Ashford Jumbo Niddy Noddy

The Jumbo Niddy Noddy is Ashford's largest, sized for the big art yarn and bulky handspun put-ups that overwhelm a standard 1.5 or 2 yard tool. Each complete wrap around its four arms measures 2 m (78 Inch, about 2.2 yards), and the crossbars are specially shaped to let dense, lofty, and textured skeins slide off cleanly without compressing or catching. Ashford rates it for finished skeins of more than 1 kg (over 2.2 pounds), which covers the working range of most art-yarn spinners and small indie dyers.

This is the niddy noddy that Ashford specifically tags as the natural partner for the Country Spinner, Country Spinner 2, and e-Spinner Super Jumbo wheels, the three wheels designed for high-capacity art yarn and bulk ply work. Where the Sampler and Standard are tagged across the full Ashford wheel range, the Jumbo's compatibility list narrows to the super-jumbo orifice family. The match-up is not a coincidence: a Country Spinner full bobbin produces a lot of yarn, and the Jumbo is sized to receive it without making you tie off and start a second skein mid-bobbin.

Use cases beyond the Country Spinner pairing: chunky single-ply art yarn, thick-and-thin novelty yarns, slubby singles, locks and core-spun textures, bulky 3-plies, and dyer's put-ups where the goal is a long single-color skein rather than a tightly tied compact one. The 14.5 by 19.75 Inch assembled footprint matches the larger tool used by production spinners who skein straight off the bobbin into the dye pot. Turned from New Zealand Silver Beech sourced from sustainably managed, FSC-approved forests, the Jumbo ships unfinished with a sheet of sandpaper for any pre-use smoothing. Friction-fit arms slip onto the central shaft and dismantle for storage between projects. Ashford has been making spinning tools in Ashburton, New Zealand since 1934, now in its third generation of family leadership.

Specifications

How to Use a 2 Meter Niddy Noddy

Set the bobbin or skein-winding station below shoulder height. For art yarn, support the singles end with a finger or thumb so locks and slubs do not catch on the flyer hooks or pull loose. Before you start, number the four arms 1 through 4 in your head so the yarn path is a clear sequence rather than a guess. Yarn goes over arm 1, under arm 2, over arm 3, under arm 4, then back over arm 1 to begin the next round. Lead the motion from your wrist. For art yarn specifically, wind more loosely than you would for smooth singles so the texture of the yarn is preserved and not flattened against the arm.

Yardage math is wrap count times 2 m (or times 78 Inch). The table below covers common ranges.

For large dyer's put-ups, count in twenty-fives and mark each block with a contrasting waste-yarn slipknot. Finished and washed yardage falls short of the counted figure as yarn relaxes off tension and finishes in the wash; for commercial yarn sales, measure the finished dried skein directly. After washing, reskein at lower tension to let the twist relax fully; art yarn especially benefits from a generous re-skein.

Care and Storage

The Jumbo ships unfinished. If you prefer a sealed tool, Ashford Finishing Wax is the brand-matched option; food-safe mineral oil or pure beeswax also work. Reapply once or twice a year for normal use. For heavy art yarn use where the tool sees frequent contact with damp hands during dyeing prep, an annual coat is worth the time.

Do not wet-block a skein on the niddy itself. Wooden tools warp under repeated wetting, can mildew, and unsealed beech may pull tannins into light or undyed yarn. Slide the tied skein off the tool first, then block hanging free. This matters more on the Jumbo than the smaller sizes because dyer's prep workflows are where this mistake most often happens.

Store flat or horizontal, ideally disassembled in a cotton bag. The Jumbo's larger arms benefit from being broken down between projects to keep the friction joints from taking a set under sustained sideways load.

The Ashford Niddy Noddy Range

Ashford makes three sizes. Each has a distinct purpose and the same construction.

• Ashford Sampler Niddy Noddy: 90 cm (36 Inch, 1 yard) per wrap. Sample skeins, drop spindle output, laceweight, travel, classroom.
• Ashford Standard Niddy Noddy: 1.5 m (60 Inch, about 1.67 yards) per wrap. The everyday size for worsted singles, plied yarns, and finished handspun.
• Ashford Jumbo Niddy Noddy (this page): 2 m (78 Inch, about 2.2 yards) per wrap. Specifically tagged for Country Spinner and e-Spinner Super Jumbo output: art yarn, bulky textures, skeins over 1 kg.

For the full cross-brand range, the niddy noddy collection lists every option Paradise Fibers carries.

Tools That Pair With Your Niddy Noddy

The Jumbo's natural lazy kate partner is the Ashford Super Jumbo Lazy Kate, which holds the 1.4 kg super-jumbo bobbins from the Country Spinner and e-Spinner Super Jumbo. The full ecosystem is Country Spinner produces big bobbins, Super Jumbo Lazy Kate holds them for plying, Jumbo Niddy Noddy receives the finished skein. For unwinding finished skeins at knitting or weaving time, an Ashford wooden umbrella swift opens wide enough for a 2 m skein circumference, and an Ashford ball winder turns the finished skein into a center-pull cake. For sealing the wood, Ashford Finishing Wax is the brand-matched care product.

If you want to feel the Jumbo's heft before committing, we keep all three Ashford niddy noddies on the wall at our Spokane shop. Call ahead so we can have it ready for you to handle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Ashford wheels is the Jumbo designed for?

Ashford specifically tags the Jumbo as the niddy noddy for the Country Spinner, Country Spinner 2, and e-Spinner Super Jumbo: the three wheels in the super-jumbo orifice family designed for art yarn and bulky plying. The Sampler and Standard niddies are tagged across the full Ashford wheel range; the Jumbo's compatibility narrows to the super-jumbo family because that is where the yarn volume justifies the 2 meter circumference. The Jumbo also handles standard wheel output without issue, just at over-capacity for everyday yarn.

Is the Jumbo overkill for everyday handspinning?

If you mostly spin worsted-weight singles and standard 2-plies, the 1.5 m Standard is the better default. The Jumbo earns its size when you spin art yarn, bulky textures, or skeins large enough to look cramped on a 1.5 or 2 yard tool. You can absolutely use the Jumbo for everyday handspun, just with fewer wraps to reach the same yardage; the larger arms do not hurt smooth yarn, they just take up more shelf space.

Can I make smaller skeins on the Jumbo without switching tools?

Yes. The Jumbo is sized at the high end of useful, not the only useful size; nothing forces you to fill it. A 50 yard mini skein takes 23 wraps. A 200 yard project skein takes 92. The downside of small skeins on a large noddy is purely visual: a 30 yard skein looks anemic stretched across 2 meters. If you make a lot of mini skeins, add the Sampler; if mini skeins are occasional, just wrap fewer times.