Yarn Cake Maker

[DameMargaretofChalfont]

I'm wanting to buy a wool winder/yarn cake maker and wondered if anyone had any recommendations.

This one is a possibility - I'm just sick to death of getting towards the end of my wool ball and finding it's become a taffled mess of knots!!

If anyone uses one, or has any ideas for one, please let me know.

I have one that looks very similar to that one and it works just fine. Are you working from hanks of yarn? I don't routinely rewind my wool if it already comes as a centre pull ball, I use my winder with something like this to wind up hanks into a centre pull ball.

Have you considered a nostepinne.

Once you have used it a couple of times you will be able to make v neat cakes, it will never break, etc., etc..

I love the feel of the wood in my hands, perhaps that is just me .

I'm using balls of wool - normally DK, 100g balls.

As I crochet and pull out more yarn, the ball of yarn "dances" across the floor knotting itself in the process.

I really like the idea of a solid yarn cake sitting on the floor unravelling neatly!!

IME the cakes still dance, I put mine in a small bowl on the floor.

I spin much of my own yarn these days. Thinking of adding this to my Christmas list.

A yarn bowl may help you out.
I use one made of felt but most people prefer a smooth wood or china one.

these are all lovely, better than my cereal bowl and Christmas is coming!

yes, cakes still dance :) You definitely need a yarn bowl.

I have a wonder like that plus a swift for winding from a hank. it is very very satisfying!

If my memory serves me correctly Soup was the person who led me astray down the sunflower swift route.

Things have progressed in the last year and I now have more wood and spin my own stuff.

I love the ceramic bowls, more than the wooden stick thing I think.

You can't blame me for that...

Oh dear - thanks to this thread I've gone from wanting a £13 winder to absolutely needing a ceramic yarn bowl like one of these!!!!

Thank goodness Christmas is coming!!!

Thank you everyone for your input.

In the meanwhile.
Old teapot, put ball in the pot, get thread to come out of spout.
Et voila.

Sorry Soup - someone on here found one in a charity shop - I hadn't heard of them before and just had to have one.

Phew! It wasnt me then.

I paid full price for mine :o

Oooh, have popped a lovely yarn bowl on my Christmas list! Had no idea such a thing existed. I live in hope of a less tangled 2017...

I didn't know about sunflower swifts either Desert until I came into this section . Good to have lovely things on your christmas list.

I have that winder - t'is quite therapeutic winding up cakes before a project. but now I want a yarn bowl too. Or a pretty teapot.

Can I ask is there some special trick to finding the centre yarn?? I've just failed spectacularly so have one colour running from centre and the other from the outside so they're different tensions and it's bugging me!

My technique is to stick my finger in, wiggle it about and pull out a big wad :o usually the end is in there somewhere.

One thing I don't like about pulling from the centre is that the ball collapses when you reach a certain point and I generally end up with a mess that I need to hand wind into an outside pull ball.

When I use a ball winder to make a centre pull cake of yarn, I deliberately pull the end up and lay it across the top of the central plastic post thingy on the ball winder, and secure it there, then start winding. It means I have the end sticking out and never struggle to find it, or ruin the centre of my cake looking for it. If that makes sense! I paid full - around £30 - whack for a ball winder years ago, then saw a similar one - in original 1950s' packaging - in a charity shop for about £2.50! They are cheaper now as made in China but the vintage ones do turn up in charity shops, etc so is worth a look...

Oh forgot to add.... I got this yarn bowl for xmas a couple of years back. Absolutely love it.

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/98746834/made-to-order-the-happy-snail-yarn-bowl?ref=related-1