Awwwrighty, then!  I survived the weekend, albeit rather slowly, and got the week’s batch of Blog Reader Specials done yesterday.  I’ve resigned myself to accepting that this week we’ll still be in the mid-90s but some rain is forecast so it might not be so bad.  I can’t wait for fall to arrive in Texas.

A topic came up in one of the larger Facebook knitting groups, a knitter was questioning why so many yarns are sold in hanks instead of pull-skeins or balls, as it took so long to ball up yarn from a hank.  Several people commented how yarn retains its natural springiness if left in the hank instead of being put into a center-pull skein or ball, since that process adds tension to the yarn and it can lose its spring or elasticity.  Others mentioned they like seeing the color distribution on the hank rather than seeing all the colors mixed up as in a ball.  And, of course, many suggested that the inquiring knitter simply  invest in a swift and ball winder.  🙂

For many years now I have shown the yarns on the rack to show color distribution, but because yarns do tangle and skew in the washing process I take the time to reskein back into a well-made hank, which I can twist and show for presentation.  I really dislike twisting a hank that has random pulled strands hanging about, so I reskein to make things neat again.

I don’t normally put up into a center-pull ball, except by request — reskeining into a hank takes just a couple minutes, but putting to a center-pull ball takes much longer, and then it has to be done a second time to release tension that was created the first time.  (The first time, you are pulling yarn AND pulling the swift around and around as you ball the yarn, making a tight firm ball.  Then you have to put the new ball to the floor and re-ball it without that swift-pulling tension.  Second-wound balls are always softer and with much less tension to stretch the yarn. )

I like the way I’ve been doing it because (to me) my reasons make sense in my head.  But now I’m wondering — should I just twist the dyed hanks ‘as-is’ to show the color distribution in the presentation photos that I post on the BRS page?  I know many dyers do show their yarns that way, without reskeining.    Or is there a different way I  could be / should be showing the yarns?

Every now and then a topic comes up and I question or doubt how I do things, and I’m open to suggestions for improvement or constructive criticism.

Anyway, here are the yarns I dyed yesterday.   Two dozen Phydlbitz Sock (75/25 Superwash Corriedale/Nylon, 430 yards each).

I used a variety of techniques on these, but mostly wet-on-wet.   The two sprinkles (724-725, teal, and 742-743, brown) were wet-on-dry.  I tried to re-create Glacier Fire (728-729), and the popular Glacier Lake (738-739).  Neither of those came out as I’d envisioned, but they still look good in their own ways.  🙂

These will rest today, I’ll reskein and label tomorrow, and they’ll be ready to ship on Wednesday.   To claim the ones you want, just send me an email with your numbered requests.  Phydlbitz Sock is normally $27.00 each, but for today and tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday) you can have preview pricing at $25.00 each.

Already claimed:  724, 725, 732, 733, 734, 735, 736, 738, 739, 744, 745

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