I Love Winding Wool

When I buy something at Country Yarns in Snohomish, the owner Teresa always asks me if I'd like it wound. I always reply, "No, thank you. I like to wind it myself." Partly I do this because I think yarn is more beautiful when tied loosely in a hank. Also, since it will most likely sit on a shelf for awhile before I use it, it's important that it remain relaxed and not be wound too tightly - this might cause the yarn to stretch permanently and affect the overall performance of the yarn while knitting. And besides, there is something exciting about starting a new project by slipping open a hank of yarn, shaking it out a bit, draping the gorgeous colors over the swift, and watching them spin around while winding it into a ball...

Behold - this is Manos Silk Blend. I bought it on the LYS Tour this year at Bad Woman Yarn in Wallingford. I totally want one of their t-shirts, but who knows when I'll get to drive over there again. Isn't it gorgeous? It feels lovely too. I only bought one skein because I wanted to save my money for Weaving Works, but this did come with a one skein pattern... which I ended up abandoning when I found one I liked better on Ravelry:

This is the Easy Drop Stitch Scarf Pattern by Christine Vogel. A simple beautiful pattern for a simply beautiful yarn.