Finding the Center of a Skein of Yarn

As a teacher of knitting and crochet, many people have asked me this, and I've always used the expression

"Reach in like you were a gynocologist, and YANK THAT BABY OUTTA THERE!"

Graphic, but it gets the point across. The trouble was that some were very successful (very little afterbirth), others? Well, they pulled the baby out, with yards and yards of yarn left sitting in a pile while they continued to try to locate the end to the yarn ball.

Others have said, "If you can't find the end in the center, use the outer end."

My disagreement with this lies in the fact that when you pull on a string, the rest of the ball should do just that. REST. Not roll around on the floor or in a basket, gathering dust bunnies, cat hair, dog hair, people hair, last night's pizza crumbs...maybe I should stop there, lest you think I'm a horrible housekeeper...

But someone on a sock list came up with a quote, and I saved it to my email client, and I thought I would share it here, so that I will never lose it--even if I change computers...So here goes:

"I have a little tool in my zippered clear pouch that I use to extract the
"beginning" tail of the skein of yarn. Here is what I do:
1. I stick my index finger into the center and turn my finger
"clockwise" to open the hole, then
2. I add my thumb to help keep the hole open, then
3. I take my little tool called a "baby bottle nipple" brush and
insert it between my thumb and index finger in the hole, then
4. I release my fingers, turn the nipple brush half way one way, half
way the other way, then turn it full circle, then
5. pull it out and you should have the beginning of the skein ... not
always, but most of the time
This technique, ©Using the Baby Bottle Nipple Brush to Extract the
Beginning of a Skein of Yarn is a copyrighted idea by AlexSandy Thompson"

I think I will go right out and buy this little tool this evening after work, and I will start using it (just to make sure it works), then I will incorporate the idea into my classes for Knit and Crochet 101. I think it's a fabulous idea, and I can't wait to try it.

Tonight I start on my Wonderful Wallaby, so I have to pack accordingly for the car, then I can head to Lake O's shop (decided against the shop in Lansing until I'm sure who attends there), and knit my brains out.

So if I come home a mindless heap, you'll know why.