Handle lengths: 4.5″/11cm. Center piece: 9″/22cm.

This isn’t a fibre FO, but it relates to my fibre crafts.

Since I wanted to learn to spin, I realized that eventually I would need to make my own skein of yarn. I could do with a chair or my knees, but then I found these tutorials on how to make a Niddy Noddy out of PVC. I wasn’t going to be able to make it for $5 because supplies have gone up in price and Canada is pricier than American. Still the Canadian Home Depot website told me I could make the thing for around $8. Great, except there were issues.

Basically, I had a lot of problems looking for the supplies. I went to Home Depot and another hardware store and the former told me they were no longer ordering any PVC anymore and phasing them out. They only had 3/4″ connectors instead of the 1/2″ that I wanted and other stores didn’t have PVC altogether. After thinking about, I decided to go for the 3/4″ because that’s just a bit thicker, but then I found out they didn’t have the Tee connectors I wanted so I had to get cross connectors so that’s why my Niddy Noddy has a weird top and bottom in the middle. I thought Home Depot had a machine to cut, but the guy there hand sawed mine (while I helped). That took awhile. Also, it ended up being much more expensive than I anticipated.

Larger size niddy noddy with the same two cross connectors. Handle Length: 6″/15.2 cm. Center piece: 18″/45.7cm

I am one of those people that commits to something, I want to finish it. I guess this is a good trait because that means I rarely give up a book, craft project, movie or anything in my life. I try to do my best to finish it and see it through even if I rush it. I got it set into my head to do this project, so I went out and got the supplies. I do feel now that I should have saved $16 and not made it and saved for a proper wood Niddy Noddy.

However, the benefits this were that I did get two Niddy Noddies out of it and you can dye/paint on PVC more easily than you can do wool. I much prefer the smaller size, pictured at the top. The big one is too large and unwieldy. It is neat that I can interchange the noddy. I haven’t used it yet so if they are rubbish, I can’t judge that yet.

PVC Niddy Noddy, July 2012.
Pattern: Slip Stream Fiber Arts & The Anticraft.
Yarn Materials: 3/4″ PVC Pipe (10ft I think), 3/4″ PVC Cross Connectors
Modifications: 3/4″ instead of 1/2″. Cross connectors instead of Tee connectors.
Tools/Notions: Home Depot employee
Cost of Project: About $16CAD.
Would I knit make this again? No. Even if I did, I doubt I could find the materials in the future.