I'm on LJ too (and so is this community although there aren't any members there, or no one active), but I prefer DW for things like this.

With shop bought balls, I usually start from the inside, then the ball doesn't roll around. With self-wound balls, I put one in a plastic carrier bag with the handles tied. Then the ball unwinds in the bag without escaping across the floor, and if you put one foot on a bag corner, it keeps the bag still.