Finding the starting thread on a new ball of yarn

lagram wrote

on May 15, 2009 4:12 AM

 Every time I start a new ball of yarn for a project I spend about 20min yanking clumps of yarn from one end of the ball to the other - I pull left, then right and all I get are knots.  Can anyone untie this mystery for me?

Tephra wrote

on May 16, 2009 10:15 AM

I hope someone comes along with a good trick for this. If a skein doesn't have the end hanging out for me I'm sure to have serious yarn barf problems. The last skein of sock yarn I tried to find the center pull for ended up practically inside out. :(

lagram wrote

on May 17, 2009 5:16 AM

 Tephra thanks for telling me you have the same problem.  I thought it was something I just couldn't figure out !  It's good to know I am not alone with this one.

Lili wrote

on May 18, 2009 7:28 AM

Every knitter I know has the same problem. Some yarns just have a well hidden end, so sometimes the answer is -- rewind the danged thing. Very annoying!

However, try this method, it often works. Place the ball/skein horizontally in front of you. Put one index finger into the left end of the ball and the other index finger into the right end of the ball. It should look like those straw Chinese finger-cuffs.

Now wiggle your index fingers inside the ball until the tips meet. Feel around a bit with both fingers to find the smallest wad of yarn that seems to be loose-ish at the center. Hook the wad with one finger and pull (not yank) it out from one side of the ball. If there is one strand connecting the wad to the ball, the end is somewhere inside the wad. If there are two strands connected to the ball and they won't shake gently to one, try again -- with the first wad still outside the ball.

When you find the end, gently place the other wad back inside the ball. Always pull from only one end of the ball. You are getting knots because you are crossing strands over inside the ball.

If someone knows a better way, I  too would love to hear it.

lagram wrote

on Jun 8, 2009 10:30 AM

Thanks to all that made me feel better about finding the starting thread on a new ball of yarn.  It's good to know I am not alone.  I have wiggled, and giggled over the darn thing. 

I am still in love with knitting, and I guess it is just part of the process.