I consider a yarn winder essential to a well-organized stash and a smooth crochet workflow. This article will discuss why I love my winder so much and what yarn winder is best for your crocheting experience.
The Knit Picks yarn winder is one of the most affordable and reliable winders on the market. At around $20, this yarn winder will hold up to 100 grams of yarn. This winder has many features that make it easy to maintain.
The Standwood yarn winder is considered the gold standard of winders. While more expensive, this winder features sturdy steel gears and two tensioning arms. This winder makes tighter, neater cakes.
Budget Winders
These yarn winders come in under $50 and work well for the cost.
Knit Picks
One of the most affordable winders on the market, the Knit Picks winder will cake up to 100 grams of yarn. The center cone is rather slick, so if your tension varies as you wind, you will have a messy cake.
This winder also has an adjustable table clamp and center cone. If you find any pieces get wobbly, they are easy to tighten.
- Holds 4 oz/100 grams of yarn
- Table clamp
- Most Budget Friendly
LAMXD Jumbo Winder
This highly rated winder holds up to 10 oz of yarn – almost three times more than the Knit Picks winder.
This jumbo size makes it ideal for thick, jumbo yarns or extra-large skeins of yarn. Its smooth, steel gears are very similar to the Stanwood. For this price, it is a good choice for those needing to wind large skeins of yarn.
- Holds 10 oz/380+ grams of yarn
- Table Clamp
- Two Tensioning Arms for Precision
- Excellent Results
Stanwood 4 oz
This smaller version of the Stanwood is great for small amounts of yarn. The consistent cakes of yarn produced by this quality winder stack neatly and are easy to store.
- Holds 4 oz/100 grams of yarn
- Table Clamp
- Single Tension Arm
- Consistent results
Ayasee
This winder includes loads of extras but winds very small cakes. The Ayasee yarn winder is challenging to use. The table clamp does not have a pad to protect the surface. The price is very low, but that is reflected in the quality of the product.
- Small Skeins
- Table Clamp
- Pom-pom makers, stitch markers, scissors
- Inconsistent results
Loops and Threads
This small winder gives consistent cakes of yarn, but not very big ones. The price seems a little high for the quality, but it is easy to pick up on your next yarn run to Micheals.
- Small skeins
- Table Clamp
- Inconsistent results
Splurge Winders
These winders are over $50 and are considered some of the best winders on the market.
Stanwood 10 oz
Often considered the one to compare all other winders to, this high-quality winder is very similar to the LAMXD jumbo winder.
The two tensioning arms keep the yarn consistently tight, creating a smooth and perfect cake of yarn. The steel gears run quietly.
- Holds 10 oz/380+ grams of yarn
- Two tension arms
- Table Clamp
- Very quiet
Knitters Pride Signature Series
This beautiful wooden winder brings both quality and aesthetics to your craft room. It can carry a large quantity of yarn and winds it smoothly into a consistent cake. If you are looking for a winder as beautiful as it is functional, look no further.
- Hold 10 oz/380+ grams of yarn
- No table clamp
- Needs extra tensioning by hand
Ashford E-Ball Winder
The Ashford E-Ball Winder makes specialty yarns more accessible for those with physical disabilities that might prevent them from manually winding a cake of yarn.
This high-end winder is controlled with a foot pedal. It holds more yarn than most winders, comes with multiple speeds, and has an instant stop in case you come upon a tangle.
- Holds up to 17.5 oz/500 grams of yarn
- Electric with three speeds
- Mounted on rubber feet (no clamp required)
CPointBox Jumbo Electric Winder
This heavy-duty winder is perfect for crochet business owners who frequently need to wind lots of yarn.
Large enough for the biggest skeins of yarn, this electric winder will save you time as you prepare orders. With a speed control function and an automatic tensioner, you can set and walk away.
- Holds 17.5 oz/500 grams of yarn
- Adjustable speed
- Winds two skeins together smoothly
- Table Clamp
The Old Fashioned Way (Nostepinnes)
Before hand-cranked winders were widely used, most crocheters and yarn crafters used a nostepinne to wind their yarn.
If you love the antique and hands-on nature of winding your yarn by hand but you want to make center pull skeins, learning to use a nostepinne might be the option for you.
Learn to Wind with a Nostepinne
Winding yarn with a nostepinne is a skill that needs to be mastered. Learn the basics by watching this video, then try it yourself!
You can even start by using a paper towel roll as a nostepinne before investing in a quality wooden one.
Handcrafted Nostepinnes
Each of the gorgeous yarn winders is handcrafted for your delight.
Colourwood Nostepinne
This maple wood is dyed beautifully and hand-turned on a lathe to create a quality tool that is a delight to work with. At 11.5” long and lacquered to a smooth finish, this nostepinne will hold an average size ball of yarn without snagging or pulling the fibers.
Knitter’s Pride Natural Nostepinne
This natural birch yarn winding tool is 12” long. It has grooves in the handle for comfortable holding.
The notch in the point holds the yarn tail in place as you wind. This smooth nostepinne won’t snag your fibers and will give you a clean ball of yarn.
Knitter’s Pride offers this same style of nostepinne in several different kinds of wood and finishes, so you will be sure to find one you love.
Muddy Duck Workshop Nostepinne
This red cedar nostepinne is slightly smaller than those above, coming in at 9” long. The smaller size makes it excellent for winding finer yarns or scraps leftover from other projects. Its smooth, hand-turned, and waxed finish makes it perfect for delicate yarns.
What is a Yarn Winder?
A yarn winder is a tool to wind a skein of yarn into a center-pull cake of yarn.
While most yarns from large craft stores come wrapped into center-pull skeins, most specialty yarns come in a hank that needs to be wound before being used.
While you can opt to wind the yarn into a ball, you will need to use a yarn winder if you want a neat, center-pull skein of yarn.
Benefits of Using a Yarn Winder
While a yarn winder is not considered an essential tool for many crocheters, the benefits of owning one make the purchase worth it, in my opinion.
Organization
Having a yarn winder dramatically increases the ease of organizing a large yarn stash.
If you end up with lots of partial skeins, simply wind them into a neat little cake of yarn and stack them in an orderly fashion. If you prefer, you can even cake up new skeins of yarn, so they stack nicely and are easy to store.
Yarn Barf/Yarn Tangles
Certain yarns are prone to yarn barf, tangles, and knots.
When I open a new skein of yarn, if it tangles quickly, I will wind it into a cake to prevent further tangles and knots.
If I know a yarn is prone to having lots of knots and tangles, I will wind it before I start working to make sure the crocheting experience is smooth.
Use Specialty Yarns
Many unique yarns, like hand-dyed yarns from your favorite Instagrammer or specialty yarn shop, come in long loops twisted into hanks.
While you can wind these into a ball, a yarn winder will speed up the process, allowing you to start your gorgeous project faster.
Using a Knitting Machine
Knitting machines have gone viral, taking social media by storm. If you, like myself, have purchased one out of curiosity and now find yourself twirling out projects at an alarming rate, you know the importance of yarn that smoothly travels to the machine.
A knot of tangle in the yarn can destroy a project, causing you to lose rows and rows of work. Winding the yarn before starting a project ensures that your knitting machine can run smoothly.
Do You Need a Yarn Winder
While a winder is not considered an essential item, it is definitely worth the investment if you are looking to organize a large stash or use specialty yarns regularly.
I love using my yarn winder and find it both relaxing and satisfying to prepare for all my projects by first caking the yarn.
Get Winding!
Whether you want to organize your stash or wind up some specialty yarns, you need to start with a yarn winder! You can easily spend a lot or a little, depending on your needs, but with this list of winders, you will be sure to find the one you need.