Hello, lovelies!

I don’t think summer vacation has ever been more appreciated than this year. Besides working at my part-time job, I’ve done more unwinding and relaxing than I have in years. Ironically, a part of that has been to be able to wind up all of my scrap skeins of yarn.

All my yarn hoarders out there would probably agree that having yarn hanging all of the place is not a good look or feeling.

Getting this winder was made possible when my friend, Taylor from Yarn Addicted and Co, offered to order me a yarn winder from Scheepjes Yarn.

Scheepjes is a Dutch company in the Netherlands. As I was writing this post, I actually read about their fascinating history here.

This is the first yarn winder I’ve ever had, and all I can do is sit here and wonder why I’ve gone so many years without one. I think of all of the skeins that I could have saved and organized.

I should note that this particular review comes from the standpoint of someone that has never used a yarn winder before. Also, I am not being paid or encouraged to review this yarn winder as a promotion. All of my opinions are genuine.

Aesthetic:

The first thing you should know about the yarn winder is that it is absolutely gorgeous. Like seriously, has no one noticed it’s been in ALL of my Instagram photos lately?

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This yarn winder is made from beechwood and comes in three different finishes: dark, natural, and walnut. I ordered the dark and it is hands down one of the prettiest items in my craft room.

The dark finish has red undertones that give the winder a rosewood appearance.

Space:

The yarn winder measures 5″ wide by 14″ long. It is also lightweight and easy to move.

I suppose it would be easy to un-assemble every time I was not using it, but it fits very nicely in the corner of my table. (Plus, I just love the look of it.) All I would have to do is unscrew the yarn guide and the skein cone to store. Unless you’re extremely limited on space, I wouldn’t see a need to put it away.

Where to Get It & Price:

Since Scheepjes is a wholesale company, you have to get the yarn winder from a Scheepjes distributor.

Taylor from Yarn Addicted and Co (formerly known as Autumn and Embers) takes orders from customers by request for $85. You can order one by sending a DM to her Etsy shop here.

Assembly:

If you’re handy, the assembly will be a piece of cake. Of course, as my blog’s name states, I’m a mess. It took me some figuring out before I had mine up and running. This is why the shop you buy it from is extremely important. I contacted Scheepjes about assembling the yarn winder, and though their response was quick, their customer service promptly told me to contact the shop I bought the winder from for help.

Taylor from Yarn Addicted and Co went as far as to send me a video of her explaining the setup. She was extremely helpful and by the end of our conversation I was winding away!

Turns out, the assembly was super easy and I’m just the least handy and technical person ever.

Setting up the yarn winder should start with the yarn guide (the spiral metal part you pull the yarn through). Screw the wood round knob to secure the yarn guide.

Then lift up the platform that the rubber winder wraps around. Place the yarn cone on the bolt, so it rests on the wooden knob, like pictured.

The yarn winder comes with a clamp that helps secure the winder to a table, so it does not slide all over the place as you work. The clamp is padded so there is no chance of scratching the winder and fits perfectly in the groove in the middle of the winder.

After you secure your winder on a table, you’ll be winding up all the scrap yarn you can get your hands on.

Yarn Winding in Action:

For some reason, I always thought that yarn winders could only wind lighter weight yarn. With this yarn winder, I have successfully completely wound an entire skein of worsted weight yarn.

First, guide the yarn through the yarn winder. I recommend pulling from the center of the skein, if possible. If not possible, I always have my yarn bowl nearby so I don’t have to chase the yarn around. Secure the yarn through the slit in the middle of the skein cone. Then start winding!

I still am amazed at how tidy the outcome is.

Personally, I wind all of my skeins that are left over from projects or half used. I’ve also been able to organize donated yarn.

The winding is smooth, so the moment you hit a tangle in the yarn, the winder stalls a little. I hate untangling yarn more than anything in crochet, so I admit to sometimes cutting the tangled portion off and retying the yarn so it continues to wind smoothly.

I could sit in my craft room all day and wind yarn. Some days during quarantine that’s exactly what I’ve done. It’s really soothing, yet productive at the same time.

What to Consider:

In my opinion, you definitely get your money’s worth with the yarn winder. It has worked so well with my worsted and lightweight yarn. The only drawback to the winder is that some of the beautiful finish has worn with use at the knob. That is my only complaint about this yarn winder.

If not obvious already, I recommend this yarn winder for anyone on the market looking for one.

I’ve processed so much yarn that I designed a yarn winder label printable that helps me organize all of my wound yarn. You can find it here.

Thanks for reading! If you have thoughts on this yarn winder OR are curious to know my thoughts about something else in the hobby, please drop a comment below!