@qualitygal wrote:
Do any of you have the ball (yarn) winders? If so which one do you prefer?
@qualitygal
Hi Quality Gal!
I purchased mine from Knit Picks(sp?) maybe 12-15 years ago, at a time when hardly anyone sold them.
It's still in use to this day, never had any issue with it and now my granddaughter loves to help me wind my yarn.
I belong to a number of fiber art FB groups and there have been many discussions about which one to purchase. There are, I believe, 2-3 companies which now make a version which can carry a rather huge amount of yarn, but it's loaded horizontally. I prefer that mine "loads" vertically.
What was interesting in reading through what must have been several hundred comments, was that nearly everyone has issues with how to direct the yarn through the metal loop (which is moveable) and also how to perhaps create a bit of tension.
With the Knit Picks version, and there are no instructions to tell you this of course, the approx.1.5mm metal arm , which has a loop on it and through which you direct your yarn, can be moved from close to you directly parallel to the table all the way to nearly 90 degrees to the table edge. So, where in the heck does one place this most important arm? I tried every position possible. Like everyone else, if you mal place it, you eventually get the device winding yarn underneath the the winder toward the end. Uggggggh!
Don't get me wrong, I love my Knit Pick winder. It's just that the original manufacturer failed to include salient instructions. So, here are mine and I don't know if they're applicable to any other brand:
0. Affix the winder to a sturdy table.
1. Where do you place the metal arm with the loop? (a) Take the end of the yarn and, leaving a 1.5" tail, press it down into the depression on the top; (b) Move the metal arm to a 45 degree position from the edge of the table (you may want to increase this to 50 degrees or more depending on how you tend to manually guide the yarn) (c) Not pulling, but guiding, gently slip the yarn into the loop; (d) Take ahold of the yarn in your left hand, loosely and lift the yarn to the level of the loop; (e) Now begin to use the winding knob directly in front of you. It helps to sit off-center and to the left in order to perform this function; (f) Wind a little faster than slow, letting it flow loosely between 2 fingers of your left hand. This provides a bit of necessary tension; (g) Once things are going well, you can pick up the pace. I would caution against winding fast, as things can happen and you don't want to have to actually cut out part of your yarn, especially a rather fuzzy yarn; (h) Remember: if you weren't able to lay out your skein on the floor, then you'll have to stop and re-group. (i) When complete, pull up on the 1.5" end first off, then gently remove your new "cake."
2. (My favorite means of winding rapidly w/o stops). Reach into middle of skein with 2nd and 3rd fingers of dominant hand. Reach around the inside mess, until you've gotten ahold of several strands. Begin to gently withdraw your hand with yarn. If it appears that this will cause a yarn barf, stop and push yarn back in. Do same from other end. I've had great success starting my yarn from the interior of the skein.
3. Once you have the end of the yarn from the inside, clip off 1 inch.
4. Now, begin pulling yarn from inside the skein, placing it on the table top in an orderly manner to prevent tangles.
5. Continue to pull; however, now you're going to run your yarn on the floor going 8' in one direction, then 8' back in the opposite direction. If you have room, repeat this until you've completed the skein. If you don't have sufficient room, stop when needed, place the skein on the floor, but remember that you'll need to go back to it, rather than the surprise of a huge tug and taut yarn.
6. I know that some reading this will find the technique disgusting. However, please do vacuum before doing so. Also, if you have animals in the house, then this technique would not be at all good, as animal hair would be picked up and adhere to the yarn (items given away/sold with animal hair in them can cause life-threatening asthma attacks, hives, etc.)
7. My winder is used for up through worsted 3/4, which includes Aran weight. I don't wind any of the larger size yarns, as I prefer to work with them hand-wound and sitting in a mixing bowl.
It may sounds complicated, but that's because I broke it down into its individual components, which is never explained.
Hope this helps. ~ Rebecca
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