To Skein or Not to Skein

Several months ago I purchased some skeins of cotton from ECOYARNS.   They are Australian suppliers of 100% organic, fair trade cotton which is plant dyed by hand using Traditional Methods.

After seeing the wonderful array of colours available and the 100% organic cotton label - I was hooked.  Seeing the yarn in a skein (which I had never used before) also spoke to me of being that much more organic, simple and more of a "starting from scratch" kind of project.   I just needed to.......... "get me some of that" as soon as possible.

I dashed to the mail box everyday for a week waiting anxiously for my parcel to arrive.  Finally, there it was...my yarn had arrived.

I eagerly tore open the parcel, untwisted the first skein and began to try and wind it into a ball.  Oh my gosh....what a mess - my lovely skein, after a few turns had turned into a tangled, knotted mess.  The more I twisted and turned the yarn trying to untangle it,  the more it knotted.  Low and behold the tears started to flow.  After two hours of trying to wind, then more detangling and cutting, I had produced 4 tiny balls and a huge pile of tangled yarn.  I picked it all up and threw it to the back of the cupboard and tried not to think about the money I had wasted on the other 3 skeins that I had purchased, with now,  no way of winding them into balls.  

Then a few days ago, I met Rhonda from "Down to Earth" who enlightened me to the wonders of her antique wool winder.  Yes...it looks like something from Star Trek but it is truly an awesome invention.

After a hands-on lesson at her kitchen table, over a cup of tea, I was flabbergasted at how simple the whole process of winding a ball of yarn could be.  Five minutes and you are done.   Thankyou, Rhonda for the lend of your wool winder.  I now have all my skeins neatly wound into balls ready to be knitted into a project. I am also on the lookout for my very own wool winder.  Scouring the internet and shops.

And I emphasize to all who read this.....YOU CAN NOT ROLL A SKEIN OF YARN INTO A BALL BY HAND.   Never, ever, ever attempt to try !!!!!!