Bag of tricks

Hi Anne I wonder if you’d like me to pass on this golden oldie for the newbies. There’s a well-trodden way to deal with the mess we can get into when trying to knit intarsia patterns in lots of colours. Stretch a piece of nylon cord or string between the legs of the knitting table and tie it securely at each end. Now peg some small plastic bags on it, in the same way you’d hang out the washing. Make sure you just peg it at the back, so the top of the bag stays open. (Envelopes will do, but it’s best to see the colour through the plastic.) Using a wool winder, wind the contrast yarn to be used into small balls. Drop each colour into its bag and you can then pull the yarn from the centre of the ball, so it runs smoothly as you use it. Old tricks? You can’t beat ’em, can you! Best wishes, Shelagh