Knitting basic shapes - Sphere / Ball

I use spheres as a basis for many components of my knitting patterns.  They are very easy if you can knit in the round.  I'm going to show you two methods I like for knitting spheres.

Remember to stuff the shape as you knit.

The Easy Way:
Abbreviations

Kfb	Increase by knitting into the front and back of the stitch
*	Repeat the instruction in brackets the number of times shown
K	Knit
K2Tog	Knit two together

To begin, turkish cast on six stitches (three on each needle)

Round 1)	K6	(6 sts)
Round 2)	Kfb*6	(12 sts)
Round 3)	K12
Round 4)	(K1, Kfb)*6	(18 sts)
Round 5)	K18
Round 6)	(K2, Kfb)*6	(24 sts)
Round 7)	K24
Round 8)	(K3, Kfb)*6	(30 sts)

Continue in this manner with a plain knit round followed by an increase round (each time increasing the number of stitches between 'Kfb's) until you have a hemisphere of the size you desire, I like to knit three plain rounds between the last increase and the first decrease round. 

Round 10)	(K3, K2Tog)*6	(24 sts)
Round 11)	K24
Round 12)	(K2, K2Tog)*6	(18 sts)
Round 13)	K18
Round 14)	(K1, K2Tog)*6	(12 sts)
Round 15)	K12
Round 16)	K2Tog*6	(6 sts)

Cut yarn and draw through the stitches.

I really dislike the shaping lines in this method; you can see them spiral out from the cast on point.


The Nicer Way:
Abbreviations

LLI	Left lifted increase
RLI	Right lifted increase
*	Repeat the instruction in brackets the number of times shown
K	Knit
K2Tog	Knit two together
SSK	Slip Slip Knit

(A tutorial for the increases is available here: http://www.twistcollective.com/collection/component/content/article/92-how-to/1047-lifted-increase-lli-rli)

To begin, turkish cast on six stitches (three on each needle)

Round 1)	K6	(6 sts)
Round 2)	RLI*6	(12 sts)
Round 3)	K12
Round 4)	(K1, LLI)*6	(18 sts)
Round 5)	Knit all
Round 6)	(RLI, K2)*6	(24 sts)
Round 7)	Knit all
Round 8)	(K3, LLI)*6	(30 sts)

Continue in this manner with a plain knit round followed by an increase round, you need to alternate between LLI and RLI each increase round, until you have a hemisphere of the size you desire.

Round 10)	(K3, SSK)*6	(24 sts)
Round 11)	Knit all
Round 12)	(K2Tog, K2)*6	(18 sts)
Round 13)	Knit all
Round 14)	(K1, SSK)*6	(12 sts)
Round 15)	Knit all
Round 16)	K2Tog*6	(6 sts)

Cut yarn and draw through the stitches.

In my opinion this is much better, the shaping lines are more like those seen on a beachball and are symmetrical in each segment.