Skein, hank or ball: what’s the difference and why are they used?
Have you ever looked at the different ways yarns are wound and wondered why? Well, wonder no more! I explain the differences and why yarns come in balls, skeins and hanks
When trying to find out why some yarns come in skeins rather than balls I discovered that what I’d been calling skeins for years are actually hanks. So I did a little more digging to find out the difference between balls, hanks and skeins and why these different ways of winding yarn are used.
What’s the difference?
So what is the difference? A ball is, rather obviously, a round, ball-shaped bunch of yarn. It’s generally quite tightly wound and usually used for mass-produced yarns. A skein is similar to a ball but is more oblong shaped and more loosely wound. Again, it’s used for mass-produced yarns and it’s probably the shape you’re most familiar with.
A hank is yarn wound into a large circle and then twisted around itself to create what looks like a plait. This is what I’ve been calling a skein all these years, while I’ve referred to skeins as balls. This is usually used by independent dyers and small-scale producers. A hank of yarn will need to be wound into a ball before you can use it.
There are also cones and cakes. These aren’t as widely seen and are usually used by large-scale manufacturers to sell large quantities of yarn.
Why are they used?
I don’t like winding yarn into balls. It seems to take ages and I spend a lot of time untangling knots. The thought of having a wind a hank into a ball puts me off using some yarns. So why are some yarns sold in hanks when balls and skeins are so much more convenient? For the knitter, at least.
Many luxury or hand-dyed yarns come in hanks, while cheaper or mass-produced yarns come in balls or skeins. Skeins, particularly, are used by big commercial yarn manufacturers using special winders that aren’t generally available to crafters. Yarn winders are sold retail, but these wind the yarn into balls.
Hanks put less tension on the yarn so an expensive, luxury yarn is less likely to break or stretch. This isn’t as much of an issue with cheaper, more hardy yarns, so balls and skeins are fine for these. It’s best to keep this yarn in hank form until you’re ready to use it.
When I spoke to Rose at Hedgehog Fibres to ask why they sell in hanks rather than balls or skeins she explained that most small-scale and hand dyers prefer hanks. The yarn comes from the mills in this way and it allows the dyer to “create non-pooling colourways that blend from colour to colour in unique and unexpected ways”.
Yarn for commercial dyers, however, comes on huge cones and is dyed in big canisters, where the dye is pressurised. The production process then involves huge machines creating smaller skeins or balls from the cones.
There are also practical concerns. It’s much easier to store and transport hanks of yarn as they take up a lot less space. The winding process also takes time – which most independent dyers and suppliers don’t have much of.
A wind up
Balls and skeins are ready to use as supplied. However, as you get towards the end of a skein, its looser structure means it can start to tangle. To avoid this, you might want to wind it into a tighter ball.
A hank will need to be wound into a ball before you can use it or it’ll just end up a knotted mass. Your local yarn shop may well offer a winding service if you buy from them, or you can invest in a yarn winder or swift. These very complicated-looking machines apparently make it a lot quicker and easier to wind your yarn into balls.
But you don’t need any of that. You can just drape the yarn around your knees or the back of a chair and wind it that way. A cup of coffee and something good on Netflix and you’re set.