Yarn Meter

My dear husband broke one of my beloved Harmony Wood circular needle by accident.  He felt terrible.  So, I went to KnitPicks to order a replacement needle.  While there I decided to browse around to see what new gadgets they had for me to ponder over.  BINGO..Yarn meter with a retail price of $49.99.  Now I would love to have this little gadget because I am a gadget girl but it would be very helpful to have for my new found recycled sweaters project.  I have no idea how much yarn each sweater yields and this would do the trick.  The price, however, held me back.  Is it necessary: no.  Would I love to have it: yes!!!  I decided to do a little research as I always do before investing money in any gadget.  Voila, I found this old post which was discussing this very meter.  However, there was a cheaper way to go about it.  Fishing Line Counter- a fishing line counter what is this???  The search is ON! 

After about a half hour and a little frustration I found one on ebay for $15.  It’s the same exact meter but with out the base.  This counter was originally used for fishing to calculate how much line a fisherman has out in the water.   I bought it on the spot and I can not wait to get it.  I know that can build a simple base which would still be cheaper than the $49.99 model.

Here is how it works:  First you need a yarn baller.  Then run the yarn through this meter and then into your yarn baller.  As you wind the yarn it calculates how much yarn, in feet, you wound using these little balls inside the meter up to 999 feet.  Then it’s just a matter of simple math.  As soon as I get this up and running I’ll post a picture.