Chopsnoste?

[jimbo]

I’ve been making Nostepennes for several years, and in different sizes but would like some input about what might be the BEST dimensions. I make them about 9” long, including the handle but it’s the diameter that intrigues me. I found a single wood chopstick recently and thought Hay Jimbo why don’t you put a handle on that and call it a Noste? Couldn’t think of a reason why it wouldn’t work. Can you? Chopnoste. Kinda has a ring to it eh?

 

Now the noste dimensions, expecially along the winding part are critical to ball removal.  It must be gently tapered and smooth to allow the finished ball to be removed.  However, the dimensions don't seem to be very critical.  I suppose if you had a windey part of, oh say, 2 inches in diameter, the center core might not hold it's shape.  Or if the windey part was , oh say, an F hook size, you might not have an easy time with the center pull and yarn might come out in a messy clump.

 

I shouldn't insult you by explaining what a Nostepenne is, so for those in the know, please excuse the following:   A nostepenne is a tool used for winding yarn into a ball.  Ah but I can do that by hand, you say.  Sure, but a noste creates a CENTER PULL ball so's your yarn will pull out neatly from the center of the ball,  it won't tangle, and you don't have a ball rolling around on the floor.  Noste drawbacks I spose are that a rolley yarn ball will entertain the cat and will dust a much larger area of floor than a noste wound ball.  There's a special technique to winding a ball on a noste, but with Youtube and Google handy, that's almost a no-brainer.  

 

Whatcha think???

 

 

[Granny Square]

Chopnoste!  I like it!

 

That's a really good question, but although I know what a nostepinne is I've never used one.  I would guess the minimum dimension might depend on the thickness of the yarn you are winding--a chopstick might work better for sock yarn than worsted weight, And, I'm wondering if a square chopstick would be an issue to dislodge the ball (or will you be rounding them to get the taper?) 

 

The one in your pic is lovely and looks like it would be fun to use.

[jimbo]

Oh it's a tapered round chopstick I'd be using.  I'm thinking I'll give it a try and see what happens.

[Real Deal]

I've never used one either, but it does sound like an interesting idea.

[shuttlebuggy]

It sounds great to me! Why not?! It does have a certain ring to it!

[jimbo]

Yeah I like the way "Chopnoste" trips lightly from the lips, but alas, the idea as I discovered after hours of painstaking experimentation, is not such a good one.  Here's the deal.  The diameter of a Noste has a lot to do with how fast yarn can initially be wound on the ball.  The bigger the diameter the longer the circumference, the more yarn wound for each wrap.  Lets say you have a 1/4 inch diameter Noste and a 1 inch diameter Noste in a race, with the competitors wrapping the same yarn at the same speed.  It would take the 1/4 inch competitor four wraps to put as much yarn on the Noste for each wrap the competitor with the 1 inch Noste makes.  Much more tiring and time consuming with the skinny Noste..

Now on the other hand, I spect you can get the Noste so big that the yarn core wouldn't hold up and the yarn ball would implode.

Oh the challenges facing the Noste designer.  Rocket scientists, move over.