The Mark Hrachovec Yarn Winding Contraption

Posted on by Anna

My dad is a hero. Any of you who have ordered kits from the Mochimochi Shop, or bought them at one of my retailers, have seen how I package the different colors of Cascade Heritage yarn, wound up on little bobbins.

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You may not have known (but may have guessed) that for several years I’ve been winding each of these bobbins myself, by hand. Even though the kits require only a few yards of each color, those few yards add up to a lot of repetitive winding time!

In a way, the hand-winding can be kind of meditative, but it’s still really time consuming, and it requires some planning ahead so that I’m always ready for larger wholesale orders. To me, this was an inconvenience that I could live with, as long as my business didn’t grow too much. To my dad, though, it looked like an inefficiency problem that he could help with. So he did.

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This is my beautiful custom-made Mark Hrachovec Yarn Winding Contraption. Instead of winding a skein of yarn from a hank into a ball, a la your typical yarn winder, it neatly winds a skein of yarn onto little paper bobbins using a hand crank, a couple of belts, and a clever bobbin clip. It has changed my kit-making life!

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It’s a little hard to see in these photos, but before the yarn winds on the bobbin, it goes around a repurposed wine cork, which turns a yard-measuring device normally used for fishing line. Genius!

Now I can wind dozens of bobbins in the same time that it previously took me to wind fewer than ten. And because the yarn goes straight from the swift to the bobbin, the whole process is neater and more organized too.

My dad’s mechanical know-how comes from a lifetime working on motorcycles, airplane engines, various home projects, and clocks. (If you live in the Tulsa area and have a clock that needs repair, look him up!) I feel pretty lucky to have a father who is so generous with his creativity, skills, and time.

Love you Dad!

27 thoughts on “The Mark Hrachovec Yarn Winding Contraption”

  2. That is so great! You have an awesome Dad! Thanks for sharing this! As a similar business gal myself- I honestly know the worth of these kinds of devices!! We have all kinds of funny contraptions over here at Slipped Stitch Studios as well! haha! <3

  6. That’s completely awesome! :D I love it! How wonderful that your dad enjoys being so involved and helpful! (I have one like that too. :) )

  8. That is…………………..nothing short of amazing. Miraculous even. Man, I wish I had one of those when I had to wrap 124123412 skeins of DMC floss on those bobbins in the past.

  9. Is it possible to buy just some of your yarn in the littl amounts? I have some embroidery on felted projects that needs only small amounts of some colors.

  15. That is awesome, one of the loveliest stories I’ve heard in a long time! You have a fabulous father as I’m sure you’re aware!

  18. “A thing of beauty is a joy forever!” This is fantastically brilliant! Your dad is genius! And so dear that he did this for you! You are a lucky daughter (and he’s a lucky dad). Just once again shows why “let’s make happy” is the perfect motto for Mochimochi Land!!!

  22. OK Anna. You get Daughter of the Year for this post though I’m busy enough already. Glad you found this gizmo helpful and more importantly, makes your life easier. Sorry the back and forth part didn’t work out better but with some creative gearing I think we could make it work. However, I’m sure your customers like the fact that every inch of yarn went through your creative fingers. Love, Papa

  23. Aww, I love your dad’s comment! :) Hi Anna’s Dad!!

    (And I love the contraption and how thoughtful he is to have made it for you.) :)

  24. Dads are wonderful. So lucky that yours developed this custom winding gizmo for you.

  25. What a work of craftsmanship. Look at the beautiful finish and the sanded and routed? edges. Beautiful.

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