Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Knit Picks Yarn Ball Winder

Winder works great and makes a long job quicker!

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2017

I've always winded yarn by hand using a nostepinne and enjoyed doing so, but recently I began a large project where one skein was taking me over 30 minutes to wind, and I had eight skeins...time to finally get a crank-style winder! I've ordered many types of KnitPicks yarns and knitting notions, so I trust the brand, and when I saw that this winder had high ratings, I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed.

The winder seems to be well made. It's plastic, but not flimsy. There are directions for putting it together on the outside of the box, as well as directions on how to use it, which are very easy to follow. However, I did notice that once I put the metal yarn-guiding arm into place, I cannot get it to fold back down to get the winder back into the box correctly. I tried and tried, but it seems like it is stuck in place. Not a huge deal though. Also, my winder does squeak. Not sure if that's just a fluke with mine, but it doesn't bother me at all.

I do wish KnitPicks made a larger winder too, for winding larger skeins of yarn, because you may have to cut yours halfway through winding if you are winding a large skein. For instance, I was winding skeins of fingering yarn (430 yards) and I had to cut the yarn about 3/4ths of the way through winding to make a second ball. However, KnitPicks is clear in the description of this winder about how much yarn it can handle.

Overall I am very, very pleased with this winder. I wound 7 skeins of yarn (430 yards each skein) and it took me a total of 45 minutes, and that was with me learning to use the winder. ONE of those skeins usually took me that long if I was winding with a nostepinne.

4 people found this helpful

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Maria

SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2017

Verified Purchase

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.

327 people found this helpful

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apoem

Works to make a yarn cake.

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

I love to knit and to crochet. I also love to buy yarns. Many specialty yarns come in a 'hank' and need to be wound. Some of the store bought yarns come in a skein that slowly spreads out, tangles up and generally doesn't stay together when you use it. Because of that, I wanted a yarn ball winder.

This was very easy to install. The directions were clear and the ball winder was easy to put together. It clamps on a table to use and it is very easy to clamp it on the table. There is even a little bit of padding so that the table doesn't get scratched. It works fine and does exactly what it says it does.

The one thing this doesn't do is easily come apart when you are finished. You can not put it back into the box so you will have to store this odd shaped item somewhere.

The next purchase I am going to buy is a swift. This is the thing that you put your yarn on to hold it out while you wind it into a ball. It keeps your yarn from tangling as you wind your yarn into a ball.

As one added note- Knit Picks is pretty well known for backing their products. I don't know how they will act if there is a problem with this one but generally Knit Picks has a good reputation as a company so I picked this one over other yarn ball winders.

5 people found this helpful

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Ashley

Requires some patience but creates fantastic cakes!

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

I was a bit wary of buying this product due to the negative reviews. I just began crocheting in the last year or so and recently discovered the joys of center-pull balls of yarn. However, I quickly discovered that not only are hand-wound center-pull balls incredibly misshapen and easily deconstructed, but they are also a pain in the arms to make. Obviously, I had never used a ball winder before and, seeing as crocheting is just a hobby at the moment, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one. I chose this model primarily for the price, the prime shipping, and the gushing praise it was given by the few positive reviews I read.

I will say, first and foremost, that I can completely understand where many of the negative reviews came from. This ball winder requires a bit of a learning curve and some patience to figure out. It was incredibly easy to assemble and begin using (just reposition the feeding arm and screw in the clamp) but I was slightly confused as to why my yarn kept slipping off of the ball that seemed to be forming after just a few turns of the crank. Then I remembered something I'd read in a few other reviews: tension. I began increasing the tension of the yarn as I fed it through the feeding loop. This also requires some patience and learning: too much tension will distort the ball, and too little will cause slippage of the yarn as I was experiencing before. I also experimented with the height of the yarn. I've found that what works best for me is to keep some tension in the yarn while also holding the yarn slightly above the feeding loop. This creates seemingly perfect balls every time.

I have used multiple types and lengths of yarn on this ball winder since receiving it a few days ago: cotton yarn, bulky/chunky yarn, ribbon yarn, fuzzy yarn, etc. I have yet to encounter a type, brand or length that doesn't work well with this tool. It is small enough to put away in a drawer, quiet enough to use while watching TV or holding a conversation, and it is easily adaptable to a multitude of surfaces. I have attached mine to the overhang of my counter (approximately 2" high) and my dining room table (pictured; approximately .5" high). It doesn't harm the surface and is easily removed in seconds. You won't get a factory wind with this winder (perfect little X's all around) but who cares? You won't find a winder that delivers such high quality cakes for such a great price anywhere else. I recommend this winder 100%.

19 people found this helpful

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BZ

Fun Toy!

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2017

Verified Purchase

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.

9 people found this helpful

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Elizabeth

Plastic gears aren't durable

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2017

Verified Purchase

The yarn winder works great for a short period of time. The gears are plastic and strip very easily. Every time I used it I would hear the clicking sound that was caused by the gears slipping. I used mine very little before it completely stripped out. I contacted Knit Picks just to let them know how disappointed I was in this product. I wouldn't normally waste my time doing this but I was really upset with the poor quality. They asked for my Amazon order number, verified my purchase, and shipped out a new yarn winder. I was not aware that all their products have a one year warranty. My second yarn winder is still working, though I hear clicking in the gears frequently. When it completely strips out, I will not buy another one. My next yarn winder will have metal gears, no exceptions. The only reason I gave this yarn winder 3 stars is because the company stood behind their product which is a rarity these days.

2 people found this helpful

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Loni C.

I love my yarn ball winder!

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

I have been wanting one of these for a very long time, and finally gave myself one. I absolutely love this ball winder. It has not given me any troubles at all. It was very easy to set up too. Only two pieces to put on the main base, and those were simple to do. It does not come with an instruction booklet, however the instructions are printed on one side of the box. That just means no little piece of paper to lose. I kept the box it came in, so I can store it more easily out of the way when I am not using it. When I want to wind two colors of yarn together to make one ball, this little thing does the trick in no time flat. I have read a review where one person had trouble using it, saying the yarn popped off the spindle. From my experience, if I keep the tension on the yarn to high as I am winding the ball, the yarn will eventually just slip right off. There are other reviews more in depth and technical than mine, but all-in-all, I am very happy with it. This is the very first yarn ball winder I have owned, so I have no comparisons to make. The only thing that might get on some peoples nerves is the squeak it makes now and then while winding. I think that happens with a lot of them.

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jalokoba

Sloppy Cakes

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

I just got this in today (ooo! Amazon Prime shipping, yay!) and have wound 5 hanks into cakes with it so far... EVERY SINGLE CAKE IS MESSY.

Firstly, the yarn (I've wound sport, fingering, and attempted to wind a worsted weight) slips out of the grooves on the shaft very easily. I thought it was due to the extreme slick-ness of the plastic, so I sanded down the surface into a rougher "grabbier" texture and that helped tremendously at first in getting the cake started. However -- The yarn continues to slip and forms loops around either the top or the bottom of the cakes. Also, the rotation motion of the winder itself is not smooth (very jumpy) which I think contributes to the mess of slippage at the top or bottom of the cakes. I can't believe how messed up the cakes are that come off of this winder. I can do a better job winding cakes myself with a nostepinne, but thought this would save me time when it has, in fact, cost me time unwinding and re-winding in order to avoid the mess of slipped spots on each cake.

I've used ball winders like this before and they came out perfectly every time. This one has slipped from the very first time I used it. I am very disappointed in this ball winder, though I guess by getting very nearly the cheapest one out there, I got what I paid for...

Editing to add that I am not new to winding cakes/balls of yarn. I am a veteran crocheter and knitter and have been wrangling yarn for thirty years. I KNOW HOW TO WIND YARN. I wind at a consistent and slow speed, not fast, and NOT backwards.

57 people found this helpful

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Backyard Chicken Lady

Best Crochet Accessory I've Purchased In Years!

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2018

Verified Purchase

I absolutely Love the KnitPicks Ball Winder! I am an avid crocheter, I've got at least 4 projects in the works at any given moment in time. Been crocheting almost 50 years now. And the number one thing I Hate is getting half way through a skein or cake of yarn to find thin spots in the yarn, or factory knots that are cut so short that you can't possible hide it, or a huge knot that you just can't get out without cutting the yarn and then leaving you a little short on your yarn needed to finish the project. So I always wrap my skeins and cakes into balls before using them.

Not only does this kill my arthritic hands, it also means the ball is rolling around making a mess as I pull the yarn out as I crochet.

But those days are over now. I finally broke down and bought this winder, hoping I wouldnt be disappointed. And I am definitely not!

It is so easy to set up, even with the fact that there are no real instructions. On my practice wind I found that the tension bar needed to be in the fully open position AND most importantly I needed to gently hold the yarn as it pulled from the original skein or cake, applying just a little tension to make the ball wind up nicely. Not too tight, not too loose. I also placed the skein into a plastic bag on the floor so it could spin freely as it unwound and not run away or pick up lent, dust, etc that may be in the floor. Before taking the wound ball off the winder I thought it might have a loose center since it was wound on the wide center post, but it just magically filled in the space within seconds of removing it from the winder.

Now that the ball is wound, and I fixed all the flaws found along the way, I can easily grab the starter end of yarn and pull from the center, neatly!

I love this product and being able to make neat cakes out of all my small bits if yarn left over from past projects. I would seriously recommend it to any of my crochet or knit crazy friends.

5 people found this helpful

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Ralph Peterson

So far so good with this handy gadget

Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2018

Verified Purchase

So far so good with this handy gadget. I have had no problems with squeaking or the cakes winding unevenly yet. I took some advise of other reviewers both here and on YouTube. I hold the yarn with some tension and hold it above the little metal yarn guide as its winding. The cakes wind very evenly. I re-rolled an entire brand new skein of weight 4, I Love This Yarn into a cake, and re-caked a Skein of weight 3, Mandala yarn. The mandala pushed the winder to its limits on what it could wind, being a small ball winder, but it made it. Near the end of the wind, the newly wound cake of mandala was almost touching the extended and locked yarn guide bar. This winder probably won't come remotely close to holding a Skein of Carron One Pound. I have not tried a skein of Red Heart Super Saver but it's doubtful it could fit that much into a single cake. I'm enjoying my purchase. The one con I have with the yarn winder, which is minor to me, is that I am unable to get the yarn guide to unlock to fold it in. I have no desire to mess with disassembly for storage. Mine is working fine so I just lay it on a shelf when not in use. Why mess with it and possibly misalign something! lol. This might bother some people however, which is why I mentioned it in my review. I MIGHT be able to fold back in that yarn guide but it seems like it will take

2 people found this helpful

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