It's raining today in Connecticut, which makes me sad because it was supposed to be Hiking Day. I've been so busy the last few weekends that I was
really looking forward to getting out and hiking, to revisiting the peacefulness of the woods, the smell of sunshine through leaves, the sweet burn in my legs as I work them the way they're supposed to be worked... but no. Torrential downpour instead. Sigh. It's ok, though, because it gives me the chance to gush about all the wonderfulness that showed up in my mailbox yesterday! First, a big ol' bag of yarn from Uruguay:
 |
| * squee * |
These were sent to me from the
uncontestedly-amazing Malabrigo Yarn! I love these skeins very, very much. They are all destined to become designs. The four skeins on the left are Twist in the colorways Indiecita and Natural. If you remember from
a previous post, Twist is my absolute favorite Malabrigo yarn. These will be used for my Malabrigo Quickie design. The next skein is a brand new yarn, Rastita in Solis. It is a slightly-felted sport-weight single-ply Merino yarn, a little cousin to the super-bulky skein to its right, Rasta in Arco Iris.
 |
| See the family resemblance? |
I've used and loved Rasta before, so I think I'm going to adore Rastita. Another new thing I adore is my nostepinne:
 |
| No, it's not a magic wand. Sadly. |
Have you ever used one before? It's for this:
 |
| I practiced using it with my already-wound-by-hand handspun. |
My cheap plastic ball winder from Knit Picks broke (again) and I just got fed up with it. I could either spend $20 on another piece of plastic that will never degrade after I eventually have to throw it out, or spend less than that on a beautiful, handcrafted wooden tool. I chose handcrafted, even though it will still take a while to wind my yarn. Until I can afford to spend big money on a solid wooden ball winder, this nostepinne will have to do. I purchased it from
David Linquist's Etsy shop, Craftiness, and I couldn't be happier.
 |
| Pretty wood! |
It's made from birdseye maple and it is really gorgeous. I bought the 'slim' version since it was a little cheaper and I do have small hands. It seems to be a perfect fit.
It is silky smooth to the touch and I love using it. It's quite a simple tool, but it makes the job of winding yarn balls much more pleasant.
 |
| Ta-da! |
Plus, it makes a more neatly-wound center-pull ball than what I used to wind without it. If you're in need of a nostepinne, I highly recommend
the Craftiness Etsy shop. Do you have a favorite Etsy shop or a great handmade item that you adore?
Yummy yarn! Enjoy every stitch :-)
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous! All of that yarn looks so smooshy!
ReplyDeleteThe nostepine sounds like a great find! I have never actually heard of them until this post.
ReplyDeleteIt's not knitting related, but a few years back my aunt gave me a handcrafted wooden beading loom that I adored! I haven't used it in forever though :/
I'm so sorry to hear about the lack of hiking, that is definitely frustrating! Maybe next weekend it will be perfect! I love that chunky yarn, it is beautiful. I'm such a fan of single ply yarn like that. I definitely cannot wait to see them knit up!
ReplyDeleteRastita looks gorgeous, I'll be on the lookout to try that.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite handmade tool so far is my gorgeous drop spindle crafted by Jeri Brock Woodworks. I thought I could teach myself to spin on the KnitPicks starter kit, but Jeri's spindles are just so much nicer, it truly does make a difference. Mine even has squirrels carved into the design, so it's as pretty as the yarns that it helps me spin.
Loving the yarny goodness! Arco Iris is such a gorgeous colorway. Looking forward to seeing what you design with all those lovely skeins!
ReplyDeleteAnd I SO need a nostepinne: I also have a mostly-broken Knit Picks' ballwinder that makes me curse (... a lot) every time I try to use it. I've been avoiding it by winding lumpy-looking balls from my swift, but after reading your post (and drooling over your gorgeous nostepinne!), I think it's time to get one of my own! :)