Nostepinne

A nostepinne, also spelled nostepinde or nostepinde, is a fiber-arts tool used to wind yarn, often yarn that has just been hand-spun, into a center-pull ball ready for knitting, crocheting or weaving. In its simplest form a nostepinne is a plain dowel, generally ten to twelve inches long and most often made of wood, around which the yarn is wound by hand; more elaborate examples are decoratively carved. The top of the tool sometimes has a notch or groove cut into it that holds one end of the yarn secure while the rest of the length is wound around the shaft into a ball.