Im a beginner. I’ve watched several of your vids and I must say, you give the best knitting-related instruction of anyone on the internet. Your pace and gentle voice is relaxing and makes it easy to learn.
Thank you so much! I have been trying for years to find the right way to roll my balls of yarn and this video was simple and instructional with several different options. I have already rolled 4 different sizes scrap balls of yarn into beautiful working center pulls. I ended up using the round handle of my kitchen whisk.
If I wind a ball by hand I always wrap it around my thumb and little finger like a figure eight until I have a nice size of yarn then I fold it over on itself, stick my thumb in the middle to keep a hole in it and start winding it around. I've found it easier to hold the ball as I go around with my thumb stuck in it. :) I like the idea of using the large knitting needle. I will have to try that.
Absolutely love this. Its made knitting a lot easier. I make my ball and just got a glass bowl to put it in so it doesnt move around on me and i can just keep knitting without having to stop to pull yarn out.
We buy bulk aluminum foil from Sam's Club/Costco, Etc., (so the inner card board tubing is longer & thicker than what is used for regular aluminum foil), and as you mentioned, they are absolutely PERFECT for winding yarn! Not only for winding yarn, but I also use them as hook holders (once I seal off one end, I simply stand them up in my yarn basket). Because the cardboard weight is so much higher (meaning the card board has a greater thickness), yet in the end it is still just cardboard so you can easily cut it to whatever size you want, so I find those rolls VERY craft handy! You can even cut them to size to fit in whatever type of yarn carrier you use, then secure one or both ends -- craft stores sell various sizes of corks that work perfectly), and secure it inside & to the side of your yarn carrier. If you want to get fancy, you can easily custom upgrade it by wrapping the outside in clothe, or self-adhesive wall paper, or craft paper, etc (a little cement or hot glue goes a long way), and embellishing it however you want. Whatever your fancy, the point is, they are so customizable, versatile, and the PERFECT thickness, yet flexibility (because they are still cardboard, you have the flexibility to cut down however much or little you need!) You can then use it to wind yarn, and also carry your crochet hooks/knitting needles, darning needle, stitch counters, etc. I've seen similarly made up plastic tubing for the exact same use sold on amazon for $20! *laughs* So, I'm with you when it comes to the Aluminum Foil internal rollers! If only I could get my hands on the industrial sized card board rolls at their aluminum foil factories, I would be in crafty heaven!..*laughs* Good Luck & Happy Hooking!
I agree that they're amazingly versatile! Really, $20 for a plastic tube? Why waste $20 when you can just save and RECYCLE those cardboard rollers? Turning them into hook and stitch counter carriers is a pretty good idea. I made myself a hook carrier, but it doesn't fit inside my slimmer purses (I got into the habit of putting a small ball of yarn inside my bag whenever I go out just in case), so using a small tube when you only need one or two hooks is quite handy. Happy Hooking to you as well! Thank you for the idea :D
Thank you for this video. I was shopping on the "zon" this morning for a yarn winder and came to UA-cam to see how one worked. Found your video and remembered I had a chunky yarn hook and got busy! THANK YOU for saving me money today and for helping me turn my half used skeins into more manageable piles! (wish I could post a picture in comments!)
I didn't have the tools you suggested on hand, but I did use a whisk! I embedded up tying the pull end to one of the tines which kept it out of the way of the yarn and my fingers!
I've done it with the tall pill bottle a few times. It's easy to hold & it does work. However, I've found that with some yarns, mostly thin yarns, such as sport weight, the ball starts to collapse in on itself. With sturdier yarns, it works great. :)
I normally use a pill bottle when winding by hand. I've noticed that the more yarn you have to wind, the nicer-looking the end product. Also, as neenee56 said, the weight of the yarn plays a *roll* in how well the ball holds up.
About 50 years ago my grandma taught me the last method only using a figure 8 pattern to start, wrapped in the center, folded, and then the wrapping process. When you first pull it out it brings the folded portion out so you have a healthy length to start with depending on how many wraps were done. I'd never seen the stick method, but I'll have to try that. And the term cake is new to me, too. I always just called it a ball, but I suppose that unrolls from the outside and a cake is from the inside. Thanks for sharing. It's fun to learn new things.
Thank you so much for showing how to roll it by hand! Unfortunately I've been hospitalized for over a month now and don't have those other option to wind with. Thankfully I'll be able to start a project !! ^_^.
I made an effective ball of yarn by using the first method with my wrist. I made the slip knot and put the circle around my wrist (*making sure it was loose enough to slide off of my hand*) Then I very loosely started to wrap. Once I got it to an appropriate size to safely slide of my arm, I started to wrap it around my hand being sure to grip the end of the yarn with the slip knot. It works! :)
Great explanation. Thank you. I've tried the hand method, unsuccessfully, several times. Am now happily at the mid point of a very successful attempt on my first hank. I'm using a hairbrush handle because l don't have big needles but, I imagine the handle of a wooden spoon would work well too.
Thank you so much for this. My first attempt with a toilet roll ended in a hot mess when I got near the end when knitting.😬 Your technique of turning and twisting the roll resulted in near professional looking cakes from hanks 2-4 for my project! 🙂 Your videos are always helpful and make me a better knitter!
UA-cam really is the gift that keeps on giving. 🙂 For once I’m glad I forgot to empty the guest bathroom wastebasket because I was able to rescue an empty toilet paper roll and put it to work. Thanks so much!
I use a narrow old pill bottle for doing this. I've found it works great for when I divide up cakes of multiple color yarns like Mandala from Lion Brand. That way I end up with lots of smaller balls of individual colored yarns.
I did think of buying a ball winder till I came across this video, I use an old hanging rail from a wardrobe my husband dismantled which worked beautifully so I've appropriated it for my knitting bag 😊
2:50 it is much easier if you make a cut/slit about 2cm into the roll and slide the start of your yarn in this slit, you then hold the end and the roll with your tumb on the inside of the roll. Start winding diagonally tightly and shift it every few windings, so when at the end you slide the ball off the roll the middle hole will become much smaller. You're welcome.
I also use the inner tube from foil as it is 2.5 cm in diameter and very thick strong card. I cut the tube into two nostepinnes, one longer than the other for large or small balls of yarn.
Thank you for the tutorial! So I have a some what silly question. How do you "tie off" the ball when it's finished? I just tuck it into the ball but for the life of me it refuses to stay. So when I pull it back out of my bag I usually have to rewind it some.
go to the dollar store and get some of those cheap hair clips, the kind that just slip under a bit of hair. slip under the end of yarn & snap shut.easy peasy
I use my thumb as the center. Start wrapping on my thumb, then slide the little ball off a bit to the end of my thumb, and turn the ball on the end of my thumb, turning counterclockwise as I go.
I really can't believe people do this method more. The finger wrapping is how I do it, but I don't care as long as it works. A bal doesn't need to look pretty to function, so I wrap it very randomly and make it into a total sphere which will roll, but it is a pull out ball. At the beginning the yarn pulls out a little hard but once it's loose inside, it comes out easier.
You simply slide the yarn off the end of whatever object you are using to wrap the yarn around. That is the same way with other yarn winders too. You will notice most yarn winders (what ever form they take, be it a hand wooden spindel, an electric winder, or a giantic knitting needle someone is using), all have a bit of width/girth/roundness to their size, so that when you are done winding your yarn, you can easily slide the yarn off of the end of whatever object was used to wrap around, and then the yarn will collapse in at the center from the weight of the yarn itself. The yarn on the outside of the yarn ball puts pressure or weight, onto the yarn further inside the yarn ball, with the most pressure on the yarn found at the very center of the yarn ball. So, if the object you used to wrap around was too thin (for example: if you used a number 2 pencil instead of say a paper towel roll), then the center would be too small, and after you slide your yarn off, the yarn would lijely be very tight at the center, and cause issues when you attempt to 'pull' the single strand of yarn from the center. We've all had yarn balls or skeins where the nice and neat yarn started to come apart from the center outward when we attempt to pull the yarn thread, and what ends up 'pulling' out of the center, is not a nice neat single strand, but instead the yarn comes out in 'clumps' (which immediately get all tangled up) of yarn versus the nice neat single strand, well, that has a lot to do with the weight/pressure on the yarn in the center where that single strand of yarn is being pulled from, and that yarns ability to expand/relax or if it is very tight/compressed, etc. I hope that helped explain it. You might want to search youtube for a video on how yarn is made into a yarn ball at a yarn factory. There are a couple of good videos that if you listen closely, you can catch the techie stuff as they go into all of that yarn 'science'..*chuckles* Best of Luck & Happy Hooking!
Why my does not look like cake? Its bulky in center. And above and below less yarn. I cant stand up in table its roll. Thanks ( sorry, my english is not goog)
I use an empty pill bottle. I close the center tail inside the bottle so it won't get lost, then once the cake is done and you remove the bottle, the tail will come out with it.
If your fingers were on the bottom and you kept your thumb at the yarn tail opening and wind it in same place about 7 times close to your thumb before moving slightly, then you'd have a perfect cake that looks machine done. About 66 years winding experience here. I have a yarn winder but I can do it faster by hand and I don't have cake size plate limitations that a winder gives you.
Omg before this I used to have to kick the ball across the living room every couple minutes thanks for the video!
Haha me too , but it helps my feet stay in good matter (soccer player here)
Aaron Gutierrez hahahaha! me too!
Lol :D
mg g
Same, but I dont play (soccer as you call it) much ever since year six (wouldn't that be your middle school?)
This comment made me laugh so hard because I do the same thing 😂
Im a beginner. I’ve watched several of your vids and I must say, you give the best knitting-related instruction of anyone on the internet. Your pace and gentle voice is relaxing and makes it easy to learn.
Thank you so much! I have been trying for years to find the right way to roll my balls of yarn and this video was simple and instructional with several different options. I have already rolled 4 different sizes scrap balls of yarn into beautiful working center pulls. I ended up using the round handle of my kitchen whisk.
IT WORKS!!!! I used my fingers and it’s a funky shape like a patted meatball but it Works!!! Thank you!!!!👏🧶😁👍
If I wind a ball by hand I always wrap it around my thumb and little finger like a figure eight until I have a nice size of yarn then I fold it over on itself, stick my thumb in the middle to keep a hole in it and start winding it around. I've found it easier to hold the ball as I go around with my thumb stuck in it. :) I like the idea of using the large knitting needle. I will have to try that.
I used a $1 turkey baster took off the bulb followed instructions, my yarn ball turned out perfect.
Thanks to UA-cam I can learn the simplest things that I was never taught... thanks for the tutorial.
Glad to be of help!
and to think I was going to buy a ball winder. This saves me money. Thanks
B Purly I was gonna buy one too, but I thought that I better check UA-cam before any major decisions
Absolutely love this. Its made knitting a lot easier. I make my ball and just got a glass bowl to put it in so it doesnt move around on me and i can just keep knitting without having to stop to pull yarn out.
Thank you. This is the prettiest hand wound ball I’ve ever seen. 🧶
I used a highlighter. Had a tight center and worked just perfectly. Bless your soul, this is going to make my life so much easier.
The size of the blue ball that we used to create the video is only about 20 to 30 yds. The grey cake in the beginning of the video is about 100 yds.
the criss-cross effect IS important! :)
I use the roll that comes inside the aluminum foil since it's a sturdier cardboard.
We buy bulk aluminum foil from Sam's Club/Costco, Etc., (so the inner card board tubing is longer & thicker than what is used for regular aluminum foil), and as you mentioned, they are absolutely PERFECT for winding yarn! Not only for winding yarn, but I also use them as hook holders (once I seal off one end, I simply stand them up in my yarn basket). Because the cardboard weight is so much higher (meaning the card board has a greater thickness), yet in the end it is still just cardboard so you can easily cut it to whatever size you want, so I find those rolls VERY craft handy! You can even cut them to size to fit in whatever type of yarn carrier you use, then secure one or both ends -- craft stores sell various sizes of corks that work perfectly), and secure it inside & to the side of your yarn carrier. If you want to get fancy, you can easily custom upgrade it by wrapping the outside in clothe, or self-adhesive wall paper, or craft paper, etc (a little cement or hot glue goes a long way), and embellishing it however you want. Whatever your fancy, the point is, they are so customizable, versatile, and the PERFECT thickness, yet flexibility (because they are still cardboard, you have the flexibility to cut down however much or little you need!) You can then use it to wind yarn, and also carry your crochet hooks/knitting needles, darning needle, stitch counters, etc. I've seen similarly made up plastic tubing for the exact same use sold on amazon for $20! *laughs* So, I'm with you when it comes to the Aluminum Foil internal rollers! If only I could get my hands on the industrial sized card board rolls at their aluminum foil factories, I would be in crafty heaven!..*laughs*
Good Luck & Happy Hooking!
I agree that they're amazingly versatile! Really, $20 for a plastic tube? Why waste $20 when you can just save and RECYCLE those cardboard rollers? Turning them into hook and stitch counter carriers is a pretty good idea. I made myself a hook carrier, but it doesn't fit inside my slimmer purses (I got into the habit of putting a small ball of yarn inside my bag whenever I go out just in case), so using a small tube when you only need one or two hooks is quite handy.
Happy Hooking to you as well! Thank you for the idea :D
Bonnie Buchana
Zim Vader0017 croche borders
croche borers
You saved me from buying a winder. All my messy used balls were driving me nuts thank you so much!
Thank you for this video. I was shopping on the "zon" this morning for a yarn winder and came to UA-cam to see how one worked. Found your video and remembered I had a chunky yarn hook and got busy! THANK YOU for saving me money today and for helping me turn my half used skeins into more manageable piles! (wish I could post a picture in comments!)
I didn't have the tools you suggested on hand, but I did use a whisk! I embedded up tying the pull end to one of the tines which kept it out of the way of the yarn and my fingers!
I'm forever getting my yarn in knots!!
Thank you. Something to do tonight since I am not in the mood to knit, but wanted something to do with my hands. Appreciate the upload.
Thank you so much for this tutorial!! My kitties will no longer declare play time whenever I knit or crochet! :D
I am going to try this with a tall pill bottle, I'll tuck the beginning in the bottle with the cap on to hold it.
How did this work out? I would love to know
I've done it with the tall pill bottle a few times. It's easy to hold & it does work. However, I've found that with some yarns, mostly thin yarns, such as sport weight, the ball starts to collapse in on itself. With sturdier yarns, it works great. :)
I normally use a pill bottle when winding by hand. I've noticed that the more yarn you have to wind, the nicer-looking the end product. Also, as neenee56 said, the weight of the yarn plays a *roll* in how well the ball holds up.
@@neenee56 how do you use a pill bottle
I've tried the two-fingers method, but really love your #50 needle idea. Thanks!
About 50 years ago my grandma taught me the last method only using a figure 8 pattern to start, wrapped in the center, folded, and then the wrapping process. When you first pull it out it brings the folded portion out so you have a healthy length to start with depending on how many wraps were done. I'd never seen the stick method, but I'll have to try that. And the term cake is new to me, too. I always just called it a ball, but I suppose that unrolls from the outside and a cake is from the inside. Thanks for sharing. It's fun to learn new things.
Thank you for this tutorial! I used a can of dry shampoo for rolling my yarn! Came out amazing 😄
Thank you for the lovely video... Truly amazing... I used a stick to roll my yarn into a ball..
Thank you so much for showing how to roll it by hand! Unfortunately I've been hospitalized for over a month now and don't have those other option to wind with. Thankfully I'll be able to start a project !! ^_^.
Thank you very much. I don't knit or crochet now, but I do sew, and I'm going to try making a ball from a skein of basting thread that's coming to me.
I made an effective ball of yarn by using the first method with my wrist. I made the slip knot and put the circle around my wrist (*making sure it was loose enough to slide off of my hand*) Then I very loosely started to wrap. Once I got it to an appropriate size to safely slide of my arm, I started to wrap it around my hand being sure to grip the end of the yarn with the slip knot. It works! :)
Thank you! This was nice with clear instructions. I learned how with your video and then taught my 8 year old daughter how.
I just used a piece of 1" (clean) doweling from the garage! Thanks! My ball of yarn looks great!
"Most of the time you'll have your fingers." Sadly, this is true.
Great explanation. Thank you. I've tried the hand method, unsuccessfully, several times. Am now happily at the mid point of a very successful attempt on my first hank. I'm using a hairbrush handle because l don't have big needles but, I imagine the handle of a wooden spoon would work well too.
Oh I've used all kinds of things; remote controls, curling irons, hair brush handles...
you are amazing...thanks so so much for all of your tips...not on this vidoe..but on ALL of them.
I've got one of the plastic spindles but I could never get the nice cake. This was really clear and helpful. Thanks!!
Thank you so much for this. My first attempt with a toilet roll ended in a hot mess when I got near the end when knitting.😬 Your technique of turning and twisting the roll resulted in near professional looking cakes from hanks 2-4 for my project! 🙂 Your videos are always helpful and make me a better knitter!
That's great!
This works brilliantly!
Why did I never know this was possible! Appreciate it 🙏🏽😅
Wow that helped to make perfect yarn balls without a yarn ball maker
UA-cam really is the gift that keeps on giving. 🙂 For once I’m glad I forgot to empty the guest bathroom wastebasket because I was able to rescue an empty toilet paper roll and put it to work. Thanks so much!
Wow that is wonderful. Thank you
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for thus video! Just what I needed because today is organize my stash day!
How cool is this. This will come in handy.
I use a narrow old pill bottle for doing this. I've found it works great for when I divide up cakes of multiple color yarns like Mandala from Lion Brand. That way I end up with lots of smaller balls of individual colored yarns.
This helps so much THANK YOU 🙏🏽🙏🏽
I've used a marker and the end of one of the light up crochet hooks (crochet lite).
I did think of buying a ball winder till I came across this video, I use an old hanging rail from a wardrobe my husband dismantled which worked beautifully so I've appropriated it for my knitting bag 😊
So awesome! Thanks! ❤
Thank you so much! It worked perfectly with my size 35 knitting needle.
So after you've rolled and reached the end of the yarn - what do you do with that tail? Just tuck it in somewhere?
I would usually get a crochet hook and put it through the ball and pull the tail through
Stick an Elastic band around the ball to secure it?
I like this method. Thanks for your information.
Many thanks from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This is awesome and you are funny 😂 thanks for something new to me and the chuckles 😂
Great tutorial. Thanks!
Thank you i made it and it turned out really nice 😊
COOL! Now I can make my scrap yarn pretty lol
:P
Thank you.excellent work I love it.
AWESOME! THANK YOU!
Thank you for these easy instructions, now I won't need to buy an expensive yarn winder.
2:50 it is much easier if you make a cut/slit about 2cm into the roll and slide the start of your yarn in this slit, you then hold the end and the roll with your tumb on the inside of the roll. Start winding diagonally tightly and shift it every few windings, so when at the end you slide the ball off the roll the middle hole will become much smaller. You're welcome.
Wonderful
So cool...thx for sharing, very helpful indeed!
I also use the inner tube from foil as it is 2.5 cm in diameter and very thick strong card. I cut the tube into two nostepinnes, one longer than the other for large or small balls of yarn.
You’re wonderful.
Thank you for the tutorial! So I have a some what silly question. How do you "tie off" the ball when it's finished? I just tuck it into the ball but for the life of me it refuses to stay. So when I pull it back out of my bag I usually have to rewind it some.
I had the same question!
I think you just have to tuck it in securely(under more thread).
go to the dollar store and get some of those cheap hair clips, the kind that just slip under a bit of hair. slip under the end of yarn & snap shut.easy peasy
Or a bobbypin and pin it to the ball. Good idea Ellen!
@@thewitchhut63 or an elastic band?
Great video....thanks
this vid was great helped a lot!
awesome trick!!
Such a great idea!
Cool! Thanks!
Awesome
A French rolling pin would be great to use. Thanks for posting
would love to see that done!
Thanks. This is great.
Super helpful, thanks so much!
Awesome Thank You
I use my thumb as the center. Start wrapping on my thumb, then slide the little ball off a bit to the end of my thumb, and turn the ball on the end of my thumb, turning counterclockwise as I go.
I really can't believe people do this method more.
The finger wrapping is how I do it, but I don't care as long as it works. A bal doesn't need to look pretty to function, so I wrap it very randomly and make it into a total sphere which will roll, but it is a pull out ball. At the beginning the yarn pulls out a little hard but once it's loose inside, it comes out easier.
Could you use a rolling pin?
How do you take the yarn off the needle or tp roll? I'm new to this stuff.
You simply slide the yarn off the end of whatever object you are using to wrap the yarn around. That is the same way with other yarn winders too. You will notice most yarn winders (what ever form they take, be it a hand wooden spindel, an electric winder, or a giantic knitting needle someone is using), all have a bit of width/girth/roundness to their size, so that when you are done winding your yarn, you can easily slide the yarn off of the end of whatever object was used to wrap around, and then the yarn will collapse in at the center from the weight of the yarn itself. The yarn on the outside of the yarn ball puts pressure or weight, onto the yarn further inside the yarn ball, with the most pressure on the yarn found at the very center of the yarn ball. So, if the object you used to wrap around was too thin (for example: if you used a number 2 pencil instead of say a paper towel roll), then the center would be too small, and after you slide your yarn off, the yarn would lijely be very tight at the center, and cause issues when you attempt to 'pull' the single strand of yarn from the center. We've all had yarn balls or skeins where the nice and neat yarn started to come apart from the center outward when we attempt to pull the yarn thread, and what ends up 'pulling' out of the center, is not a nice neat single strand, but instead the yarn comes out in 'clumps' (which immediately get all tangled up) of yarn versus the nice neat single strand, well, that has a lot to do with the weight/pressure on the yarn in the center where that single strand of yarn is being pulled from, and that yarns ability to expand/relax or if it is very tight/compressed, etc.
I hope that helped explain it. You might want to search youtube for a video on how yarn is made into a yarn ball at a yarn factory. There are a couple of good videos that if you listen closely, you can catch the techie stuff as they go into all of that yarn 'science'..*chuckles*
Best of Luck & Happy Hooking!
All I can is AWESOME!!!!!!!
Oh yeah, this is cool. I agree the criss cross is very important.
can't really make a cake shape, but balls are good too. my hand's a bit tired, but I'm not often re-skeining yarn, so it's not a big deal.
Thank you so much! YaY! 💗💖💗
nice
sooooo...the center pull is that beginning tail you made? The slip knotted end???
***** thats what id like to know too.....i either missed it or he didnt say...
+Poenut 2:13, you pull out the slip-knotted end to start knitting with.
+Theresa Marion Thanks! :)
fantastic thank you!! :)
I like your tutorial, but I had a hard time doing this method. The yarn kept slipping off the ball and turning onto the needle. Tips?
Thank you
Would this work with a 20 mm crochet hook?
I don't see why not.
Thanks! Haha, mine looks like a football! Awesome!!
Why my does not look like cake? Its bulky in center. And above and below less yarn. I cant stand up in table its roll. Thanks ( sorry, my english is not goog)
Thank u soo much!
Super
Gives definition to 'broomstock lace" when you use a broom to wrap
For what is the SlipKnot for ?
How to judge now many yards in that size ball
How do you make the donut type?
I use an empty pill bottle. I close the center tail inside the bottle so it won't get lost, then once the cake is done and you remove the bottle, the tail will come out with it.
you can use a Ring Mandrel!
If your fingers were on the bottom and you kept your thumb at the yarn tail opening and wind it in same place about 7 times close to your thumb before moving slightly, then you'd have a perfect cake that looks machine done. About 66 years winding experience here. I have a yarn winder but I can do it faster by hand and I don't have cake size plate limitations that a winder gives you.
👍