Snail Spirals

Hello, my name is Sue and I am a compulsive spinner (knitter/weaver/crocheter etc.) When I get going on a project, I don't know when to quit. I finished the skein of merino/tussah laceweight. No pictures yet, but it's beautiful. I can't wait to see how it knits up as lace.

I did the plying on Wednesday night. I started right after I put Emma to bed, thinking that I'd be done in plenty of time for a reasonable bedtime, so I could get up Thursday morning and bake my pies. In my deluded little mind, I was thinking that three hours would probably see it done.

So I started at 7:00. I plied and plied and plied. At 9:00, I looked at the bobbins of singles and I swear they looked exactly the same as they did when I started. I know I had taken some off, because I could see that there was finished yarn on the wheel bobbin.

At 11:00 I realize that the singles are, in fact, multiplying on their bobbins.

At 12:00 I debate whether to give up for the night. I am very tired, true, but I am beginning to see the level of the singles decreasing. If I give up now, who knows how much the singles will have multiplied by morning.

At 1:00 I realize that I really should go to bed, because HGTV has signed off for the day, most of the umpty-zillion DirectTV channels are only showing infomercials, and I'm so tired that if I stopped treadling, I would probably fall asleep where I sit. But no! There is more yarn to be plied. I have accepted that there is more singles on the bobbins than will fit as finished yarn on the wheel bobbin, but as a compromise I will ply until the wheel bobbin is full. Yeah, I know, how is that a compromise.

2:07 a.m. I concede defeat to the singles. They have successfully multiplied faster than I can ply. The wheel bobbin is stuffed as full as I can get it, and there are still oodles of singles on the bobbins.

Yes, that's right. I plied for 7 hours straight!! I did not get up for a bathroom break, to get a drink, or take out my contacts. And still there are singles on my bobbins. I think I heard an evil little giggle as I staggered off to bed.