Tuesday, January 26, 2010

More yarns

Know what this is?

I'll give you a hint. It goes around and around and it produces this:

Speaking of which, this just arrived in the mail in time for my next project. A project that has yet to be determined. But I saw this and had to have it. Resistance is futile when it comes to fibres.

Doesn't it remind you of a beach at dusk? The colour is officially called "Twilight" and it's the same Slubby Blue Leicester yarn from Fleece Artists I used for my last scarf.

So I'm thinking, in order to support my habit, I'm going to have to use this. (Boris can't figure out why it's outside. He's confused. But then he spied a piece of wool hanging down and jumped on it. Once. Then he got tired. He's not a very active cat anymore. If he were a piece of furniture, he'd be a Lazy Boy. Or a chaise longue. Or an overstuffed ottoman. Or a bean bag chair.)

I learned how to use it some many years ago. Then I stopped because I had umpteen children in five years. Then the umpteens grew up and needed me less (unless they want me to make them lasagna or one of my soups or they need a button sewn on) so I might take up spinning again, since yarn that someone else has spun and dyed is very expensive. My time is cheap. Bargain basement cheap.

It is a lovely little piece of equipment, innit? Don't look at the dust. Actually, that's not dust, that's patina. This spinning wheel is elderly (the date carved into the end is 1891) but it still works really well.

One might even call it the Jack Rabbit Johanssen of spinning wheels.

My sister bought this (below) for me at an auction last weekend (here's a photo she took with her phone.)

Who needs a niddy noddy when you can have your own weasel?

As in pop goes the.

It is used to gather spun yarn into skeins.

Now I have to hie myself to Toronto to pick it up. I don't mind. Staying with my sister is like staying at a fine hotel.

Make up the spare bed and throw in a batch of cookies woman 'cause I'm a comin' to pick up my weasel.

17 comments:

Julie said...

I had no idea that weasel was an actual term for a tool. Very interesting.

A Novel Woman said...

Yup. It's a yarn winder and about every 2 yards a little gear "pops" so you can count how many yards you have.

Yutha said...

And I knew many men who were weasels AND tools!

Bed's ready and the Niddy Noddy's awaitin'! And wait, can you hear it? It's the antique malls calling.....

PS - I sent you a better pic!

A Novel Woman said...

Oh I don't know. I don't really like antique malls all that much. I could go and keep you company, though. You know, to be polite.

nightsmusic said...

And no, it's got nothing to do with the nursery rhyme, Pop Goes the Weasel." :D

You're making me want to start knitting again. You need to stop this. I have enough things on my plate! ;-)

Yutha, did you see? I said whatever jadite caught my eye is what I'm looking for and did you have an ID on eBay.

Lottery Girl said...

OMGosh! Can't wait to see what the yarn you'll spin! HAHA!!!! Get it? The Yarn you'll spin!!!

Did I really just write that? Because that's something the spouse, who loves puns would have said.

Very cool about it popping every two yards.

Yutha, too funny about weasels and tools. And if NW doesn't want to do the antique mall thing, I DO!!! I want some mercury glass. I also want to shop for antique linens and re-purpose them.

Yutha said...

Pam - okay, thanks for keeping me company. I hope it doesn't BORE you too much.

Nightsmusic - yes, I did see that comment - I guess you missed my reply. My ebay ID is yutha11 but I don't have any jadite listed at the moment - I just have some for sale in my booth. Let me know if you want/need anything in particular - I have a few pieces at the moment like bowls, fridge dish, egg cup etc.

Lottery Girl - okay, you're in! Jadite, linens & mercury glass here we come!

A Novel Woman said...

Lottery Girl, I think we'll have to go to France to look for our linens. The best stuff is there. I'm willing to make the sacrifice. You?

Lottery Girl said...

FRANCE???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMGosh!!!!! YES YES YES!!!! I am in!!!!!

Sure beats the Golden Armadillo we have here! Sadly, I am not kidding.

nightsmusic said...

Yutha, I am now following you on eBay (and no, this kind does not qualify as stalking! :-P )and I have to say, I really like that green depression glass cake plate! It's green!

Yutha said...

Nightsmusic - I'll be putting more stuff on ebay soon...too much on the go at the moment. I have a beautiful set of jadite Fire King Swedish modern bowls I think I'll list. For someone who doesn't like green, you sure do like green lately!

Pam - France? I'm in too!

nightsmusic said...

I do love the green glass because I don't see much around here at the auctions and flea markets. I had a beautiful amethyst cookie jar, have never seen another, but one of the girls broke it trying to get to something else on the counter. *sigh*

I'll hitch a ride with you all to France. But I wanna get dropped off in Scotland, thanks :-D

Debby said...

Oooh. Pick me, Yutha! Pick me! Pam is just being polite and all. I'll go!

And what the heck is a Niddy-Noddy? Recipe please.

A Novel Woman said...

Debby, I think you're thinking rum toddy. There is no recipe for a niddy noddy. It's very boring; have a look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niddy_noddy

nightsmusic said...

Ignoring the above spam comment (don't you just hate those? :x) I wanted to ask if you read Chickens in the Road. It's Suzanne McMinn's blog and today, she's mentioning again why she has a hard time with knitting. Very funny.

http://goo.gl/6bRx

A Novel Woman said...

NM, I just checked KnitWit and the funny thing is, I just finished a dishcloth last night and was about to post a photo!

Off I go to do just that.

And yes, she's funny! I hear her pain...

Deniz Bevan said...

Oooh, now that's spinning! Gosh, makes me want to drop my drop spindle and run buy a real spinner, complete with po going weasel. For some reason all I can think of is that 80s song, Pop Goes The World :-)