Stanwood Needlecraft Large Metal Yarn/Fiber/Wool/String Ball Winder - 10 oz

This works amazingly fast depending on your yarn source and I was really impressed watching it initially wind the yarn on.We were using a hank which started out great but then began to knot up about half way (nothing to do with the yarn winder). I suspect a skein might feed smoothly but I'll have to add that later. Anyway, with a hank, we had a real problem with the yarn wanting to knot requiring you to stop and unravel the mess, add to the ball for a few cranks, stop, unravel the mess, lather rinse repeat. Near the end of the hank (20 or so loops left?) we gave up and started working with the end of the yarn, rolling the yarn into a small ball and passing it through the various entanglements as needed. Once that was done, the yarn winder of course made short work finishing up the ball.

It's rare to find a yarn accessory that isn't cheaply made. Most yarn wonders I've seen are mostly plastic, fragile, and prone to a host of other issues. This one, however, has a sturdy construction that you can feel upon opening the box. The solid metal base plate and the thickness of the yarn guides lend a particularly well-made quality that you just don't find all that often. I will note that because of how the gears vibrate at higher speeds, the winder will rattle a bit if you do not clamp it down securely. Even so, the noise is not too loud nor grating. In fact, I was able to wind most of my yarn stash throughout the night without disturbing my family. Relatedly, the clamp itself can fit a great deal more than the standard 2" clearance that you might find with other winders, which is ideal if you have a particularly thick work surface. If you're willing to make the initial investment, this is the one and only ball winder you will need for years.

I was concerned that the cost was going to outweigh the benefits, but I’m so happy to say I was wrong! This is the best yarn winder I’ve ever had! It’s sturdy (heavy) and well-crafted, you can feel the quality! It’s so smooth and the yarn winds as fast as you can crank it! Highly recommend, can’t say it enough 12/10 A1

Fantastic experience with this yarn winder. It was safely packaged, made of quality materials, easy to assemble and very easy to use. It literally took 5 mins to unpack, secure to table, assemble and wind my first cake of yarn.

Excellent piece of machinery. The gears are solid made well, packed well and operates very smoothly very little to put together. Winds great cakes of yarn rapidly.

I love this yarn winder!!! I bought it to replace a temperamental electric winder that would work great on some cakes but not others….from the same skein! It’s fast, smooth, and makes beautiful yarn cakes.

Don’t waste your money on one of the $20 plastic winders like I did. Just get this one. The cheap plastic ones can not handle more than 250 yards per cake without winding itself around the base and they lose their strength on the clamp, warp, and slide off the table within 5 uses. This one can handle any yardage and any weight of yarn with ease. It’s sturdy and heavy so no worries about the clamp warping causing it slide off. Wish I never bought the plastic one that everyone seems to buy. Just spend the money once and save yourself the aggravation of the cheap ones.

I've been working on a project and the yarn kept getting twisted and tangled because I tried to pull it from the center. I knew I needed to wind the yarn into a new ball but the cheap winder I bought did not work. When looking online a lot of people recommended this brand, so I took the chance. I'm happy to say it was well worth the month ($80 in 2025).It worked perfectly. Bonus, it was a lot of fun to use. After receiving I immediately wound two balls of Bernat Forever Fleece Yarn (6 super bulky) and they are beautiful. So glad i got this, and highly recommend to anyone who needs to wind yarn.The winder is solid metal and made well. Packaging was excellent.