A low-cost, no-fuss yarn blocker

This is an invention born of necessity: I had a sudden, urgent need for a yarn blocker. I'd spun a set of woolen singles yarns for weaving and wanted them to behave themselves while I wound the warp and put the weft onto bobbins....

Our apartment is fairly full (oh dear, there's an understatement!), and a blocker with the "classic" drum shape and normal dimensions would have taken up much too much space. Besides that, I didn't want to spend the time (or money) finding materials, then measuring, cutting, and putting it all together. I was in a hurry.

While I can't claim credit for this approach to the situation, I also can't tell you where the idea came from originally -- so take it as it is.

This blocker is simplicity itself. Here's the whole parts list:
- two bamboo rods (big dowels or PVC would work just fine),
- two moly-bolt-type screw-eyes,
- four "S" hooks,
- four wooden curtain rings, and
- two plastic jugs of water.

The blocker involves only minimal construction and hangs suspended from the ceiling. The two eyelets in the ceiling need to be able to handle a hefty load, which is why I used the "moly"-type screw-eyes: those have an expanding sleeve that goes "on the other side of the hole" in the sheetrock and spreads out when you screw the screw-eye into it. That holds the weight securely so the whole blocker won't come crashing down (which could make a big mess of your domestic tranquility).

The photo shows it in use, with a full set of yarns. These were fairly twisty skeins, so I've weighted them by hanging partly-filled jugs of water from the lower rod. For less twisty yarns, the rod itself provides enough resistance to hold the skeins straight while drying.

Low-cost, low-encumbrance, and no-fuss!