The modern solution for keeping yarn clean as a knitting project progresses is the notched yarn bowl – an essential accessory for today’s knitters. Gone are the days when a ball would travel across a not-so-clean floor as it fell apart as it was woven. Grandma may have put her yarn in a plastic bag to fix this problem, but she probably found that the yarn often “bulled up” and snagged, causing frustrating pauses in the knitting process.

The Notched Yarn Bowl was created to solve this problem. The ball of yarn is simply placed in the bowl with the yarn threaded through the notch in the side of the bowl. Yarn unravels smoothly and stays clean and free of debris it used to pick up off the floor while unraveling. Some knitters even report that watching the ball unravel in the notched bowl of yarn adds to the relaxation of the knitting process.

These bowls are made from a variety of materials, primarily wood and ceramic, and have a variety of creative and decorative indentations that facilitate smooth unwinding of the yarn. Here are some simple tips for the knitter who is confused about design features and wants to make sure the bowl selected is best for their purposes:

1. Make sure that the material from which the yarn bowl is made is smooth, especially in the notch, since the wool easily frays even with minimal roughness in this area of ​​the bowl.

2. Choose a bowl that has a “J” notch so that the project can be separated from the bowl at any time during the life of the project. Using a bowl that has a hole that must be threaded like a needle limits the knitters ability to separate the project from the yarn bowl. This is essential when working on a project that you want to take with you to multiple locations.

3. Make sure the sides of the bowl are high enough to prevent the ball of yarn from easily rolling out of the bowl. This height varies according to the size of the ball that the weaver uses. A 3″ sidewall is usually tall enough to hold most balls of yarn.

4. Choose a pattern and color that goes with the decor of the weaver’s house. When the yarn bowl is not being used for a knitting project, it can be a display item. Even when in use, having a bowl that is consistent with the home’s interior design allows the knitter to put the project on display in a neat and attractive manner.

5. Choose a bowl of yarn designed by someone who knits. After all, weavers know best what weavers need. For example, Susanne James is a potter and weaver and has designed a series of 3-notch yarn bowls that she herself uses in her weaving projects. The first one simply has the “J” shaped notch. A second has the notch adorned with the image of a dragonfly covering the edge of the “J” notch. The third adds a lid to the container to add extra protection against spills from above and damage from pets.