rolling yarn ball
By Lee Ka
@kaka135 (14916)
Malaysia
October 31, 2012 10:14am CST
I just read from a blog saying rolling the yarn into a ball is good, it makes the yarn smoother to roll out when you are knitting, as it's "hand-roll", rather than "machine roll".
I gave it a try last night. At first, I was thinking am I wasting my time doing this double job? After a while, I admit that I really love rolling the yarn ball, though my left hand that was holding the yarn ball was a bit painful. The process of rolling the yarn ball makes me focus and calm, also when I was looking at the yarn ball, it's becoming bigger and bigger, and also the "track" of the yarn is so beautiful. It's like bringing the yarn for a walk.
I rolled another yarn with my son today. He was letting go the yarn in the other end, and I was rolling. It's a fun activity too. After we have finished rolling the yarn ball, he played with it as a ball, and rolled the yarn back after playing.
Do you roll your yarn into a ball? Maybe you can try it too. 
2 people like this
10 responses
@mikesgal4ever1999 (732)
• United States
2 Nov 12
I have found over the years and 30+ years of crocheting and crafting that when you get a skein of yarn, it is often knotty somewhere and the knot usually happens in the middle of a project. So I usually take my skeins and roll them into balls. The store neater that way I think and by doing this you have the opportunity to find those bothersome knots before beginning to craft.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157552)
• United States
3 Nov 12
That is a great motivation. i have known how to crochet for many years but i have not done a lot of it, so far. I am doing more every year, though. I have a friend who is participating in a "granny a day" challenge and making one granny square daily.Then she joins them together. She will use the resulting blanket for a winter bed covering when finished.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
1 Nov 12
I do like to roll it into balls...it's easier to handle. You don't get the knots like you do when you are trying to pull it out of the skein...another tip I saw was to put your yarn ball into a teapot and pull the yarn out through the spout..That keeps it from getting tangled.
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@GardenGerty (157552)
• United States
3 Nov 12
I love that idea of the tea pot. I have heard to cut the 2 liter bottle in half and put the yarn in and thread out the top, and put the bottle back together, but the teapot would look so much prettier.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
31 Oct 12
I wind yarn into a ball sometimes but not always. It depends on the type of yarn and the way it's put in a skein in the first place. The cheaper yarns that come in a pull out skein don't need to be wound in a ball, but those that come in hanks work much better if wound into a ball first. Also, I've noticed that the more expensive yarns that come in so-called pull out skeins are often tangled inside, so it's worth the time to wind them into a ball before starting to knit with them.
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
31 Oct 12
i recently ripped a crocheting project that i had done last year and rolled part of the yarn into a ball and the ball became so big that i gave up. in saying that, however, the yarn that i didn't roll up, became so knotted, it made me wish i rolled the whole ball of wool. the knots took me forever to get out. i guess i learned my lesson!
1 person likes this
@Pegasus72 (1898)
•
1 Nov 12
Sometimes we roll sometimes we don't we crochet and knit in this house so it just depends. I remember my mother sitting me down while she was crocheting and letting me roll the yarn for her, which is a great hand eye cordination exercise. I agree watching the ball while you are taking up the yarn is almost hypnotic.
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@subhojit10 (7375)
• India
31 Oct 12
Thanks a ton for sharing this discussion. Well glad to know that u had a lot of fun spending some time by playing with the yarn ball. i think initially we take this object very lightly and think as if it is exclusively used for knitting purposes but then when we start playing with it personally we derive a lot pleasure from it just like u had great fun in turning it into a ball. Even i also enjoy when a yarn turns into a ball.
What say?
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@GardenGerty (157552)
• United States
3 Nov 12
What a great discussion. I have not been rolling my yarns into balls but I believe I will start doing so.I can see from your description that it is almost like meditation and it is relaxing. I also think it is beautiful to put several balls of yarn in a basket together. I love all kinds of colors and that would be a neat display. I had not heard the other reason about it pulling or rolling more smoothly, but it certainly makes sense to me when reading what you said.
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
1 Nov 12
When I learned to knit (hated it and quit) back as a child, my mother taught me to roll the skein into a ball that pulls from the inside (no rolling around). Either they didn't make skeins that pulled from the inside back then, or it was too hard to find the end or something.
Anyway, I've done that when I crocheted, or tried to find a yarn skein that pulled from the center.
@mzz663 (2772)
• United States
1 Nov 12
My mom always rolled her own yarn and as a kid, I put in a lot of time holding yarn for her. Just make sure when you roll it, you don't pull on it or pull it tight! You don't want to stretch your yarn!
I tried this on my own a few times and it is calming and relaxing unless I mess it up and it gets tangled.
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
1 Nov 12
ANd rolling the yarn up into a ball like this is very soothing and relaxing. I always would roll my skeins into a ball because at times there are knots and catches and if you roll it all out and into a ball it will make knitting much faster and easier in the long run.
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