A question for yarn crafters

[jenn-]

I have seen tutorials for making a skein holder such as this one or ones with soda bottles. I cannot tell if they only work with center pull skeins though. After a few skeins have collapsed into a mess of knots, I have given up on center pulling my yarn. Will something like these keep my skein from hopping all over the floor as I pull from the outside, or would I have to go back to center pulling?

[pageta]

This may or may not help, but I wind all the yarn into center-pull balls - aka yarn cakes - and then pull from the outside. It doesn't flop around, and it doesn't collapse on itself and get all knotted up. I recently discovered many of my friends do this as well.

[aggieamy]

I'd be interested in know this also!

[mommaduck]

I ball my yarn, and I do use a container like that.

[mommaduck]

I ball my yarn, and I do use a container like that.

[TexasRachel]

I center pull it and then put it in a ziplock bag. I snip a corner and thread the yarn through. It works well for center pull and non center balls. I can also slip my needles (I always use circs) in the Baggie when I stop and then not loose stitches. You can kind of see on my project here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TexasRachel/sallah-cowl

[Cinder]

Yes, I think a container like this would work for pulling yarn from the outside of a ball. Instead of rolling all over the floor it will just turn around in the container. I think it would help if the container is weighted at the bottom to keep it from tipping over as the ball rolls around.

[jenn-]

For those that ball your skeins, do you do it by hand or do you have a ball winder? If you have a ball winder, what brand/type? If you do it by hand, any idea on how to make it go faster?

[mommaduck]

I do it by hand. No ideas on making it go faster. It is something you could have a kid do though.

[justamouse]

I ball my yarn. This is what you have children for.

[raceNzanesmom]

I have seen tutorials for making a skein holder such as this one or ones with soda bottles. I cannot tell if they only work with center pull skeins though. After a few skeins have collapsed into a mess of knots, I have given up on center pulling my yarn. Will something like these keep my skein from hopping all over the floor as I pull from the outside, or would I have to go back to center pulling?

I center pull it and then put it in a ziplock bag. I snip a corner and thread the yarn through. It works well for center pull and non center balls. I can also slip my needles (I always use circs) in the Baggie when I stop and then not loose stitches. You can kind of see on my project here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TexasRachel/sallah-cowl

 

These are both excellent ideas. I rarely use center pull yarn, but I think they should work for any yarn.

[Alexigail]

I ball mine by hand or using a nostapinne. I would love to have a winder though. I've actually see pictures of people using a small teapot as a yarn bowl and pulling the end through the spout. Very cute, but I'm not sure how practical it would be :)

[GailV]

I would think that mechanically winding yarn into balls would put the yarn under even greater tension. So, if you're planning to use the ball from the outside (which is under greater tension anyway, regardless of how you wind it), you'd want to wind by hand.

 

Then again, some people wind pretty tightly by hand, now that I think about it.

[jenn-]

I have been winding my leftover yarn using a toilet paper roll in the middle so when I am done and removed the roll the tension is released. I think I am going to have to make my kids eat more oatmeal. I threw the last container out after it sat around waiting to turn into something for months. Until they empty the oatmeal container I found a smaller container to try my balls in.