Spin-Off into Winter!

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

Jane@52 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:05:21 GMT

Just read your thing on center pull balls. I do mine so that they are a cake shape and will sit still whiloe you use them. Start by making a butterfly - a figure * over the thumb and forefinger - about 20 wraps...then grap that butterfly in the middle and pull it off the fingers so that it folds in on itself with the tail coming out of the middle, Begin wrapping, turning the "ball" every 20 wraps or so and you have a very neat "ball" that it flat on the top and bottom and stays put!

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

CharleneM@2 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:28:27 GMT

An even easier way to make a center pull ball is to use a larger size (a 1 inch or more) dowel. an wrap it around that. Remembering to rotate the dowel once in a while to make an even ball. And remember to wrap the yarn "not to tight" so the yarn is not streached or distorted. Charlene Martin

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

Margaret Jenkins — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:59:54 GMT

I was taught (many years ago!) to wind a centre pull ball by starting by winding the yarn around my thumb (keeping hold of the tail)s and then various direction until the ball was secure, when it could be removed from the thumb and the rest of the skein wound. But remember to keep the strand of yarn from the centre free! You end up with a nice clear hole in the centre. I usually just keep the whole thing on my thumb, much like Little Jack Horner! mj England

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

AliceCourtney — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:04:04 GMT

I need HELP!! I just purchased a pattern that uses the Short-Row method of knitting and I am confused!! Can anyone out there help me get some sense out of short-row knitting? I know I have done this before but can't get this particular pattern figured out. Thanks for any help you can give me. Love your articles Kathleen and all the instructions you give. Keep up the good work.

Alice C.

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

KathleenM@2 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:50:41 GMT

Thank you for the center pull ball instructions. As others have already mentioned, I wind mine on my thumb. I hold a long tail in the palm of my hand and VERY loosely wrap straight around my thumb until I have about 2-3 inches built up. Then I begin to wrap diagonally, turning every twist or two. Wrap tightly the last couple of yards straight around the middle and tuck the end under. The balls look just like they were wound on the ball winder at my LYS. Neat, flat bottoms that stay put. I plan to try the mini M&M version soon. (I guess I will just have to eat some M&M's in the next few days!) It's always nice to know several ways to do the same thing. I think your way will work particularly well with thicker yarns.

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

govinsx — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:22:30 GMT

Another way to make a center-pull ball of yarn:

Thumb up. Hold end of yarn in palm of your hand with fingers, yarn end pointing down toward your wrist. Now take yarn at the base of your thumb and start wrapping it around your thumb, until you get to the other end of the skein. Tuck the outside end into the ball. Remove large ball of yarn from thumb, Easy and fun.

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

knittnrose — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:02:18 GMT

Kathleen, you are the most charming host of this site. It is the one email I enjoy getting. You are so enthusiastic and informative. Thank you ever so much.

knittnrose.

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

camushroomlady — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:43:21 GMT

Making a center pull ball: I do much the same, but I just wrap around my thumb, (holding the beginning thread in my Left hand that I am wrapping around) and keep shifting to have the yarn space itself out around the ball. It is quite simple to do, with your thumb holding it open for the thread to pull off later when you start working with the yarn. Ellen Duffy

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

SandraA — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:23:27 GMT

The Oatmeal Cardigan is lovely! I hope it's added to the Pattern Store at some point.

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

GillianV — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:45:00 GMT

My centre pull ball is quite like Katio's. However if I have a thick yarn, I start over all four fingers and keep my windings very even. (I could definitely explain much better with photos.) I thien go down to three fingers, and two. Then I go to the thumb and, like Katio, turn the ball on my thumb until the yarn is gone.

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

Katio — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:40:43 GMT

Great directions for making a center pull ball of yarn. However, I would add one more thing to step 5. Hold the ball with non-dominant hand and wrap over your thumb, slipping it out now and then as you wind. This makes a soft ball, keeping the yarn from stretching out and losing it's resilience.

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

MaxineG — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:30:37 GMT

Just wanted to say that I wind center pull balls around a mini-M&Ms case. I tuck the end of the yarn down into the case and snap the lid. Then I wind a couple of inches around the case almost like I was going to count wraps-per-inch. Then I hold the case bottom in my left hand and the yarn in my right. Turning the case constantly, I wind the yarn with my right hand. As I work, the ball gets a sort of "shoulder" that helps keep the ball a really nice shape. When the yarn is all wound, I open the case, remove the starting tail, and slide the ball off. t's a "beggar's" nostepinne, I guess, but the bonus is that I can also use the cases for my sock DPNs (I prefer them for fine yarn to all the magic loop or two-circular techniques.)

re: Spin-Off into Winter!

DianaB — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:05:35 GMT

I love when you include easy little how-to things both in the magazines and Knitting Daily. However, I'm left handed and often these directions are written as though every knitter is right handed. Could you consider for the future writing directions like this without the specific instruction about which hand to use? The pictures may guide even a lefty to do it the same way as they see, but without the hand to use written out, we will be free to decide which hand works better. Often times it doesn't matter which hand you use and it would make us lefty knitters very happy not to be systematically excluded or made to think extra hard. Thank you!