Wool winders

Apologies for not being any help at all on your question but the term 'wool winder' took me right back to the many hours I spent with my Granny. Unravelling something like a worn jumper or cardigan she would wind the wool around my outstretched hands. I haven't thought about that for years, so thanks for that.

Have a look on ebay. There are usually some on there. £39 sounds quite expensive to me.

I remember doing that with my dear old Mum. She'd then wash the hanks and dry them on the line.

I’ve got 2, I used them when I used my knitting machine, now gathering dust.
They do work really well once you’ve got ‘the knack’ which doesn’t take long.
You can get them for as little as £12.

Yes I have two, have used them for years. One is a cheap plastic one and my latest winder is a very good one from Lykke. I use it regularly, the Lykke makes a better ball

To use them I need to put a skein on my swift, which is like an umbrella which spins. I use a lot of skeins as that keeps yarn in best unstretched condition. I buy skeins of wool and also make skeins from my own spinning. A swift is necessary for a skein with a winder. To keep a ball in place you can use a mesh wine bottle protective sleeve from amazon. Take the yarn from the centre of the ball

Right now I am using a fine fingering yarn, I could have wound it from the back of a chair but that would have taken ages. A winder takes a few minutes and the Lykke produces a very even ball. I did use the cheap plastic one for many years

Just seen this thread. Yes, I use a manual wool winder. Did try the electric one, but it broke very quickly. Manual one is fine and costs under £20.
I use one of this little pot type things when I knit. Pop in that re-wound ball of wool and it keeps everything neat.
I must say there is something (for me) very satisfying) making that neat ball of yarn, and it does mean than where there are any knots in them (and they appear even in the more expensive of yarns), I can deal with them at that point- not when I am actually knitting.

I'm using mine (manual, plastic about £15) to rescue the yarn from a pure cotton jumper in a colour that really suits me bought from M&S donkey's years ago. In great condition except for the elbows which have worn really thin to the point of almost holes. I've taken the jumper apart and am unravelling the yarn which will be knitted into a new creation when I finish the project I'm currently on.

I use a Knitmaster wool winder. Bought a good few years ago online so can't remember the price but it has paid for itself in my estimation as i hate having messy and tangled balls of wool to work with.
I have to remind myself to tighten the part that the wool is wound onto as it can work loose with use and it can come off but is easily replaced with no issues.

I have used one of these.
Very cheap and quick and easy.
Think this was £7 on Ebay.
Not used it for chunky yarn as tend to use quite fine.

I saw something similar on an internet video about unravelling a (shop) cashmere sweater once taken apart into its separate bits. I wonder if it works in reverse? Seemed like an ingenious idea.