Solid Steel Yarn Winder -- the most overkill yarn winder I could build

[Badabinski]

Wowsers - what a fantastic piece of kit!

I have vague memories (10-20 years old) of a yarn winder that a friend of mine had. She would frequently buy yarn in large skeins - think of a 1 foot diameter donut of something like 1 or 2 inch minor diameter. Definitely in need of winding into manageable balls! The skein would be placed on an expanding-spoke spindle something like the bulk wire measurer/winder at Home Depot.

I also seem to recall that the yarn winder had a guide loop for the incoming yarn, so the strand would align with the center of the winding stem.

Ah, sounds like a swift. I went out and purchased one of those (they seem like a real headache to build), but I might replace some of the wooden components with steel in the future. In particular, I really dislike that the screws and clamp are all wood, and I think a hard chrome-plated shaft might look really cool for the central pivot. Might give it that "hydraulic cylinder" vibe.

 

[hman]

The name "swift" definitely rings a bell! ... wood lath origami