A yarn creel assembly includes a vertical frame, a plurality of vertically spaced package holders, and a vertically disposed arcuate yarn guide. The package holders are mounted on the frame and adapted for carrying respective yarn packages, whereby a tail end of a first yarn package is attached to a head end of a second yarn package. The arcuate yarn guide extends between adjacent package holders, and is adapted for guiding a moving end of yarn drawn from an emptying first yarn package and transitioning to a full second yarn package.