Live, Learn, I need knitting Love

Ah, like so many new to the needles, I was so naive. I think my exact words were "I don't need no stinking ball winder!"

It became very obvious, very quick, that I was very mistaken. Whoever said you could make a center-pull ball with a toilet paper roll had to be smoking. And I mean smoking out of an apple smoking! I can't even describe just the *mess* of yarn I had. Knots, loops-in-loops, just general yarn...turds. Not the Cascade 220!

THREE HOURS and a ball winder later I finally had workable yarn.

However, I still hold strong that I don't need no stinking swift! (Unless someone wants to buy me one...)

Note about the three balls: I didn't actually have to cut the yarn; my cats were remarkably restrained for most of the yarn winding escapade...then they just couldn't take it anymore. String! Winding! We must attack!