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Thursday, November 14, 2019

Three on Thursday

I'm joining Carole and friends for Three on Thursday, today with three life lessons I was reminded of while winding yarn. I wind all my yarn by hand, mainly because I'm cheap and would rather spend the money that a swift and ball winder would cost on yarn. There is the added benefit of knowing the yarn, spotting any joins or knots, and it's also nicely meditative. Here's what I came away with.

 1.  Get comfortable.

Yes, I'm winding yarn in my flannel nightgown. It's warm, comfortable, and I have tea nearby. These all help me sit still for the 20-30 minutes it takes to finish the job. Being comfortable can help you manage ... more comfortably.

 2.  Appreciate the small, beautiful things.


Seeing this little bit of blue and the interplay of so many bright colors made winding this yarn an even more lovely experience. Pay attention to the little things.

 3.  When you encounter knots (literal or figurative) don't overreact.

Don't yank on the knots, tighten them, and make things worse. Loosen up, consider carefully, and start winding a small ball from the opposite end. Approaching things from a different direction sometimes helps.


There you have it -- life lessons learned from winding yarn. 

Be sure to visit Carole for more Three on Thursday thoughts!
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17 comments:

  1. CaroleNovember 14, 2019 at 6:14 AM

    Those are good life lessons for sure. I admire your determination to wind yarn this way. I wind up with a tangled mess when I don't use my swift and ball winder.

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  2. SarahNovember 14, 2019 at 6:44 AM

    I agree with Carole -- these are good tips for life in general, not just for winding yarn! I do have a winder and swift and appreciate the time they save me, but I do occasionally enjoy winding some yarn by hand. As you've said, it's a great way to get to know the yarn before you knit with it.

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  3. AsKatKnitsNovember 14, 2019 at 7:37 AM

    I love how those blue bits match your flannel nightgown. Hand winding yarn is one of my favorite things to do - because you just have to sit and do it, there is no stopping to go do something else.

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  4. JuliannNovember 14, 2019 at 8:38 AM

    Paying attention is so important

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  5. margeneNovember 14, 2019 at 9:42 AM

    I tell my students the can get any knot out if they're patient. Don't Pull! I say every time they attempt to undo a knot. I usually end of getting it out for them. In any case, your tutorial is a good one. I don't mind winding a ball by hand if I have my trusty nostepinne. It makes a nice cake of yarn just as if I wound it on a ball winder.

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  6. VeraNovember 14, 2019 at 10:27 AM

    Very good life lessons Bonny. I do have a swift and ball winder, but occasionally wind by hand. I really like your nightgown too:)

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  7. PattyNovember 14, 2019 at 11:48 AM

    You are brilliant! Thanks for bringing back to basics!

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  8. kathy bNovember 14, 2019 at 3:37 PM

    I've learned that many people i know had to hold the yarn while their mother wound it . My father would say if you wound yarn tightly his mother would say it ruined the yarn....????
    3 Life lessons: Speak less. (this is so hard for me)
    Treat your pets better than you even think you can....they don't live long enough
    and
    Stay in your lane. I drift too much. I need to stay focused and out of things that I am not really involved in!

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    1. BonnyNovember 15, 2019 at 7:27 AM

      You've listed some good life lessons there (and I think they're difficult for many of us to remember)!

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  9. HelenNovember 14, 2019 at 4:27 PM

    I have a ball winder and a swift, but I still like to sit, watch tv (PBS) and wind by hand. I have a nostepinne or two, but sometime a pencil or knitting needle are just fine. It is nice to have a 'reason' to slow down. (Not that we should need one.) And I've been known to make a HUGE mess when the strands get tangled sometimes, but taking it easy and gently always undoes it. I may have 'cut' one skein that just got to be too much. lol

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    1. BonnyNovember 15, 2019 at 7:28 AM

      I have never used a nostepinne, but I've seen some beautiful ones, and may have to try one someday!

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  10. KymNovember 14, 2019 at 8:12 PM

    I also prefer winding my yarn by hand -- for just the reasons you mention! I love "getting to know" my yarn before I knit with it, and I love the meditation of the entire process. I like to think that I'm winding good juju right into the yarn. (I have a swift and ball winder. I hate them.) XO

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  11. MaryNovember 15, 2019 at 7:21 AM

    oooh, that yarn is so pretty ... and I'm convinced ALL the necessary life lessons are embedded in knitting. (I do LOVE my swift and ball winder, though)

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  12. Vicki KnitoriousNovember 15, 2019 at 11:08 AM

    Mmm. That's gorgeous!!

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  13. karenNovember 15, 2019 at 5:09 PM

    some skeins are easier to ball up than others. Malabrigo gets me every single time with catches and stopping . I think also their dyeing makes their yarn sticky and it's hard to wind. However, I love to knit with malabrigo so it's worth the grief!!

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  14. JaneNovember 15, 2019 at 8:40 PM

    Absolutely. I hand wind all my yarn because like you I don't want to buy a swift and ball winder. My Gram taught me how to wind yarn and I think of the time spent as "getting to know my yarn." I am 100% with you about looking at things from a different angle/perspective. Great advice for more than winding yarn.

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  15. kmkatNovember 29, 2019 at 4:16 PM

    Most excellent tips. Having recently wound a massive tangle -- that had been sitting in a baggie for a couple years -- I heartily concur with your tips!

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