Knit Picks Yarn Ball Winder
- Transform yarn hanks and skeins into compact center pull cakes that sit nicely while you knit and crochet
- Easily winds up to 100g or 3.5 ounces of yarn, from lace and fingering weights to worsted and bulky weights
- Attaches to any table edge or surface up to 1-1/2" thick
- Removable spindle and folding yarn guide arm make for compact storage while still allowing quick and easy assembly
- Use with Yarn Swift for best results
Fiona Mullins
Fun Toy!
I'm a new knitter and recently had my first experience with what some folks call "yarn barf". My skein was flimsy in storage and had turned into a tangled mess in a box. I spent a good hour or longer just dealing with the knots and untangling it all, only to have to wind it by hand into something I could use. The finished product was a ball of yarn, but it wasn't pretty. And we knitters, we like pretty things, don't we? After some brief researching on YouTube, watching people use this fun thing to make yarn cakes, I decided it was worth a few bucks to quickly turn a mess of yarn into a neatly wound cake/ball. I wanted to whip up some quick cakes at home, too! So I decided it was worth my investment of twenty bucks and ordered one. When it finally arrived, I was very excited. It came in 3 pieces, I think, and it was so easy to assemble that the instructions are printed on the outside of the box in fairly large print. No tools were needed. I attached it to the edge of my desk and re-wound the ball I'd done by hand. Took me probably 3 minutes to wind up on the winder what took me probably 30 minutes to wind by hand, and the result was nice and neat. It was a little loose the first time, so I decided to try to re-wind it a little tighter, since it was so fast. Before I knew it, I had myself a nice, tight, little yarn cake, ready for knitting. The tool is very handy and fun to use. Since it's so fast to use, I frequently give the hand crank a spin now and then, while at my desk, just for fun. It's a bit noisy, but I kind of like the goofy winding and squeaking noise it makes. I did notice that the wool yarn I used generated quite a bit of static electricity while being wound onto the plastic device. I was mildly concerned, since my desk also houses my computer equipment, but they seem okay, and I didn't get shocked - just heard the crackling and felt the clinginess of the yarn a little. Nothing major, just something to be aware of. So, the entire device is made of plastic with the exception of the yarn guide and the metal pin and wingnut forming the vice grip, but no metal touches my nice, wooden desk. I have read that some people have managed to break the plastic parts, so don't be overly spirited with your winding. I am pretty good to my things, so I'm not too worried it will break any time soon. If I spin it too fast for too long, I notice the grip slips a little and the thing turns ever so slightly, but on wood, I can just adjust and retighten the grip. I saw a YouTuber using this on a glass table and having a hell of a time keeping it still, so beware that the density of your surface may work against you to some degree. I did not get the swift that is used to spread out those hanks of yarn when using this winder, because I have never bought a hank. I also don't want such a huge device hanging off my desk. The ball winder is small enough to be unobtrusive at the end of my desk, but a swift would be ridiculous for me. If I ever do get a hank, I'll just have to get creative about how to open it up for winding.
Syed Masrequzzaman
Great for beginners and veterans alike
I love this, it winds nice tight cakes of yarn with very little effort. The good: - easy to use - durable - pretty much all the features you expect in an entry level yarn winder - I would buy it for a beginner as a gift - it's affordable but doesn't feel cheap, ideal entry level product for people who have a lot of yarn to organize The not so good: - The little clear screw to secure the arm to the winder and table is a pain to wrestle with because the screw is small - Just admit you'll never make it fit back in the box right when you are done with using it the first time. If you can, you're amazing - sometimes has weird tension to adjust for, sometimes you just have to strip off the yarn and restart or you get a super loose cake
Keriann Pepper
Handiest Little Gadget
I just began Tunisian crocheting with a gingham baby blanket and needed "cake balls" of the yarn so I didn't need to cut and start a new color for each block (only 11 stitches long). I needed a total of 14 cake balls. I went looking for a method that was easier than making balls by hand and found this. I didn't know there was a ball winder gadget. This makes balls uniformly even on my first attempt. There was no learning curve. Mine doesn't squeak and makes cake balls so quickly it amazes me. I love this thing. The balls are neat and so easy to use. I pull the yarn from the center so the balls don't need to move. I definitely recommend this! The price was GREAT and the quality is PERFECT for my needs.
Shqipe Llugiqi
This thing is a MUST HAVE
This product is seriously awesome. I was hesitant because of the reviews but i put this thing to the test and winded every skein i own the day it came and it performed better than I expected. My yarn collection was a HOT MESS but this thing has saved me! It works with chunky yarn just as well as worsted or any other thinner yarn and it only takes a couple minutes to wind the yarn into cakes. I recommend using your fingers for better tension and tighter cakes. I feel like that's something a lot of people who left bad reviews had trouble with. I added some pics of what the yarn looks like when its winded without good tension(left) and with good tension (right). The cakes are so much neater and better tension will also prevent it from getting tangled around the base. I will admit that the instructions on the box aren't very good but there's a video on YouTube that explains perfectly how to set it up and use it. I would highly recommend this product to any crocheter/knitter with an out of control stash. If i encounter any problems with this product in the future i'll update my review but I am definitely satisfied with this product!!
Cornelius Martin
SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!
I got this and a swifter at the same time. YAY! PROS: So much easier and faster to wind than creating a ball by hand. Glad I bought it!!! The resulting cake is easy to USE when knitting (as opposed to a ball) because the cake stays put when you pull on it. Works smoothly and is quiet. Negative review states that it is not good for fingering yarn. I did not have a problem with fingering yarn; it inserted into the slits on the bobbin and held just fine. PRO FOR SOME, CON FOR OTHERS: the hole in the middle of the cake is large. Some may like that because it may make it easier to center-pull the yarn, and leaves plenty of room to insert the label when storing the cake. I prefer a smaller cake but that is personal. I am editing this review after more use. Initially, I thought the bobbin in the middle wasn't held in tightly, allowing the cake to pop off. Since then I realize that with some effort this middle bobbin does in fact click in securely and WILL NOT POP OFF. So if you were having trouble with it popping, off, try again. It does click in to place. In fact, once it's in it's hard to take it apart. CONS: It is not easy to break down into the small box it came in, so storage is not optimal. But the thing is not too big. And I love it more every time I use it.
Crystal Morris
Some advice for those who have never seen these in operation
I read about these, and decided to get one, but the only cakes I had seen were those that have just come into the Joann type stores in the last year. The yarn seemed really tight to me, and I remember trying to knit with yarn that had lost its spring, so after one bad cake where I just let the ball roll around on the floor and the eyelet tension take care of it, I read the reviews that you should hold it between your fingers. The cakes came out beautifully, but seemed fragile to me.. no more winding up remmnants and tossing in a big bag. These were going to need to be lined up in a box or shelf, and I have LOTS of yarn. I was debating just rolling before I started knitting, and leaving them in skeins or remnant balls for now. However, I wrote to the "question" and got lots of advice. I rewound one of the cakes I had done initially, and compared it to the other... was a half inch smaller, and with no center anymore, the yarn had relaxed. I am not rewinding the first ones I did. This is fast. Two ideas.. pick up a thin dowel, and run down the center and you can make skyscrapers, or save pantyhose to secure them if you throw them in a bag with 30 other ones. Talking about the left overs. It just takes a couple min to rewind, so you can make little balls of the left overs.
Rick Omeasoo
Wonderful product, easy use
0:00 0:00 This video is not intended for all audiences. What date were you born? JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 Submit Adobe Flash Player is required to watch this video. Install Flash Player Wonderful product, easy use! Already halfway through a large yarn stash with it! Buying it through Amazon give your great customer service as well. My first ball winder was defective, and Amazon replaced it within 3 days. I can't imagine not having this now!
Billy Rayburn
Perfect winder!
I did a lot of searching for a good yarn winder and didn’t want to spend $200. I bought one from hobby lobby and returned it the next day, it was so small. I bought this one and it’s the perfect size. My favorite yarn is “I Love This Yarn” from Hobby Lobby and this winder can hold a full skein of it (which is pretty big). I’ve see some videos that it was squeaking but mine doesn’t. I’d definitely recommend this one if you’re still debating. The only negative thing I’m facing is that I’m out of skeins to wind! :-(
Serban Vanessa
Great product at a great price.
I received this yarn ball winder by Knit Picks today. Couldn't wait to try it out. For someone who has never used a yarn ball winder before, this one was so easy to set up and use the first time. The blue ball was my very first try and I have to say, I didn't do to bad. The ivory ball was from a yarn ball I had wound by hand. I was kinda worried I wouldn't be able to get all of the yarn on one ball, but it worked like a charm.
Sweetness Jones
Absolutely in love
I absolutely love this yarn winder. A little bit of tension held with my fingers was all I needed to get lovely tight cakes. I practically want to ice them I'm so in love. My yarn collection (which is admittedly meager) went from skeins stacked and praying they won't fall down to a neatly organized stack. I love this device.