Niddy Noddy

A niddy noddy is a tool used to make skeins from yarn. Skeining is required for both singles and plied yarns in order to set the twist and efficiently manage the yarn if dying it. You can skein yarn around a chair or your arm but using a niddy noddy is one of the handiest tools a spinner and dyer can own.

Here are my notes on how to wind skeins on a Niddy-noddy:
1) Wrap the yarn around each arm of the niddy-noddy without crisscrossing the strands
2) Tie a length of scrap yarn to bridge the gap between the ends
3) Make 4 ties -- one on each side -- and cross the scrap yarn through the skein in the shape of a figure 8. Knot to secure (but not so tight as to create a resist)

My brother-in-law Ray made this very special niddy noddy for me. By listening to my description of what it needs to do and looking at pictures of commercial niddy noddy's, he came up with this ingenious design which incorporates every feature you want in a niddy noddy!

It's made of wood and there are two different sized central bars that can be used. The large central bar measures 77" for one wrap and the small central bar measures 43" for one wrap AND when you pull out one of the end pins out the cross bar drops 1/2" and allows you to easily remove your skein!!!


♥ Thank you Ray! ♥ -- This is something special.