the basics: rolling yarn into a ball

When you think of yarn, you usually picture it rolled up into a ball. But if you've ever been down the yarn aisle at a craft store, you'll notice that the yarn is surprisingly not rolled into balls. Instead the yarn comes in skeins or hanks. This is how the yarn is divided up and wound at the factories where the yarn is produced, and then shipped out to get to us.

My dad has told me several "horror" stories from when he was a child; his mom would make him roll her yarn into balls and it would take him hours, so now he is "scarred for life" and won't touch another piece of yarn again. I personally can't wait till Kenendy is old enough to do this for me, Tyler tried it once but couldn't catch on ;)

Although it does take up a decent chunk of time, my dad may be a little dramatic, because as a crocheter it is well worth it to roll your skeins of yarn into balls. 

When I first started crocheting I didn't know why I was taking the time to do this until, on several occasions, I would come across "bad yarn" or knots inside of the skeins. By rolling my yarn into a ball I was able to make sure I wouldn't run into any of these problems in the middle of a project and have to either start all over or cut it off and re attach my yarn. 

Before you begin a project set aside some time to get each of your skeins rolled into balls, I usually do this while watching a TV show, or on the floor watching Kennedy play. It may seem like it takes forever, especially the first few times you do it, but once you get a hang of it you will get used to it and it will wind up quick. 

Find the "tail" (loose end) of your yarn skein.

Begin to wind it a few times around three fingers.

Slip it off of your fingers and begin to wrap the yarn the opposite way creating a tiny ball.

Keep wrapping the yarn around your tiny ball, turning it here and there to evenly distribute the yarn and as you do so it will get bigger and bigger until you have used all of the yarn in your skein and you have yourself a big ball of yarn!

Now you are ready to learn how to make a starting chain!