How to Make a Yarn Ball Winder

People who enjoy knitting often find themselves needing to wind a ball of yarn. One reason for this is because something some knitters enjoy doing is finding old sweaters made from unique or beautiful yarn. These sweaters must be disassembled so that the yarn can be reused, and the yarn must be wound when this is done.

For whatever reason, if you find you spend a lot of time winding balls of yarn and you would like to streamline this process, learn how to make a yarn ball winder to make balls of center pulled yarn.

Things You'll Need

• Drill
• Masking tape
• Knitting needle
• Yarn
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Slide the knitting needle into the chuck of the drill and tighten the chuck securely.

2. Place the end of the yarn at the end of the knitting needle (furthest away from the drill) and tape the yarn securely around the knitting needle at this point.

3. Tape the yarn securely again around the knitting needle right next to the point that the needle enters the chuck of the drill. The ball of yarn will be formed between the two pieces of tape on the knitting needle.

4. Hold the yarn coming up from the second tape point and slowly begin the drill. Starting the drill will make the knitting needle spin. As the knitting needle starts to spin move the yarn back and forth on the knitting needle to begin forming the yarn ball.

5. Increase the drill speed gradually after the yarn ball has formed. Encourage the yarn to wind diagonally across the yarn ball as you are winding the yarn to help the yarn ball to stay wound after you are finished.

6. Loosen the chuck and remove the needle from the drill when you are finished winding the yarn ball.

7. Take both pieces of tape off of the knitting needle and slip the yarn ball from the end of the knitting needle.