How to make a ball of yarn

Instructions on how to wrap yarn into a ball that won't tangle while you knit or crochet.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Yarn

1. A yarn ball is the thing you see kittens playing with on sappy greeting cards. It's also a really good way to wind string so you can unravel it without tangling it.
   
   To make one, pull the free end out of a skein of yarn, pinch it between your finger and thumb, and let the free end hang down like a long tail alongside your thumb and down past your wrist, all the way to your elbow.

2. Wrap the non-tail end of the yarn around your fingers a couple of times, then shift the angle, and wrap it a few more times.
   
   Keep doing this until it becomes a wad of yarn.

3. Slip your finger free and keep wrapping until the yarn wad becomes a yarn ball (with your thumb stuck in the middle, and a tail hanging out).
   
   If the ball gets too big for your thumb, you can slip it out and use your finger as long as the tail continues to hang out.
   
   Keep winding the yarn until you run out.

4. 

   Wrap the last bit of yarn around a few outside strands to secure it, tuck the end into the layers.
   
   Congratulations, you have a ball of yarn!
   
   When you are ready to use the yarn in a project, pull on the tail that you left sticking out from the middle of the ball.
   
   As you continue to knit or crochet the free end, you will keep feeding yarn from the ball. The ball will slowly unravel from the inside out, without getting tangled on the outer layers as it's unwound.

[anglalyn]

on 12/9/2008 very good advice... thanks!