Winding yarn

[pixiewytch]

Okay, here is another stupid newbie question. I have come to the point where I'm not sure which yarn I'm supposed to wind or leave as is. I've ordered stuff from peace fleece and some other mail order companies that I definitely needed to wind into a ball. Then I know some stuff like Sugar n Cream from Joann's is fine as is. Now I have some paton's choice and some other wool stuff I bought from there and it looks okay as is but I want to be sure I don't need to take it apart and wind it into a ball before I start using it.

[mamadaisy]

Nope. You don't "have" to do anything, but generally pre-packaged balls of yarn can be knit from fairly easily. Some folks don't mind knitting from the outside which causes the ball to sort of roll around as you unwind the yarn and knit from it. I don't really like this way. So I poke my fingers into the ball from each end and try to find the loose-ish hunk of yarn that almost always contains the other end of the yarn. I then pull out that what feels like the end (hard to describe but after a while you'll get better at it) or pull out the whole lose center (some call it yarn barf) and find the other end and begin knitting up the yarn barf. Once the loose stuff is knit up you'll have a very neat and easy to keep and transport ball of yarn that will not easily unwind from the outside, especially if you kept the ball band on which I try to do until the skein is no longer substantial enough for it to stay on. Again, you get better at pulling less of the guts of the ball out as you go along, usually I still get some frustrating ones.

[mamasthree]

I'm no expert, but I only wind things that come in a hank. I'm pretty sure all Patons are in skeins, and most things you can buy in Joann's are already in skeins or balls.

Have fun with the peace fleece (I'm knitting a sweater from some right now!)!

[lyttlewon]

For Patons reach into the middle of the ball and pull some of it out. Fish out the end and then tuck the rest in. Viola a center pull ball.

[pixiewytch]

Thanks everybody. I haven't done the center pull thing yet. I'm worried about tangling the yarn and then making a big mess just to find this end inside. Maybe I'll try that next go round.

[salmontree]

yarn barf! I've never heard that term but it's a perfect description of the misshapen wad of yarn that comes out of the center of the skein when I try to find the end.

[flapjack]

Recently,I haven't even been bothering to skein PF and other hanks of yarn, just knitting straight from the skein. It's unbelievably liberating. (It doesn't work for daytime knitting with toddlers around, mind.)

[feminist~mama]

I sometimes rewind stuff that comes in skeins, depending on how much barf comes out with the center.

I'm not very good at finding that loose part. Lol.

I generally leave hanks as-is until I'm actually ready to knit it.

[lorelei]

Pixie,
I learned here how to wind a center pull ball o' yarn. I had bought some wool at joanne's it was in big loopy hanks, so I needed some way to be able to use it without sprawling it all over!

It's really easy, just make sure you keep your wrapping fairly loose when you change from making the 'fish' to wrapping around the 'fish.' I learned the hard way that keeping your yarn too taught while starting this part can really screw ya. But then you just find the outside end and work in. Not a center pull anymore, but at least a bit neater than big hanks.

Good luck!

[prana]

If I buy hanks from a knitting store, I have the wind it. Usually if I purchase skeins, I end up winding them into balls. If I purchase balls, I knit right from the package.

When I reach into a skein I'm afraid that I'll tangle up the yarn from the middle. Does anyone else have this fear?

[lorelei]

Originally Posted by prana

When I reach into a skein I'm afraid that I'll tangle up the yarn from the middle. Does anyone else have this fear?

Me! It almost always ends in yarn barf. Hence my fondness for the center pull ball. Those are (nearly) idiot proof- which for me, is a good thing!

[dillonandmarasmom]

I definitely wind the hanks. I have been known to destroy whole hanks just knitting straight off them.

Like mamadaisy, I poke around inside from both ends and fish out the yarn chunk in skeins.