Customer Reviews

compact 4 oz wool / yarn ball winder TH700

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently started to knit and have progressed from the basic acrylic selections from supercenters to the more luxurious wools, bamboo, and silk blends available in yarn specialty stores and online sites. However, most (if not all) of these higher end yarns come twisted in a braid known as a "hank." I'd never dealt with a hank before but found out that you have to wind them yourself...usually into a ball...before knitting. I purchased a few and tried to wind by hand, with the help of some online tutorials. Good for about 3/4 of the way and then tangle city. Tried again. Same result, except this time it was about 1/2 way there. Just in those two attempts, I lost countless yards of yarn and $$$. Then, at a local yarn shop, the owner asked me if I wanted her to wind my purchases. I said yes and she pulled out a ball winder and swift and was done in no time. So I browsed a bit, purchased a swift, and ordered this winder.

It arrived today and setup was a snap. Just place the cone on top and twist to lock. I used my kitchen table, and the clamp went on easily, despite the table having bevelled edges. Placed my yarn on the swift, inserted the thread into the slit on top of the cone, threaded through the guide (make sure it's pulled out so it doesn't rub against the side of your yarn), and cranked away. I did two hanks. One was some Malabrigo yarn and the other was a hank of Cascade 220. The Cascade wound with nary a hitch, but the Malabrigio did stick at a couple of places. Not a problem because all it took was lifting a thread or two on the swift and that freed it up...which is one reason why I like the hand cranked version. As soon as the tension tightened up, I was able to feel it and stop to adjust. The Cascade came in at 220 yards, but every last piece was wound with no problem, though I was a tad bit worried because there wasn't too much space between the ball and the guide towards the end. To finish, I used a trick the nice yarn shopkeeper did: I folded the yarn tag and used it to insert into the center of the skin (sort of like an impromptu bobbin). Not only did it help to separate the sides, it's also a convenient way to keep track of color and dye lot information.

I'm extremely happy with my purchase as it took only a few minutes to complete each hank. I've posted pictures to let you see the setup and results.

No more tangles and wasted yardage!

This is my second ball winder. I made the mistake of buying the "cheap" $20 winder available through Knit Picks. My children recently broke the handle of that one because it was made of plastic. The improvements for this one - the handle is mounted on metal, the shaft that holds the ball is textured and tall enough so the ball does not slide off, if I stop winding mid-ball the ball continues to wind consistently with good tension. I still gave 5 stars, though I would have given it 4 1/2 just because the little metal yarn guide does not really "lock" into place, which means that while you are winding it jiggles just enough that it can eventually fold back down again. Overall, so much more pleased with this product.

This is a very handy thing to have, and very reasonably priced. I had recently bought a number of yarn skeins that needed winding, and the yarn winder makes fast work of the job. I quickly learned to wind at a moderate, consistent pace and keep an eye on my swift, so the yard didn't "jump" on me and get tangled on the gear underneath the winder (the exposed gear is the only reason I give this item 4 stars instead of 5).

I really liked the winder. It worked well, is very durable, and has easy assembly. I would recommend getting a yarn swift with it though, otherwise winding the yarn becomes a two-person job, or a really slow one person job.

Ever since I first came across one of these guys I have been dying to have one of my own due to the sheer amount of time which they save. It seems Like they would not make a large contribution to the ease of a project, but it is extremely nice to not have to chase around an errant ball of yarn flopping around every which way. My only complaint is that at times the yarn can become tangled within the spinning base, which is extremely irritating to say the least. However, it is typically easy to fix, but it does cause a 4 rather than 5 star rating.

I sometimes buy bulk yarn and it always tangles after using about 1/2 of it. This ball winder solved this problem. It is very easy to use and works wonderfully. I highly recommend it.

I feel a little underqualified to write this review since I am a brand new knitter. That being SAID, it is 100% easier to knit with a center pull ball of yarn than straight from the skein. I have had some difficulty with the balls from this winder being too loose and so they fall apart on me, which I have responded to by placing them in a ziploc bag when I knit. I do not believe this is the fault of the winder - my tension is probably wrong or something when I'm holding the yarn as it goes onto the winder through the rod, but it would have been nice to have some really clear instructions about how to do that. They only advise you to use a Skein holder (also called a swift) to feed the yarn, which is an "optional Accessory." Besides costing more money, I know even as a novice knitter that swifts are only appropriate if you buy your yarn in "hanks" which is a sort of twisted loop of yarn that costs more to buy in yarn shops. The garden variety knitter does not use this kind of yarn. Because the instructions do not tell you haow to wind it without the "optional" swift, I give it 4 stars instead of 5. I give it 4 instead of 3 because it DOES work and I do like it.

I bought this item with no knowledge of how to use it or a swift. As soon as it arrived I was able to turn a ball of yarn I had into a pull ball of yarn, it was nice and tight and absolutely perfect for my first go! No issue's at all and very smooth turning. If this is your first yarn ball winder, don't hesitate, for those of you who have experience with these things, it's a good buy if your old when is indisposed and you need something that will get the job done.

I recently purchased this yarn ball winder to wind balls of yarn such as Vanna's Choice skein-type and it works great for that. I don't use a swift as the yarn is skeins not hanks, and I can start and stop as I please with no problem. It winds a nice tight ball - not too tight. I had it working within minutes of removing it from the box. I put the yarn skein in a large bowl. The ball winder clamped to my dining table easily and is very stable.

I want to wind skeins into cakes because I am tired of of skeins of yarn rolling around and under the sofa as I am crocheting and knitting. I think it will be easier to store yarn in cakes, and they will take up less room.

This ball winder worked better than I expected. I couldn't fastened it to my table, it's too thick. I held it in my hand and used it. It worked fine. The yarn didn't start tangling until the last few feet. I just wish I had splurged and bought a ball winder and swift earlier.