A Random Beginning

As I was crocheting THINGS (presents) for Christmas, I discovered something in the middle of a ball of silver impossible-to-work-with furry yarn. My first impression was of kapok fluff with seeds, but when I pulled it out, I discovered that it was something knitted in a different type of novelty yarn, very soft. It's a few inches of stockinette stitch, followed by a messy few centimeters in my silver yarn, and was not connected to the rest of the yarn in the ball, just sitting in there being out of place.
I have no idea how it got there.
It would be one thing if I found it in the middle of yardsale yarn, but this was a brand new ball of yarn purchased specifically for this project about a week ago.
Was some bored yarn factory worker knitting some wrist warmers, and then gave up and shoved the project in a ball of yarn when they reached the silver section? Does this company regularly stuff random things in the middle of the balls of yarn to make them look bigger?
I may never know.