How to Wind Yarn into Balls and Center-Pulling Balls.

June 12th, 2007 at 07:19am Under Knitting Questions and How to+ Crochet Questions and How to+ Ask SweaterBabe

Dear SweaterBabe, 

I keep reading about making a ball of yarn before knitting a project. Apparently, you need to “re-wrap” the yarn into what I have heard described as “a ball that unwinds from the inside”. I cannot find any info that tells me HOW or WHY to do this.

Could you please explain.

Thank You from a new knitter (addicted to sock knitting, but have as yet to finish one)
Tracy

Dear Tracy,

That’s a great question that I get asked a LOT. 

There are some situations where I would recommend you “re-wind” the yarn… but other times, I think it’s more a matter of personal preference and time.  Some people really prefer balls to unwind from the center so the balls will not be rolling around.  Others are perfectly happy with balls unwinding from the outside, as this is often what you get when you purchase the yarn as balls and don’t want to take the extra time to re-wind each one.

Here are some different scenarios and my advice/thoughts:

– If you buy the yarn as a skein, you can usually find where the yarn can pull from center of the skein, so just use that end and you won’t need to re-wind it into a ball.  Otherwise, you can also use the end that is unwinding from the outside, in which case the skein will just roll around on your floor or table.  HINT: You can “contain” the rolling by putting your yarn in a bag.  I like to use the handled paper bags that can stand-up on their own, e.g. the ones you often get at boutiques or as gift bags.  OR here’s an example of a product called a “yarntainer,” that was specially made for this purpose.

– If you buy the yarn as a ball, you can also often find the end that is coming from the center, in which case you won’t need to re-wind it.  If you can’t find the center (you can’t locate the end without making a mess of the ball, etc.), then you can either knit or crochet from the ball using the end that will unwind from the outside OR you can “re-wind” the ball and create a “center-pulling” ball (explained below).

– If you buy the yarn as a hank, then you MUST first wind the yarn into a ball (center-pulling or just a regular ball) before you can use it.  If you don’t, then you are VERY likely to tangle up the hank and end up with a big mess and lots of wasted yarn.  Since more expensive yarns are often sold as hanks (because they are hand-dyed that way, hand-spun, or just look better displayed that way), you really want to make sure you take the time to wind them into the balls first.  You may try asking the Yarn Shop staff if they can wind it for you, as they will often have a yarn swift and ball winder that can make it a cinch to turn the hanks into balls.  OR perhaps they will let you use the swift and ball winder to do it yourself.  If you will be doing it at home, see the technique tips below.  Here’s what a swift and ball winder look like.

– If you are doing any kind of colorwork where you are using separate balls of yarn at the same time, balls that pull from the center are great to prevent the colors from tangling.  BUT also, you can use the handled paper bags (one per color) or the special containers that I’ve seen at shops that have separate compartments for each color.  If you use the bags or containers, balls that unwind from the outside are just fine.   Here’s an example of a great bag for colorwork.

OK - so how do you wind a ball of yarn??

1) To wind a ball that pulls from the outside, you just take the yarn and start winding it around the palm of your hand a bunch of times.  When it gets a bit bulky in your hand, take it off of your hand and turn it 90 degrees so you can wind around the middle of what you had wound around your hand.  Keep going, winding around the mass of yarn and keep turning.  As you turn and continue to wind, it will end up looking more ball like.

2) If you want it to pull from the center, the trick is to keep track of the center end and to NOT wind too tightly (or it will be too hard to pull the yarn from the center as you use up the ball).  Start by keeping about 6″ of yarn out as a tail.  Start winding the yarn while making sure this tail is ALWAYS sticking out. 

Here’s the technique I learned… I line up the tail against my thumb (of my non-dominant hand, i.e. my left thumb since I am right-handed) and start winding the yarn around my thumb and the tail, keeping it loose so that my thumb is creating a little tunnel within the ball.  It’s as if you were to wind a skinny band aid around your thumb, completely covering the tip of your thumb evenly.  After winding around your thumb for a little while, you take out your thumb and you will have a thumb-sized tunnel/hole where the tail of yarn is sticking out.  This is where the yarn will unwind from.  Continue to wind the ball as for a normal ball, turning it to make it more ball-like, BUT always making sure you never accidentally wind over the thumbhole and lose track of the tail.

Do you have more suggestions on winding balls of knitting yarn?  Feel free to submit your comments! 

By Katherine aka SweaterBabe 4 comments

Sewing side seams nicely…

May 15th, 2007 at 09:45am Under Knitting Questions and How to+ Crochet Questions and How to+ Ask SweaterBabe

Here’s a question about finishing that applies to both knitters and crocheters…

“Dear SweaterBabe, I have a problem with sewing my side seams. They never look professional. I am not accurate with what stitch to go in to get a thin seam. Any hints?”

Dear Seamer,

Here are some hints for sewing seams to finish your knitting or crochet projects…

– If you are using non-basic yarn, i.e. something that is furry, nubby, thick and thin, has eyelashs, etc., then you might be better off using a basic yarn in a matching shade to do your sewing.

– Another great reason to use a matching basic cotton or wool yarn to seam with is that you can undo your seams more easily if you use a different yarn. You will be able to see the seaming stitches and pull them out if need be.

– If you are making a sweater (and are using a basic yarn that you can seam with), leave extra long tails when you cast on. Use these tails for seaming the sweater and save yourself some extra finishing time (less loose ends to weave in!).

– Generally when seaming, you will be matching up your pieces with the front sides facing each other. It can really help to pin the pieces together (just as you would if you were sewing cloth), and line up any color stripes or patterning.

– A back stitch is ideal for sewing solid, firm seams. To do a back stitch (these are right-handed instructions), insert your needle from FRONT TO BACK through BOTH pieces of fabric (which are held with their right sides facing each other), then insert your needle BACK TO FRONT through BOTH pieces of fabric about a half inch or so to the left. Now, your yarn and needle are in front again.

* Now, insert your needle again, BUT start about halfway to the RIGHT of where the last BACK STITCH ended, i.e. about a quarter inch to the right. Insert FRONT TO BACK, then BACK TO FRONT as before, through both pieces. Continue from * to do the back stitch along the entire seam edge.

– To avoid overly bulky seams, try to maintain a thin seam allowance. Usually, a 1-stitch seam allowance works well. This will give you a consistent seam allowance and a secure seam. If you only have a 1/2-stitch seam allowance, the seam will not be very strong since you are only “grabbing” one strand. However, you may decide to do this is you are using VERY bulky yarn and the 1-stitch seam allowance is just too bulky.

– When seaming, take your time and carefully watch precisely where you stick your yarn tapestry needle. I often double check that I am maintaining the exact seam allowance on EVERY single back seam stitch (but I am a perfectionist when it comes to finishing!). This does mean looking at where my needle goes in and out through the first layer and in and out through the second layer.

– Every once in a while, flip the seam over and see what it looks like from the finished right side. If you don’t like what you see, take out the back stitches you don’t like redo them. I still do this, just to make my seams look professional.

– Use good lighting and a yarn tapestry needle that is the right size for your yarn weight! If you use too sharp of a needle with certain yarns, you may end up spliting your stitches a lot and get a messy looking seam. Most tapestry needles intended for knitters have blunt tips.

– And what I tell many beginners - don’t rush! To get professional results, don’t hurry. Be precise in your seaming and take as much care with your finishing as you did knitting or crocheting the project.

Hey! If you have a great tip on seaming, please email me and I will share it in future newsletters and on this blog! Email me at advice@sweaterbabe.com. Thanks!

By Katherine aka SweaterBabe Add comment