I am found in socks, scarves and mittens, and often in the paws of playful kittens. What am I?

How to think about it

1. Ask what socks, scarves and mittens have in common. They are all knitted or woven from the same kind of material.
2. The second line adds kittens batting something around on the floor. Picture the ball they chase.
3. The material in the clothes and the ball on the floor are the same thing.
4. Yarn is spun into wool clothing and sold in balls that kittens love to unroll.

Why “Yarn” is the answer

Yarn is the long strand that knitters turn into socks, scarves and mittens, so it is literally found inside all three. A loose ball of yarn is also the classic toy that kittens chase and tangle. The riddle gives two very different scenes, a clothes drawer and a playful pet, and only yarn appears in both.

Common wrong answers

• Wool. Wool is the fiber yarn is often made from, so it is close; the riddle wants the strand itself, which is yarn.
• A thread. Thread is too thin for knitting mittens and is not what kittens are known for chasing.