Friday 5 October 2007

Swift Envy

During my daily blog tours of people I know (and people I don't), I'm starting to notice yarn pictured like these on KnotAnotherKnitter's blog. Scroll down a bit and you'll see the lovely skein next to a perfectly wound ball (is that the correct word here?) of wool. Woolforbrains had some sock yarn in the same lovely-woundiness on Sunday and I think they are not done by their own handiwork, but by a swift.

I know that every post these days has me looking on enviously at other knitters but this envy is different because it's not their skills and creativity I crave but could never have. No, this is achievable. I could buy one, just as they have!

In order to curb my jealous streak, anyone local know where I could get one sharpish and how much they cost?



4 comments:

Knot Another Knitter said...

It's not a swift that creates the ball but a 'ball winder'. Mine was about £15 from eBay. It creates a lovely neat centre pull ball so you can pull the yarn from the centre so the ball itself stays still and doesn't roll around. You can use a swift to place the hank of yarn on whilst winding it but I don't have one of these and they are expensive...useful for tangly yarn though. Another persons arms work equally was well as a swift. I can bring my ball winder to Lorraines next Sunday if you would like?

Hey! Fame at last!

Caroline M said...

Yup, it's a ball winder that you want. Mine was a fiver with a knitting machine, I got rid of the knitting machine but kept the ball winder. You can often see them cheap on ebay if they don't have the hats - you don't need them anyway. They come in two sizes, normal and jumbo and you'd find them in a machine knitting shop (or at Wentworth) but I don't know how much they are new.

It doesn't make you knit any faster you know...

McKnitty said...

Ball winder it is then. I'm on the case.

Badger said...

But a swift helps makes things easier when using the ball winder. Check out texere or ebay for a reasonably priced winder and I've got some instructions for making your own swift if you want them.