| | |  | Boye | | Home » » » | | | | | | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 8.7 inches | | Product Width:
| 12.2 inches | | Product Height:
| 7.2 inches | | Product Weight:
| 2.97 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 9 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 yarn ball poor finishAug 27, 2010
wow, am I ever disappointed. I have a hand ball winder by Royal that I have been using for 5 years that is GREAT! I have a bad shoulder, thus the reason for buying the Electric Ball Winder. And it was a Birthday gift to me from my husband.
The balls finish loose and more in a cone shape than with a flat bottom as the hand winder does. you cannot wind a whole skein on it before it stops,so then you have to cut the yarn and start a new ball? that is not good. I will be sending this back for a refund.
 Saves Time and Labor, But You'll Need to Find InstructionsAug 12, 2010
This is an electric-powered version of the familiar hand-cranked, clamp-on winder that knitters use to wind large skeins of yarn off a swift into center-pull balls. It is easy to use, portable (using the comfortable pull-up handle), attaches to any smooth surface with a strong suction cup (controlled by a hand-operated lever), and operates at variable speeds (giving the operator maximum control over the winding process). It produces a looser ball than a hand-cranked winder.
Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not see fit to include operating instructions in the box. Purchasers must scrutinize the photos on the outside of the box, or search the web for an instructional video, in order to understand how to thread and operate the winder. (The "official" how-to video can be found on the manufacturer's web site at Simplicity dot com under the tab for knitting accessories.)
This is a time- and labor-saving device for knitters like myself who frequently need to wind high-yardage skeins of yarn into balls. (The skeins must be divided into multiple balls, because the machine cannot wind a single huge ball.) However, it's a luxury knitting gadget, because it does not eliminate the need for a swift, and less expensive hand-cranked winders get the job done equally well.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Like it okayJun 18, 2010
I like this pretty well - sure beats doing it by hand. Seems to be sturdy enough but will wait to see how it stands up since it is plastic.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Not great, but not that badJun 08, 2010
I buy a lot of yarn in hanks. I usually hand-wind them into balls, but I prefer center-pull skeins. I don't have room for a winder and a swift, so this product peaked my curiosity.
I set it up on the kitchen counter and began to wind my first hank. The first thing I noticed is that the ball holder tube is too slippery - the ball of yarn slid off the end during winding. I was able to correct this by wrapping a piece of duct tape around the tube. This created just enough grip to keep the ball in place.
I also found that the tension is very "loose" and is not adjustable. This makes very loosely-wound balls. The winder stops at the slightest hint of resistance. I'm not sure one could even use a swift, because the most minor tangle would stop it.
This winder has some cons, but the pros slightly outweigh the cons for me. It works without having to use a swift; it makes consistent, flat-bottomed yarn balls (after the duct tape trick); it suctions securely to any smooth surface; and it can be easily set up and taken down. At least I have a way to wind center-pull skeins until I get my dream craft room.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 I wasted $80.00Apr 21, 2010
I was bitterly disappointed in this ball winder. I had hoped to wind those large Red Heart skeins (4 oz) onto it. I don't use large skeins very often, but thought it would be useful. I also tried winding sock yarn -- forget it!
1. the winder resents any resistance at all. It "cries" and stops, even at the faster speed. I usually put my yarn in a big bucket on the floor while I wind. Even when I hand wound it into a ball, and put it in the bucket, it was too much resistance for the ball winder.
2. it doesn't wind a nice firm tight "cake" like the manual ball winders do. I'm puzzled at this, because it has the same size core as my manual ball winder. Instead, it makes a loose cylinder of yarn. Too loose for my taste.
Too be honest, I haven't tried this with my swift yet. I don't often wind hanks, so I don't use my swift a lot. It may be that it works better with that. Several blurbs I read seemed to indicate this winder if meant to be used with a swift.
Forget using my yarn meter with this! Do yourself a favor,and stick to the manual ball winders. They can wind no matter how much resistance is in the yarn being wound.
--Kathryn
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