Yarn Winder Joann – Are They Good Or Bad – My Buying Guide

This craft store based in America sells products for crochet, like ball winders for yarn.

But is a yarn winder from Joann good? Does the affordability compromise on their yarn winders’ quality? Find out in my post.

Note: No winder from Joann is an electronic yarn winder.

Table Of Contents

• Lacis Yarn Ball Winder
• Lacis Jumbo Yarn Ball Winder
• Bucilla In Line Yarn Ball Winder
• Darice Tools Yarn Winder
• Accessories For Yarn Winders Available From Joann

Lacis Yarn Ball Winder

This is the most popular Joann yarn winder, due to its compact size, but a great range of the size of yarn it can wind and affordability.

Created by the company Lacis, the machine is now in its second generation and has been greatly improved upon. An excellent crochet and yarn enthusiast tool has become even better.

Features

• Winds up to and including 4 ounces of yarn
• Very affordable price
• Makes center pull yarn cakes
• Despite the above, it doesn’t compromise on the quality of materials and the manufacturing
• Compact, perfect for those with limited space
• Folds away easily for storage

Pros

• Suitable for all skill levels of crocheters
• Winds a good amount of yarn at a time for a casual or occasional user
• Easy to crank and winds smoothly without squeaking or making noise
• Comes with a manufacturer’s guarantee
• Easy and fair return policy
• Buy with confidence due to the many five star reviews
• Winds yarn diagonally, so it’s good if you prefer to wind at that angle.

Cons

• Yarn sometimes comes a bit loose
• Doesn’t include instructions on how to wind the yarn
• It can be a bit hard to wind without the use of a yarn swift.
• Can be difficult to clamp to a surface
• Limited adjustability with the table clamp

Wondering where to buy yarn bowls? Take a look at my guide.

Lacis Jumbo Yarn Ball Winder

Similar to the model I mentioned earlier, this is the second model produced by Lacis, and it’s similar to the smaller model, except it’s designed to wind larger quantities of yarn.

This has a few negative reviews, but don’t be deterred. These complaints are almost all due to them not using the equipment properly.

The only reason it’s failing is because of errors caused by mistakes of people using them. These can usually be easily fixed.

All in all, an excellent, affordable yarn winder for those who wind lots of yarn or need to do some serious cranking!

Features

• Winds up to and including 10 ounces of yarn
• Easy assembly and the package comes with one jumbo yarn ball winder: winder body, cone, yarn guide, yarn guide mount, and 2 swing arms
• Includes instructions to step you through the setup
• Affordable for a yarn capacity of its size
• Creates center pull yarn cakes

Pros

• Winds yarn diagonally, so it‘s good if you prefer to wind at that angle.
• Creates, snug and tight yarn cakes

Cons

• Can be a bit hard to wind if you don’t use it in conjunction with a swift.
• Some found assembling it a bit difficult
• Doesn’t include instructions on how to use it
• Instructions can be difficult to understand
• If you want to wind a pound or more of yarn, you’ll need to get something a bit bigger.

Bucilla In Line Yarn Ball Winder

Created by the company Bucilla, this is a model that winds and sits horizontally, and is designed for the amateur or occasional crocheter. Equally perfect for those on a budget, as it’s one of the cheaper models available.

It’s no-frills and gets the job done well, made with excellent quality.

Features

• The winder measures 5-½ x 8 x 3-¾ inches
• It’s able to clamp onto surfaces and tabletops of up to 1 – ½ inches thick
• Makes center pull yarn cakes
• Compact size
• Cheaper than other models, it’s a budget yarn winder
• Winds up to 4 oz of yarn

Pros

• Can sit flat on a tabletop or similar without the table clamp if you prefer
• Works very well and winds smoothly with an even crank

Cons

• The limited capacity of surfaces it can clamp to
• Winds horizontally which some people may not like or find comfortable

Darice Tools Yarn Winder

Another budget option, this is on the more affordable end. Still, it doesn’t compromise in quality or being durable at all! Made by Darice, who makes all sorts of craft tools and resources, including several types of winders.

This wind horizontally, and can be used flat on any surface without needing a table clamp. However, you can secure it to a tabletop with a clamp if you so desire

Features

• Creates center pull yarn cakes

Pros

• Easy to use
• A perfect choice for beginners

Accessories For Yarn Winders Available From Joann

Swift Skein Winder Converter

Despite the misleading title, this is not a yarn winder, but a swift skein winder converter. It’s a handle you attach to the top of your yarn swift to make the constant cranking easier. Useful if you have wrist pain or get strained easily.

Lacis Umbrella Swift Yarn Winder

An excellent choice to use in conjunction with any of the yarn winders featured above available from Joaan. But it’s been specially made for the Lacis Yarn Ball Winder.

Highly recommended by users worldwide, this swift is made with quality materials and is built to last for years.

Features

• On the more affordable end of the price spectrum, it’s good for those on a budget.
• A plastic clamp with metal and wooden screws
• Despite being made of plastic, it’s durable, quality and built to last for a long time.
• Made in the USA
• A unique design in the table clamp. It’s highly adjustable, you can position it horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Also, you can place it on an angle. A lot of choice on where you can have it!
• Made in the umbrella style
• Holds hanks or skeins of up to 60” in circumference.

Pros

• Easy to set up and get using right away
• Very little assembly required
• Comes with its own storage or carry case
• Spins smoothly and easily

Cons

• Can be a bit too small for some larger skeins
• Can be a bit difficult to attach the clamp to a surface

Swift Yarn Winder Small

A slightly cheaper alternative to the above swift, it works equally well with both models of the Lacis Yarn Winder, or other models. Made with a mixture of wooden and plastic parts, it gets the job done well.

Hopefully, this post helped you decide if a yarn winder from Joann is alright for you. There’s quite a range of different models available, there’s sure to be one mentioned in this post that suits your preferences.

If not, check out our yarn winder review of some of the best available. Read more here.

Are you a customer of Joann, or have you just come across them? Have you bought or have one of their yarn winders? If so, what do you think? Let me know down in the comments below.

Which combination suits you best? See my review of the ball winder and swift.

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