If you order yarn online or buy it at a local yarn store, it will often come wound into a hank instead of a nicely rolled ball of yarn. Whatever you do, do NOT use this without first winding it into a ball of yarn! You will end up with a huge tangled mess and maybe want to give up crochet forever rather than untangle it (hah!). Here, I’ll show you an easy way to make your own center-pull ball of yarn at home.
You’ll need the yarn hank, scissors, and some kind of tube with a hollow center. I am using the lid for a candy thermometer in this example. You can also use a toilet paper or paper towel roll.
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The easiest way to wind a ball of yarn is with a ball winder and yarn swift. Many local yarn stores will have some available that you can use when you purchase your yarn with them. But if you order online, it doesn’t help you much. If you go through a lot of yarn, I highly recommend getting your own ball winder and swift. They’re not that expensive, and they make winding yarn a breeze! I have a simple ball winder from knit picks and an amish-style yarn swift from Stanwood Needlecraft (purchased on Amazon). However, assuming you don’t have your own setup yet, don’t worry! Here’s how to wind a center-pull ball of yarn without one!
For this tutorial I’m using Malabrigo Finito and Spud and Chloe Sweater yarn (the same yarn used in the Men’s Thermal Fingerless Gloves and Kait’s Set!)
Unwrap your yarn for winding
First, understand how the yarn is wound currently. It’s actually a big loop that is twisted up. Then one end is tucked through the other end. So, to unwind it, find the loop that has the other end tucked into it. Stick your finger through the loop.
Now, pull the other end back through the loop you’re holding, but don’t let go of the loop.
Now untwist it into a big loop.
The yarn is usually sewn together to prevent tangles, so you’ll have to find the pieces of yarn that are sewn around the loop. Very often, the tied pieces will be made of the same yarn as the rest of the skein, but sometimes the manufacturer will use a contrasting yarn. Clip these loops to release the yarn.
There is also usually one place where the yarn ends are tied together or tied to one of the stabilizing yarn loops. Clip these off so that you have a free end to wind from. Just make sure you’re not clipping through the middle of the yarn!
Let’s get winding!
Now you’re ready to wind! Place the loop around the back of a chair, around a pillow or couch cushion, or even around your knees. If you’ve got a willing partner, you can have them hold the loop of yarn in their arms, but they’ll have to be willing to stay there a while!
Put one loose end of the yarn through the hollow tube.
Now start winding! Go from the base of one side to the top on the other and keep rotating the tube as you wind.
When you’re done, simply remove the tube and you have a lovely center-pull ball of yarn ready to go. What project will you make?
