Looking for a "Yarn Spinner"

#1

Hello everyone,
I have a friend who is a long time knitter, and she showed me a gadget she uses to keep her ball of yarn from running all over the place while she knits. Basically, it is something you wrap your yarn around so that when you pull on the strand as you need it for throwing, it holds the ball of yarn in place as it spins to unwind.
Imagine an inverted childs top, that spins on a base, while the yarn is wrapped around the center stick. Oh, I hope this makes sense to someone! If anyone does know what I’m talking about, any ideas where I could get one? I have another friends who knits alot, and I’d like to get her one for Christmas, as well as one for myself. As it is I have to put the yarn balls in a box to keep them from falling off rhe table beside me while I knit.

Thanks for any help you can provide!
Cindy

#2

this sounds similar to an item I thought I saw in the store area here, but I don’t see it anymore. I don’t recall what it was called, but I have seen it online. hopefully someone will remember what it’s called.

if no one comes up with the exact match, you might look at the go-knit pouches - I can walk and knit with it hanging off my wrist.

EDIT - oops, I read it wrong but I have seen what you are looking for - is it basically a spindle thing on a base and you would keep it on a table or the floor? I’ll try to remember where I saw this item also.

#3

google searches are not bringing up commercial products, but I did find this

here’s the wrist ball holder I was originally thinking of (scroll midway down) http://www.woolery.com/Pages/knitting.html

#4

Thank you Debb,
The first link you posted is most like what my friend has. Too bad this ladies husband didn’t start producing them commercially!
The wrist thing doesn’t seem like it would work as well for me, as I rest my arms in my lap as I knit. Thank you again for your help!
Cindy

#5

Could you pull from the centre of a ball? Or perhaps get a cardboard tube that is attached to a platform, could spin around but doesn’t have to, and put the ball on that (if the tube didn’t spin you might have something like a cone of wool sitting on the floor)

#6

I have a yarn holder kind of thing. It reminds me most of a kitchen storage jar…you know the kind with the hinged lids. This one has a small hole in the top to feed the yarn through and then your ball or skein rests inside and stays clean and right where you want it to, regardless of where in the skein you pull from.

I have a friend that made one from a cheap plastic container she got at a dollar store somewhere. I understand you want to give this to a friend as a gift (as well as have one for yourself?), just giving you options to look for if you can’t find what you wanted.

#7

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][SIZE=3][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Here you go![/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

#8

that looks really cool!

#9

I wonder if this Pirouette can be found in Canada? Does anyone know?

#10

I recently purchased a yarn winder from Paradise Fibers on line for $39.95 and see where Knit Picks have them also. I used mine for winding yarn ‘into’ a ball. I also purchased from Jo-Ann’s a plastic container with a hole in the top to keep the yarn in and it works like a charm. Has a handle on it so you can carry it easily and they yarn stays clean no matter where you knit. I have good light in the kitchen so this is where I’ve been clicking the needles and the container is great. So, by the way, is the yarn winder, it is put out by Crystal Palace.

#11

Dear YarnLady,
That’s perfect! Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks ever so much for finding that for me! I certainy won’t mind giving such a nice gift late rather than never! Thanks again and again!
Cindy

PS Thanks to everyone else for their ideas and sugguestions too.