Mikey O Matic Yarn Feeder Platform

This yarn feeder homemade tool is 4-in-1 tool for keeping the yarn from tangling. It requires one piece of wood and 2 - 27" wires. Plans are provided. This is the Mikey O Matic Yarn Feeder Platform.

It's a homemade tool to solve a problem that Mikey has when wanting to use the beginning and end of the cakes at the same time. Without this tool, the yarns will tangle and be a real pain in the a..

The goal of the tool is to have the centre of the ball go down under the platform to your hands. The exterior of the ball will go up to the wire, then to your hands. You won't have to touch your yarn balls when jumping between strandings.

This concept will unravel the yarn from the interior and exterior at the same time.

Option 1 - You can use the wire to pull up the centre of the ball straight up out of the cake and then to your hands.

Option 2 - You can use both positions and marl yarn together to double strand.

Option 3 - You can use the centre of the cake and the exterior of the cake at the same time to create marled yarn from the same cake.

Option 4 - In cases like Caron Colorama Halo, the beginning of the cake and ending are two different colours. Being able to use both ends, you will have two colour options for each cakae. In this cake, four colours.

I'm in the process of making squares where I will have the colours listed as Ball A = Interior and Ball A = Exterior. The two different colours will eventually blend closer together.

On the right of the photo is the starting of the cakes at the interior and exterior. As the cakes are used, the colours fade and change, and you can see the far left, the squares have dimmed in colouring, but it's progressive.

Using two Caron Colorama Cakes at the same time, I can get 9 generous size granny squares in this concept.

The top view has the v-shape cut out so the centre of the cake can fall below without interfering with the platform.

Though used 1.75" thick scrap wood, you can use thinner, but ensure not to drill the wire hole all the way through the platform.

The wire goes up and circles around, so it's approximately 13" away from the bottom of the platform. The schematics below are to scale. If the wire is too close to the top of the cake, the friction increases, and you will most likely have snagging issues with the outside of the cake. The angle at which the yarn comes off the cake's exterior matters.

The cakes will just rest on the platform. I didn't have any issues with the cakes pulling off or collapsing to cause my issues. You may have some right near the end of the cake.

After I made this, I sanded the edges. It's still a bit rustic, so the yarn cakes will sit without easily sliding off.

Slide the wire into the hole. You can use wire coat hangers you may have in your closet. Don't glue it. It the wire has any friction it will naturally turn helping the yarn go up.

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I used Caron Colorama Halo in the example and the reason why I wanted this tool. I had to solve my own issues, so I made this tool to address it. Learn more about Caron Colorama Halo here.