Balloon Ball Winder

Do you have a few skeins of yarn that needs rewinding, but it doesn’t justify the cost of a mechanical ball winder? Here is a simple manual version. You will need:


* A package of small balloons. The ones I used were marketed as water balloons.
* Your yarn.
* A pair of scissors.
* A bit of time and patience.

1. Blow up the balloon so it is about the size of a small egg.

2. Tie the end.

3. Loop the end of your yarn around the end of the balloon. (It is not necessary to tie it.)

4. Wind the yarn around the balloon.

5. Vary your direction frequently, but do not cover the end of the balloon.


6. Wind all of the yarn onto the balloon, being careful to cover any places where the balloon shows through.
7. When you finish, the ball should appear solid, but the top of the balloon will still peak out.

8. Tuck the tail end of the yarn around the last section of windings so it will not come loose.

9. Pull up on the knot of the balloon and snip a small hole to let the air out.

10. Occasionally the balloon will pop, but it usually collapses slowly.

11. Remove the balloon and pull out the center thread.

12. Squeeze the yarn to reshape the ball.

13. Viola! Your own hand made center pull ball!