Zen Knitting

My Gram was a lifelong knitter. You need two people. One to hold the loops of yarn and the other to wind it into a ball . If you have no help, you can make a simple base with 2 dowels spaced apart in a big U shape to hold the loops. Oh yeah, You can loop it on your knees,too

if you have a empty pill bottle, stick a piece of the yarn inside, then start wrapping, once done, you have a center pulled thread ball, much easier to handle and it will stay stable

… or you can borrow or hire a ball-winder. Some shops will wind for-a-fee (not while they’re busy, usually pick up later). Some acquaintances can be bribed/rewarded with cookies, muffins or bootleg PASSIONS soapnet tapes.

The other reason for winding or re-winding is prevent being surprised by knots in the middle of a row. A new ball is begun as each original knot is removed.

It is possible to pull-ball use to increase tangling, depending on the craft. It’s a super-technical thing normally only considered by knitters and spinners. Hand-winding can, according to how it’s done, increase or decrease the “twist” of the yarn/thread. Using the ball center-pull can also increase or decrease the twist. If it’s willy-nilly, the math’s 1/2 all-the-same, 1/4 kinkier, 1/4 looser-yarn-may-fall-apart. If you use a ball winder and use yarn/thread from the outside, with the ball unrolling (like a roll of TP in a wall holder) the “twist” is unaffected.

I’m going to agree that investing in a ball winder is a great way to go. The winder doesn’t really wind the yarn into a “ball” but more into a “cake” shape (round on the sides, flat on the top/bottom). This allows for the yarn to remain flat as you pull from the middle.

Is there a way you can create your own “pull from the middle” ball? Absolutely! In fact, this website demonstrates one of my favorite ways to do it using just your hands: http://www.onceuponapattern.com/custom/pullskein.html

(One of the benefits of rolling your yarn into a ball by hand is that you get a feel for it — this will tell you more if you’re going to love the experience, or not, once you start crocheting.)

Regardless of how you opt to wind your yarn (cakes vs. balls), you’ll want to set it up so you are pulling from the inside. This will prevent the yarn from dancing across the room each time you pull from it, thus keeping it cleaner AND keeping the tension more regulated which translates to more beautiful stitches.
I hope this helps.
~Dee Stanziano
CYCA Certified Crochet Teacher