What's the best yarn winder?

[CaliAdria]

I have a ton of yarn that I'd like to organize, and I've decided that the best way to do that is to get something to wind my yarn into balls. I browsed through ebay for a little bit, but I got even more confused. Do I also need to get something called a "swift"? And how does the yarn make its way onto the swift... to my eye, it looks like I'd have to um, WIND it, which leads me to the question: what's the point of the ball winder, in that case?

 

Anyway, if you guys could give me your suggestions on brands/types that have worked for you, I'd appreciate it!

[loopyliz]

Well, a swift and a ball winder are great tools to have, particularly once you get started purchasing yarns that come in hanks rather than in pull skeins or balls. I ordered my swift and ball winder from Knit Picks (I don't know the brands, but it was the only one they had in their catalog).

 

The swift is a wooden (or can be metal, but mine is wood) device that opens up like an umbrella. It clamps to your table and you untwist the hank of yarn and loop it around the arms of the swift (because it adjusts like an umbrella does, it works with all sizes of yarn). Anyway, you lay the yarn around the swift arms, expanding them until the yarn is taut, then you take an end of the yarn and drag it over to your ball winder (which is conveniently attached to another table )

 

Once the yarn is slipped into the ball winder, then you begin turning the crank of the ball winder and it begins to pull the yarn from the swift (which turns) and makes a beautiful short, squatty "ball" in a very short amount of time. It is not round like a ball you would roll with your hands, but will sit nicely on the table and not roll away.

 

I love my swift and ball winder.

[kazily]

Most of my stash is made up of skeins bought at WM or HL so all I really needed was a winder. I bought the cheapy one from JoAnns & it works fine for my needs. Occasionally the little metal arm falls down (that guides the yarn along) but I just lock it back into place if it falls. I think I wind too fast & that makes it get loose & fall. I really love having a winder though. The cakes are GREAT to crochet from.