How to Roll a Ball of Yarn with Bert and Ernie

Now that you've made your T-shirt yarn or are ready to start on your next knitting project, you'll need to roll your yarn into a ball.  It's easy and free.

What this technique does:
Creates a ball with a hollow center from which an end of the yarn can be easily pulled out without the ball moving or knotting.

What you'll need:

• Yarn
• A thumb

If you don't have a thumb.  I'm sorry.  That sucks.  You could use a finger instead.

1. Stick out your thumb like you're the Fonz -heeeyyy.  Ok, that was bad .

2. Wrap a couple loops around your thumb, and this is important, making sure you leave few inches sticking out on the short end.

3. Now wrap, wrap, wrap around your thumb.  The yarn should be snug enough to stay together yet loose enough to adjust on the thumb with a little effort.  You'll get the hang of it after a while.

Make sure to keep that short yarn end sticking out throughout the rolling process

4. When you get enough wrapped, it will go over the top of your thumb.  

I call this the "I've got your nose, Bert and Ernie" trick. 

5. I like to wrap in different directions to give the ball shape.  More like Ernie, less like Bert.

6. I also like to occasionally twist the whole ball a little around my thumb to get a different angle of wrapping.

7.  When you get to the end, just tuck the last bit under another section to keep it from unravelling.

8.  Carefully wiggle and remove the ball from your thumb.  

9.  You should now be able to pull that section I had you leave sticking out in the beginning.  You will use this end to work with your project.

Nice and neat.  Fun, fun, fun!

I give it 5 buttons up