Won't somebody buy me a ball winder and swift??

Plans at our house changed at the last minute this morning after someone-who-will-remain-nameless had an Asperger melt-down. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow so instead of going to Scout day camp we stayed at home and had a quiet day of puttering and whatnot.

(I will never understand why the people who owned the house before us installed a white floor)

(Can you believe that pile of leaves from our street?)

I'm happily knitting many mittens these days and the Etsy shop is going well. I am so grateful for the orders and the interest people are showing in my knitting. But Christmas knitting is looming large in my brain as well and in particular, one vest that will be knitted and given as a gift. I don't freely knit things for everyone. The lucky person has to be someone who will appreciate all the time and work that goes into a knitted thing. And if I'm going to knit something I'd prefer to knit it out of natural fibres so this person also has to appear willing to properly care for the thing I knit.
Hence I found myself spending this free day winding an enormous hank of alpaca/corriedale wool into balls.

As charming as the old rocking chair is to use to hold that hank it sure would be easier if I just had a ball winder and swift. Sigh. Janis Joplin may have wanted a mercedes benz but my plea is for a ball winder and swift. Maybe for Christmas...

The wool came back from Australia with my brother a few years ago and has been languishing in my "good wool" box since. It's soft and slightly hairy thanks to the Alpaca content. I'm hoping to use it to knit the Freeport vest from The Brown Stitch. I'd like to knit the stripes in a cranberry colour maybe. And since no knitter can leave a pattern alone, I'm going to knit mine with buttons down the front instead of the single toggle. 

I'm excited to knit something new and especially out of this wool!