I remember all that too.

My father did a lot of knitting and he ended up making a wool winding contraption, a wooden cross with holes and pieces of dowelling which fitting into the holes, the cross was mounted onto something which allowed it to turn. He could put the skein of wool on the wooden pegs and tighten it by moving a pieces, or pieces of dowelling until it was taught. He could then wind wool without our assistance. Brilliant.