Made By Alpaca People For Alpaca People
ball winders
I am in the market for a ball winder
any suggestions or info I need
most sites want to sell the ball winder and another item that looks complicated
could someone explain
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Christine Zacho on -
Hi Polly:
I recently purchased one from Knit Picks: http://www.knitpicks.com/cfaccessories/accessory_display.cfm?ID=80583
The reviews I read before purchasing were good; it's only $19.95. What I really like is that it can be hand-held or clamped to a table top or work bench, and the clamp is included. I didn't come across any others that offered a hand-held option. Clamping down is great for winding hand-spun skeins off the swift, but sometimes when a knitted item doesn't go as planned and needs to be frogged, it's great to unravel and rewind into a new ball as you go.
Christine
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Permalink Reply by POLLY GRAY on -
thanks so much for the info that is a very go idea and price
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Permalink Reply by Lis DeFrancis on -
I PURCHASED A BALL WINDER SIMILAR TO THIS. IT WAS AT LEAST 19 YEARS AGO AND I STILL HAVE IT AND IT STILL WORKS WELL. MY ADVICE IS TO CLAMP IT DOWN, AS IN THE HAND IT IS WOBBLY!
Oops, sorry about all caps. I paid about $30.00 at that time, but I also lived in a very expensive state, Alaska.
$19.95 from knitpicks.com is a great buy.
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Permalink Reply by POLLY GRAY on
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Thanks that is encouraging to know it is stilll in use.
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Permalink Reply by Christine Zacho on
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... and another thing...
If you'll be winding yarn balls, you might also want a yarn meter to measure how many yards you've wound. Now, you can Google yarn meters and find some $49-70 dollar meters. However, I took the advise of some wise person on one of my blogs who suggested heading over to one of the big box sporting good stores and getting a line meter for around $12 because that's exactly what those expensive ones use. However, in my experience, here's my advise: don't actually go into those stores, but rather, shop online. Trust me, when you go in and ask one of those big burly guys who think they know 'everything fishing', they look at you funny and say, "What's a line meter?" And when you try so hard to suppress that smurk, and explain to them (in a way that won't crush that fragile male ego) what a line meter is and what it's used for, they'll still look at you funny, scratch their head and tell you, "uuh, we don't have 'em."
So, shop online and save yourself the wasted trip into town, and the satisfaction of confirming what we already know - ...that girls are smarter than dudes. :))
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Permalink Reply by POLLY GRAY on
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love that advice thanks so very much
i may chose to prove him wrong by finding it after he says he doesn't have one
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Permalink Reply by Laura Roberts on -
I bought my ball winder at Knit Picks. I think I paid $19.95 for it. It works fine.
The other item you might be seeing is a swift, maybe. I don't have one. I am not sure how they work. They are pricey so I didn't buy one!
Try knitpicks.com and see their wonderful products. They have beautiful needles......prices are excellent. I bought several kits from them when on sale.
Laura
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Permalink Reply by Laura Roberts on
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I am such a goof. I should have read the replies before I wrote. Someone already answered your question AND told you about Knit Picks! LOL!
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Permalink Reply by Marie Bradford - Harmony Ridge Farms on -
Polly...I searched and researched ball winders last year, looking for something that would LAST. The plastic versions are certainly economical, and do the job, however I was concerned about the plastic gears. I ended up going with the Strach Ball Winder, which is (primarily) wood and metal construction, with a ball-bearing drive. It has the ability to create a one POUND ball! The cost was considerably higher ( $115 at this time), but well worth the investment.
Here is their link: http://www.strauchfiber.com/bw_details.htm
Marie
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