I got my new wool yarn cake’d when I went to LYS with my best friend a couple days back, the woman used this cool wooden contraption to turn the skein into a cake for me. Knitting from a cake is awesome!!! 
Ever get your yarn cake-d?
1 Like
:teehee: The cool wooden contraption is called a swift. It holds the yarn while the ball winder winds. The “cake” is actually called a center pull ball. Some people still use the outside yarn though. I always get my hanks wound if I buy them at the yarn store, but when I by them elsewhere I often wind my own because I don’t own all that yet. It’s easy and there is a video under tips I think. (videos at the top of the page)
2 Likes
I got the KnitPicks Yarn Ball Winder a while back and to this with all my yarn. LOVE IT!!!
That was a ball winder. I wind by hand because most of the yarn I get is already in a center pull skein.
I like that it’s flat on the bottom and top, so I can lay it on a table or wherever and knit away. MUCH better. 
1 Like
I am so jealous right now as my yarn has been twisting threw the centre pull with another piece and it looks like it has been run over. I will have to check if my lys does this!
I’m not sure if they’ll do it if you haven’t bought the yarn there, but it’s worth a try! 
I am willing to convert over to my lys for my yarn if they do this… 
The first thing my granddaughter wants to do when she comes over is wind yarn … out comes the swift and ball winder … we have even wound some center pull skeins … just because we can. Another thing we like to do is tie left over yarn together then wind it as one ball. We made a doll blanket out of one ball … the other two are waiting for to decide what they want to be. Even the knots and tails make for interesting “fabric”.
2 Likes
You could just buy the ball winder. There is a relatively cheap one that works pretty well from knitpicks. I think it was only about $25 with shipping and everything.
The swift tends to cost a little bit more. I don’t own one of those yet. I just make my b/f stand there with his arms held out while I unwind it off of his hands. Though the swifts are much nicer.
I also love to wind balls. Even if I get a center pull skein I will still wind it into a ball. They tend to be more compact in the wound ball than in the skein. So I can fit more in my yarn drawers that way. I’ve been told that I’m not allowed to have more than 3 drawers full of yarn at one time. So I like to make them as small as possible so I can fit more.
sounds like a nursery rhyme
I just got a swift! I had a 50 percent off coupon for Joann Fabrics and on their website (its not sold in the store) I got a swift for $35 bucks! I also ordered a ball winder from Knitpicks for $20! I love using them:cheering: ! It’s a lot of fun! I just couldn’t pass up a swift for $35! It’s working great so far!
1 Like
When winding into a ball be careful not to stretch the yarn and then have it sit in a ball for a long time. This will kill some of the soft, fluffiness of the yarn. A well wrapped ball/cake of yarn can still be fluffy and compact.
As for yarn swifts, I made one this weekend out of 2 yard sticks, a Lazy Susan base and some scrap wood. Since all the items had been picked up over the years I don’t know the cost, but less than $10.
Set up the ball winder and swift and crank as I watch old movies.
1 Like
Part of me wants to grab a bucket of tinker toys and see if I can make one.
:lol: You probably could if you glued them together! And the yarn wasn’t heavy. :teehee:
There is actually a tutorial out there somewhere on a Tinkertoy swift. I tried it and it didn’t work too well. We have the cheap plastic ones so I don’t know if that makes a difference. The yarn kept flying off of it or it was tipping over. That’s what makes me skeptical of a flat-type swift over an umbrella one.
i bought mine for about $25 at amazon… i LOVE IT!
I also love that i can knit from both ends of the skein at once after i wind it…
I think this requires a picture!
see that sounds more like something I would do… mainly because if I go and buy something and I don’t show that I am using it enough the knitting police give me crap about it! Probably because I am known for starting new crafts…mmm lets see, pottery, stained glass, painting, knitting, scrapbooking etc… LOL! i have a room upstair full of grand ideas! LOL!
As for yarn swifts, I made one this weekend out of 2 yard sticks, a Lazy Susan base and some scrap wood. Since all the items had been picked up over the years I don’t know the cost, but less than $10.
How about you writing up a pattern and letting us folks(me) who dont want to spend upwards twards $85 on one, have it. PLEASE?
My husband would prob jump at the chance of making one so he doesnt have to be my swift anymore. LOL