Bobbins…
Today’s prompt is indeed “Bobbins” as I am currently making a graphgan. And while I was just going to simply post a pic of some crochet bobbins on insta for today, I felt the topic a little more deserving of an actual blog post so that we may all partake in the understanding and sometimes trying times in which we all must suffer when undertaking a crochet graphgan. Not to mention the subsequent rage that one can oft go through when it all becomes tangle central. Or is that just me?
You see, there’s a reason I was sorted into Slytherin house a long time ago. I can tend to have a rather short fuse. Which doesn’t always help given my profession. I’m in payroll, and the amount of times I’ve received new employee’s paperwork and they’ve failed to provide their bank account details… it’s like, OMG, THAT’S LIKE THE WHOLE THING!! ROAARRFGNROEVNONVSJD!!
This is also why I’m known as The Hulk in my team at work. They’re supportive like that. Nothing like a good rage-on to clear the senses.
Now that I’ve set the scene, you can just imagine what it can be like when my bobbins go AWOL. This is normally also the time that I open a bottle of wine… who am I kidding, the bottle was opened a long time ago.
I remember when I was making my first graphgan and I was learning to tackle multiple bobbins at a time. And because I’d done little to no prep beforehand, I’d sometimes get to a colour change and I would unfortunately not have another skein or bobbin to use. And then one day, I brightly thought to myself, I know! I’ll just use the other end of the ball I’m already working! Well… again, you can imagine the mess. Yeah, not my finest hour…
So really, that begs the question, what is the best way to keep your shit under control??? Just bobbins, or a bobbin helper? Do you cut your yarn each change? Do you carry it through? WHAT?
Well, I’m happy to say, I’ve finally nutted out a way that works for me and just might work for you is you are suffering right along with me. You’re welcome.
- I do not use a bobbin helper, but I do have a yarn winder which I strongly suggest you invest in if you haven’t already. You can pick them up pretty cheap from Ebay for under $20. Well, under $20 AUD. So before I start a graph, I count how many colour changes I’ll have, and then wind up the bobbins that I need to keep on hand.
- I do not cut my yarn each colour change, that would drive me more insane then a tangled mess. So I carry them when I can and if the strand doesn’t create a line through another colour, and then drop and add them when needed. This tutorial from One Dog Woof is crazy good and helped to save a lot of my already limited sanity.
- The next problem I seemed to always encounter was a tangle once I finished a row. But now, I’ve got it down pact (it was probably obvious all along), but when I’m finished with a bobbin, I place it to the right of my previous one. When I get to the end of the row I just flip my work arse over head and voila! All my bobbins are neatly in a row and in the order I need, basically just a reversal of the previous row.
Welp, that’s that for today. I’ve made some amazing progress on my HP graphgan so I’ll be able to share more updates later on that. I can’t wait for the finished product!
Anyway, I hope you found this update to be helpful, and if nothing else, at least entertaining. Till next time!
Hook on!
Binny & Gribble xox
The Modest Avocado 