The secret to using the yarn meter is TENSION. You need to add the right amount of continuous tension on both sides of the meter in order to ensure an accurate measurement.

We have diagnosed most all of the possible glitches that can occur when using the yarn meter and offer the following Do's and DON'T to our users.

Ideal setup

• Yarn meter attached to table.
• Ball winder positioned about 10-16" from the meter.
• The yarn guide on the ball winder turned sideways toward the meter.
• The swift should be inline with meter as much as possible*.
• The yarn ball on floor slightly to the left of the meter yarn guide tower*.
• This setup can be reversed if desired.

* - please note that the swift and ball winder can be positioned out of alignment with the meter since the meter can accommodate various angles of incoming and outgoing yarn from its yarn guide towers. HOWEVER, each time you change the direction of yarn, you apply tension to it and this will cause the ball to wind tighter and will produce more drag on the yarn making it more difficult to wind. THEREFORE, try to keep these devices in approximate alignment with the meter.

This section assumes that you have properly positioned the yarn in the meter and that yarn placement IS NOT the cause of the problem. Be sure that the yarn is turning the number wheels when it is pulled through. If it isn't, then the yarn is either not inserted properly OR the meter is defective**

Don'ts

Do not pull the yarn through by hand. Use a ball winder. The ball winder provides a more continuous and steady tension on the yarn and most importantly, eliminates the stop and go of manually pulling the yarn through.

• At one time in the past, we indicated to users that they could measure their yarn while sitting and knitting. We have since retracted that recommendation because of the inaccurate readings that manually pulling the yarn through the meter can cause.

Do not position the ball winder too close to the meter. Give the yarn a reasonable distance to exit the meter and enter the ball winder, otherwise there may be too much tension on the ball.

If the yarn ball is too tight after winding it, that could mean that one  of the following problems exist:

1. Something is obstructing the yarn from flying freely through the meter to the ball winder.
2. Make sure the source of the yarn is not wound too tightly or has snagging problems.
3. Make sure you are not holding the yarn too tightly prior to going into the meter.
4. Make sure you are not changing the direction of the yarn too many times between the yarn source and ball winder.
5. If using our Yarn Tensioner, make sure you do not have the yarn wrapping around too many of the dowels.

Yarn Measurements are inconsistent and short

Tension, Tension, Tension - you do not have enough tension on the yarn on either the yarn source end or the pulling end (or worse, on both).

Most users who report this as a problem are typically making one or more of the following mistakes:

• Pulling yarn through by hand.
• Not holding (and applying back tension to) the yarn prior to it entering the meter (not necessary if using our optional Yarn Tensioner).
• Using really lightweight yarns (lace or lighter ) or threads. we recommend that you use our Tensioner if you are primarily using lightweight threads or yarns with our meter.
• You may have accumulated too much fiber from the yarn around the drive wheel axle. Remove the front screw and inspect the axle. It should turn freely. If not, carefully remove any fiber residue in that area.

Remember, if you were simply ball winding your yarn, you would normally hold it and apply tension prior to the yarn being wrapped by the ball winder. Well, guess what? The same dynamics that affect the ball winder and the yarn come into play with our meter. You need to apply tension to the yarn or something will not work properly. In our case, inadequate tension will cause the meter to MEASURE SHORT because the yarn is literally flying over the drive wheel inside the meter and not making proper contact.

This drive wheel problem is made worse by thin or lightweight yarns. Fortunately, tension solves all of these problems.

You can apply tension by hand or with our Yarn Tensioner. Either way, the meter will record a very accurate measurement if the proper tension is applied to the yarn prior to going through the meter and by the ball winder pulling it through. So, if your meter is measuring short, you need to apply more tension.

Still having problems? Please call us!

** Defective Meter - if the number wheels do not turn at all and you are sure the yarn is engaging the drive wheel properly, your meter may be defective. We will replace meters during the first 90 days of use if they have not been abused by the user. Thereafter, we can sell you a replacement meter (the clamp and wood base do not need to be replaced). Please note that we modify each meter specifically for improved yarn usage and meters bought at your local fishing store will not have this important modification. 

Order a Meter and Case here

Buy a Yarn Meter - $49.99

 

Order a Case alone

Buy a Yarn Meter Case - $11.99

We DO NOT recommend using the meter in any of  the following ways:

• With a Niddy Noddy

• Without a Ball Winder

• While Knitting

The reason you should not use the meter in these ways is because you will not get an accurate measurement. The Meter needs a continuous pull of yarn across the meter head to get an accurate measurement. Constant stopping and going plays havoc (as it does in any other case where yarn is being used). Yarn needs TENSION while handling and our meter is no exception.