You will like this yarn baller once you figure out how to fully extend the wire arm that holds the yarn. There is a lot of resistance, so I was afraid of breaking the plastic by forcing it out. It took me several attempts before I figured out that after pulling it out past one inch (from the little part that encases the wire arm, 1 1/4" from the base), the arm suddenly slides out and feels like it locks into place. This little description (of the wire arm suddenly sliding out, without resistance, to 1 1/2" past the little protrusion that houses the wire arm) should be put into the directions. Perhaps that may be why people are having difficulty using it? I purchased this item because it is a great price and the bottom of the winder was enclosed and seemed less likely to catch the yarn. This is a very good product.
Arrived as promised. Used it to wind 6 skeins first day and felt like a pro after the first skein. Easy enough to figure out. Very happy with the value and quality.
Works great. Really smooth, you just have to watch that you don't get the yarn under the little plate or it will snag the yarn. Makes a little noise,the faster you go the more noise. But it's not loud.I love it.
I like the Stan wood yarn winder very much, don’t know why I did not buy it a lot sooner. It winds the yarn very well. I use for scrap yarn. It could be a little sturdier as it causes the table to wobble when in use that is not a major problem for me. Good for the price. I would suggest a larger stanwood for whole skeins of yarn.
This winder feels like a piece of crap. It is lightweight plastic and I expected it not to work when I got it. It works really well though. I had no problems fastening it to my desk (besides taking a few seconds to realize what the fastening knob was for), pulling the metal arm out or winding the ball. 4 oz made a huge ball. This winder seems to wind looser than balls other people have wound for me on theirs (dont know what kind of brand they have). I dont have a swift, so it took a bit longer than I wanted it to...but the winder itself worked perfectly each time. Im keeping it in its original packaging to store, since im still afraid it will break at any moment...but so far, so good. Also, when I say 'ball' i actually mean a center-pull, flat bottomed, criss-crossed squarish ball. In other words, it wont roll away from you and the yarn comes out smoothly as you knit/crochet.
Despite reading complaints that the yarn guide arm was wobbly, I decided I'd take a chance. Turns out that the arm does wobble, until you read the instructions! They say you have to pull it out very firmly. As soon as I did that, the arm slid into its proper position, and held stable. After that, it was smooth sailing. I did find that if I get going too fast, the whole thing can fly off, but really that's just physics. I am learning to be more patient. Overall, works exactly as advertised and is a great aid to my compulsion to get yarn organized.
This feels very sturdy. Winds yarn well into not super tight balls, which I prefer to kit from. I got this one to replace my faulty Knit Picks winder after the second one from KP stopped working correctly, and caused a mess with the hank and ball. (Not operator error.) Wound 450 yards of fingering weight yarn with this winder.
This ball winder is heavy duty and can take a big skein of yarn would recommend anyone get this as there one yarn ball winder. I had a smaller one before but gave it to be my sister and mom to use as it made me cut the skien in half to wind.
The Stanwood Needlecraft YBW-B I originally bought in summer 2013. We're coming up on summer of 2016, and this thing has wound MILES of yarn in that time! It works best with yarn that is not "slick" (any yarn having silk or rayon has been problematic to wind, no matter its weight). I have wound a cake of 880 yards of worsted weight, supwerwash wool yarn. . . as one cake! Have have wound countless of Cascades Eco/Eco + 100% wool yarn (250 grams/8.75 oz/478 yards). I've re-wound acrylic, have wound a variety of yarn "blends," (blends that have soy, linen, silk, mohair, rayon, silk, cotton, wool, and even "fashion yarn!") again, countless cakes. There are a couple of things to watch for with this winder (as I suppose would have to be any winder that less than $100). The "slick" yarns can "pool" oddly, and if you don't catch that soon enough, the cake will kind of fall apart (into a very, very tangled mess). I read a comment on another yarn winder about "sanding" the center to help give some "grip," and I'll probably do that. When you wind the larger hanks, you do risk breaking the plastic gears (I would much prefer metal gears that are covered like these gears are!), so go slow (and remember the company probably won't cover breakage that occurs over their stated amount of yarn). I have really put this little thing to work for 3 years, so I am not exaggerating when I say "miles of yarn" have been wound on my little unit. I am considering getting a new one soon, as the gears--being plastic--have gone through quite the wear-and-tear. I have almost always used my swift, but sometimes I've wound yarn that is bouncing around, which I direct with my hand into the metal tensioner (I just don't fully trust the tensioner). Sometimes the center piece needs readjusted-- I don't know if it's a weight-shift thing, or what, but if you have problems with it not winding properly, that is something to try. I have done it on more than one occasion over the past three years with my unit, and it often "solves" an issue (except very light weight and/or slick yarns--then nothing seems to help). I would definitely recommend this product. I started out a yarn winding novice, and I feel I'm a yarn winding pro. In fact, people who have seen my yarn cakes ask about the winding because "it looks so beautiful!" or "it's so tidy and neat!" Therefore, not only would I recommend this product, my "upgrade" is probably going to be the same one, because I have wound a variety of textures into cakes more beautiful and tidy than what gets done at the stores many times! I'm perfectionist, and kind of anal about how my cakes appear after winding-- I need for them to be tidy and neat; this YBW (yarn ball winder?)-B gets the job done, and it gives a lot of mileage for the price. In my estimation, you will not find a better product in this or the lower price ranges-- this is the one to get you started.
Rachel McGlenister
Works great
I have wound all the way up to a Bulky 5 and it works great. Can sometimes get a little more than 4oz on a cake
Jacquelyn Blankenship
This is a very good product!
You will like this yarn baller once you figure out how to fully extend the wire arm that holds the yarn. There is a lot of resistance, so I was afraid of breaking the plastic by forcing it out. It took me several attempts before I figured out that after pulling it out past one inch (from the little part that encases the wire arm, 1 1/4" from the base), the arm suddenly slides out and feels like it locks into place. This little description (of the wire arm suddenly sliding out, without resistance, to 1 1/2" past the little protrusion that houses the wire arm) should be put into the directions. Perhaps that may be why people are having difficulty using it? I purchased this item because it is a great price and the bottom of the winder was enclosed and seemed less likely to catch the yarn. This is a very good product.
Jay Mark Pagurayan
Good Value
Arrived as promised. Used it to wind 6 skeins first day and felt like a pro after the first skein. Easy enough to figure out. Very happy with the value and quality.
Angie Lopez
Great
Works great. Really smooth, you just have to watch that you don't get the yarn under the little plate or it will snag the yarn. Makes a little noise,the faster you go the more noise. But it's not loud.I love it.
Britteny Forbush
A larger stanwood would be better for whole skeins of yarn
I like the Stan wood yarn winder very much, don’t know why I did not buy it a lot sooner. It winds the yarn very well. I use for scrap yarn. It could be a little sturdier as it causes the table to wobble when in use that is not a major problem for me. Good for the price. I would suggest a larger stanwood for whole skeins of yarn.
Laura Harris
Nifty Little Thing
This winder feels like a piece of crap. It is lightweight plastic and I expected it not to work when I got it. It works really well though. I had no problems fastening it to my desk (besides taking a few seconds to realize what the fastening knob was for), pulling the metal arm out or winding the ball. 4 oz made a huge ball. This winder seems to wind looser than balls other people have wound for me on theirs (dont know what kind of brand they have). I dont have a swift, so it took a bit longer than I wanted it to...but the winder itself worked perfectly each time. Im keeping it in its original packaging to store, since im still afraid it will break at any moment...but so far, so good. Also, when I say 'ball' i actually mean a center-pull, flat bottomed, criss-crossed squarish ball. In other words, it wont roll away from you and the yarn comes out smoothly as you knit/crochet.
David Silver
Works fine if you follow the instructions
Despite reading complaints that the yarn guide arm was wobbly, I decided I'd take a chance. Turns out that the arm does wobble, until you read the instructions! They say you have to pull it out very firmly. As soon as I did that, the arm slid into its proper position, and held stable. After that, it was smooth sailing. I did find that if I get going too fast, the whole thing can fly off, but really that's just physics. I am learning to be more patient. Overall, works exactly as advertised and is a great aid to my compulsion to get yarn organized.
Doris Aiken
Great value for the price, better than knit picks winder!
This feels very sturdy. Winds yarn well into not super tight balls, which I prefer to kit from. I got this one to replace my faulty Knit Picks winder after the second one from KP stopped working correctly, and caused a mess with the hank and ball. (Not operator error.) Wound 450 yards of fingering weight yarn with this winder.
Nabila Sherin
Love this ballwinder
This ball winder is heavy duty and can take a big skein of yarn would recommend anyone get this as there one yarn ball winder. I had a smaller one before but gave it to be my sister and mom to use as it made me cut the skien in half to wind.
Jeremy Waugh
Neat & Tidy & a Lot of Mileage!
The Stanwood Needlecraft YBW-B I originally bought in summer 2013. We're coming up on summer of 2016, and this thing has wound MILES of yarn in that time! It works best with yarn that is not "slick" (any yarn having silk or rayon has been problematic to wind, no matter its weight). I have wound a cake of 880 yards of worsted weight, supwerwash wool yarn. . . as one cake! Have have wound countless of Cascades Eco/Eco + 100% wool yarn (250 grams/8.75 oz/478 yards). I've re-wound acrylic, have wound a variety of yarn "blends," (blends that have soy, linen, silk, mohair, rayon, silk, cotton, wool, and even "fashion yarn!") again, countless cakes. There are a couple of things to watch for with this winder (as I suppose would have to be any winder that less than $100). The "slick" yarns can "pool" oddly, and if you don't catch that soon enough, the cake will kind of fall apart (into a very, very tangled mess). I read a comment on another yarn winder about "sanding" the center to help give some "grip," and I'll probably do that. When you wind the larger hanks, you do risk breaking the plastic gears (I would much prefer metal gears that are covered like these gears are!), so go slow (and remember the company probably won't cover breakage that occurs over their stated amount of yarn). I have really put this little thing to work for 3 years, so I am not exaggerating when I say "miles of yarn" have been wound on my little unit. I am considering getting a new one soon, as the gears--being plastic--have gone through quite the wear-and-tear. I have almost always used my swift, but sometimes I've wound yarn that is bouncing around, which I direct with my hand into the metal tensioner (I just don't fully trust the tensioner). Sometimes the center piece needs readjusted-- I don't know if it's a weight-shift thing, or what, but if you have problems with it not winding properly, that is something to try. I have done it on more than one occasion over the past three years with my unit, and it often "solves" an issue (except very light weight and/or slick yarns--then nothing seems to help). I would definitely recommend this product. I started out a yarn winding novice, and I feel I'm a yarn winding pro. In fact, people who have seen my yarn cakes ask about the winding because "it looks so beautiful!" or "it's so tidy and neat!" Therefore, not only would I recommend this product, my "upgrade" is probably going to be the same one, because I have wound a variety of textures into cakes more beautiful and tidy than what gets done at the stores many times! I'm perfectionist, and kind of anal about how my cakes appear after winding-- I need for them to be tidy and neat; this YBW (yarn ball winder?)-B gets the job done, and it gives a lot of mileage for the price. In my estimation, you will not find a better product in this or the lower price ranges-- this is the one to get you started.