Around n round the merry-go-round goes

Sometimes I can't find my way out of a paper sack. I was trying to figure out the best way of undoing those 13 balls of yarn so they could be washed and accurately measured.

My niddy-noddy is a 'mini' for spindle yarn - it only makes 2 foot hanks. I was contemplating making a 2 yard niddy-noddy from PVC pipe (and I still may do that) but the hardware store closest to me was already closed and I didn't want to brave the humongous Home Depot.

The light bulb finally came on - what's that umbrella swift for anyway? I made a 2 yard lasso from the neverending cone of kitchen cotton so I could adjust the swift to the same position each time. It's like trying to keep a kid's playground merry-go-round going; I was starting to get dizzy at the end.

It was worth it to do all this. Those 13 balls turned into 18 hanks of various sizes and two little butterfly hanks. Was this perhaps reclaimed yarn? The variations in color appear to be mostly just general grubbiness and there is a faint odor of cigarettes? Hopefully, a nice bath will take care of all of that.

I'll start measuring after the yarn is clean. It seems to be in pretty good shape.

The Spearfish socks are coming along nicely. It's mostly lunchtime knitting for them.

And this for Marina:

'I promise to finish Fearless before I start any other sweaters.' She will know if I don't stick to this - I swear she's pyschic. Right, Brigitte?

I'd like to get at least half-way through sleeve #2 this weekend. I think I'm about through the first repeat of the pattern (it takes four full repeats plus a cuff).

Since the Circumnavigate Cardigan is a guild knit-along, I won't even be starting it until next month.

Happy weekend everyone!