When following foreign knitting or crochet patterns, you’ll often see terms like ball, cake, skein… They all refer to yarn packaging, but each type differs in how the yarn is wound and how the strand is pulled, which can directly affect your crafting experience.

In the images below, I’ve listed each type in detail.

If we group them by shared characteristics, they can be simplified into the following main categories 👇

BALL

👉 Yarn wound into a round shape, ready to use Includes: • Regular ball • Donut ball • Center-pull ball • Cake ✔️ Pros: easy to use, less tangling (especially center-pull types)

SKEIN

👉 Yarn packaged for sale, can be pulled from the outside or the center Includes: • Skein • Pull skein (center-pull skein) ✔️ Pros: neat, tidy, and the most common form in yarn shops

HANK

👉 Yarn in a large loop, not wound Includes: • Hank • Twisted hank • Folded hank ⚠️ Note: Always wind into a ball or cake before using to avoid tangling

CONE

👉 Yarn wound on a cone-shaped core • Commonly used for machine knitting or large projects

DETAILED INFORMATION

1️⃣ Ball

• Yarn wound into a traditional round shape • Can be pulled from the outside • May roll around if not kept in a basket or container

2️⃣ Donut Ball

• A ball of yarn with a hole in the center, shaped like a donut • Usually allows center-pull • Less likely to tangle than a regular ball

3️⃣ Cake

• Yarn wound by a machine into a flat, cake-like shape • Typically center-pull • Very popular because it’s neat and less prone to tangling

4️⃣ Center-pull Ball

• Tightly wound ball with a strand that pulls from the center • Convenient to use and doesn’t roll around while working • Commonly seen in yarn wound from a hank

5️⃣ Hank

• Yarn arranged in a large loop, not wound into a ball • Not ready to use; must be wound before knitting or crocheting • Commonly found in hand-dyed yarn

6️⃣ Twisted Hank

• A hank twisted into a compact form for selling • Still a hank at its core → needs to be wound before use

7️⃣ Folded Hank

• A hank folded and secured with a label • Often seen in industrial or commercial yarn brands • Also needs to be wound before use

8️⃣ Cone

• Yarn wound onto a cone-shaped core • Ideal for machine knitting or large projects • Very smooth yarn flow with minimal tangling

9️⃣ Skein

• A common yarn packaging form in yarn shops • Usually pulled from the outside • The term “skein” is sometimes used as a general term for different yarn forms

🔟 Pull Skein

• A skein with a center-pull strand • Convenient and tidy to work with • Pulling the wrong end may cause tangling

1️⃣1️⃣ Tangled Yarn

• Yarn that has become tangled or knotted • Often caused by pulling the wrong strand or using an unwound hank

Hope this post helps you better recognize different yarn types and choose the right one for your projects 🧵

If you find it helpful, don’t forget to save it or share it with your fellow knitters and crocheters 💛