Winding Yarn Using a Swift and Ball Winder

This video is about Winding Yarn Using a Swift and Ball Winder.
For more crochet with Bonnie, please check out these links: (Does contain affiliate links which will not cost you any more to use, but may benefit me in a small way. This helps me to do what I do as a crochet designer, and continue to offer you free tutorials.)
Both of these items as demonstrated in this video have been in use in my home studio for several years now and are working just as well as the day I purchased them. I highly recommend them!
Large Stanwood Ball winder: amzn.to/3jLVF0b.
Birch Swift from KnitPicks: shrsl.com/2l8xw
For more crochet with Bonnie, please check out these links:
Love Crafts On-line Store: www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/sear...
Website/blog: www.bonniebay.com/blog
Facebook: / bonnie.m.barker.7
Bonnie's books: www.bonniebay.com
Bonnie's Amazon page: www.amazon.com/Bonnie-Barker/...
Instagram: / bonniebarker7290

[@immahulagirl]

My new swift & ball winder are exactly these brands. While it looked as easy as child’s play I messed up my first attempt. So glad I found you! Thank you!

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Hope this all worked out! Occasionally you may get a hank of yarn that is somewhat tangled or not wound well. That has been a rare experience for me, but it does happen.

[@elaineflo01]

Nice video - thank you...When I put the initial yarn through the slots at the top of the winder, I loop it twice and make sure I can pull it out when I finish winding. This way, you are using the yarn from the inside out...and the "cake" stays in place...

[@darcisw]

I love how you tossed that skein at the beginning. 😂 Literally LOL. I’m shopping on Amazon right now, and I took a quick break to see how well these work. Thank you for a quick, to-the-point, helpful video! 👍🏻

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

My pleasure!

[@mosslathrop8599]

oooooohohhh i am so exicated for my ball winder to come into the mail!!!! i cant wait!!!! great video!!! will for sure re watch for more instructions on my ball winder!! thankyou!!!!!

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Yes, this is a huge time saver and still fun to use!

[@mintjulyp]

Thank you!!! There were no directions (other than set up)! I'm do happy I found your channel. I can do this now. 😊

[@kendrao9647]

0:51 was too funny 😂

[@phyllisstevens4839]

I re-watched your video. I timed the ball wind. From the time you started winding to the last of the yard off the Swift was 1min 10 sec, give or take a sec. That's great.

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Cool! That's better time than I thought! I love this gadget and now wonder how I got along without it. Blessings to you Phyllis!

[@knottheendcrochet]

Great tutorial. Quick and funny. I popped when you threw the Red Heart skein.😂

[@booksandcrochethooks]

I have had a ball winder for about a month and am in love! I am contemplating getting a swift, too, because it has been quite labor intensive finagling the yarn without one, but I really don't have room for one. I prefer making the center-pull cakes, versus using the yarn from the outside, though.

[@nancysargent4774]

It’s relaxing to watch! 🥰

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

It surely is! I wound several more hanks of yarn for an upcoming design just this morning!

[@KarenHoyt-Bonkahoney3]

I make the tail smaller up at the top and use it as a center pull for my yarn. I have had my Stanwood Heavy Duty Winder for about a week now and love it! When I am done winding, I use a smaller crochet hook and tuck the end in. I trim down the outside wrapper with all the info on it, roll it up tight so the info is on the outside and gently push it through from the bottom so I can still access the center for my yarn.

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

That's certainly another way to do this Karen! Thanks! I love mine too, and have lost track of how many hanks I have wound through several book & leaflet publication projects. This is such a HUGE time saver. Blessings to you, Bonnie Barker BonnieBayCrochet.com

[@barbstoltzfus9886]

This was super satisfying to watch!

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Thanks Barb! I truly love winding yarn. These tools have taken the chore out of doing this by hand.

[@debbiewalker2826]

After watching your video I purchased the same winder.. Its a game changer, no more chasing balls of wool around the floor, no more stopping the dog pinching them.. They even fit in the cup holder on my chair 😊😊 so far I've caked a 100 balls of wool with ease.. 😊

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

That's great Debbie! I wound every ball of yarn for my first book by hand before getting these for my studio. Yes, this is definitely a game changer!!

[@6996katmom]

That was mesmerizing.

[@iotaultsch]

You're a legend Bonnie! Keep up the great work!

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Ha ha! Thanks Iotaultsch! That's going back a couple of years...

[@lexxielisa]

Great tutorial on winding yarn... TY

[@catherinelittlebear9863]

Excellent!

[@afraali6370]

Nice tutorial u let me decide to buy it as i want to save space for my room by doing this

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Yes, these are wonderful for rolling up hanks of yarn. Saves many hours!

[@linkinsmommy7908]

I'm relatively new to crochet & I've been starting to teach myself knitting. I've been wondering if I really need one of these & after having to hand cake about 4 skeins because my kids decided they'd play in mom's yarn, yeah. I need one. Thanks for an awesome video! Someone gave me one of your books in pdf format & it had a link to your KZbin & now I'm even more grateful for the friend to send me to you!

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Welcome aboard MrsRazor66! Happy Easter! I honestly never had need until I started using really nice yarn that comes in hanks. I wrote my first book, Contemporary Celtic Crochet using some of these finer yarns and hand wound every hank! After that I gifted this to myself for Christmas later that year when I found the swift on sale. I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever! I highly recommend both (swift from Knit Picks, and Stanwick Large Ball Winder from Amazon.)

[@SaffyFoo]

Thank you 👍😊

[@whisperingeaglelanders2339]

Thank you!

[@doreenkrajewski9775]

Cool!

[@KimPhilibert1203]

I pull from the center of the wound balls, not the outer. I find that it's better for me that way. I will use a clip for the yarn end on the outside. But I do love the umbrella winder. I have the same ball winder but it on many occasions messes up. The winder bolt comes loose also. 😢

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Have you tried contacting the manufacturer? Personally I have never had any issues with this ball winder, or I would not recommend it.

[@lydianannen5111]

i used my yarn ball winder everytime to make my own cupcakes yarn

[@v.gonzales1083]

Okay..i watchd how u untangled the twisted yarn and which strings to cut as with the other end and the end with 4 strings to start with but PLEASE DEMONSTRATE how to ball up BY HAND as i do not have a kadaddle lol and i really want to start my crocheting project. Thank you Veronica😀

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Uh, so sorry! I honestly don't have the time to wind hundreds of yards of yarn by hand, which is why I invested in my swift and ball winder. To wind by hand, simply untie the yarn, place around your knees after getting into a very comfortable seat, and wind away. This can take me anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, depending upon the size of the hank.

[@phyllisstevens4839]

This was a great video . What yarn winder are you using?? Thank you.

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Hey Phyllis! I am using the Large Stanwick Ball Winder. Here's a link: www.amazon.com/Stanwood-Needlecraft-String-Winder-10-Ounce/dp/B0078T6KQY

[@phyllisstevens4839]

Thank you so much for that information.

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

For the record, this is more expensive than the smaller winders on the market, but I've never had trouble winding yarn and I'm not limited as to the size of the hanks wound. The smaller winders are pretty limited.

[@joanneyoung1081]

Thank you nice demo.

[@nancygreenfield5070]

very much enjoyed your video. can you please provide the name and link of the swift you are using. thank you so much

[@gerardamerongen4209]

Swift is from Knitpicks.com and the ballwinder is a Stanwood (stanwood.com I believe...you can google it). Both are high quality items. I use them all the time. Hope that helps

[@LindaMarie6224]

Isn't it easier getting an electric yarn winder ??

[@brendatuggle675]

I have a swift and ball winder too. My problem is sometimes during winding the yarn is tangled! It's so hard to untangle so I wind up cutting it and have to make a separate ball. Is there a technique to finding the right begining of the yarn ball?

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Yes, but this does vary among the various yarn manufacturers. Generally speaking the end is usually tied around the yarn. I carefully cut the strands holding the yarn after I have placed it on my swift. Occasionally you just get a poorly wound mass of yarn - which is highly frustrating.

[@kellysheridan4064]

Your hands and your long hair !

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Yes, after years of only hands and fingers, just wanted you to know that there are other parts to me! As I get better lighting for my craft/school/dining/whatever room we are planning more teaching & fun videos in the near future. Stay tuned!

[@JeanHayward]

As I wind I often get hung up Why?

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Oh dear Jean! I too have had this happen. I think has as lot to do with how the yarn was handled by those who made it. Mishandling will make for many problems here.

[@Kangaroocry1]

It doesn't work as well on sock weight or less

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Maybe your swift or ball winder is producing too much tension? I wind sock/fingering weight yarn more than any other size.

[@mireillekulisz8530]

All you need to improve this is a foot pedal.

[@BonnieBayCrochet]

Ha ha! Perhaps!