Knit Picks Yarn Ball Winder

I'm a casual crocheter and keep my yarn stash relatively small, but I wanted a way to keep partial skeins more organized. I read a blog post about yarn ball winders and based on that I was going to purchase one that cost around $75 and was rather large. After meeting with my local knit/crochet group, this one was recommended by more than one person so I purchased it instead. I'm so glad I saved myself about $50 because this winder works perfectly! It was easy to put together and use with the instructions on the side of the box. It feels very solid in parts and while using it. I have a small kitchen table and I attached it to that with ease. In fact, I haven't moved it from the table even though we use the table a lot because it's a small item and doesn't get in the way. The only negative, if you can call it that, is that more slippery yarns, like Caron Simply Soft, don't hold together in a ball as well as, say, Red Heart Super Saver. I actually made a partial ball of CSS fly off the winder because I was cranking too fast. I use CSS a lot, so if you're like me, just know you should crank a little slower and the balls will be a little looser. They still do hold together okay and are easy to craft from once wound. Even with that, I'm still very happy with this purchase and am so glad my knit/crochet club recommended it. It does exactly what I need it to do, nothing I don't, and is a small and compact item. I'd recommend it to any casual crafter.

Love it! I have a crafts business and use a lot of yarn. Yarn storage has always been a challenge, as skein sizes vary so much between weights. This handy-dandy ball winder provides uniform yarn "cakes" regardless of yarn weight, making it much easier to organize and store. I easily use this without a yarn swift, holding the yarn in my fingers to keep the tension. I place the skein in a plastic bin set on the floor before starting. The bin keeps the yarn from bouncing all over the floor. It took me a few different bin sizes before finding one that worked well. The winner was the "Essentials Round Plastic Storage Buckets with Handles, 9.375x12.375 in," from Dollar Tree. Highly recommend picking up this item (for only $1!), or something similar in size. HUGE help! As others have mentioned, it does squeak. I'm sure a drop of WD-40 or whatever you have on hand in the kitchen could fix it. It hasn't annoyed me enough yet to try. To keep the finished cake from unraveling, I use a plastic alligator clip (search Amazon using "B078PQ96CP" to find). The clips work really well and allow me to tag each cake with its brand, color, and weight. Highly recommend this easy to assemble, easy to use tool. Particularly if, like me, you have a lot of yarn!

Ok so first, I'll lead with BUY THIS. If you're going through like a skein a year, don't bother, but more than that and the flaws are worth the benefit. I'm kicking myself so hard for telling myself this wasn't mandatory for like 10 years and not spending the very few dollars for the sanity this provides. I finally just bit the bullet after either spending every hour of my day winding my own balls of yarn and getting hand cramps or using yarn straight from the skein and dealing with the uneven tension. I drug my whole big tote out and made a day of it. The first picture is a mere fraction of the neatly stacked cakes on cakes on cakes in my bin now. The second is last week with a very cheap very light amigurumi yarn that defines hard to work with and you can see how the first two I was sorta there, then got it and worked great from then on out. I had to cut so many snarls out mid wind, never had to start over. So why the star knock off? 1) learning curve. The top slots WILL NOT hold your yarn alone, I use a small piece of masking tape on the lose end then use that to fasten the end so I don't lose it. You will try and pull too tight and it will slip off itself, and too loose and have a wibbly wobbly cake. It will seem like you won't, but you will get it fast, I can do it without looking now. If it slips, just pull the yarn back through off the cake until you hit a solid point and try again with a different tension. Also the threading thing, it took a few tries to get the over down up thing. Once you get it you're fine though. It's one fluid motion even though the first five tries feel like solving a puzzle game. 2) it really does squeak! It's totally smooth for awhile then clicks a few times like it's skipping forward and squeaks like you're literally murdering it. I push in on the handle and wait it out, it does stop, doesn't affect the yarn, and isn't often enough to be worth not using it. I've tried varying speed, tension, pushing and pulling the handle, nothing. It goes 100% back to normal quickly, I'm pretty sure they are just possessed. I thought I was breaking it. Hundreds later, still chugging. Literally the first thing I do when I get yarn now is pull this little guy out.

I am happy with this product and recommend it for anyone using it for a similar use as myself. I purchased his winder for personal use. My skeins are generally 3.5 oz. This winder is easy to set up and the assembly instructions and directions for use are printed on the side of the box. Maximum table lip edge is 1 3/4 ". It is compact, light (plastic) and winds smoothly and quietly. I wind at a moderate rate and the cakes are evenly wound. I can work from the center pull string easily. My earlier purchase of Lacis In-Line Yarn Ball Winder MO05 for $36 proved very disappointing. I thought it's flat design (without the spinning angled shaft) would be more to my liking for compactness. Unfortunately, it wound uneven and the yarn came off the shaft at times. It made a clicking noise which later proved to be a gear which fell out after only two skeins of use.

This yarn ball winder is a life saver. I no longer have to wind my yarns by hand and it saves. Lot of time. The action is smooth and yarn doesn't get caught below. Definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to tidy up their messy clump of yarn.

Súper fácil de usar, no se atasca al girar y deja unos ovillos preciosos.

This is a great Yarn ball winder. It's sturdier than others on the market and the price point is great. Well worth the investment. I'm really happy with mine. I have been using mine regularly for a couple of months now and no issues as yet to report.

I watched a few reviews on YouTube and decided to go with this winder to make me some yarn cakes and very happy with the purchase.

The yarn ball winder arrived on time in new condition. It was easy to assemble and turned a messy pile of sport weight yarn into a neat cake quickly and easily. I am storing it in its shipping box rather than its original box, because I can leave it assembled that way. The gears are enclosed in the plastic housing, and that's a good thing.