There is a little trend going around the blogs of knitting directly from the unwound hank of yarn, instead of winding it up into center pull balls. I’m pretty sure that the knitting-directly-from-the-hank knitters, who shall remain unnamed here, were just pulling our legs on this one. I rolled my eyes at the first blog report on this, but then when two or three more reported that this was the best thing since sliced bread, I decided to try it.
I’m here to report that, with certainty, this clearly does NOT prevent yarn barf.
And no, I didn’t take pictures, but it just took me the better part of an hour to untangle the mess that ensues when you try to get all smarty-pants and follow the latest knitting fads. I wasn’t about to leave the mess spread over the entire kitchen floor with the pet menagerie drooling around the edges like a pack of wild hyenas, while I went to fetch the camera. Let’s just say that from now on, I’ll be dutifully winding my yarn hanks into neat little cakes.
I promise knitting progress photos in the next post. I’m off to wind yarn.
Oh, and Dorothy reminded me that I needed to add Lewey to the sidebar. If you look over there to the left, there he is!
Obviously I lead a sheltered life cuz I hadn’t heard of this fad. Me, I wind my yarn in not-so-neat balls (got to get one of those thingies that do it for you), unless my yarn comes in a cone, in which case I do knit from the cone.
Um, let me just say: Chaos and Mayhem. Any wonder I’ve not been tempted for a second to try that?! 😉
I tried it and it worked, but I doubt I’ll do it often, too nervous here! ;).
I’d be just the sort to create a giant, impossible mess with something like that–I’m fine winding it into balls!
I have enough trouble keeping the yarn “tamed” when it’s properly wound – I don’t need to experiment!
Yay, Lewey, you’re truly official now!
funny…but not funny at all. HI Lewey..glad to see the cute pictures added. LOVE the ears!!!!
NGH (not gonna happen). I would rather handspin the yarn into a ball than knit straight from the hank. Plus – how can you sit like that in public in the summer with a skirt on???
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Doh! I would be to scared to knit right off the hank.
I don’t know- putting it around your neck like a lei and knitting from it sounds like fun! A guaranteed way to throttle oneself- hehe. Would be a wild new look. No?
I bought an electric cone winder. That is the BEST since slided bread!
Um…. sorry. That’s all I’m gonna say about that!
I sometimes get a knotted mess if I simply open a skein and put it on my swift carelessly. Before I had a swift, I used the back of a chair, and even that left me with a tangle if the yarn popped of the chair back. I can’t imagine knitting right from the skein. Actually, second only to knitting, I really find winding skeins into balls very relaxing, and so I do it the “old-fashioned way” by just making up balls of wool by hand.
Yarn cakes for me. I have no patience for yarn barf.
Thank you for putting Lewey up – he is so cute. I kind of shook my head when I read about knitting straight from the hank. For me it would definitely be a recipe for disaster. Most times I have trouble even getting the skein onto the swift without tangling. Thanks for confirming that for most of us it’s probably not a good idea!
I read about the knitting from the hank thing and knew that if anyone could not do this, it would be me. I am so happy to know that I am not alone in this 🙂
it is doable, but why would you want to? Especially for a portable project.
and if it doesn’t work – all that time lost much better spent knitting.
Who are these lunatics and how long have they been off their meds?
I for one, wouldn’t dare try that!
I’m with Holly. I’m thinking certifiable. How mad would I be at myself if I decided to try this and then spent the better part of a knitting morning sorting out the mess?
People are really doing that? I’m not trying it, let Mikey try it.
Okay, well, Hank One didn’t go so well. It ended with scissors and well over an hour to untangle the remaining yarn barf. Hank Two went MUCH better, not a tangle to be seen. Hanks Three and Four are destined to be two fronts, knit simultaneously, and there’s no way I’m knitting with a hank draped over each knee. That would be yarn cardiac arrest, for sure. It is not for every project, but I’m glad I tried it and I do believe I’ll do it again. Also, I have THREE cats and ONE dog and they didn’t cause one single solitary problem. It was all me.
; )
I could NEVER do that knitting from the hank thing. Never. Not in a million years.
No way. No how. I can barely control my center pull balls as it is.
I tried it once because I hate winding yarn into balls by hand and thought it would be a great time saver. I ended up resting the skein around an open drawer instead of trying to drape it across my lap or legs. I didn’t get yarn barf but it did get a cat trying to eat the yarn which led to a room that I couldn’t let the cat into because I was afraid to move the skein off the drawer. I couldn’t use the desk for anything because the drawer was open. Kind of a pain in the backside and not a time saver since I could only work on that project at the desk. Fortunately Santa disguised as my parents bought me a ball winder and swift for Christmas so I won’t be lured in the future by any wacky “knit from the skein” schemes.
I tried it once because I hate winding yarn into balls by hand and thought it would be a great time saver. I ended up resting the skein around an open drawer instead of trying to drape it across my lap or legs. I didn’t get yarn barf but it did get a cat trying to eat the yarn which led to a room that I couldn’t let the cat into because I was afraid to move the skein off the drawer. I couldn’t use the desk for anything because the drawer was open. Kind of a pain in the backside and not a time saver since I could only work on that project at the desk. Fortunately Santa disguised as my parents bought me a ball winder and swift for Christmas so I won’t be lured in the future by any wacky “knit from the skein” schemes.
I, too, think that somehow (and gratefully so) I missed this “trend” (grin)
thanks for the heads up – I don’t think I shall try it anytime soon!
No frickin way! Somebody actually says that’s a good thing? Not for me. I can hardly keep things from untangling IF they’re wound in balls!
Oh, NOOOOOOOOOOO! I can’t even imagine trying to knit from the loose skein!
No way I’m trying the knit right from the hank thing, but I admire you for giving it a go. You daredevil, you! =)
Why do things the easy way when you can do them the stupid way?
My friends and I were just discussing Yarn Barf today at our knitting get together. One friend has the best name for it – The Mucous Plug!