For the past several years, Ive been doing it exactly the same as you, though I spent too many decades (yes, thats decades, LOL) winding balls of yarn by hand from skeins looped over the back of a chair or my better halfs hands. Swifts and ballwinders are SO worth the cost :)
When someone visits this page from a link you share, you will be rewarded
I would love to try a swift or ballwinder but for now do it all by hand. I use my knees to hold the skein and do a center pull or regular ball. I find it very relaxing and meditative, although it takes a long time!
Ich benutze eine Haspel und einen Wollwickler, eben klassisch, momentan probiere ich noch dazu einen Tiefenmesser (für Angler) aus, weil ich viel hangesponnenes Garn benutze.