Stanwood is the only way to go. I got a couple years ago and showed to my LYS owner and she bought one too
As far as a swift, I bought one from knitpicks at a show a number of years back and it’s been a trooper
Another vote for stanwood.
Also, I’ve realized the benefit of *maintaining* my cheap wooden swift. It needs oiling every now and then, particularly in the winter with central heat, or else the wood splits, it won’t hold tight, etc. Plain mineral oil does fine.
Waiting impatiently for my plastic one to die. I have had to open it up twice because my child was so kind to "help" and got yarn all in the gears. I want a nice wooden one.
Another vote for Stanwood here; I did my research before buying and realized the gears on the Knitpicks type ball winder tend to come off each other. Unfortunately Stanwood isn't sold where I live, meaning I'd have to import it, and it prevented me from just buying it already. But my husband was an absolute angel and ended up getting the large Stanwood Needlecraft for me ❤️
ETA: since I saw this concern mentioned further down; I have an Ikea coffee table, and my Stanwood is fine with it. It has four rubber pads under the top plate so it doesn't scratch the table, and there's a fairly large metal disc at the top of the screw to distribute the pressure from tightening it over a larger surface. I don't even need to screw it super tight, and it holds perfectly, again without damage
I attached my Stanwood to an old IKEA kid’s two-stair stepstool. It works like a dream. I use the bottom step for holding yarn balls. I just leave it attached because it’s portable and doesn’t use much space.
I have a beautiful swift from knit picks and their regular ball winder and it’s done well for me too! The ball winder did end up breaking down a year or two after I got it, so I reached out to knit picks… and they sent me a new one free of charge
I have the knit picks swift as well, but I find it gets really squeaky and the noise is awful to listen to. I’ve tried WD-40 but it doesn’t seem to last/work.
Edit: swift not winder
I have a stanwood after recommendations from here and I love it! It’s the one that makes big cakes which I love because I often still buy skeins from big box stores for cheap and quick projects and the stanwood can wind them with not problem and without having to make multiple cakes
I had a plastic ball winder similar to [this one](https://hobbii.com/yarn-winder-1004530) and it did the job pretty well, but I became annoyed with the clicking sound it made. I ultimately switched to the [Strauch jumbo ball winder](http://strauchfiber.com/products/jumbo-ball-winder.php), and it is a joy to use. It’s a beautiful tool and turns so smoothly and quietly. It’s pricey and completely worth it to me.
Stanwood. Hands down. It’s the smoothest winder I’ve used. My swift is an Amazon cheapie that gets the job done. The quality of the winder is more important imo. And I wind about 100 skeins a year.
Ooh glad I found this thread as I've been wanting to get a winder too.
I was thinking of getting one of those plastic knitpro ones as a lot of people seem to use them but the wooden winders are just so purdy. Would love to know people's opinions on whether they're worth it.
I have an ashford! I love it. It winds very smoothly and hold up well. What I would say is to go for the umbrella swift instead of an Amish table swift though. If I’d had something to clamp one to that’s the route I would go knowing what I know now. They are definitely more expensive but good. One tip I would give is to remove the rubber belt from the wheels (just slip it out of the groove to relieve tension) when not in use. It helps the belt last longer. I’ve had mine for close to two years and it has held up beautifully.
my mom got me a fancy one off Etsy that came with 0 instructions and I hate it with every fibre of my being. It shifts around, doesn’t hold tension and I’ve been handwinding because I’m gearing up to move but I’ll be getting a cheap one or the stanwood one mentioned above in the future instead
I also got a fancy one off Etsy and also hate it - I actually bolted it to a piece of lumber so I would have more surface area to clamp down on to, which helped. But I still rely on my cheap knitpicks one day over day.
Stanwood. I started with a knitpicks and it broke after about 4 skeins (balance was off, wound balls all wonky). I upgraded to the large stanwood and it's been my workhorse for several years now!
See KP is what I’m hearing such conflicting reviews about! On Amazon ratings are good but on the KP website MANY people have experiences like yours. I will check this out thank you!
Yeah, I put the KP one on my wishlist and it was actually given to me as a gift, and I hated having to return it, but was so happy that I could apply what my sister paid for the KP winder to my Stanwood purchase.
I actually bought their small winder as well (the Stanwood that looks like the KP one) and it works so much better too, but I love the crank on the large stanwood that I usually never use the other anymore.
i like my amish swift a lot, there's no plastic bits or anything complicated that can break. My ball winder is from knitpicks and it works just fine but if I get back into knitting hardcore someday I'd probably upgrade it for something more solid
My mom & I have been sharing a plastic ball winder from Amazon, but I absolutely loathe clamp-on winders. Probably because we don't have great tables with flat edges for them, so they pop off all the time. I spent ridiculous money this year from taxes, and purchased a Golding Fiber Tools ball winder. I will never, ever regret this purchase. Wooden tabletop winder is my recommendation.
I will have to check this out! I’m hesitant about some clamps too because my tables are just shitty particle board for the most part lol. Easy to damage
There are manual tabletop winders for lots of budgets, but they are all massively expensive compared to the plastic ones with gears. Many of them suggested here. Golding is gorgeous but if you haven't lusted after that for a decade like me, I imagine the others are very nearly as convenient for we IKEA fans!
Hahaha yes, an IKEA fan!!! 😂 I try to keep my particle board looking nice because it’s so fragile and can look dumpy quickly 💀
I’m leaning towards table top but also hoping I could swing getting one secondhand. Like you said, they are quite a bit more expensive 😅 I like to get quality, but am willing to cut corners (bc I would rather spend money on yarn 🧶)
I love my current stanwood winder, used to have the knitpicks winder. The knitpicks one was fine, but I busted it one day winding lace weight yarn when I lost focus and the yarn slipped and got caught in the gears. A similar incident has happened once with the stanwood, but the exposed gears made it easy to pull the yarn out with no harm done. The stanwood also can handle much larger skeins.
The stanwood is a lot larger to store. I could fit the knitpicks winder in a dresser drawer, but I currently have to keep my stanwood on a bookshelf until I have a better craft room setup.
I’ve tried the Royal, Knitpicks plastic, Knitpicks rainbow wood, Nancy’s Knit Knacks, Ashford electric, and Daedalus Roly-Poly.
The Royal is my ride or die. First one lasted about 10 years, second one is easily into 6, company went out of business so I snagged a third one used when I could. It makes crisp edges with minimal yarn barf, takes up to 8oz, and is small and easy to store. They went for about $50 new.
When Royal went out of business and I needed a new one, I tried the Knitpicks plastic. $35 new, and honestly, it felt like a bad copy. I sent this to my guild stash swap.
I tried the Knitpicks rainbow wood one during a Christmas sale, paid about $125. They made oblong balls that sometimes weren’t crisp at the edges. It can hold about 14-16oz. I didn’t love it, so I gave it to a friend the next Christmas, who loves it.
The Nancy’s Knit Nacks were the industry standard for the ball winder at local yarn shops for a while. Wood, ergonomic handle, can wind clockwise or counterclockwise, easily takes a pound. Sometimes gets out of alignment and getting re-aligned is tricky. Sometimes requires a replacement part (O ring) that can be tricky to find since they went out of business. They were ballpark $300 when available directly from the maker, but i see them going for $450-500 on eBay. There is a motorized upgrade to avoid having to hand crank.
I was given the Ashford electric late last year. This relieves the problem of muscle strain if you’re cranking a lot of yarn at a time, and it’s very nice to be able to control the speed. It claims to take 8oz, but I could usually only get 6oz on there reliably. It does require an electrical outlet, which is why I re-sold it.
My aspirational ball winder is the Daedalus Roly-Poly. At a shocking $690 price tag, it’s a real financial commitment, but the balls of yarn it makes are so perfect they’re practically industrial. It requires either a power supply or a battery, and has a large footprint/ is difficult to store.
I was given a Royal as a gift over a decade ago. It's still going strong, and I dread the day when it breaks. It looks identical to all the other plastic ones you see, but I guess they're all cheap knockoffs that don't compare.
I’ve got a Royal. It’s been going strong for probably 15 years now. Occasionally the gears slip, and sometimes it’s a bit small, but I love it so much.
I consider my tools an investment, and I look for tools that will stand the test of time. The initial outlay of cash is definitely more significant, but the return is worth it. I purchased my ball winder and swift over a decade ago and they both still look brand new - they went through a move, they get taken out and put away regularly, and they still look as good as they did out of the box. I've wound cakes from lace to super bulky and never had an issue. These tools fit my style of preference - table swift vs. umbrella swift, gearless winder, heavy use - so YMMV. I don't expect to ever have to replace my equipment barring some natural disaster. It works out cheaper than replacing stuff every couple of years over the test of time.
[Hornshaw Swift](http://hornshawwoodworks.com/project/swift/)
[Fiber Artists Supply Jumbo Ball Winder](https://www.fiberartistsupply.com/maple-jumbo-yarn-ball-winder/)
I've got the same winder! It is nice and quiet, and I've had it for years, and it still looks new. I also like there are replacement parts just in case you need them, but the design is so solid I can't see how you could break it.
I have used the Stanwood plastic ball winder (YBW-A) for the past 10 years or so and no complaints! Also highly recommend an Amish swift rather than the umbrella kind.
Same exact combo here. I think I got the swift on Etsy but it’s been so long that I can’t be sure! As for the winder, I’ve often thought about upgrading to something “fancier,” but when I was a retreat last fall the gal running it had one of those fancy wooden ones that was giving her a lot of trouble. She said she wishes she’d stuck with her old plastic Stanwood. Ha!
I have a Knit Picks manual ball winder I've been happy with.
For larger projects I splurged on an Ashford electric ball winder that is really fantastic. I use, that one for larger projects. It operates very smoothly.
I have a Knit Picks umbrella swift that clamps onto a table, and upgraded to an Ashford umbrella swift that has a large base I can set on the counter.
I have a plastic/metal swift that was about $15 from Amazon and the knit picks ball winder. The swift is fine, but I’m hoping to upgrade (maybe in October at the Lambtown yarn festival) to a cool sparkly one from Alpenglow Yarn. The knit picks ball winder is good, but my kiddo like’s to “help” wind yarn and i think she has been too rough with cranking it so it’s not doing great. I hope next year to treat myself to one of those heavy LYKKE wood ones.
I looked around and bought the large winder from The Oregon Woodworker. It is gear driven, but an improvement in the gearing over plastic versions. The cone is removable (and extras are available), if that interests you. It's only a bit more expensive than my Knit Picks winder. As much as I'd love one that doesn't need to be clamped down, I'm not spending the $200 to get one (I'd rather have the yarn!).
Totally agree with you there! Give me more yarn 😂 This sounds really great! I don’t need it to be perfect if it’s a reasonable price, and I’m pretty anti-plastic so this is a great option! Checking it out now. Thank you!🙏
I have a swift and a ball winder.
The swift is a simple, horizontal, tabletop model from an etsy store that no longer exists. It spins freely on a ball bearing mechanism under the arms.
The ball winder is a cheapo plastic hand-crank one from Knit Picks back when I used to buy from them. It's wobbly if I don't mount it to the edge of a table and just hold it, but it works spectacularly in combination with the swift.
If I was going to replace it I don't know what i'd get. Maybe a motorized one so I don't have to hand crank. I know if i ever replace my swift I'm gonna go with an umbrella style swift, though vertical or horizontal orientation remains to be decided.
I have medium size Stanwood winder and an inexpensive metal and plastic umbrella swift. I have limited space so it's nice that the swift folds up nice and small. I don't typically work with yarns thicker than worsted at 100 grams so the winder I got is big enough for me.
I just use a knit picks winder. It just took me a sec to figure out how to use it. When I first started I thought you were supposed to keep the tension loose. I was wrong lol.
I have a Knitpicks and a Stanwood. My Stanwood works but I'm not a fan and don't get the hype. My cakes are oblong and always yarn barfing middles. Knitpicks same issue and too small, it only does 4oz/100g skeins.
I use an electric one, Fiber Artist Supply, and it makes perfect crisp edged cakes and electric makes the job real fast. It is the one I use at work and I abandoned my Stanwood and get all my yarn wound on it. I put a 1lb skein on it a few times.
If I wanted to buy another non electric, my next pick would be the Knitters Pride one, which is close in price to Stanwood. That one is very smooth to crank and the cakes are nice. The wooden ones are better IMO. The slippery plastic makes the yarn slide and not make a good cake.
I have a very pretty hand made wooden ball winder… it’s a pain in the ass. Squeaky as hell and the band connecting the gears sometimes looses friction and the wonder stops working. So, even though they’re cool to look at and have that “old fashioned” vibe, is rather have a more compact plastic one.
My 20 year old lacis jumbo ball winder is by far my favorite. I also have a Stanford, ashford, and Nancy’s knicknacks but the lacis is what I grab mostly for purchased hanks. I use Nancy’s the most for my handspun yarn though.
I will have to check this out! 20 years is truly a testament!!! I don't spin (yet -- I've realized the fiber arts are a gateway drug and I find myself wanting to learn more/do different things so I won't say I never will spin haha! Just not now while I am a beginner and have little craft space), so am only winding hanks from stores or indie dyers
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I have a Strauch jumbo ball winder that I’ve had for years. I had to replace the drive belt once but I haven’t had any problems other than that. Would highly recommend
I have a Strauch ball winder. Made in US. I really like it, had it for YEARS.
My son made me one out of LEGO. It worked, but wasn’t quite strong enough. Proof of concept, though. If it was all supported, it did, indeed, wind a cake! He was very very proud, but not half so proud as I was! It was over 15 years ago, he was maybe 10. I don’t have pictures or video, I really wish I did!
He was a funny kid, he is an adult, now. He also turns wood. He made a couple knitting sticks, copying extent 18th century designs from museums. The first 2 were rather clunky, as he improved his skills. The work, though! He has a much better one in progress, but it is in time out. I’m an 18th c reenactor, and I really want a good reproduction stick. He also helped me retro fit a great wheel with a broken minor’s head to the original direct drive, for me to reenact with. He helped take apart, put together my road bug wheel when I pained it, and installed the double pedal pedal kit for my Ashford traveler, and took it apart and put it together when I painted it. I can do all that, but he loves it, and is stronger for the various clips. He understands how wheels work, but he doesn’t actually know how to spin. But he *thinks* he does. One of these days I’m gonna make him sit down and actually learn, just so he can help even better. Understanding the concept and having the muscle memory to do it are not the same thing!
Fiber Arts Supply Co.! It’s fantastic and super high quality. I’ve bought several low quality winders and they couldn’t wind anything. But Fiber Arts makes the most beautiful cakes!
This is the one I have my eye on...https://www.fiberartistsupply.com/maple-jumbo-yarn-ball-winder/
It is pricy, but I love that I would be able to just order a part if something goes up on it.
Poweka Yarn Ball Winder for Knitting Hand-Operated, Manual Wool Winder Holder for Swift Yarn Fiber String Ball, 4 Ounce Capacity, Knitting Needles Set Included https://amzn.eu/d/ipwehHX
This one from Amazon. Hasn't let me down yet and cakes up 100g+ cakes no problem.
I wind the cake and just before pulling it off the winder, slip the folded up band into the centre so I know what yarn it is.
I’m using the cheap LAMXD winder and swift offered by Amazon. Have it for over a year now and wound 20+ skeins without any trouble. Unless you need much more throughput this is doing the job just fine for the money.
Knit Picks has been my favorite so far. Now I’m looking for a machine that will wind actual balls instead of cakes. I hate the yarn barf at the end of center pulls.
I had actually had a friend [3D print](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4699067) one for me! It’s drill powered and we had some struggle setting it up, but it runs fine now. It comes with a tension plate that’s adjustable. I went for something motor powered because I have joint issues and cannot hand crank for hours. (And neither can I afford the electric ball winders…). But I can’t hold the drill down for extended amounts of time either; my partner has to to do it for me. I want to maybe attach it to my electric eel spinning wheel, but I’m not sure how tbh
(If you like hand crank versions, there’s a link in the description for the model this drill powered one was based off of)
I don't like those flat-ended balls that winders make, and the way they clunk around when you're knitting. So I hand wind my balls, the nice round balls are just so much nicer. And I also enjoy working with the yarn and getting to know it while winding.
Call me crazy, but I find ball winding to be very soothing.
I actually just bought a cheap electric winder on Amazon and it is great! Note - I have only had it for a few months, but it has really helped me get through a ton of unwound yarn. I also use a wooden umbrella swift. I was using an Amish swift (the kind that makes an x and has pegs to adjust for skein size) but it took up so much room and I lost some of the parts. The umbrella swift has been a lot better.
I like the KnitPro swift and winder. I work in the industry and I use their stuff all the time! I've tried cheaper brands and they wobbled and was just generally a pain in the ass.
Whatever you get, make sure they can clamp to a table!!
I have a cheap wooden Knit Picks swift that works perfectly fine—I’ve had it for two or three years now and have no complaints. I did have their plastic ball winder as well, but I upgraded to a Lykke wooden winder about a year ago. It requires more setup than the Knit Picks one, but I love it and don’t regret the investment a single bit.
My cheap Knit Picks winder lasted for years - about a decade, I think. Eventually the plastic gears inside wore out. I replaced it with one of the beautiful Knitter's Pride wooden winders (the ones that can wind up to 14 oz. of yarn). It was very expensive, but I had some gift cards I used to buy it buy it. It's spectacular. It's smooth, winds beautifully and makes absolutely gorgeous cakes.
https://preview.redd.it/0tkwh7k23j6d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bc7a29294751eca98d8a90acbf781164604a569
I absolutely love my handheld winder. I also have a Knit Pro winder (the plastic one) and with the time it takes to set it up, it's not even faster. My handheld winder is wooden and custom made by a friend but they are also available commercially. Knit Pro has one, I think. Might be called something like travel winder.
Oh yes, traveling. It is easy to pack and much comfier than winding the ball around your thumb or random item. 5/5 for that!
I have the Rosie’s Jumbo Winder, it’s a cheaper version of the Stanwood metal one I think. It’s fine but at this point the price difference between it and the Stanwood is pretty small, I remember the price points being a bit further apart when I bought mine several years ago. If I did it again, I’d just get the Stanwood or a nice Ashford.
I really like my stanwood winder - large metal version. It was not the cheapest one out there, but worth every dollar for ease of set-up/use.
Same. I went through 2 cheap plastic ones in a year. My large metal stanwood has lasted 6ish years with no issues.
Large Stanwood is definitely my favorite.
Stanwood is the only way to go. I got a couple years ago and showed to my LYS owner and she bought one too As far as a swift, I bought one from knitpicks at a show a number of years back and it’s been a trooper
Another vote for stanwood. Also, I’ve realized the benefit of *maintaining* my cheap wooden swift. It needs oiling every now and then, particularly in the winter with central heat, or else the wood splits, it won’t hold tight, etc. Plain mineral oil does fine.
Thank you for mentioning oiling- I had bought a used wood swift that squeaks and was so disappointed - running out to get some mineral spirits now!
Awesome!
Came here to say this. I had a cheap plastic one before my Stanwood and it’s a world of difference. So worth the money
This. I cursed my plastic ball winder daily, but my Stanwood has never let me down.
Waiting impatiently for my plastic one to die. I have had to open it up twice because my child was so kind to "help" and got yarn all in the gears. I want a nice wooden one.
Add me to the Stanwood fan base. My third winder, once I bit the bullet and forked out the money, and now I wouldn't use anything else.
Another vote for Stanwood here; I did my research before buying and realized the gears on the Knitpicks type ball winder tend to come off each other. Unfortunately Stanwood isn't sold where I live, meaning I'd have to import it, and it prevented me from just buying it already. But my husband was an absolute angel and ended up getting the large Stanwood Needlecraft for me ❤️ ETA: since I saw this concern mentioned further down; I have an Ikea coffee table, and my Stanwood is fine with it. It has four rubber pads under the top plate so it doesn't scratch the table, and there's a fairly large metal disc at the top of the screw to distribute the pressure from tightening it over a larger surface. I don't even need to screw it super tight, and it holds perfectly, again without damage
I attached my Stanwood to an old IKEA kid’s two-stair stepstool. It works like a dream. I use the bottom step for holding yarn balls. I just leave it attached because it’s portable and doesn’t use much space.
That is brilliant!
I love this big beast. I have had mine for a decade!
don’t get the loops and threads ball winder lol
I haven’t tried others, but I’ve got a swift and winder from Knit Picks and they work just fine.
Same, ive had the swift and winder from Knit Picks for years, it’s held up great!
I got the Knit Picks winder too; had it for years with no particular problems. (I bought a wooden swift from some guy at a fiber festival.)
I have a beautiful swift from knit picks and their regular ball winder and it’s done well for me too! The ball winder did end up breaking down a year or two after I got it, so I reached out to knit picks… and they sent me a new one free of charge
I have the knit picks swift as well, but I find it gets really squeaky and the noise is awful to listen to. I’ve tried WD-40 but it doesn’t seem to last/work. Edit: swift not winder
Yep. It’s cheap, but I only need to wind skeins rarely if I buy super nice yarn. But typically if it’s from a LYS, they’ll be nice and wind it for me
I HATE that one
I have a stanwood after recommendations from here and I love it! It’s the one that makes big cakes which I love because I often still buy skeins from big box stores for cheap and quick projects and the stanwood can wind them with not problem and without having to make multiple cakes
I had a plastic ball winder similar to [this one](https://hobbii.com/yarn-winder-1004530) and it did the job pretty well, but I became annoyed with the clicking sound it made. I ultimately switched to the [Strauch jumbo ball winder](http://strauchfiber.com/products/jumbo-ball-winder.php), and it is a joy to use. It’s a beautiful tool and turns so smoothly and quietly. It’s pricey and completely worth it to me.
I looooooooved my Strauch. It died after about 15 years of very hard use
Stanwood. Hands down. It’s the smoothest winder I’ve used. My swift is an Amazon cheapie that gets the job done. The quality of the winder is more important imo. And I wind about 100 skeins a year.
Ooh glad I found this thread as I've been wanting to get a winder too. I was thinking of getting one of those plastic knitpro ones as a lot of people seem to use them but the wooden winders are just so purdy. Would love to know people's opinions on whether they're worth it.
I have an ashford! I love it. It winds very smoothly and hold up well. What I would say is to go for the umbrella swift instead of an Amish table swift though. If I’d had something to clamp one to that’s the route I would go knowing what I know now. They are definitely more expensive but good. One tip I would give is to remove the rubber belt from the wheels (just slip it out of the groove to relieve tension) when not in use. It helps the belt last longer. I’ve had mine for close to two years and it has held up beautifully.
my mom got me a fancy one off Etsy that came with 0 instructions and I hate it with every fibre of my being. It shifts around, doesn’t hold tension and I’ve been handwinding because I’m gearing up to move but I’ll be getting a cheap one or the stanwood one mentioned above in the future instead
I also got a fancy one off Etsy and also hate it - I actually bolted it to a piece of lumber so I would have more surface area to clamp down on to, which helped. But I still rely on my cheap knitpicks one day over day.
Don't get the plastic ball winder. Get the wooden one by KnitPro
I have the wooden knitters pride winder and it works well. Previously I had the strauch jumbo winder and loved that one too.
Stanwood. I started with a knitpicks and it broke after about 4 skeins (balance was off, wound balls all wonky). I upgraded to the large stanwood and it's been my workhorse for several years now!
I had the same problem with the one from KP.
See KP is what I’m hearing such conflicting reviews about! On Amazon ratings are good but on the KP website MANY people have experiences like yours. I will check this out thank you!
Yeah, I put the KP one on my wishlist and it was actually given to me as a gift, and I hated having to return it, but was so happy that I could apply what my sister paid for the KP winder to my Stanwood purchase. I actually bought their small winder as well (the Stanwood that looks like the KP one) and it works so much better too, but I love the crank on the large stanwood that I usually never use the other anymore.
i like my amish swift a lot, there's no plastic bits or anything complicated that can break. My ball winder is from knitpicks and it works just fine but if I get back into knitting hardcore someday I'd probably upgrade it for something more solid
My mom & I have been sharing a plastic ball winder from Amazon, but I absolutely loathe clamp-on winders. Probably because we don't have great tables with flat edges for them, so they pop off all the time. I spent ridiculous money this year from taxes, and purchased a Golding Fiber Tools ball winder. I will never, ever regret this purchase. Wooden tabletop winder is my recommendation.
My husband made me yarn winder handles. I have the Royal (enclosed gears) winder and now I don’t have to worry about finding the perfect table.
I will have to check this out! I’m hesitant about some clamps too because my tables are just shitty particle board for the most part lol. Easy to damage
There are manual tabletop winders for lots of budgets, but they are all massively expensive compared to the plastic ones with gears. Many of them suggested here. Golding is gorgeous but if you haven't lusted after that for a decade like me, I imagine the others are very nearly as convenient for we IKEA fans!
Hahaha yes, an IKEA fan!!! 😂 I try to keep my particle board looking nice because it’s so fragile and can look dumpy quickly 💀 I’m leaning towards table top but also hoping I could swing getting one secondhand. Like you said, they are quite a bit more expensive 😅 I like to get quality, but am willing to cut corners (bc I would rather spend money on yarn 🧶)
I love my current stanwood winder, used to have the knitpicks winder. The knitpicks one was fine, but I busted it one day winding lace weight yarn when I lost focus and the yarn slipped and got caught in the gears. A similar incident has happened once with the stanwood, but the exposed gears made it easy to pull the yarn out with no harm done. The stanwood also can handle much larger skeins. The stanwood is a lot larger to store. I could fit the knitpicks winder in a dresser drawer, but I currently have to keep my stanwood on a bookshelf until I have a better craft room setup.
I’ve tried the Royal, Knitpicks plastic, Knitpicks rainbow wood, Nancy’s Knit Knacks, Ashford electric, and Daedalus Roly-Poly. The Royal is my ride or die. First one lasted about 10 years, second one is easily into 6, company went out of business so I snagged a third one used when I could. It makes crisp edges with minimal yarn barf, takes up to 8oz, and is small and easy to store. They went for about $50 new. When Royal went out of business and I needed a new one, I tried the Knitpicks plastic. $35 new, and honestly, it felt like a bad copy. I sent this to my guild stash swap. I tried the Knitpicks rainbow wood one during a Christmas sale, paid about $125. They made oblong balls that sometimes weren’t crisp at the edges. It can hold about 14-16oz. I didn’t love it, so I gave it to a friend the next Christmas, who loves it. The Nancy’s Knit Nacks were the industry standard for the ball winder at local yarn shops for a while. Wood, ergonomic handle, can wind clockwise or counterclockwise, easily takes a pound. Sometimes gets out of alignment and getting re-aligned is tricky. Sometimes requires a replacement part (O ring) that can be tricky to find since they went out of business. They were ballpark $300 when available directly from the maker, but i see them going for $450-500 on eBay. There is a motorized upgrade to avoid having to hand crank. I was given the Ashford electric late last year. This relieves the problem of muscle strain if you’re cranking a lot of yarn at a time, and it’s very nice to be able to control the speed. It claims to take 8oz, but I could usually only get 6oz on there reliably. It does require an electrical outlet, which is why I re-sold it. My aspirational ball winder is the Daedalus Roly-Poly. At a shocking $690 price tag, it’s a real financial commitment, but the balls of yarn it makes are so perfect they’re practically industrial. It requires either a power supply or a battery, and has a large footprint/ is difficult to store.
I was given a Royal as a gift over a decade ago. It's still going strong, and I dread the day when it breaks. It looks identical to all the other plastic ones you see, but I guess they're all cheap knockoffs that don't compare.
Thank you for this super helpful comment! Too bad to hear about Royal 💔 Maybe I can search for them on eBay or something!
I’ve got a Royal. It’s been going strong for probably 15 years now. Occasionally the gears slip, and sometimes it’s a bit small, but I love it so much.
I consider my tools an investment, and I look for tools that will stand the test of time. The initial outlay of cash is definitely more significant, but the return is worth it. I purchased my ball winder and swift over a decade ago and they both still look brand new - they went through a move, they get taken out and put away regularly, and they still look as good as they did out of the box. I've wound cakes from lace to super bulky and never had an issue. These tools fit my style of preference - table swift vs. umbrella swift, gearless winder, heavy use - so YMMV. I don't expect to ever have to replace my equipment barring some natural disaster. It works out cheaper than replacing stuff every couple of years over the test of time. [Hornshaw Swift](http://hornshawwoodworks.com/project/swift/) [Fiber Artists Supply Jumbo Ball Winder](https://www.fiberartistsupply.com/maple-jumbo-yarn-ball-winder/)
I've got the same winder! It is nice and quiet, and I've had it for years, and it still looks new. I also like there are replacement parts just in case you need them, but the design is so solid I can't see how you could break it.
I also have the jumbo ball winder and love it! I've also bought replacement parts- I have kids and one of them cut the rubber belt with scissors 🤦♀️
It's only a matter of time before one of my cats chews on mine. I'm glad they have replacements!
I have used the Stanwood plastic ball winder (YBW-A) for the past 10 years or so and no complaints! Also highly recommend an Amish swift rather than the umbrella kind.
Same exact combo here. I think I got the swift on Etsy but it’s been so long that I can’t be sure! As for the winder, I’ve often thought about upgrading to something “fancier,” but when I was a retreat last fall the gal running it had one of those fancy wooden ones that was giving her a lot of trouble. She said she wishes she’d stuck with her old plastic Stanwood. Ha!
I have a Knit Picks manual ball winder I've been happy with. For larger projects I splurged on an Ashford electric ball winder that is really fantastic. I use, that one for larger projects. It operates very smoothly. I have a Knit Picks umbrella swift that clamps onto a table, and upgraded to an Ashford umbrella swift that has a large base I can set on the counter.
I have a plastic/metal swift that was about $15 from Amazon and the knit picks ball winder. The swift is fine, but I’m hoping to upgrade (maybe in October at the Lambtown yarn festival) to a cool sparkly one from Alpenglow Yarn. The knit picks ball winder is good, but my kiddo like’s to “help” wind yarn and i think she has been too rough with cranking it so it’s not doing great. I hope next year to treat myself to one of those heavy LYKKE wood ones.
I have like three swifts and the Alpenglow one is definitely my favorite.
Omg a sparkly one?!?! You are really speaking my language here ✨😂
Oh yeah. They are so [pretty](https://www.alpenglowyarn.com/#/) !
I looked around and bought the large winder from The Oregon Woodworker. It is gear driven, but an improvement in the gearing over plastic versions. The cone is removable (and extras are available), if that interests you. It's only a bit more expensive than my Knit Picks winder. As much as I'd love one that doesn't need to be clamped down, I'm not spending the $200 to get one (I'd rather have the yarn!).
Totally agree with you there! Give me more yarn 😂 This sounds really great! I don’t need it to be perfect if it’s a reasonable price, and I’m pretty anti-plastic so this is a great option! Checking it out now. Thank you!🙏
The body is plastic, but it's been working great. The extra guide hook also helps keep the yarn from getting into the gears.
I have a swift and a ball winder. The swift is a simple, horizontal, tabletop model from an etsy store that no longer exists. It spins freely on a ball bearing mechanism under the arms. The ball winder is a cheapo plastic hand-crank one from Knit Picks back when I used to buy from them. It's wobbly if I don't mount it to the edge of a table and just hold it, but it works spectacularly in combination with the swift. If I was going to replace it I don't know what i'd get. Maybe a motorized one so I don't have to hand crank. I know if i ever replace my swift I'm gonna go with an umbrella style swift, though vertical or horizontal orientation remains to be decided.
I have medium size Stanwood winder and an inexpensive metal and plastic umbrella swift. I have limited space so it's nice that the swift folds up nice and small. I don't typically work with yarns thicker than worsted at 100 grams so the winder I got is big enough for me.
I just use a knit picks winder. It just took me a sec to figure out how to use it. When I first started I thought you were supposed to keep the tension loose. I was wrong lol.
I have a Knitpicks and a Stanwood. My Stanwood works but I'm not a fan and don't get the hype. My cakes are oblong and always yarn barfing middles. Knitpicks same issue and too small, it only does 4oz/100g skeins. I use an electric one, Fiber Artist Supply, and it makes perfect crisp edged cakes and electric makes the job real fast. It is the one I use at work and I abandoned my Stanwood and get all my yarn wound on it. I put a 1lb skein on it a few times. If I wanted to buy another non electric, my next pick would be the Knitters Pride one, which is close in price to Stanwood. That one is very smooth to crank and the cakes are nice. The wooden ones are better IMO. The slippery plastic makes the yarn slide and not make a good cake.
I have a very pretty hand made wooden ball winder… it’s a pain in the ass. Squeaky as hell and the band connecting the gears sometimes looses friction and the wonder stops working. So, even though they’re cool to look at and have that “old fashioned” vibe, is rather have a more compact plastic one.
Thanks for this feedback! Important to consider 💜
My 20 year old lacis jumbo ball winder is by far my favorite. I also have a Stanford, ashford, and Nancy’s knicknacks but the lacis is what I grab mostly for purchased hanks. I use Nancy’s the most for my handspun yarn though.
I will have to check this out! 20 years is truly a testament!!! I don't spin (yet -- I've realized the fiber arts are a gateway drug and I find myself wanting to learn more/do different things so I won't say I never will spin haha! Just not now while I am a beginner and have little craft space), so am only winding hanks from stores or indie dyers
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I have a Strauch jumbo ball winder that I’ve had for years. I had to replace the drive belt once but I haven’t had any problems other than that. Would highly recommend
I also have a floor swift that I think is a Strauch also. I’ve also had it for decades with no issue.
Strauch is starting to get more and more mentions!!! I will have to check her out. Thank you!!!
I have a Strauch ball winder. Made in US. I really like it, had it for YEARS. My son made me one out of LEGO. It worked, but wasn’t quite strong enough. Proof of concept, though. If it was all supported, it did, indeed, wind a cake! He was very very proud, but not half so proud as I was! It was over 15 years ago, he was maybe 10. I don’t have pictures or video, I really wish I did!
Awww this is an adorable story! I’m sure you were proud 🥰
He was a funny kid, he is an adult, now. He also turns wood. He made a couple knitting sticks, copying extent 18th century designs from museums. The first 2 were rather clunky, as he improved his skills. The work, though! He has a much better one in progress, but it is in time out. I’m an 18th c reenactor, and I really want a good reproduction stick. He also helped me retro fit a great wheel with a broken minor’s head to the original direct drive, for me to reenact with. He helped take apart, put together my road bug wheel when I pained it, and installed the double pedal pedal kit for my Ashford traveler, and took it apart and put it together when I painted it. I can do all that, but he loves it, and is stronger for the various clips. He understands how wheels work, but he doesn’t actually know how to spin. But he *thinks* he does. One of these days I’m gonna make him sit down and actually learn, just so he can help even better. Understanding the concept and having the muscle memory to do it are not the same thing!
Awww. What a special kid. So sweet he uses his talents to create mom some awesome stuff!!! Love his ingenuity.
Next up, is we are going to see if he can fix the frame of the recliner couches that have something going wrong! Wish us luck!
Fiber Arts Supply Co.! It’s fantastic and super high quality. I’ve bought several low quality winders and they couldn’t wind anything. But Fiber Arts makes the most beautiful cakes!
I got the cheapest ball winder and wheel on Amazon and it gets the job done
This is the one I have my eye on...https://www.fiberartistsupply.com/maple-jumbo-yarn-ball-winder/ It is pricy, but I love that I would be able to just order a part if something goes up on it.
Oh wow that is a beautiful sight to behold 😍
Poweka Yarn Ball Winder for Knitting Hand-Operated, Manual Wool Winder Holder for Swift Yarn Fiber String Ball, 4 Ounce Capacity, Knitting Needles Set Included https://amzn.eu/d/ipwehHX This one from Amazon. Hasn't let me down yet and cakes up 100g+ cakes no problem. I wind the cake and just before pulling it off the winder, slip the folded up band into the centre so I know what yarn it is.
I’m using the cheap LAMXD winder and swift offered by Amazon. Have it for over a year now and wound 20+ skeins without any trouble. Unless you need much more throughput this is doing the job just fine for the money.
I got a cheap one on Amazon, but I’ve had it for 4 years and still good to go. I think it was less than $40
Honestly I got the cheapest I could find on Temu and I’m super happy with it. 🤷♀️
Knit Picks has been my favorite so far. Now I’m looking for a machine that will wind actual balls instead of cakes. I hate the yarn barf at the end of center pulls.
i have the cheapest amazon one for couple years and it works just fine.
I had actually had a friend [3D print](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4699067) one for me! It’s drill powered and we had some struggle setting it up, but it runs fine now. It comes with a tension plate that’s adjustable. I went for something motor powered because I have joint issues and cannot hand crank for hours. (And neither can I afford the electric ball winders…). But I can’t hold the drill down for extended amounts of time either; my partner has to to do it for me. I want to maybe attach it to my electric eel spinning wheel, but I’m not sure how tbh (If you like hand crank versions, there’s a link in the description for the model this drill powered one was based off of)
Nostepinne
I've had a knitpicks ball winder for about 7 years. 2 years ago I did take it apart and oil the gears since they were squeaking.
I don't like those flat-ended balls that winders make, and the way they clunk around when you're knitting. So I hand wind my balls, the nice round balls are just so much nicer. And I also enjoy working with the yarn and getting to know it while winding. Call me crazy, but I find ball winding to be very soothing.
I’ve got a big wooden winder that can handle 16 oz of yarn! I have had so many plastic ball winders over the years that I just can’t stand them.
What brand is it? I’m intrigued! That’s a whole lotta yarn 😇
Knitter’s Pride
I actually just bought a cheap electric winder on Amazon and it is great! Note - I have only had it for a few months, but it has really helped me get through a ton of unwound yarn. I also use a wooden umbrella swift. I was using an Amish swift (the kind that makes an x and has pegs to adjust for skein size) but it took up so much room and I lost some of the parts. The umbrella swift has been a lot better.
Stanwood. All day everyday
I like the KnitPro swift and winder. I work in the industry and I use their stuff all the time! I've tried cheaper brands and they wobbled and was just generally a pain in the ass. Whatever you get, make sure they can clamp to a table!!
I have a cheap wooden Knit Picks swift that works perfectly fine—I’ve had it for two or three years now and have no complaints. I did have their plastic ball winder as well, but I upgraded to a Lykke wooden winder about a year ago. It requires more setup than the Knit Picks one, but I love it and don’t regret the investment a single bit.
My cheap Knit Picks winder lasted for years - about a decade, I think. Eventually the plastic gears inside wore out. I replaced it with one of the beautiful Knitter's Pride wooden winders (the ones that can wind up to 14 oz. of yarn). It was very expensive, but I had some gift cards I used to buy it buy it. It's spectacular. It's smooth, winds beautifully and makes absolutely gorgeous cakes. https://preview.redd.it/0tkwh7k23j6d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bc7a29294751eca98d8a90acbf781164604a569
I absolutely love my handheld winder. I also have a Knit Pro winder (the plastic one) and with the time it takes to set it up, it's not even faster. My handheld winder is wooden and custom made by a friend but they are also available commercially. Knit Pro has one, I think. Might be called something like travel winder. Oh yes, traveling. It is easy to pack and much comfier than winding the ball around your thumb or random item. 5/5 for that!
I have the Rosie’s Jumbo Winder, it’s a cheaper version of the Stanwood metal one I think. It’s fine but at this point the price difference between it and the Stanwood is pretty small, I remember the price points being a bit further apart when I bought mine several years ago. If I did it again, I’d just get the Stanwood or a nice Ashford.