Why roll yarn into a ball?

No such thing as a stupid question, just the stupid mistakes we make if we don't ask them! Well, OK, if you ask me the same question more than twice and don't appear to be paying attention to the answer, then I'll start thinking the question is stupid (or at least the asker is)...

Many of the mass-produced yarns sold in big chain craft stores and department stores are sold in "pull-skeins", which are designed so you can fish the end of the yarn out of the middle of the skein and start using it; the yarn should feed out of the center of the skein smoothly. You really don't need to rewind these into balls.

More expensive yarns are sold in "hanks", which are the big loops of yarn which were made when the yarn was dyed. The loops are too large to work with comfortably and have a tendency to tangle, plus they're not as portable - you'd always need to be able to lay them out and try to get the yarn to feed nicely. These should be wound into soft (not tight) balls. I've been using a lot of hand-dyed yarn in hanks in the past year or so, so I finally splurged and bought myself a yarn-ball winder. The resultant product is a cylinder (a cake rather than a ball), and the yarn feeds from the center. These are even nicer than balls, because balls have a tendency to roll around, and the cakes just sit nicely whereever you put them. As to why these kinds of yarns are not wound into balls - well, that would take more equipment (and thus raise the price), plus the hanks are more squishable than balls would be, so they're easier to pack and ship.

You can buy yarn 2 different ways. If you are buying an inexpensive acrylic yarn such as Red Heart it comes in a "Pull Skein" that is ready to use. There are instructions on the label on which end to pull from the center. Most wool is purchased in "hanks". The yarn is not wound up, put is loose. This is the type of yarn that must be wound in a ball before you use it. When you buy this type of yarn you are buying it from a yarn store or on-line; not from a box store such as Wal Mart or a craft store. If you buy it from a Local Yarn Store they will wind it in a roll for you. Usually the first 2 or 3 balls are wound for free, any more than that for a small fee.

Yarn is dyed in skeins. The skeins will tangle like crazy, which is why the yarn is then wound into balls. Skeins in this case means yarn that is wound in loops about the length from you hand to your elbow. This does not mean the skeins of yarn that you buy at walmart or Michaels.

The yarn is not wound into balls because of the way yarn is sold, by weight and buy yardage. It would be too difficult to get the proper measurements when the yarn is in a ball. Besides, winding yarn is fun!

check out the links below for more information and pictures of what they are referring to.