I’ve been thinking a lot this year about using stash, and sometimes stash means little odd balls of yarn that are only a few yards long. What can you do with those little pieces?
One thing that is fun to try is making your own magic ball, in which yarns of varying types and different lengths are tied together to make one ball of randomly changing color.
I used a purchased magic ball to make a funky cowl, but you can make your own quite easily to make a really interesting cowl or scarf.
One of the problems with a magic ball, though, is how it is made. Because you’re using knots to attach the lengths of yarn to each other, and you’re not supposed to have knots in knitting, right?
Clara Parkes has a great solution on her blog in what’s known as the Fisherman’s Knot. This is a knot that is strong, small, easy to make and the yarn can be trimmed right up close to the knot, so you have no extra ends to weave in. Sounds good to me.
The Classic Elite Yarns gang recently had a magic ball making party — which is a great way to destash and get some yarns into your ball that you would not have bought on your own — and the results can be used for all sorts of things. Check out their magic ball scarf “recipe” for starters, as well as a feather and fan version.
Have you ever made or used a magic ball? I’d love to hear what you did with it.
[Photo via Classic Elite Yarns.]
I had forgotten about magic balls..my mum taught me how to make a russian join when i was a kid, that would mean you wont have any knots!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O5ZcSVWCMc
I use magic balls to make giant granny square blankets. Everyone’s having them as gifts this year!