Knitters: Do I leave the yarn in the skein?

[Soliloquy]

In my knitting book, it always refers to the ball of yarn. Yarn comes in a skein . . . do I make a ball from the skein or leave it in a skein? If I should roll it into a ball, what's the easiest way to get it started?

Thx!

[kris10s]

You should roll it into a ball, it's hard to describe how to do, but if you leave it in a skein, you might encounter a knot midway and that will make you have to cut and bring in a new piece and is just frustrating.

Just find an end and start rolling! I do it in the car while DH drives...

[Iarwain]

I always leave it in the skein. I have run into a knot a few times, but it took much less time to deal with the knot than to re-roll the skein. The cheaper the yarn the more likely to have knots. Plus pull skeins are just so much easier to deal with 'cause they don't roll or move when you pull up more yarn and they don't unravel and roll across the room if you drop them.

[kris10s]

I think I enjoy the look of yarn in balls and the monotony of winding it!

[Kasi]

I don't knit, but my mother does. When I was little, I remember my younger sister & I helping mom roll the skeins into balls. For some reason, we got great pleasure out of that. My mom often took her knitting with her...travelling with the balls was easier than with partial skeins.

Mom tried to teach us how to crochet, and I kept the yarn in the skein once. I had a horrible mess of tangles once I was more than 1/2 way through the skein.

[Iarwain]

OH! I just remembered something my gramma used to do. She would thread a drinking straw onto the yarn going into the skein. I think it was to prevent tangles. She always had her crocheting in a basket next to her recliner with straws sticking up out of the skeins of yarn. Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone wanted to try it.

Most of my tangles come from sticking the needles/hook into the skein when I'm not working on it. :O I try to remember to just stick them in the worked piece, but sometimes I forget. Sticking things in it can cross the strands and make a mess of the inside of the skein.

I haven't had trouble with traveling with pull skeins until I get down to the last little bit, then you have to be more careful with it. I leave the wrapper on and it keeps it somewhat together and I carry it upright in a canvas tote and when I get to the end where the skein's really flat and loose I usually fold it up inside the work to keep it from tangling when not working on it or else I'll roll that last bit from the other end. I make an afghan for each of my children and I did almost all of Noodle's sitting in the NICU with him. I started it the day before he was born and carried it back and forth daily for two weeks, finishing it the day before he was discharged.

I guess the real answer to this question is do what works best for you. :) Everyone has their own personal preferences and in the long run it's not going to make much difference to your finished work. :) You can see that some like it one way, and some another and I bet you couldn't tell the difference by looking at the finished project. ;)

[Soliloquy]

OH! I just remembered something my gramma used to do. She would thread a drinking straw onto the yarn going into the skein. I think it was to prevent tangles. She always had her crocheting in a basket next to her recliner with straws sticking up out of the skeins of yarn. Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone wanted to try it.

That's a great idea!!


Most of my tangles come from sticking the needles/hook into the skein when I'm not working on it. :O I try to remember to just stick them in the worked piece, but sometimes I forget. Sticking things in it can cross the strands and make a mess of the inside of the skein.

Well, I've already done that to my skeins so I think I'll roll them. Since this is my first knitting project, I'd rather be safe than sorry! Next time, I'll try the straws and I'll keep my needles out of the skeins.

Thanks for your help, everyone!!