Frustrated with knotted yarn!!

[Fairyfellowsmasterstroke]

I'm looking for ideas about what techniques you crocheters/knitters use to stop your wool from knotting.

I'm not talking about using multiple balls at any one time. My problem seems to be that, whenever I get to the last third of my ball of wool, it starts knotting and twisting on itself.

I have just spent 15 minutes sorting out a ball of tangles which seems to be an ever repeating pattern with my yarn!!!!

Any ideas or advice on how to manage this annoying problem?

[TheWoollybacksWife]

I work from the centre of the ball. This seems to keep it mostly tangle free.

Have you tried using something like a yarn bowl? I think the premise is that you feed the loose end through a small hole and leave the rest of the ball in the bowl. In theory the yarn feeds out smoothly and avoids tangles. I don't have one myself to test the theory though

I used to help my granny untangle yarn and I found it very therapeutic. Not helpful, I know!

[Fairyfellowsmasterstroke]

I've never considered working from the centre of the ball. I might give it a try.

I have been looking at something like this. It has a small hole in the lid where the yarn feeds out from.

Not too sure if it's just a gimmick though .

[ToastyMcToastface]

My technique is to start many projects but never get past half-way on them so it doesn't arise.

That, or a yarn bowl. There are some really cool ones for sale on etsy

[Fairyfellowsmasterstroke]

Toasty I can totally empathise with you.

I have approx 5 unfinished pieces currently in my work bag.

I'm currently trying to salvage my first attempt at a Corner to Corner blanket which has gone slightly awry. However whilst googling possible solutions I found a tutorial for a waffle stitch which I'm now desperate to try!!!

I really need to finish one or two projects before I start any more!!!

On the plus side I've seen a gorgeous yarn bowl on EBay - trouble is it's £48 so it's having to go on my Christmas list!!!

[OldCrowMedicineShow]

I use a clay plant pot turned upside down. but want a fancy wool holder from Etsy

[Fairyfellowsmasterstroke]

Out of interest how do you find the end which is buried in the centre???

If you'll excuse me asking, do you just insert your fingers and wiggle about until you've found it?!?!?!?!

[TheWoollybacksWife]

Pretty much

Sometimes it brings both ends out . What I do then is turn the ball over to see where the outside end is being pulled through the middle and draw it back out. I then wrap it back around the outside of the ball and knot it (loosely) to one of the other outside strands.

[Footle]

Pulling out the centre can be a right vipers' nest unless the ball was wound with that in mind. I don't think that thing on Amazon looks much cop. There used to be talk a few years back of Yarn Bras to stop the ball unwinding - people made them out of pot-scourers, the kind that's made of several rounds of that thin wire mesh. Have a look on Ravelry, maybe on some of the Techniques groups, for other ideas.

If you have a spare teapot it makes quite a good yarn bowl once you've threaded the end through the spout. You might want to take the teabags out first.

[Footle]

Google yarn bras, there are lots of links. Not pot scourers but those exfoliating shower-puff things -unravel one and use part of it to hold the yarn. There's a rather laboriously-explained YouTube clip about how to do this.

[SoupDragon]

You can use a teapot - put the ball in, hook the yarn through the spout with a crochet hook and put the lid back on.

I do usually work from the inside of a ball but you do get to a point (well I do) where the skein collapses in on itself and you end up in a mess. At that point I wind it into a ball and drop it in a bowl so it can spin freely as I pull.