No More Hanky Panky - a SUPER EASY way to wind yarn hanks into balls

Yesterday I nearly hugged the postman.

Here's why:

NEW WOOL!!!

Soft and silky as a baby's bum,
with a gorgeous shimmery sheen
and an array of hand dyed grays
from deepest ink to delicate dove.

Felt like wrapping myself up in it and
singing
"I'm just a little black rain cloud..."

This Malabrigo Silky Merino (51% silk, 49% Merino wool) in 430 Smoke will make the perfect Gentleman's Scarf for wrapping up my baby and keeping him warm on his work travels to cooler climes.

I couldn't wait to dive my needles into great hunky hanks of it.

But WOAH, Nellie! There's a thing I already learned the hard way.
DO NOT KNIT STRAIGHT OFF THE HANK! Unless of course you want to find yourself embroiled in knots and tangles a litter of kittens hopped up on catnip couldn't make in a yarn store on a Saturday night.

You must instead summon patience, resist the urge to skip steps, silence that voice saying what's the worst that could happen (to answer voice, read above or watch this), and take the time to wind those hanks into balls.

HOW?

First you start out with a hank of yarn, like this one. 

Sometimes yarn comes in a ball, ready to go. Or sometimes it come in a skein, like this one, also ready to go.

But some of the fancier, schmancier yarns, particularly hand-dyed ones, come in hanks, something to do with the dying process, I think. 

Step 1: Untwist the Hank

Like so:

Step 2: Snip the Yarn Loops

There should be around three loops of yarn tied around the hank. Snip them off. One of them will actually be the start/end of your hank.

Step 3: Choosing a Winding Method...Or Do You Have Legs?

You need:

A VERY patient friend/relative with arms that don't tire easily. They will hold out their arms for you to hang the hank on and stay still and not complain. THIS PERSON DOES NOT EXIST. They may have existed in pioneer times, perhaps still in the rarest of houses. They don't live near me, that is fo sho.

from cotentinacottage.blogspot.com

OR...

A gismo like this

available for purchase for $64.99 on Amazon. A little pricey,  maybe it works great...scares me a little.

OR...

The backs of two chairs. Placing two chairs back to back a certain distance apart and extending the hank loop around them works pretty well, but is a little cumbersome and involves a lot of standing and bending.

OR...

...DO YOU HAVE LEGS?

'Cause if you do you are in luck! Just sit down, perhaps on your comfy couch, perhaps in front of your favorite TV program, and hang the top of the hank loop from you lap, keeping it far back enough on your knees so it doesn't slip off. Grab one end of the yarn and start making your ball around two fingers, NOT TOO TIGHTLY. Slip it off and wind round it in the opposite direction. Keep going, alternating directions, until you have A BALL!

TA DAH!

I must give credit where credit is due, after watching way too many Youtube tutorials, I found this one, with THE LEG METHOD (my name for it) and it is by far the simplest, cheapest, easiest way to go. I will be doing it this way from now on, for as long as I'm fortunate enough to have legs.

And now I'm ready to knit! Can't wait to get started on my Gentleman's Scarf...details to follow soon.