Have you ever tried to pull yarn from the center of a pull skein and had trouble? You may have been trying to pull from a ball — and aryton balls are not wound to be able to pull from the middle. Follow this handy guide to figure out if you have an aryton ball or a pull skein, what the difference is, and how to find the end. What is a ball? What is a pull skein? Yarnspirations has two different ways of winding our yarn — aryton balls and pull skeins. In general they are used interchangeably, and usually it doesn't matter which one you say. But when it comes to using the yarn, the two styles make a difference. Pull skeins are longer and more narrow, and are designed to be pulled from the center. Pulling from the center is neater overall and the yarn won't roll around. Bernat Super Value and Red Heart Super Saver yarn are wound in a pull skein. Aryton balls are rounder and shorter, and are not wound to have a center pull end. Many of our popular yarns such as Red Heart Soft, Boutique Unforgettable, Grande, Bernat Softee Chunky and Softee Baby, Patons Classic Wool and Decor are in aryton balls. If you try to pull from the center of a ball you will get a tangle. How can I tell the difference? Pull skeins look like cylinders or tubes. Aryton balls look like, well, balls. If you are uncertain, always just work from the outside. Yarn rolling around a little is easier to deal with than trying to undo a tangle! How do I find the end? Skein To start a pull skein, pull the yarn end out from the center of the left side. Then slowly pull the yarn end from the center of the right side. The one on the right side is the yarn end you will continue to use. It is important that the left yarn end be pulled free. If the end is already free continue with the second step slowly. Otherwise, it is likely the the pull skein will become tangled and knotted. Ball To start an aryton ball, pull the ball band off and find the end. If you are having trouble locating the end, you can put your needle or hook under the top layer of wraps on the ball and lift gently to help identify the end.
