• Home
  • Suggest A Craft
  • DIY Newsletter

Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

  • About CraftGossip
  • Our Network
    • Bath & Body Crafts
    • Candle Making Ideas
    • Crochet Ideas
    • Cross Stitch
    • Edible Crafts
    • Felting Patterns
    • Glass Art
    • Home & Garden Ideas
    • Indie Crafts
    • Jewelry Making
    • Kids Crafts
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Lesson Plans
    • Needlework
    • Party Ideas
    • Polymer Clay
    • Quilting Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Card Making
    • DIY Weddings
    • Not Craft Ideas
  • Giveaways
  • Roundups
  • Store
  • Search

Question Time…..

March 11, 2012 by Terrye

Today’s dilemma, boys and girls is the never-ending (for me anyway) argument on how to find and pull out the center strand from a center pull skein of yarn.

This is the way I ALWAYS knit from a skein, unless I’m casting on and need both ends. So, each and every time I look for the biggest end, stick my fingers in, wrap them around a bit, stick my other fingers into the other side, wrap them around a bit, try and come up with a few strands that seem looser than the rest and pull. It’s a 50/50 shot as to whether or not it actually works or I end up with a wad. Lately we’re leaning more toward the wads.

Well, I googled it. Turns out, the way I find my center pull is the same way everyone else does it. Seems like there would be an easier way, or something with better odds.

How do you do this? Let me know if you have some secret method for finding this elusive center pull strand!

 

Next Pattern:

  • Book Review - Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks
  • Knit a Great Cropped Tee for Transition Time
  • Time to Knit Some Spooky Socks
«
»

Comments

  1. Mary Anne says

    March 11, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    I don’t know if what I do works 100% but it’s the best method I’ve found. I look at the ball of yarn and generally there is one end of the yarn tucked inside the ball (it’s the end that unravels from the outside of the ball). Then I go to the OPPOSITE end and stick my fingers inside and pull out what I hope will be the center. I generally get a small ‘wad’ but it’s simple to unwind & rewind around the outside of the ball. Hope this explanation makes sense!!

  2. KittenWithAWhiplash says

    March 11, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    I do what Mary Anne does, a little process I’ve begun to call Poke & Pray. I’ve had as much as a fifth of the skein come out in that initial tug, even though I’d found the end of the yarn.

  3. Jenn says

    March 12, 2012 at 5:24 am

    I love that you started this thread – I want to know a better way too!! I get a slight bit of anxiety when it comes time to sit down with a new skein of yarn to start a project because you never know if it will be an easy start, or if you’ll spend the first ten minutes of the project unraveling a wad of yarn…I always wondered why the manufacturers don’t make it easier??

  4. Patricia P. Hall says

    March 12, 2012 at 6:40 am

    I was just cleaning up my inventory yesterday and noticed on some of the packages, they had an arrow pointing to the end with the beginning of the yarn. Maybe check that out first!

  5. CAS49 says

    March 12, 2012 at 8:40 am

    I do the same thing, love the packages with the arrow that tell you to pull a thread on one end, then the other end which is the usable end. I usually only see that with the big skeins of acrylic though.

    I wish they would just wrap the “good” end around the outside a couple of times and tuck it under the label. I often wondered about it, and guess it’s the way the machinery is.

  6. Lynda says

    March 12, 2012 at 8:49 am

    Don’t you just hate that? I’ve never been lucky enough to pull just a little out. The alternative…. knitting from the outside and cursing every time you need to pull some more wool!! Perhaps searching in the middle of the ball may make us spend a few moments in solidarity with other knitters doing the same thing.

  7. Marie says

    March 12, 2012 at 9:40 am

    I take the paper band off first and then puff the skein into a ball before I root around for the centre yarn. It seems to give the end more room to be found. Then I squish it back into a skein and put the paper band back on.

  8. Katrina says

    March 12, 2012 at 11:20 am

    pray and be able to keep calm works for me and then if I have to work with a mess I can drink my tea and get ‘er done.

  9. Vivian says

    March 12, 2012 at 11:22 am

    I can remember when…..the skein had both ends, inside and outside, tucked into the ball band. Ahhh, the good old days. Now I look for both ends, if I find only 1 then I take a deep breathe and stick my fingers in to one end and pray and pull.

  10. Fiadhnat McGrath says

    March 12, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    Here’s what I learned from another knitter – if the printing on the label is
    written horizontally, the end you need to pull out will come from the right. If
    the label reads vertically the end will come from the bottom of the skein.
    You still need to do the ‘Poke and Pray’ (I like it, KittenWithAWhiplash) but you don’t usually get as much ‘yarn vomit’.
    All very well until you get the skein with writing going both ways!

  11. Mary Lee says

    March 12, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    I really appreciate your confession. I’m much relieved that there is not something obvious that I hadn’t figured out. I thought I was the only one practicing yarn gynecology.

  12. OHSue says

    March 12, 2012 at 7:35 pm

    Gee, and I thought it was just me….

  13. Nancy says

    March 13, 2012 at 9:21 am

    This is so frustrating! I think the yarn companies need to come up with something better to keep that end easier to find! I usually come up with a big clump of yarn and hope the end is in there!

  14. Cynthia V says

    March 13, 2012 at 1:15 pm

    I do exactly what MaryAnne does. I look where the final end is tucked into and then know that the beginning “end” is going to be on the opposite side. Now it’s a matter of hunting.

Have you read?

Knitting Pattern Review: Sabai Top by PaulaStrickt

Trending now — and for good reason!

Alright fellow knitters, if you’ve been scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest lately, you’ve probably spotted the Sabai Top popping up everywhere. And let me tell you — the hype is totally justified. This lightweight, drapey top by PaulaStrickt has quickly become a must-knit, and it’s easy to see why.

The Sabai Top has that magical mix of style and simplicity. With its elegant A-line shape, soft rolled neckline, and relaxed fit, it flatters every body and suits just about every wardrobe. It’s knit top-down in the round, which means no seams (yes please!), and it flows beautifully thanks to its clever shaping.

It’s ideal for warmer weather and perfect for layering. I’ve seen it styled casually over jeans or thrown over a sundress, and honestly? It looks stunning every single time. That easy, wearable style is what’s made this one take off in the knitting world right now.

PaulaStrickt’s instructions are beautifully laid out, with both English and German versions included. It’s written with clarity and care, and includes helpful photos throughout. I’d say it’s best for confident beginners and up — if you’re comfortable knitting in the round and shaping, you’ll be right at home.

The sizing is generous and inclusive, and it’s so adaptable with different fibres. Linen, cotton, bamboo blends — they all shine in this pattern. I’ve cast on with a blush cotton-linen from my stash, and it’s knitting up like a dream.

This is one of those patterns you just know you’ll make more than once. The fit, the drape, the ease… it’s everything I want in a handmade top. No wonder it’s trending — it’s the kind of timeless knit that never really goes out of style.

Categories

baby hat Baby Patterns Beginner Book Reviews cardigan Christmas CraftGossip Giveaways Craft News and Events Free Kntting Patterns Giveaways! Hats Knitting Articles Of Interest Knitting Patterns Knitting Technique & Ideas mittens Quick scarf shawl patterns socks Sweaters

RSS More Articles

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo for Kids
  • Primrose and Bee Punch Needle Pattern from DMC
  • Striped Ripple Afghan- Free Crochet Pattern
  • Knitting Pattern Review: Sabai Top by PaulaStrickt
  • Book Review – Capture Your Own Life with Collage Quilting
  • 4 FREE Christmas in July Digital Stamp Borders
  • Designer Spotlight: Needle Lot Designs
  • Coffee Cozy Knitting Patterns
  • Book Review: Sew Green: Reimagine, Reuse, Recreate
  • 12 Travel and Vacation Scrapbook Layout Ideas

Copyright © 2025 · CraftGossip | Start Here | Contact Us | Link to Us | Your Editors | Privacy and affiliate policy