and instead of knitting, I used my break time to wind yarn. By hand. Using a wooden spoon as a makeshift nostepinne. I guess that’s my “Thursday Thing”: A wooden spoon. Not only are they great for baking cookies, but if you’re on a low-carb diet and can’t have cookies, they make good knitting tools in a pinch.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the colours in the yarn. I had other multicoloured balls of yarn pre-wound, so I could have chosen any one of them for the Breaking Hearts, but the colours in this particular skein appealed to me. What has me irked is the fact that this is not the first skein of yarn purchased from this retailer that has caused me winding troubles. Granted, the price was rather low (which I found suspicious), and the skein was very loose. In fact, it looked as though someone had re-skeined it That said, whoever it was did a poor job of it, and I expect a little more from a retailer who has started a trend of charging an arm and a leg for sock yarn. You notice I’m not mentioning any names here? That’s intentional. Just because I’m dissatisfied (right now with recent selection, huge price jumps over the past 2 or 3 years, and now the umpteenth skein of tangled yarn) doesn’t mean others can’t make that decision for themselves.
In happier news, the 2012 Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin’ Sock Club memberships are now up for sale! I saved up all year & made my purchase early this morning. This makes me very happy indeed. I’m looking forward to the first kit. Whee!
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