How to Turn a Skein Into a Ball of Yarn

Jan 27

Hey, friends! Today I have a simple, yet endlessly useful tutorial for you. You know that twisted yarn you get right from the store? We are going to turn that into a neat little ball so that it is ready to use in your project. Turning a skein into a ball of yarn really helps when you are pulling off pieces or unwinding a lot of yarn during a project. It helps it stay tidy and untangled, where as a skein is harder to use. Let me show you how I turn them into balls of yarn!

Step 1: Locate the end of the skein that is looped over itself. You will want to unwrap this end and stretch out the skein until you have a long piece folded in half. Unfold this piece from the middle and you will find you have a loop of yarn.

Step 2: There are a few ways you can go from here. You will need your loop to be held stretched out like I’m displaying in the photo below. You can ask a friend to help you, try putting it on a chair, or sit on the ground and use your feet! If you don’t have a friend and don’t want to use your feet you can drape it over one arm.

Step 3: Find the end of the yarn and pinch it between your thumb and pointer finger. Slowly wrap the yarn over your fingers until you have a good amount piled up.

Step 4: Once you have some started, slip it off your fingers and start to wrap the other direction, around your pile. This will create the beginnings of a ball! Continue until all the yarn is in the ball, occasionally rotating it to keep it round.