Do you go for the middle?

Perhaps it is not the biggest questions to come along the knitosphere, but I am wondering:

what is the consensus of opinion concerning whether to use the outer end of the yarn or to pull the yarn from the center of the ball? 

I always preferred outside in, but someone told me that my yarn would be less likely to unravel if I pulled from the inside. On my first attempts, I went for the middle and had to pull out (what my friend calls...) "the mucus plug" in order to find the end. Then, upon using the center yarn, I also found that it eventually got twisted around the outer yarn that was left flapping in the breeze. So, I have returned to the outer world.

Certainly, we are not debating evolution vs. intelligent design here - but I am curious what others think. Do I need to evolve in my thinking? What is the most intelligent choice? What's the upside of the inside  - or the downside of the outside?  And finally, GOT MILK?

Comments

[Annie]

I like knitting from the inside of the ball, because then as I pull it doesn't roll around. I can keep it in my bag without it flopping around every time I need another length of yarn. (If I can find the end of the yarn in the center, that is. Sometimes you can't)

[Christine]

It depends if it is a slippery yarn or not. I have found that I like to knit from the outside of sock yarn (due to collapsing) I guess I am just confused :)

[Anna]

I'm a middle girl. My mother has an unerring ability to reach into any ball of yarn and find that elusive end. I do not. Occasionally I pull out half the ball. But I persevere. About it getting tangled w/ the outside end - just make sure that outside end is neatly tucked in and it should be fine!!

[Karen]

Before I got my ball winder, I used to go from the outside quite often because it was too lazy to wind into a center pull ball if I couldn't find the inside end. But now I always work from the inside - like Annie said, it keeps my yarn from rolling all over the place. I read somewhere recently that if you are using lightly colored yarn like white or cream, you should work from the outside. They said if you work from the inside, the outside of the ball could pick up dirt as you are knitting and leave a dirty stripe in your project when you get to it. Don't know what dust bowl they are knitting in - LOL!!!!

[Jennifer]

I think if the ball is already wound so that you can knit with it, one is supposed to knit from the inside out. Sometimes I can't find the end, so I just go outside in. If I wind the ball myself, I usually go outside in.

[Kathy Elsie]

I prefer inside out. If I can't and have to go outside in, I end up rerolling the ball and wasting time. But I have friends who "detest" the mucus plug so I can appreciate why you prefer the outside in! It's just that I hate the way it rolls from the outside in, so it's easier at the point just to reroll it!

[Marcia]

It seems to me that the only reason for someone to have invented a ball winder that would create a center-pull ball is so that we would knit from the center. I could be wrong. I no longer wind regular balls, in any event. I use either my winder, a nostepinne, or my index finger to wind a CPB and knit from center out. (Stick the ball in a ziploc bag to keep the outside end under control.) And, FYI, that stuff that falls out of commercial CPB's is really called "yarn vomit."

[Chris]

I prefer working from the middle of the ball of yarn - the ball moves around less and thus attracts less feline attention. :)

[mary ann]

the only question i can answer with confidence is yes i have milk. when i go inside i always wind a ball. sometimes i just don't have a wind in me so i stay outside.

[Daniel]

Here I am playing devil's advocate and stirring it up. Personally I prefer to use the outside because I hate dealing with that outer shell of the last bit of yarn, but I will use the center pull if the yarn is wound in a way that it will keep its shape without a yarn brasierre. I find them silly. I alway keep my work in a plastic bag to get it from dust & dirt. But the main thing is this: It doesn't matter which method you choose, so long as you use the same method for THE WHOLE PROJECT. Yarn, like needlepoint wool or anything spun for that matter, has a grain or rather, a nap. If you brush against this nap, the fibers will fluff a little, which is fine if that is the feel you want. Its just good to make it the same all over. Having said that, it is not very noticable to the naked eye but can be noticed by those with very sensitive skin (like when a store bought sweater has one section that tickles a little more than anywhere else.) The next time you are at your LYS, do a blind test with a few people. Run the yarn between your index finger and thumb both directions a few times and see if you and others feel that it is smoother one direction or the other. Working with the yarn so you go with the nap is easier but some like the feel of going against the grain, just maintain consistancy.

Cheers from Seattle!

[Scribbles & Bits]

I'm definitely an outie! Ok, except with acrylics for some reason, but everything else.... I feel like I can really judge the amount of yarn left a lot better. Plus the amazing collapsing yarn structure sort of freaks me out.

[gigi]

i also prefer inside if it's not too strenuous to find the free end...but sheeeesh
yarn vomit
mucus plug
arghkkk - i may never knit again!

[Amy]

How timely...just this weekend my mom was rolling some skeins into balls for me & she wanted to pull from the inside - we couldn't find it. My preference is to pull from the inside but it can be so hard to find in lots of skeins that I give up & just use the outer.

[Amber]

I will go to all lengths to always pull from the inside. This weekend, I realized that the best way to do this is to use my ball winder and make center pull balls (even if is it already a commercial CPB) because you can avoid the lump (mucus plug) from getting tangled while you are knitting and take care of it beforehand. I then have a very nice cake of yarn with no tangles, gauranteed! Also, I find and can eliminate those nasty knots that are sometimes found in the middle of a ball. I then just wind it into two separate balls so there are no surprises during my project (knot related anyway!)