Every night before bed, I make a to-do list. It helps me to feel less anxious about all the things I have to do. I've tricked myself into thinking that if I take the task undone and materialize it (i.e. write it out), then the task is just as good as done. I don't have insomnia. I sleep well.
I think, however, that I need to start making a do-not-do list. I should list things that I should not do or stop doing.
If you haven't noticed, I've been absent in blog-land; my absence is caused by all of those things that I have to do.
So, starting today, I'm adding something to that do-not-do list: DO NOT reskein yarn.
I know that a lot of sock knitters like their yarn reskeined; it's looks prettier to some folks. But lately, I've been admiring sock yarn that isn't reskeined. I think it shows off the colors more. I know that's my opinion but...
I actually had a moment this weekend where I thought I should give up dyeing yarn. I was really overwhelmed by the mountain of yarn that needed to be reskeined. If I spend all day reskeining--morning until supper time--I will have only reskeined about 20 skeins. (I do it by hand because my electric skein winder is CRAZY! It can skein from cones, but reskeining makes the electric skein winder mad!) These are days that I could be spending cleaning, writing, reading, working on the dissertation, updating my etsy shop, dyeing more yarn, going to museums, going to movies, taking walks. There's so much life I'm missing out on, so please understand that my desire to stop reskeining is wrapped up in my desire to live.
I actually felt as if I could breathe again when I decided to no longer reskein yarn.
What you're seeing in the picture above is some of my kettle-dyed sock yarn. I have six skeins that will go up on etsy when I update. Isn't it pretty? Oh, and kettle-dyed sock yarn looks like a hairball mixed with vomit when it hasn't been reskeined. So maybe I should reskein it...oh no, oh no, I said I would not do that.
11 comments:
Considering that I don't even know what reskeining is, I say give yourself a break and don't do it!!
To me, re-skeining doesn't make any difference in the finished product.
Fear not, I'll still buy your yarns!!
Don't re-skein! You don't have to put in all that extra time. Your yarns will be gorgeous no matter how we get them :) It also makes it fun to see how it changes when we do it ourselves. I always find that to be really interesting.
Make your life more simple!! There are enough things to take up time and energy!
Keep things simple! Save time and go out and enjoy yourself...it's hard enough to juggle everything with school and your business, without stressing over it. That yarn looks lovely!
I, like all the others, support you in not reskeining. We would rather think of you relaxed and doing more dying than wildly pushing yourself for something that will be completely undone as soon as we wind it.
Your yarns are gorgeous in any form. Doesn't it feel good to say no more!
The colors you use on your yarns are gorgeous - I'd much rather be able to continue to buy your yarns than have you quit due to re-skeining. One thought - you could always re-skein one sample skein for photo purposes only (that way your kettle dyed yarn would not be ignored if it looks gross before being re-skeined). Just alert buyers that the skeins they buy will not be re-skeined.
BTW - Your yarns are addictive. I bought your country apple colorway from your etsy shop. In my package you added a sample of brooklyn candy - I immediately set out to find a skein for sale and have purchased 6 skeins of various colorways in the past week. I totally appreciated the sample, though I don't think my husband did once I started buying more of your yarn =)
Oh I don't blame you. I know my etsy shop takes up way too much of my time too, re-skeining should not get in the way of living. Love that colorway btw.
I prefer to get my yarn in one of those cool, twisted hanks. There are just better things to do with your precious time!
I'm all about the "do-not-do" list. It has been saving my sanity in the past few months. Granted, it's included things like "do not do the laundry" so maybe it's not the most attractive choice. Hang in there. Hope you're looking forward to winter break with optimism and a full schedule of peaceful non-activities
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