The Dirter

No matter how you dress it up........................ it is still a DIRTER. Do you know why in the world I call the empty toilet paper tube a DIRTER? Easy, when you hold it up to your lips you can make a delightful trumpet-like sound "dirter-ter-der-der-derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"!!!!!!!!! Crowing happily with childlike abandon, it even gives the dogs a bit of a spook! Yes the Dirter, or as it is known in my kingdom, the Well Priced Ballwinder! Believe me, it is not a fast ball-winder by any stretch of the imagination, the store-bought crank versions are much speedier as they take up the slack yarn from a skein and zippily wind it into a nice smooth ball, don't for one moment believe that they don't! My dirter however does an excellent job! You cut a slit into one edge of the cardboard tube (happy to be of new and exciting knitting service) and pull an edge of the yard over the side and down into the tube. Then holding the Dirter you wind around and around and around (and around) until you have exhausted all of the yarn in the skein. Tuck in the last end on the front of the ball and pull the ball off the Dirter. Voila! A lovely, compact, flat bottomed ball of yarn for your project. The best part is that it gives your arms a workout too, I like to think it helps that funny little jiggy part of the arms that continues waving long after you have said hello a bit of incentive not to be so wobbly! Dirters are plentiful, cheap, quite Green in their recyclable nature, if you lose one they can be replaced in a moment's notice. There is always a Dirter around somewhere! And the best part is that whenever you wind your beautiful yarn for a project it gives you a fabulous opportunity to play a little tune to amaze your friends and family. Ah, yes......... the crazy knitting lady who plays the toilet paper tube!

I urge you, compel you, lovingly beseech you to make a Dirter today! It is bound to give you a laugh that you can share with others. Actually it is quite amazing how many people did not know what this humble object was called, maybe you didn't even know! Even those of you in the community of knitters who have those sleek and sassy ball-winders, take the opportunity to go a little low-tech............

Embrace the Dirter!