How to Wind a Yarn Ball Without Special Equipment

All you need is an empty paper towel roll, scissors, and a lovely skein of yarn.

Step 1

You will need scissors, and a paper towel or toilet paper roll.

Step 2

Cut two slits in the top of the paper towel roll.

Step 3

Unwind your hank of yarn, and place the end of the yarn into the slits.

Step 4

I like to leave the tail tucked inside the paper towel roll so I can easily find it to make a center pull ball. It’s best to drape the hank over a chair back, or even your knees, to keep it from tangling while you wind.

Step 5

Next, wind the yarn around the towel roll several times.

Step 6

Then begin winding diagonally, while slowly rotating the towel roll the opposite direction.

Steps 7 & 8

Just keep winding! When you’re finished, tuck the tail end of the yarn around another strand to keep it in place. Done! You’re ready to knit!

Some tips to keep in mind:

• Have patience when winding up a hank, some tangling is inevitable, just take your time with it.
• Allow enough time to completely wind the whole hank of yarn at one sitting.
• Fix any knots or imperfections you find in the yarn while winding it.
• If you don’t have a yarn winder (like me), this allows you to wind up any yarn hanks that you may have on hand.
• The tension of the yarn and your projects depends on how loose or tight you wrap your ball of yarn. If the yarn is wrapped too tightly, it loses all of its give. Then your project can be tight and rough feeling, as opposed to soft, with some cushion to it. Wrap too loosely, and the ball can fall apart.

That's it for today! And what is your favorite way to wind the yarn? Tell me in comments!

Have an awesome day!