securing balls of yarn

[peek]

I have several yarns that needed to be rolled into a balls but how do I keep them from unraveling?

[tnkycrochetnut]

Several years back I had a lot of scrap/leftover yarn bought at either thrift stores or yard sales to roll into balls. After rolling the yarn into a ball I took a straight pin (the kind with a colored bead for the head) and pinned the end. I always used a pin with a contrasting colored head so I could easily find the pin.

[Elizabeth]

I use large ziplock bags.

For my WIPs I would put in the yarn and label I'm working on, the hook, and the pattern in the bag. Outside the bag I write the date, project, hook size, and yarn. This comes from having too many UFPs and not remembering what hook size I was using, or what brand yarn, or misplacing the patterns, and wasting a lot of time looking for stuff.

[jolena]

I use a piece of scotch tape to secure the end and write on it with a sharpie the brand name and color.

[Afghaniac]

I'm going to try using wooden clothespins to roll up and secure my small balls of yarn (already had a bag of them for a craft project that didn't come to fruition). Because of copyright considerations, I'm not posting the photo here; however, if you're interested in a photo of how it works, you can probably search for and find it on Pinterest. I saw them recently at Dollar Tree after I paid more at Ace. Apparently wood grips the yarn ends better than plastic clothespins.

 

I'm on a stashbusting tear these days and hope to eliminate the need for small leftovers -- hah, that'll be the day. I've just about used up all the little blue bits on a scrap afghan. Next, rose and pink, neutrals yet again, etc.,etc. Until that dreamed-of day, I'll try clothespins.

[spiritwalker]

I tape the end with transparent tape. Easy to find since light reflects the tape.

[katyallen815]

I use rubber bands, remove them from ball if you wanna use that one, put them back when finished. I discovered Maxie my kitty loved to sneak balls out of the ball basket, and proceed to unwind them all over the living room, so to somewhat thwart this nasty kitty habit, I starting using rubberbands, now if he accidentally gets one out without me noticing for a few minutes, it's usually still in one piece! i can't blame him, he was a yarn kitty from the beginning, and sometimes so comical sneaking them out! hope that helps!

[Abigail1280]

I use hair clips. I buy them in packs of 12 for less than $2 at Wal Mart, and they work great!!

[Dalimonster]

I ball them up and put them in ziplock bags.

[Avalee]

I have tried just about everything mentioned too. I had alot of balls in this Walmart bag and since I take it to work it sometimes got tossed around. When I opened it what a mess. I had to just empty it on my bed and take each ball and rewind it. Not all the way of course just a few yards had came undone and were all mixed up together. I put scotch tape over the end of them now and that seem to work. When they are little balls I put them in a plastic bag. I have been using my size Q hook and making center pull cakes with alot. I really like using them that way. But have become lazy and stopped. Actually I was making so many my right shoulder started to bother me. Really like how they turn out though.

 

Avalee

[HappyOldCro]

I use the ball winder for larger scraps and hand wind smaller ones. Like the others I tuck the ends under a few strands to keep them from unraveling. I store my balls/cakes in a small clear tub. I do most of my crocheting in the living room, and to keep them from rolling off the couch I put some throw pillows around them.

[LI Roe]

Ah, the continuing saga of the Travelling, Unravelling Yarn balls. I had to laugh since I am working with balls right now and I also tuck the end in under a few strands. However, I have also used blue painters tape (a friend gave me several, thought it was masking tape) to secure them .

 

LI Roe

[cris]

I roll my ball and then when I get to the end, I use my crochet hook - I slide it under several of the rolled strands, yarn over, and draw the end through BUT NOT ALL THE WAY - so it gives me a little pull tab. So I just toss them all into a walmart bag and use them when I need them.

[Afghaniac]

I make center-pull yarn balls by hand (google for instructions on how to make), tuck in the end of each ball to secure, then store the balls in plastic zipper bags organized by color family. After years of crocheting many, many afghans, I have a kazillion ball leftovers, and it is truly an uphill battle trying to use them up in scrap afghans!

[clairymary]

If I am rolling up a ball of yarn, I tuck the end under a few of the of the layers but leave about an inch of the end sticking out so when I need it I just pull that bit and it saves hunting for the very end! I hope this makes sense lol!!

[Lov2Crochet]

Ziploc bags work well or I use rubber bands too.

[magiccrochetfan]

for storage, you can put them in ziplock plastic bags.

 

For working with the yarn, you can also use a ziplock bag, one ball per bag, with the working yarn coming out of a small opening in the zip. Or put the ball in a bowl or other container ( I use clean ice cream bucket sometimes), being in a bowl keeps it from rolling around too much.