WIP: One Day Beret (and a look at my "Reeling Machine")

Last I week I broke out the "Reeling Machine" (a.k.a. swift) that I got for Christmas.

I had planned to set it up either on my coffee table or on the "bar" around my kitchen. However, both were too thick for the clamp. Instead, I set it up on a clutter-filled table. (Eventually, I'll clean it up and taking all that stuff to recycle. I'm working on the bedroom right now.)


This is the skein of Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb "Black Purl" that I bought on eBay. I wanted to make something quick and easy with really nice yarn. I found this skein while I was cleaning up, and I decided it was perfect.


The swift made winding the yarn much easier. No tangles.


I'm making the One Day Beret. So far, it's taking much more than a day, although it's still going quickly. The pattern is a "recipe" that can be used with any weight of yarn. I bet a chunkier yarn would have gone faster.

I presented the unfinished beret to my friend for her birthday. As you can see, it was the size of a small yarmulke when I gave it to her.

At her birthday party we watched Iron Jawed Angels. It's all about the women's suffrage movement. I highly recommend it, even if you aren't a Women's Studies major. (I have a Women's Studies minor.)

Anyway, I got involved in the movie and I increased until the beret was more than 8.5 inches in diameter. I debated unraveling it, but I decided The extra inch or so wouldn't be a big deal.


Here's where I am this evening. Hopefully I can make this a one week beret.

New Toys

Can you tell we're sad?

Jules and I ate at Phil's Icehouse yesterday before I dropped him off at the airport. *sigh*

It kind of sucks that I have to get back to real life, but the upside is that I have some time to play with my new toys.

I still haven't taken my new spinning wheel out of the box. It's still at Mom and Dad's house. I need to decide exactly how to finish it and devote an entire day to it. I was thinking about staining it, but now I'm not so sure. I'm going to do some research.

The spinning wheel was for my birthday, but I got something else for Christmas.


I was confused when I unwrapped the box. What's a reeling machine? For some reason I was thinking pasta. (I doubted that my parents gave me fishing equipment.)

Then I opened it.



It's a swift!!!

I still don't have a ball winder, but I've always said if I have to choose one or another, I'd take the swift. It will make winding by hand much easier. I won't have to use my knees to hold the yarn.

Then on Christmas morning, Santa came and brought me something else.


I got my own Niddy Noddy!

Mom was a little jealous. She said she'd take the new one, and I could keep her old Niddy Noddy. I said no deal. The dark wood is gorgeous.

I've already blogged all my FOs, but Mom had one.


She made a tea wallet for my sister.


Before I got sick, Mom had planned on sewing a bunch of wonderful gifts for everyone, but staying with me at the hospital screwed up those plans. She did manage to finish this one. I like it. It makes me want to sew some.

But first, I breaking out my new Crock Pot. Stay tuned for pictures of that.