Happiness is...

taking these two items



and using them to make these wonderful yarn cakes!



I finally got a ball winder to wind my hanks of yarn! After I took this picture I wound up 4 more cakes. I have been watching for a 50% off coupon from Joanns.com for just this purchase. One came through my email last week and I immediately ordered the ball winder. The total cost including shipping and handling was $24.78. Not a bad deal, eh?

It's not the fanciest and I have to pay close attention when I'm winding but it's so much easier than winding the balls by hand. Looser and neater, too. Maybe I'll start using up some of the wonderful yarn I've purchased in the past that is still in hanks. Oh, and I don't use them the way they are pictured. The winder is clamped to a bookcase to use. This picture just shows them together.

I love my swift but I'm afraid that too much use is going to hurt it. I bought it at an auction over 15 years ago. I'm not sure how old it is but it's old. The sticks that allow me to adjust the tension of the yarn hank are actual branches from a tree that have been sanded a little and varnished. One is in the basement waiting to be glued back together. They are a little fragile so I try not to use them. I wonder if Scott could duplicate the swift and make me a new one. It would save wear and tear on the old one. Might be a good winter project for him.

Two of the 5 dishcloths are finished. I have a third one about a quarter done. Chances are I'm going to have to crochet the other two in order to get them done by November 30th. I'm very tired of working with cotton right now.

The knitting on the baby sweater is done but I still have to weave in the ends and sew on the buttons. Then I should make a hat to go with it. It won't be done for the knitting group tonight. Maybe next week. And we won't mention the wrist warmers today.

For Christmas presents this year, I think I'm going to knit a bunch of ornaments. There are cute ones in the knitting magazines and my knitting books. More on these as I get them done.

And the cold that I was dodging last week? Hit me like a ton of bricks on Saturday. I felt awful Sunday and Monday. Today is much better so I hope it's on its way out.