What is a Niddy Noddy?

bosworth spindles niddy noddy 1 yard

A tool used to organize yarn into a skein.

For knitters and crochet lovers a niddy  noddy is a great tool for winding up small amounts of yarn (e.g., yarn left over from a project, etc.).

Spinners typically use a niddy noddy to remove the yarn from a bobbin before washing, etc.

What does it look like?

Niddy noddies consist of a center post and two handle bars located on each end, which are perpendicular to each other (off set by 90 degrees).This tool comes in different sizes with the most common being the two yard and one yard sizes.  Niddy noddies are  made in a variety of materials including wood, metal and plastic.

How do I use it?

See how easy it is to use a Niddy Noddy. Learn how to use this tool to wind yarn into a skein and count the yardage. Watch the video below to learn more.

Measuring Yardage

To approximate the yardage measure the length of the niddy noddy and then count the number of wraps. The yardage will be the number of yards (length) multiplied by the number of wraps.

  1. Example 1: A 1 yard niddy noddy with 80 wraps: 1 yd. x 80 wraps 80 yards
  2. Example 2: A 2 yard niddy noddy with 24 wraps: 2 yds x 24 wraps = 48 yards.

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Wild Stitchers

Budget Friendly

3D Printed Niddy Noddies are a great space saving and travel sized tool for on the go knitters, crochet lovers, and spinners too. This is a great entry level tool for those learning how to spin. For the knitter & crochet lover who hate losing the game of yarn chicken…here is how to beat the chicken (almost) every time. Keep your stash organized by measuring and labeling your partial/leftover yarn skeins — the easy way with a niddy noddy. Checkout Wild Stitchers 3D Printed Niddy Noddies

For the Experienced Crafter

Looking for a high quality wooden niddy noddy with excellent craftsmanship? Check out: Bosworth Spindles  (featured in the How to Use a Niddy Noddy video). Each niddy noddy is stamped with the iconic Bosworth logo & smells incredibly woodsie fresh. The top and bottom handles glide easily in and out of the center shaft for repeated use for years to come. The attention to detail is out of this world.

My favorite is the 1 yard niddy noddy because it fits perfectly with my other knitting and spinning accessories in my small to medium sized zippered pouch. I love having tools that can fit in a “on the go” travel sized bag without feeling like you are taking the kitchen sink with you (and that is my “free” not compensated for my opinion — opinion). 

Bosworth Spindles

MAKE YOUR OWN NIDDY NODDY

Its BEYOND easy to make your own PVC Niddy Noddy….you will need some in expensive materials, which you may be able to get cut at your local hardware store), and assembly time is less than 5 minutes (okay 10 minutes tops if you are watching Netflix). Approximate total in US Dollars at the time of this post = $14.27 and includes 2 different sized interchangeable shafts.

I have a PVC Niddy Noddy, which I use occasionally when soaking handspun yarn and leaving it to set/dry. I use the PVC Niddy Noddy as a weight since it is made of pvc and not of wood, etc. It is also my back-up Niddy Noddy if I need to clear off a bobbin, but still want the yarn to “rest” before setting the twist. The PVC is not nearly as travel friendly or compact as the 1 yard Bosworth Niddy Noddy. Both of the Niddy Noddies to me serve similar and yet very different purposes. One tool does not fit all crafting needs…and I am an definitely a HUGE fan of having the right tool or tools, which fit your crafty lifestyle (and not the tool dictating how you craft because of its limitations). A tool that does not aid you is not a tool – it is decor, a decoration, it has out lived its usefulness.

Live simple, craft without fear, and challenge the comfort limits of your crafty style. 

Materials

  • 1/2 in. x 5 ft. Furniture Grade Schedule 40 PVC Pipe ($10.37 for a 2 pack)
  • (2x) 1/2 in. PVC Schedule 40 S x S x S Tee ($0.65 each)
  • (4x)  1/2 in. PVC Schedule 40 Socket Cap ($0.65 each)
  • Hacksaw or PVC Pipe Cutter (optional: ask your local hardware store to cut it for you, its sooo much easier than cutting it yourself)
  • Ruler (optional)

Directions

  1. Cut (or have the hardware store cut it for you) 4x –  5″ lengths of PVC for the top and bottom bar of the Niddy Noddy
  2. The center shaft will determine how long your skein will be. Cut the center shaft to the length you desire:
    1. 7 1/4 inch long shaft = 1 yard
    2. 13 1/4 inch shaft = 1.5 yards
    3. 16 1/4 inch shaft = 2 yards
  3. Slide the center shaft into the center of the ‘Tee” Connector
  4. Slide 2x of the 5″ bars into the left and right side of the “Tee” Connector
  5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 for the bottom bar of the Niddy Noddy
  6. Add one Socket Cap to each end of the bars (4 open ends = 4 socket caps)
  7. Then twist the top bar and the bottom bar until they are perpendicular (point one bar North and South, point the other bar East and West)

FINAL THOUGHTS

My PVC Niddy Noddy is a handy, dandy back-up niddy noddy. This tool not only winds yarn into a skein…it also makes a great weight when I leave my handspun yarn to dry set (since it is made of pvc and not of wood, etc.). Sometimes one tool does not fit all crafting needs…and I am an definitely a HUGE fan of having the right tool or tools, which fit your crafty lifestyle (and not the tool dictating how you craft because of its limitations).

A tool that does not aid you is not a tool – it is decor, a decoration, it has out lived its usefulness.

Live simple, craft without fear, and challenge the comfort limits of your crafty style. 

Once a Yarnsie, Always a Yarnsie

LC. Lichtenstein – June 4, 2021