Silk, linen, cotton, rayon, in colors and sizes, but all neatly arrayed in hundred-yard skeins.

dyed skeins

They are posed with their hundred-yard skeiner, a two-yard PVC reel with a counter. The counter is very, very important! The reel can be used on a table, as here, and also has a floor stand so it can be used as a vertical free-standing reel. Very convenient, and because it’s PVC I can use it with dyes once the weather improves enough that I get my dye studio back (but don’t heat regular PVC – apply the dye on the reel and remove the skein for heating, if using acid dyes).

dyed skeins

The front half was this weekend’s project. The others were done earlier. I listen to music or podcasts, and with the counter I can even read while winding. Today’s batch required an entire novel. It’s a good thing that I visit the public library regularly, since I have plenty left to wind.

more dyed skeins

Plus the black silk that’s hanging to dry. Apparently black silk is the most popular choice, in either weight. I’m already on the third dyelot.

That pile of skeins also needs to be wound onto quills. The end product is hundred-yard bobbins that are excellent for warping from, given a makeshift lazy kate (aka shoebox and knitting needles).

lazy kate

It only takes a couple minutes per skein with my current setup, but I can’t listen to podcasts or read while I do it, so I haven’t done them all yet.

One response to “Pretty, pretty string”

  1. Laura Avatar

    I see some colors I don’t have yet. :)

Welcome!

I’ve been doing stuff with string for quite some time, and describing it to others online since 1996 or so at Phiala’s String Page.

I also do some science and write some fiction.

I’m Phiala most places on the internet.