Center Pull or Outer Pull

While I was in Carlsbad, California, Nancy asked me if it was better to pull from the center of the skein or the outside.  I have always believed it was a matter of preference.  Nancy told me that in sewing, there is a right and a wrong, because the thread wraps around itself when pulled the wrong way. 

This got me thinking.  Is there a right and a wrong way?  What do you think?  I'd love to hear your answers.  I generally prefer a center pull, but Nancy got me paying attention and sure enough, the yarn wraps around itself when I choose to knit from the center.

Comments

[Mary]

Vogue Knitting magazine had an article on this subject. Mine are packed away because I recently moved so I cannot tell you year and issue. But it depends on the ply of the wool and the direction it goes (top left to right or top right to left. But, I just knit away without any concern.

[kathy b]

Al has told me that there is no difference. Lynnette, the store owner tells people to pull from the center so the ball doesnt roll around. I think you get more yarn vomit with a center pull.

[Beth]

But wouldn't the direction you wound the center pull ball also have some bearing on that?

[Michelle]

I remember reading somewhere that it is better NOT to use a center pull ball, it stresses the yarn. Of course I cannot remember *where* I read this. I will work on it and get back to you.
I wind my yarn into cakes and then use the yarn from the outside. I don't get tangles this way.
Very interesting topic.

[rohanknitterr]

Hmmm, that's a good question. I prefer to knit from the center too, but it does seem to wrap around itself. But I always wondered if that's because I'm doing it "wrong" when I wind it on the ballwinder. It's so much nicer to knit with the ball sitting there rather than jumping around as when you knit from the outside.

[Pam the Yarn Goddess]

It's true that yarn has a definite twist (the twist that is put in while spinning). It's like thread - trying to knit with it from the wrong end can add additional twist, making the yarn kink up. I still prefer to take my chances, however, and pull the yarn from the center. If I'm lucky, I pull it out of the correct end, which makes knitting much easier. I believe, though, that knitting from the center puts less stress on the yarn (think of how much the yarn gets tugged when it's coming from the outside of the ball, what with the ball bouncing around). I've never heard anything to the contrary, but this is what I've observed from personal experience (47 years worth), and if the yarn kinks too much, then I just hold the project up and let it unwind (or vice-versa). That's my five cents' worth.

[Nancy J]

Although most yarns are meant to be rewound as a center-pull, there are some which say right on the label that they are not to be rewound but knit from the outside in!

[Molly]

My mom always told me to pull from the center of a commercially wound skein, but I usually can't find the tail in the middle, so I resort to pulling from the outside.

When I wind my own balls, I pull from the center because I can easily get to the tail. Center pull is easier to maintain, I think because it doesn't roll all around with it's own mind.

[Karen]

I read somewhere that if you are knitting with light colored yarn, you should pull from the outside. The theory is that if you pull from the center, the same section of yarn is always on the outside of the ball and will get dirty. (I always pull from the center though - no matter what color the yarn is.)

[KellyD]

I pull from the middle. When I unwind from the outside of the skein, inevitably, my yarn unravels in my bag and tangles around everything. This takes up valuble knitting time. THEN when I'm finally untangled, anytime I try to pull yarn from the skein to knit the skein rolls around drops on the floor and under a chair. It's pulling from the middle for me!