round and round

the title of this post is not only homage to the great rockers of RATT, it is also an introduction to the latest helper here at chickadee central. we do indeed get by with a little help from our friends. in some cases, a lot of help. i first feasted eyes on the super supportive yarn swift at a knit shop. after seeing it in action, my own attempts at winding skeins of yarn seemed so silly. plus, they weren't working. i tried many modes -- the skein draped over the chair, hung from the coat rack, wrapped around the feet -- all of these methods met with disaster at some point.

enter the swift:

simply place the circular skein around the slats and open it up like an umbrella. the skein is supported beautifully around its entire circumference. when paired with a ball winder, this tremendous twosome makes the transformation from twisted terror to wound wonder a snap!

you can find ball winders and swifts at your local yarn store, online (knit picks sells both) and at craft stores. i found mine on sale at the joann fabric website. joann is a thrifty lady. she always seems to have a sale going on, so be sure to scout out free shipping and % off deals.

p.s. for the hookup on helping hands, take a gander at heather bailey's blog, hello my name is heather. this month she is highlighting all sorts of gadgets and gizmos that ease and assist in a variety of activities. click on comments to find input from a community of crafters and see the mugshots on flickr.