Tools of the trade

I have test driven a good many swifts in my day. Some of them were used once and immediately deemed to be inferior. Some were usable, but required frequent repairs. I needed a really amazing swift, one that allowed yarn to be removed quickly, one that was going to stand the test of time, one that was not going to go flying off the table and hit me in the head with a giant THWACK when it started spinning too quickly.

A swift, by the way, is a device that holds a hank of yarn and spins around, allowing you to wind the yarn without it tangling.

But I'm sure you knew that. Doesn't everyone receive a swift as a wedding gift these days? No?

Am I thinking of the 1850s again? Why do I keep doing that?

I have found THE swift. The swift to end all swifts.

It's the Strauch Table Swift/Skeinwinder. It's made of lovely hard wood (your choice of finishes), and I love it.



This is not MY swift. My swift looks like this (or should I say, my SWIFTS look like these), but my swift is shy and believes a piece of her soul will be stolen when she is photographed. Perhaps my swift is Amish.

These swifts are all handmade in Virginia by Strauch Fiber. They open and close easily -- no little pieces of cotton twine holding them together like the swifts you purchase at craft stores. See the little handle on the top? That allows you to turn the swift like a skeinwinder, if you like. (Meaning that you wind yarn onto the swift instead of off of it.)

But the thing that brings me the greatest joy about this swift is the table clamp. See that red metal clamp? At the bottom? Yes? Red? See it? That clamp holds the swift in place extremely firmly, so there's no rocking back and forth, it doesn't thwack you in the head, and it doesn't collapse and leave your yarn a tangled mess.

Is this the cheapest swift you can buy? Not by a longshot. But if you use your swift a lot, or you're someone who enjoys quality fiber equipment, this is one of the bestest swiftests. (Say that eleven times fast.)

Also, the little ball winder to the right of the swift? I've tried those as well, and they are really nifty, especially compared to the cheap plastic models available most places.

The preceding was not a paid advertisement for Strauch Fiber Company. I just really like the swift. Sheesh.

The Yarnista Answers Your Questions, #3

Today (happy July 4th, if you're in the U.S., by the way), I have decided to answer only the most pressing of questions, those of monumental importance.

Abigail asks,

"What are your hobbies/what do you like to do in your spare time? What is your dream vacation?"

Hobbies? Hmmm...


My main hobby is dyeing yarn. When I'm not dyeing yarn, I like to wind yarn, twist yarn into skeins, label yarn, package yarn, and visit the post office. (Because you just can't pay for entertainment like this.)

I also enjoy answering emails, and dyeing yarn. Did I say dyeing yarn already? I did? Oh.

When I'm not engaged in the above hobbies (which I am all the time), I do love to read. I really enjoy nonfiction books that expand my repertoire of facts, useless or otherwise. (Like this. ) I am nearly finished with Eric Weiner's book, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World.


It's quite good, I would recommend it. Eric Weiner is an NPR foreign correspondent and he travels the world, visiting places that embody some aspect of what research indicates makes people happy. (For example, Bhutan for its spirituality. Qatar for its wealth. Iceland for its rotten shark meat.)

While we're on the subject of recommendations, I have one for all you Netflix Knitters. HBO's John Adams Miniseries.



It is truly phenomenal -- I watched all seven parts of it twice. The last episode is so moving, you won't be able to knit through the tears. This isn't a documentary, so it lacks the boring, "And now we shall see a picture of John Adams's childhood home. And now, a look at where John Adams went to school."

It's a historically accurate dramatization of John Adams's later life -- from the Boston Tea Party through his presidency, and beyond. Tom Hanks was the executive producer, and it was based on David McCullough's best selling book. (He was also a consultant for the miniseries, and during an interview, he said this is the single best and most accurate representation of the Revolutionary War period ever made -- every single detail, from the clothing to the set, was as accurate as possible.)

Even if you are not a history buff, this is worth watching. I promise, get through the first two episodes, and you will be hooked. Finish the whole thing, and you will be a blubbering mess who can't stop thinking or talking about it. If you like period dramas, like Pride and Prejudice, you will like this. If you like nonfiction, you will like this. If you like intrigue, amazing acting, stunning sets, and heart-wrenching music, you will like this.

So. You will like it. Watch it.

I bought it for my mother for Mother's Day.

I PRE-ORDERED an advance copy from HBO for Mother's Day. You will like it.

Watch it.

I think it should now be clear that I like movies and really excellent television.

Watch it.

I also happen to like occasional bits of drivel, like, Whose Wedding is it Anyway?

And also, What Not to Wear.

Because it's time everyone stops wearing pleated, tapered pants.

Did I mention knitting as a hobby? I didn't? Oh.

I do love knitting. I knit obsessively in the car. Traffic around here is ridiculous, and you would be amazed at how much I get done just while stopped at stop lights.

About the second part of your question, Abigail, the vacation part? I can answer this question in about two words. Alpine Europe. (Make that exactly two words.)



Alpine Europe for a few weeks with my husband, sans children. While I would love to take my kids to Europe one day, they're still too young, and the thought of an international flight with them makes me want to check into a mental facility.

My darling hubby and I would take our time visiting Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany, and France. We would eat enormous quantities of child unfriendly food (you know, the kind that does not involve quesadillas and chicken nuggets, and takes more than ten minutes to prepare), see the sights, visit all the out of the way places, and not go skiing.

That's the kind of people my husband and I are. Non-skiers.

(It's only one of the reasons I married him.)

I feel better that at least I was able to tangentially relate this post to yarn and/or knitting.

Perhaps I will add a picture of yarn, just to ease any residual fears I have.



Hope that answers your question, Abigail!

August’s Club previews

Don't look if you want to be surprised! Club Previews

The Yarnista Answers Your Questions, pt 2

For column numero dos, we shall tackle Meghann's weighty question pertaining to my aforementioned birth. I said that my arrival was foretold by a swallow and double rainbows appeared in the sky over the mountaintop where I was born.

Meghann writes, "double rainbows, huh?"

Meghann, thank you for this thought provoking question. Let us explore.

The answer is simply, "Nah, just kidding."

However, there is one person in the world who claims to have their birth foretold both by swallows and rainbows. For real.

His name?

Kim Jong Il.



The dictator of North Korea. (This is one of his official portraits. That tidbit of info? From his official biography. Also, he claims a new star appeared in the heavens. Because he's apparently very special.) Kim Jong Il has spent $20,000,000 importing new Mercedes cars for himself, rounding out the North Korean fleet of luxury cars at an even 7,000. He only travels by armored train, when he travels anywhere at all.

Sorry to disappoint, Meghann, and please let me apologize in advance if I've let any of the rest of you down.

So, what does this have to do with yarn?

Absolutely nothing. Didn't I say this was called The Yarnista Answers Your All Your Questions and Then Some? 

So there.

TIME’S UP! Let’s draw a winner…

I will instruct my minions to draw a number shortly. Stay tuned.

The number has been selected!

We had thirty-three entrants, and many great questions.

See how I helpfully highlighted how I instructed the random number generator to choose a number between 1 and 33?



And the winner is...



NUMBER 7!!!

Just in case you were unclear, I drew some colored circles around the number seven to draw your attention to that area.

You know me, ever helpful!

Who does #7 belong to, you wonder?

Still checking...



Meridith! Congratulations!!

You asked many questions, Meri, and I shall endeavor to answer one of them now. The rest will be saved for another time.

You asked, "What is your best response when someone comments on the amount of yarn you have in your home/shop/knitting bag/under your pillow?"

To which I would proffer the following suggestions:

1. "There is no such thing as too much yarn. Only not enough time."

2. Stop letting people look under your pillow. Or in your oven. Sheesh, have some boundaries!

3. "When I calculate the number of hours of enjoyment I get from one skein of yarn (all the time I spend petting, fondling, caressing, and sniffing the yarn PLUS all the time I spend knitting it), and I divide that by how much I paid for it, it's a very inexpensive hobby. It's less expensive than seeing a movie. Less expensive than buying a book. Less expensive than a gym membership, and CERTAINLY less expensive than a new car. By the way, I love that new minivan you have -- have you done the enjoyment factor calculation I just mentioned?"

(Don't get me wrong, these can all be worthwhile pursuits. It's just a little perspective for the non-knitting muggles, as we like to call them.)

3. "At least when I'm done knitting something, I have something cool to show for it. A lovely, handmade, useful, soft, beautiful, lovely, thoughtful, lovely item. Unlike people who smoke weed as a hobby. They have nothing lovely, handmade, useful, soft, beautiful, lovely, thoughtful, or lovely to show for their hobby. So, compared to the hobby weed smoker, the amount of yarn I have is really quite normal."

4. "Oh, THIS? Seriously, this is nothing. My friend Sharon has 1400 square feet of space filled with yarn."

Hope that answers your question, Meri!

Thank you for playing, everyone! Look for the answers to your questions soon, and feel free to write us if you have anything else you are desperate to know.