I need a ball winder and swift

Okay, I might finally make the investment and buy a ball winder and swift. Last night I spent over 30 minutes winding 478 yards of Cascade Eco Wool into a ball. I was not about to try and make this a center-pull ball! I just wanted the result to be a ball of knit-able yarn.

So, here it is in all its glory: a huge ball of wool. I'm holding it in up against my torso as a point of reference. This thing is ENORMOUS!!

I think the yarn is a great deal: I got 2 skeins for $15.99 each at a LYS. Not bad for 478 yards of worsted weight wool. I could have probably found it cheaper online, but calculating in shipping costs, I'm sure the prices would be comparable. Even if I got "free" shipping, I would have felt guilty over increase my carbon footprint to save a few cents when what I needed was right here in town, conveniently on the way back from a knitting meet-up.

I cast on this afternoon for the Hemlock Ring Blanket, which I aim to finish by October 25 as a 50th wedding anniversary gift for my grandparents. The color of the ball in the picture above is more true to the actual color of this yarn -- more tan/brown undertones then the grey color that appears below.



I finished "reading" (audio book!) By a Spider's Thread by Laura Lipppman this afternoon as I worked on the blanket. The book takes place in Baltimore, and I loved hearing about all the familiar, local landmarks. The story of a man looking for his estranged wife and children was suspenseful, but not scary (i.e., I won't have nightmares!). I have 2 other Laura Lippman books checked out of the library right now and I'm looking forward to starting the next one tomorrow!