Look what has arrived at the Treehouse not to long ago! A yarn swift and ball winder! For years I’ve been winding yarn into balls the old fashioned way, with the help of either a chair or someone’s hands. Many of my in-progress photos thus include these funny tightly wound balls of yarn. My cats had a lot of fun running after them, each time I tugged too hard on the yarn and of the ball went everywhere.
My partner was often employed to help me with the tedious and time consuming task of winding balls. At some point I mentioned the existence of ball winders and yarn swifts to him. He was intrigued and wanted to know more about this magical world of yarn cakes and more importantly; fast ball winding! Even more so when I explained how one didn’t need a second person to help any more, as the skein is put on the yarn swift, and not…you know…on someone’s hands.
I never tried a winder before, but I had seen one at work when a member of a knit circle I used to go to showed me the details. I remember saying that it might be helpful to get one, at some point. Well, guess what I found in a big box and wrapped in gift wrap for me?
A yarn swift and ball winder! Boy, was I excited! I immediately wanted to see it at work and try winding some skeins! So I dug up a few from my stash and put the winder to work. It didn’t take long to figure out how it all worked (mostly because the set up is really very simple) and off the swift went turning! After a load of turns I had a brand new shiny yarn cake, in a lot less time then it would have taken me doing it the old way. In few enthusiastic moments I tossed about the idea to turn ALL the skeins into yarn cakes, but my sensible boyfriend who is not as easily swayed by yarn magic as I am, talked me out of it.
But I did try two more skeins… just for kicks!
I’m very happy with these new crafty tools and I’m not the only one! A certain someone is very pleased that he won’t have to help his yarn obsessed girlfriend any more. Though I can’t image why, who would want to pass up on the chance of excessively touching yarn?
I remember when I got my ball winder, I wound about 8 skeins at once! They're so much fun, aren't they?
Dat is een mooi masjien,daar kan je fijne cakes mee maken.
Zo vindt je altijd weer wat nieuws om met plezier je hobby te doen.
Groeten aan iedereen.
Daaaag.
Paul.
Hooray! What neat little yarn cakes! I dream of a swift and ball winder to call my own. We have a set at work I sometime have to use and the novelty still hasn't worn off!
And the sound these things make! The squeaking of the wood, the rattling of the swift, the hum of the winder. Properly industrial crafting!
@Kat I stopped at four, through a force of willpower I did not know I possessed 😉
@Becca Yay, benefits of working in the yarn industry! I wonder if the novelty ever wears off?
@Paul Ja, steeds weer nieuwe handigheidjes. Gaat de hobby opeens stukken sneller!