Winding hanks of yarn

#1

I just lost 20min of my life I’ll never get back LOL Please help!

Up til now the yarn I’ve used has come in skiens. I’m looking to start a new project using yarn that came in a (beautiful, twisty) hank. I untwisted, found the end, got it unwrapped (the twists of yarn holding the loop together every few inches), started to wind it into a cake using my nostepinne… and about 30 seconds later had a lovely birds nest of tangled yarn :roll:

I’m about 1/2 way through, but will have to wind up 2 more hanks before long, so thought I’d ask for some tips… 'cause there’s got to be a proper way to do this, right?

:roflhard: <---- this is my husband watching me “trying to rescue the poor sheep I’ve got tangled up in my lap” :roll: LOL

#2

Remember the old time pictures of someone holding yard draped over their hands while the other person winds the balls?

Tell your husband to hold out his hands :slight_smile:

#3

Where do you have the loop of yarn - just in your lap? that will be difficult.

How about on the back of a laddar-back type chair (maybe from the kitchen?). I’ve heard of using a lampshade, but my loops are always too big for that.

I finally got DH to make me this:swift…http://www.craftydiversions.com/patterns/homemade_yarn_swift.htm

I’ve also seen sites w/directions to make a swift out of tinker toys and/or legos. http://www.folkcatart.com/blogs/jen/?p=742

#4

Definitely the easiest way by far is to get or to invent your own swift. The thing you need to do is to put the skein 1) under just a bit of tension so the yarn can separate from itself fairly easily, and 2) can be easily unreeled from the skein while you’re winding.

Lots of people turn a chair with legs over, if they have chairs the right shape and width. I’ve hung the opened skein on the back of a chair and just unloop four or five loops at a time, wind on my ersatz nostepinne (a smallish pvc tube), then unloop some more. A handy person with the patience to sit and chat while making sure that the yarn doesn’t get stuck on their thumbs is also good. (My partner whines so much about trying to keep the yarn under control and unstuck that I prefer the chair!)

Someone here at one point invented their own swift with a rotating lawn sprinkler, some doweling, and some clothes pins. I’m still trying to find a metal one that folds down into a small storage bag that I read about in a knitting magazine while at a store, figured I’d be able to find easily on the Net, and haven’t been able to find ever since…

#5

The blanket I’m making is all hanks. Ugh! My husband hasn’t been home when I’m winding them and I’m too tired to get off the couch (3rd trimester!) so I sit with my knees up in front of me and put the loop around them and wind off of them.

#6

How on earth do you manage that?! I’m soooo huge by my 3rd tri, there’s no way I’d ever manage to sit with my knees up in front of me like I’m picturing :roflhard:

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I’ve seen photos of swifts before, but never thought about what they’re used for. I doubt hubby would be thrilled at the idea of holding the hank for me, but I’m sure he’d love the challenge of putting together a thrifty swift for me. He’s pretty handy. You should have seen him when I asked hiim to build me a lightweight, portable backdrop stand for my photography… diagrams, measurements… kept him happy and busy for a few days LOL