Skeins of knitting wool

[Swizzler]

Just bought some gorgeous wool for a blanket, but it's twisted into skeins rather than in a ball (v posh). Do I have to rewind it before using? Daft question, but I've only knitted using pleb balls of wool before...

I think it's hard to knit from skeins. The shop probably has a machine that will make them into balls? Or you can do it by hand.

OK, but do I wind it twice, or is the twist reversed IYSWIM?

not sure what you mean? it's really hard to knit from a skein without tangling it. if you have a willing helper to hold the skein out tight it can be fairly easy to ball it up, but we always had terrible rows with dh "helping". you can stretch it around a chair back (or a couple, the tighter the better) but tbh nothing beats a skein winder/swift but you'd be lucky to find anyone who has one unless you know any serious knitters/spinners.

I remember spending hours holding skeins for my mum to wind from - in the end my dad made her a revolving skein-holder from wire coat hangers. I remember it had a heavy wooden base because my brother once hit me with it, but i can't remember exactly how it revolved on the base - but if you know any ingenious diy-ers someone could proably figure it out.

I mean, I assume you need to start knitting from one end of a ball of wool and not the other -in the same way as sewing thread will tangle if you thread from the wrong end - so it is assumed that you will wind the skein into a ba;ll and start knitting from the wring end as it were? Sorry if not lucid, but dealing with 5-week old baby and no sleep!

nope, isn't a right and wrong end, both the same.

if the ball's wound as a centre-pull then you would use the end in the middle of the ball as it stops tumbling and tangling, but no functional difference at all. when i can't be bothered to wind a centre-pull ball i just put the ball in a plastic bag with the corner cut off. run the yarn through the hole and it stops it rolling away, keeps it tangle free and clean too.

There are instructions in the Stitch'n'Bitch book about how to hand-make a centre-pull ball. I've done it a few times, when frogging, or working from skeins or cones. It's not hard, but it does take a bit of time. You don't need help to do it, though.

Thanks! Will enlist DH's help and get winding