I’ve been knitting seriously for about five years now, and over the last few years I’ve started building out my supply of fun tools. I’ve been exploring things like very small knitting needles, blocking mats, and even a flat-bed knitting machine. One of the most consistently useful things I’ve purchased is a yarn ball winder. There are a lot of different winders on the market, and I ended up with one I really love. So, in this post I’ll tell you all about my Olikraft ball winder and help you decide if it’s right for you too!
(And if you’re new to using a ball winder, you’ll find everything you need to know about using one in the FAQ at the bottom of this post.)
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Olikraft Large Capacity Yarn Winder
Pros: Able to wind a full 100 gram skein of worsted weight wool with no issues, has extra part to help with tensioning.
Cons: doesn’t come with a swift, tensioning device can wiggle loose during use.
I’ve had the Olikraft Large Capacity Ball Winder since December of 2023, so well over a year now, and in that time I’ve been very happy with my purchase. The handle feels nice in the hand and the gears turn smoothly. It’s easy to set up and take down. And I always get neat, easy to use cakes of yarn off of it.
One of the main reasons I chose this particular winder is that it’s supposed to be able to hold between 10oz and 16oz (280 grams to 450 grams) of yarn. So far, it’s been able to handle every hank of yarn I’ve tried to wind on it. This has ranged from small, 50 gram balls of worsted weight wool I used to test dyes, the fingering weight BFL silk blend I used in one of my most recent pairs of socks, and the cascade pima cotton I’m currently making a sweater with. I haven’t had to split even my biggest hanks into multiple yarn cakes, which I find is common on smaller winders. But when I do need to wind smaller quantities of yarn it still works just fine.
The second reason I’ve come to love this specific winder is the secondary tensioning device. Many of the less expensive yarn winders don’t have this piece, which means I tend to end up having to guide the yarn with my hands. This is doable, but irritating. I find that as long as I set my yarn swift to the right height, I can just let the Oikraft do all the work of yarn management.
There are, however, a few downsides to this ball winder. Because the winder and tensioning device are separate pieces, the tensioning device tends to shake quite a bit when it’s winding quickly. This is a bit noisy and, over time, it causes the screws connecting the tensioning pole to its base to loosen. They’re easy to fix, but it is annoying.
It’s also worth noting that this ball winder doesn’t come with a swift (there’s more on swifts in the FAQ below). I think it’s actually better to buy the two separately (swifts are more prone to breaking), but that may make a difference to some people depending on what you’ve budgeted.
Overall, I feel like the Olikraft Ball Winder does its job well and is built to last a long time. At about 60$, its price is in line or lower than other, similar winders, so it feels like a good value for the money. Given that a ball winder is the sort of thing you only buy every decade or so, I think it’s worth paying a bit more for a nice one.
So, if you’re thinking about buying a ball winder for yarn, the Olikraft is a good, solid choice.
Other Ball Winders To Consider
If you’re looking for a ball winder, after trying out a few, this is what I’d look for:
- A second guide that helps with tensioning
- Large capacity (at least 7oz/200grams or 400 yards of worsted)
Honestly, if the winder meets these two criteria, it’s going to be decent quality. The second guide is necessary for keeping even tension and consistent winding. If you don’t have one, you’ll end up using your hand as a tension guide, which I can say from experience is really irritating.
Even if you never wind extra large hanks of yarn, that large capacity means that you won’t have to break up smaller hanks. I’ve used standard winders with “up to 4oz” capacities needed to split up a 3.5oz (~100gram) hank into two cakes. While sometimes it’s nice to have smaller cakes, I don’t want my winder to decided that for me! A winder is a once-a-decade purchase at most, so it’s best to get a nice one.
The only other thing you may want to look at is clamp depth. If you have an extra deep table you’ll want to use for winding, make sure the clamp can accommodate it. from what I’ve seen, 2-inches deep is about the most you’ll be able to do.
Other Recommended Yarn Ball Winders
If I was in the market for a new ball winder today, I’d be looking at one of these:
- Knit Picks Pro-Level Ball Winder.
- Rosies Jumbo Yarn Ball Winder
- Woolery Jumbo Ball Winder
- Stanwood Large Metal Ball Winder
- Lacis Jumbo Yarn Ball Winder
- Fiber Artist Supply Jumbo Ball Winder
Any of the above winders would be a good choice. They all meet the basic criteria for a good winder. And I’ve seen good things about all of them while researching winders. Whichever you choose, I don’t think you can go wrong.
The main difference between most of these is price. Expect to pay between 50$ and 100$ for a jumbo metal winder.
The only exception to this on the list is the Fiber Artist Supply winder. This one was listed at 200$ at the time of publication. It’s a bit different than the others because it’s made of wood and uses a belt mechanism instead of the gears found on the other winders. This is the winder to get if you have the cash and want to support a small business.
FAQ
What is a Yarn Ball Winder?
A yarn ball winder is a device that can take yarn that has been wound into a hank, skein, or other shape and wind it into a yarn “cake” or center pull ball.
What is a Yarn Cake?
A yarn cake, also known as a center pull ball, is yarn that has been wound into a short cylinder. This yarn can then be unwound from the center. This format of yarn tends to pull smoothly from the center, making it easy to use while knitting. Yarn can also be pulled from the outside of the ball, though this isn’t always as smooth.
Yarn is sold in hank format because it places the least amount of stress on the yarn. This allows it to be stored for long periods of time without damage. Hand dyed yarn also is typically dyed in hank format because this allows the dye to penetrate the yarn more evenly. Selling the yarn in hank format allows the dyer to skip the extra step of winding.
Yarn that’s sold in hanks usually needs to be wound into cakes before using. Trying to knit, weave, or crochet from a hank of yarn will quickly lead to a tangled mess!
What is a Yarn Swift?
A yarn swift is a device that holds an untwisted hank of yarn taught while it is being wound on a ball winder. The swift rotates and the ball winder pulls yarn off of it, so that it can feed evenly. One of the most popular types of swift is an umbrella swift, which operates very similarly to an umbrella.
How Much Does a Ball Winder Cost?
Ball winders vary significantly in price depending on their construction and the strength of their brand name. I’ve seen everything from 14$ for a small, no name winder to 579$ for a large capacity automatic ball winder. The large capacity hand crank style I recommend can be found for between 50$-100$ depending on the model and any discounts.
Do I need both a Ball Winder and a Yarn Swift?
Most people who find themselves in the position to need a yarn ball winder will also want to purchase a yarn swift. You can’t wind yarn from a hank into a center pull ball without a swift and there isn’t a good way to improvise one from things you may have around the house. If you’re just using your ball winder to re-wind commercially wound pull skeins or frog your own projects, then you can skip the swift.
I’d also recommend having one if you’re unraveling sweaters that have been blocked. You can get rid of a lot of the residual crimp from the knitting process by first winding the yarn into hanks (using a niddy noddy or an improvised tool), then gently washing the yarn in hank form and drying it before you wind it into a cake.
Can You Knit or Crochet Without A Ball Winder?
Personally, I put a ball winder into the “nice to have” rather than the “must have” category of knitting accessories. Most local yarn stores will wind your yarn into a cake when you purchase it. Many online stores will also offer winding services, often for free at time of purchase. It’s also possible, if time consuming, to wind your yarn by hand.
However, there are a few reasons to buy your own winder. First, yarn is best stored in a relaxed form, like a loosely twisted hank. If you pre-cake all your yarn and leave it for long periods of time, the yarn and stretch out and thin a bit. This is especially a problem if you wind your cakes really tightly.
Second, you can rewind center pull balls when they start to collapse and get tangly after you’ve used up most of the yarn. I also will sometimes rewind pull skeins if I find they seem to get large amounts of “yarn barf.” Yes, you could do both of these things by hand, but the winder is just faster!
I also like using the ball winder if I need to frog a project that I’m pretty far into. It’s faster than doing it by hand, and I then have a nice center pull cake to work from when I go back to redoing the project.
A swift and winder becomes invaluable if you decide you want to start dyeing your own yarn. In most cases, yarn needs to be in a loose hank in order to dye evenly, so you’ll need to wind it into ball yourself after dyeing so it’s in a good format for knitting.
Last, if you buy a knitting machine, you need yarn that will feed very smoothly into the machine. While yarn on a cone works the best, most home knitters use center pull caked yarn because it allows them to use a wider variety of yarn.
Do you have a favorite yarn ball winder? Let me know in the comments below! You can also find me on Bluesky and Instagram.