Why Do Knitters Make Yarn Balls?

Yarn balls are frequently associated by non-knitters as items cats enjoy playing with. To knitters, however, yarn balls are much more important. It makes the process of knitting much easier and makes the yarn significantly more accessible. Putting yarn into a ball also assists the knitter in preventing the yarn from becoming tangled.

There is much information to discuss including how to prevent yarn balls from unraveling and the efficiency of utilizing yarn balls in knitting. Much more and this will be covered in this article. Continue reading below to learn more about why knitters make and use yarn balls.

What are Knitting Balls and Why Do Knitters Use Them?

A ball in knitting refers to the ball of yarn that is utilized to get the yarn from for the knitting project. Knitters often put their yarn into a ball shape for ease of access as mentioned above. The ball can be put wherever is comfortable for the knitter.

When knitting from a yarn ball, the knitter will pull yarn from the center of the ball. This prevents tangling and allows the yarn to unravel on its own. It also allows the knitter to be consistently flowing rather than stopping and going due to the yarn.

Do You Have to Use a Yarn Ball in Order to Knit Efficiently?

Though utilizing a yarn ball is the most popular method to keeping yarn stationary and tangle free, this is not the only option for knitting efficiently. There are many methods, both modern and old, that have been utilized for maintaining the yarn.

Yarn balls are, as mentioned, easily accessible and allow for a detangled yarn, but a ball of yarn is not the only option. Knitting can be efficient if any option is utilized correctly and efficiently.

What are the Alternatives?

Some individuals even use the yarn as is in the skein. A more modern method of keeping yarn organized and easily accessible is to utilize a yarn bowl in which yarn is pulled through a hole in a bowl to keep it coming steadily. There are many methods utilized in keeping yarn steady when knitting.

There is also a rare option called a yarn spinner in which the yarn is placed over the spinner by the middle hole. The object will spin the yarn always allowing for yarn to remain untangled and able to be utilized quickly.

What are the Pros and Cons?

When utilizing a ball of yarn, you are able to start knitting almost immediately, and there are no special steps other than creating the ball to be taken. The yarn also will not be overly pulled, keeping it at its original consistency. Finally, the yarn will easily fit in a container without tangling with other balls of yarn.

There are some cons associated with utilizing a ball of yarn as well. The first is that the ball of yarn has the potential to escape by moving all around the room when knitting. You will have to keep track of it. Second, there is always the potential for the ball of yarn to unravel when in the middle of a knitting project.

How Do You Make a Yarn Ball?

Making a ball of yarn is fairly simple and is completed by hand winding. The first step is laying out your skein of yarn in a big loop. After completing this step, follow the steps below.

You start by wrapping the yarn around your pointer finger and thumb in a figure eight style. Pinch the stack in the middle, and wrap the yarn around the stack. Keep wrapping until you are out of yarn; it may be helpful to keep a finger or thumb in the middle to keep a shape.

How Do You Keep a Yarn Ball from Unraveling?

Having a yarn ball unravel is one of the disadvantages of utilizing yarn balls. It has occurred to everyone. There are tried and true, easy ways to keep your yarn balls from unraveling, however.

One method is to use a clothespin in the middle of the yarn ball to keep it together, with the clip end securing the end of the yarn. Another similar method is to use a hair clip to clip the end of the yarn to the portion that is still in a ball. Find a way that works for you, however.

Final Thoughts

Utilizing a yarn ball when knitting has been a proven method for years. Many knitters create a yarn ball utilizing hand winding due to the many benefits it provides including a lack of tension and ease of access. You can keep your yarn ball together and ignore the risk of it unraveling by securing it with some form of clip. There are other methods to hold your yarn when knitting, however, that are just as efficient if a yarn ball does not work for you and your needs.