FAQs
How to Use Your Niddy-Noddy Most Efficiently. Skeining your yarn is as simple as winding it over and under the arms of your niddy-noddy, in a directional circular order. One full loop is made of two “over, under” repeats.
Can you use a swift instead of a niddy noddy? ›
While the umbrella swift is normally used after yarn has been skeined on a niddy noddy, some spinners prefer to wind their skeins directly from wheel to swift, skipping the niddy noddy entirely.
Do I need a niddy noddy? ›
The niddy-noddy is an essential piece of spinning equipment used for winding yarn into skeins. To measure how long of a skein your niddy noddy will make measure the length from end of the arm diagonally to the next then multiply it by two. An 18" niddy noddy will wind a skein that is 1 yard in length.
How do you calculate how much yarn you use? ›
Formula: (length x width x gauge) / 6 = yards needed. Length and width are in inches and gauge is in stitches per inch. The division by 6 is to convert the answer from square inches to yards. For example, if you'd like a scarf 48" long and 8" wide using a worsted weight yarn, (48 x 8 x 5) / 6 = 320 yards.
What is similar to a niddy-noddy? ›
The closest tools similar to a niddy-noddy are the swift, and the spinners weasel.
What size is niddy noddy? ›
Varying Sizes
They can hold anywhere from 36-inch to 85-inch skeins. Most modern niddy noddies create wrap lengths between two and three yards, although Ashford's Mini Niddy Noddy makes a 24-inch skein.
How do you calculate yardage? ›
To convert feet into yards, simply divide the measurement by 3. To convert inches into yards, simply divide it by 36. You can convert cubic feet into cubic yards by dividing the volume (in cubic feet) by 27, which is the number you get when you multiply 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet.
How do I use a niddy-noddy? ›
To use your niddy noddy, you start by winding the end of the yarn around the centre piece. Some people prefer to tie the end to one end of the crossbar. Both options work fine. Next, you hold the end of yarn firmly in place, while you begin to wrap.
Where did the term niddy-noddy come from? ›
Some say the name stems from the odd nodding motion used to wind the yarn with a niddy-noddy. Another explanation is that since the job of skeining often fell to an elderly granny who was sometimes known as a “niddy,” the combination of her name with the nodding motion used in winding led to the term.
Why do people spin yarn? ›
By spinning their own yarn, hand spinners can make custom yarns for specific knitting, crochet, or weaving projects. Hand spinning is sometimes the only way to have yarns from rare breeds of animals that the large fiber mills aren't interested in, such as Jacob sheep or pygora goats.
Using the indicated gauge, cast on six inches worth of stitches. If the indicated gauge is 5 sts/inch, you will cast on 30 stitches, for example. Knit the first inch in garter stitch (knit every row). This will prevent the swatch from rolling at the edges and will make it easier and more accurate to measure.
