Splinter

Today I'm leaving for the Friends and Fiberworks Summer Retreat in Asheville, NC. Of course this is not without its difficulties. First the power went out rendering useless my skein winder and printer (both of which I needed). Instead I sewed buttons on a vest (no picture yet but it's cute, take my word for it). Just as I had decided to go clean out the car to start loading for the show the power came back on. I was able to print the patterns I needed (free with the purchase of one skein of aran weight yarn!) and also to start winding some yarn. That's when things really started to fly. Literally. The yarn got tangled and yanked the swift at a very high rate of speed towards the skeiner and one of the arms of the winder snapped.

 Yikes.

Can we say, impalement?

Honestly, it could have been worse. I guess this is why metal swifts are actually useful. I was going to fix it with Gorilla Glue but the stuff was dried in the bottle.

I guess it does work. Maybe too well.

So my second option was a glue gun.

You know it's ready when it spews molten glue from the end.

The following are my steps to fixing a wooden swift with a hot glue gun:
1. Make sure glue is super heated (see picture above).
2. Burn yourself on the glue once to get things started on the right foot.
3. Rig the pieces of broken swift into position.
4. Haphazardly apply molten glue to pieces of swift.

5. Make sure you leave gaps and bits of splintery wood exposed.
6. Fill in gaps with glue and cover splintery bits with glue as well.
7. The more amateur this looks the better.

8. Burn yourself with the glue once more for good measure.
9. Unplug glue gun and voila! you're done!
Extra points if you get a splinter in the process.

Testing of the "fixed" swift is about to commence. I hope I don't lose an eye.

Edited to add: Have tested the swift and it appears to be working! Huzzah!