Wednesday, 7 September 2011

WIP Wednesday/Yarn Along*


As promised in my Sunday YoP update, I have wound my second skein of Knit Picks Shimmer and got back to work on the Jane Austen shawl. I'm not sure you can tell from the photo, but this yarn cake is nowhere near as neat and tidy as the first one.

This is mostly down to the fact that I had no assistance in winding it, so had to use my right foot and hand as a swift while working the ball winder with my left hand. It's all a bit loose. I did try to take a photo of it to demonstrate how ridiculous it all was, but that proved impossible. I am now more determined than ever to buy myself a proper swift! I've found this one on ebay which is a very reasonable price, I just need to get around to ordering one. I will definitely do this before I start my Hypernova, as I refuse to wind the Wollmeise badly!

This week's book is Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. This is my first read of it, having not been excited about it when it first came out a couple of years ago. I think the Discworld books are great, but the later ones are a bit hit and miss. I loved Going Postal, for example, but found Making Money to be a bit too much of the same thing. So far, this new one is proving to be a bit... odd. I'm sure it will pick up, in fact it started to pick up this morning, but I don't think it's going to jump straight to the top of my list. It's a bad sign that I'm already looking forward to the next book I plan to read after this one!

More WIPs at Tami's and more Yarn Along at Ginny's.

*Because I'm too tired to come up with a witty and/or entertaining post title

18 comments:

  1. I'm laughing to myself imagining your contortions to wind that yarn ;) I don't have a ball winder because I have no room for a swift and can imagine myself in exactly the same position (with probable pulled muscles as a result!)

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  2. I already had pulled muscles to start with, so it was doubly hard finding a good position to work from.

    A ball winder on it's own is still useful, provided you have a handy other person to give you a hand!

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  3. Alittlebitsheepish7 September 2011 at 10:13

    I love the Discworld books (I am only up to about the tenth one) but do have to agree that some are much better than others. I really enjoyed I shall wear midnight

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  4. I shall wear midnight is the next book on my list! Although I am cross, because the only copy they had in Waterstones had the new posh "adult" cover so it doesn't match the rest of my Pratchett shelf.

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  5. When I was winding my silk into balls, I just spread it out on the desk, popped a bottle in at each end to keep it apart and wound it like that, lol. Seems a lot easier than your contortions, although I was winding mine into balls, rather than cakes! ;) I love your Shawl and it looks like its coming along well. :)

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  6. A proper swift is life altering!  It makes life so much easier,  My husband loves the Terry Prachett books.  but I'm not sure we have that one.

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  7. Love the purple yarn! Gorgeous!

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  8. I enjoyed Unseen Academicals - and thanks so much, I didn't know about I Shall Wear Midnight: have just reserved it online at my library :-)

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  9. Your shawl is looking lovely.  I really like that purple.  I've not read anything by Terry Prachett.   

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  10. what a beautiful color! lovely shawl.

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  11. I admire at how much you read.  I used to but mostly read feel-good stuff.
    That purple is so cool.  I can see you wearing it during one of your role-playing sessions.

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  12. A proper swift is top of my birthday present list!  As per ususal knitpicks looks stunning x

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  13. Paula @ KnitandSeek7 September 2011 at 22:05

    I LOVE my swift, and definitely think you should treat yourself.  They make winding go so fast!  Your scarf is looking lovely.  And I hope your book shapes up soon.  There's nothing worse than reading and hoping it will get better...

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  14. www.theeevolvinghomemaker.com7 September 2011 at 23:44

    i love the color of your yarn!  purple is my favorite!  i am always bummed when i start a book i can't get into...mostly cause i am silly enough to make myself finish it whether it is good or not so i never have to look at it again! lol

    :)
    jen

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  15. The shawl is coming along nicely , lovely colour !

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  16. Great colour!  I haven't got the hang of my ball winder yet, its really hard to get the yarn to behave! 

    I'm a huge Pratchett fan!  I agree re the later books, but heard there was a new watch book coming out soon, which I am excited about!

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  17. I wouldn't be without my swift  and ball winder, they save so much time.

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