How to Create and Knit with Magic Ball Yarn

Create a Magic Ball and make magic with your yarn leftovers

Got yarn? 🤩

Got a little too much yarn – especially partial balls and skeins? 😒

I’ve never known a knitters who was willing to throw out perfectly good yarn. But sometimes we can really struggle to figure out what to do with those leftovers.

I don’t know about you, but it always seems to me like I never have enough yarn left over from one project to use it for another project. So frustrating! 😤

So what can we do?

Well, if we want to be creative and try something unique and fun… maybe we can try making a Magic Ball of yarn!

The Magic Ball concept is pretty simple. In a nutshell, you’ll take multiple lengths of leftover yarn and join them together, one at a time. When you’re finished, you’ll have one big ball of yarn that you can use for a project.

When I first heard of this, I wondered how it could work. Does a Magic Ball project look like you threw everything including the kitchen sink into it? 🤯

It doesn’t have to! As it turns out, there is a method to the madness of making a Magic Ball. I’ve done copious research to find tips and tutorials for Magic Ball knitting. Read on!

Making Magic with a Ball

Of course, to try Magic Ball knitting, you have to make a Magic Ball first. Below are several tutorials and tips for creating a Magic Ball. 🪄

How to Turn Yarn Scraps into a Magic Ball: This article provides a fantastic step-by-step method for converting scrap yarn into a Magic Ball. Click here for page 1, and here for page 2.

The Magic Ball Tutorial: This article is also quite detailed. Although it doesn’t provide step-by-step instructions like the first article, it does offer joining tips that are really helpful. Since joining is a significant part of Magic Ball creation, you’ll find this quite useful.

The Russian join tutorial is no longer available in the above post, but you can find an excellent video tutorial below.

For a video tutorial of the Magic Ball creation method, you can take a look at the Jimmy Beans Wool video below.

You Have Your Magic Ball… Now What?

Once you have your Magic Ball, you’ll need to carefully consider what to make from it.

The first thing you’ll need to know is how much yardage you have. Now, before you think “oh NO, how am I going to figure THAT out??” — never fear, this handy tutorial is here to your rescue. This article will show you how to calculate the yardage (or meterage) of your yarn by weight. Hurray!

Ravelry has a multitude of free knitting patterns that are especially suited to Magic Ball knitting. You can find that collection here, if you want to sift through all the options.

But if your head would spin from looking through a large number patterns, keep reading! I’ve gathered the most popular patterns for Magic Ball hats, cowls, and shawls, and listed them below.

Wear the Magic on Your Head

1. Magic Scraps

• What you’ll need to make it: 100 to 200 yards of Magic Ball yarn; US Sizes 6 and 7 DPNs and/or circular needles, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: This simple yet adorable beanie comes in a variety of size options, making it a practical choice.

2. Magic Ball Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: About 120 yards Magic Ball yarn, plus another 25 yards of a scrap yarn; US Size 8 DPNs and/or circular needles, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: Though this hat was designed for an actual yarn called Magic Ball, the yarn is designed much the way Magic Balls are constructed, so this pattern should work nicely for your own Magic Ball.

Drape the Magic Around Your Neck

3. Magic Ball Stashbuster Cowl

• What you’ll need to make it: About 50 yards of a light, fluffy yarn; another 50 yards of Magic Ball yarn; US Size 13 circular needle

• Why you’ll want to: I love the idea behind this pattern: using two different types of yarns, you create a cowl of differing textures and colors by alternating between the yarns every few rows. The two different yarns, along with the large needles, creates a light, fluffy, warm, and irresistible fabric.

4. Magic Cowl

• What you’ll need to make it: 95 yards Magic Ball yarn; leftover ribbon yarn (optional); US Size 11 and 10.5 circular needles

• Why you’ll want to: What makes this pattern fun is its dropped stitch ribbon yarn round right in the middle! The pattern was originally written for a specific yarn with a few yards of ribbon yarn in the middle, but you can easily use your own Magic Ball and throw in a dropped stitch row with your own separate ribbon yarn. (Or, skip the ribbon yarn entirely and just do a dropped stitch row with your Magic Ball yarn.)

Wrap Yourself in Glorious Magic

5. Northern Lights

• What you’ll need to make it: 400 to 800 yards Magic Ball yarn (depending on the yarn weight–you’ll need more for thinner yarn, less for thicker yarn); US Size 9 needles

• Why you’ll want to: Because it’s gorgeous! And because you’ll never believe that you can create such a breathtaking shawl with Magic Ball yarn.
  
  Note: look for the words near the top of the pattern that says “original pattern”–this is the link that will take you to the original Dutch-language pattern. That’s where you’ll find the charts! Don’t bother following any other links. As far as I can tell, they don’t work.

6. Magic Wrap

• What you’ll need to make it: 95 yards Magic Ball yarn; 100 to 150 yards fluffy yarn (original pattern calls for mohair, but you can use any mohair-like yarn); US Size 13 needle

• Why you’ll want to: The construction of this rectangular wrap greatly resembles the construction of the Magic Ball Stashbuster Cowl. So if you want to take that alternating fluffy yarn/Magic Ball yarn to a larger scale, this will be the cozy, light, and warm wrap of your dreams!

Why not give Magic Ball Knitting a try? You’ll never even consider throwing yarn away again! (Please don’t send your significant other after me. 😉)