Yarn Bowl Guide – Why Get One & The 15 Most Delightful Yarn Bowls

Tame yarn’s tendency to roll everywhere and end frustration with balls of yarn. Keep it in place with a yarn bowl.

Knitters relax and knit away when their yarn ball stays in place. Plus, a yarn bowl is super stylish!

My Quick Recommendations

• My Top Pick – Metal
• Best Luxury Option – Ceramic
• Best Budget Pick – Rosewood

Here are some functional, beautiful (sometimes outrageous) Yarn Bowls. They’re ordered by material for your preferences.

I reviewed and updated this post on January 8, 2022.

Table Of Contents

• Wooden Yarn Bowl
• Ceramic Yarn Bowl
• Metal Yarn Bowl
• What Is A Yarn Bowl?
• Why You Should Use One
• How To Choose A Yarn Bowl

Wood

Furls Yarn Bowls

Fits a 5oz/100g ball of yarn. Lifetime warranty. A knitter or crocheter would love this wood design work of art! There are two options for this good-sized yarn bowl, medium and large.

• Dimensions: 6″ wide, 6″ high

Is there a best place to order yarn? Discover for yourself.

Two-Tone Rosewood MangoWood Yarn Bowls

A two-toned tapered rosewood bowl. The mango wood texture is a pleasing contrast with the other tone. Store other things in it, too, not only yarn balls!

A gorgeous addition to any yarn bowl collection.

(If you’re buying the yarn bowl as gifts and unsure, get them gift cards.) They offer reasonable shipping to your delivery address.

• Dimensions: 5″ wide, 3.5″ high

Looking for gift ideas for a knitter. Read my gifts for knitters Etsy guide.

Classic Rosewood Hagestad Yarn Bowls

The surface is smooth with a high-gloss wood finish. A curled slot captures the yarn as you knit, allowing it to feed through, preventing tangles.

Has a velvet travel pouch. It has high customer ratings, and it’s a better alternative to Nagina International.

• Dimensions: 7″ wide, 4″ high

Check Price on Amazon

Knit Picks Black Mango Yarn Bowls

This unique yarn bowl has a spiral cutout with three holes. Stores your needles or crochet hooks. Made of mango wood, it has a striking appearance.

Perfect for your chosen craft hobby and the kinds of projects you do. It would make a splash in your knitting community!

• Dimensions: 6″ wide, 4″ high

Keep your gorgeous knitting sock yarn in a yarn bowl.

Craftamma Indian Wood Yarn Bowl

This handcrafted Indian Wood Yarn Bowl has a glossy finish. It’s sturdy and durable. Nothing to do but pop your yarn in this beauty, let it keep the yarn in place, and start knitting.

• Dimensions: 6″ wide, 3.5″ high

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Carbonized Bamboo Yarn Bowls

A beautiful bowl with a lid for added prevention of yarn slipping out. Made of a sustainable resource with a smooth finish.

• Dimensions: 5.5″ diameter x 3.5” heigh

Check Price on Amazon

Ceramic

The Art of Lucky Stradley Sculpted Yarn Bowl Face

Need a laugh? Try this yarn bowl with faces! A wheel-thrown, hand-altered and sculpted bowl. Perfect for holding a ball of yarn. The large range handles big bulky balls. Such unique designs.

An interesting part of the face for the yarn to come from! 🙂

Of course, I had to include these. They’re lots of fun. They’d be sure to bring a smile to your face. Check out all the options and explore the collection.

• Dimensions: 6″ diameter, 3.5″ high

Cat Yarn Bowl by Misunrie

A gorgeous cat stoneware clay bowl. Kids would love this. Lead-free, food-safe-glaze used. Knit your socks, mittens, and other projects with ease!

• Dimensions: 6″ wide, 3 3/4″ tall without ear, 4″ tall with ear

Leslie Nieto The Mudplace Personalised Yarn Bowl

A custom bowl, perfect for those who enjoy knitting. Available in several colors and text for personalization. A great gift idea!

• Dimensions: 6.25″ wide, 3.5″ high

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Emerald Green Ceramic Yarn Bowl

Featuring a beautiful leaves design. Odorless and clean. Product availability varies as it’s made to order.

An alternative to your knitting bag or yarn bag organizer to store yarn. It’s a good size yarn bowl.

• Dimensions: 5.5″ wide, 3.75″ high

Check Today’s Price

Metal

Furls Metal Yarn Bowl

Handcast and hand-polished with beautiful anodized metal. These smooth aluminum bowls have three choices.

• Polished Aluminum
• Rainbow Anodized
• Hammered Gold

• Dimensions: 6″ in diameter and 3″ tall.

Looking for something unique? The BambooMN Yarn Bowl is square, and has a lid!

What Is A Yarn Bowl?

The design of most yarn bowls is similar. They’re sometimes referred to as a yarn holder bowl.

Most yarn bowls have a bowl shape with a swirled section cut out on one side. You thread the string of yarn through there.

When you pull the yarn ball, it acts as a guide and feeds the length of the yarn without snagging.

The weight of the yarn bowl allows the ball of yarn to roll around inside without getting tangled. The high sides keep it in place. A perfect yarn holder. No need to keep the yarn ball in your lap.

They often have circular cutouts for

• Storing straight needles
• Using more than one yarn in your colorwork project.

How Big Should A Yarn Bowl Be?

Take measurements of your wound ball’s width and height. You need a bowl fitting those specifications. If you use bulky yarn, go bigger.

What Is The Point Of A Yarn Bowl?

• To keep your sanity! Your knitting experience is meant to be pleasurable. Chasing yarn under tables, chairs, and your sofa isn’t fun. Nor is knotted, tangled yarn. Strings form knots almost instantly. (1) Prevent tangling with one of these.
• Yarn bowls keep your yarn clean, preventing it from collecting fluff or dust. (Knitting is more important than housework!)
• They’re not easy for a cat, dog or other pets to move around. There are cute pictures of cats playing with yarn. Sure they’re adorable, as long as it’s NOT YOUR YARN!
• Keeps the yarn out of reach from curious children
• Move your yarn bowl wherever you feel like knitting. Glorious sunny day outside? Take it outdoors and know the yarn isn’t going to get dirty.
• Their whole purpose of yarn bowls is to be a yarn holder and look beautiful on your coffee table. More attractive than a yarn bag.
• They’re good for other crafts
• Makes an excellent decor piece in your house (Something to show off when you have company over 🙂)

Are Yarn Bowls Any Good?

Sure! Their high quality, durability, and beauty make them a great choice. They make a real difference to your knitting life.

What Can I Use Instead Of A Yarn Bowl?

There are other ways to keep skeins tangle-free! Listed are a few options to choose from.

• Tote bag
• A teapot
• A Colander
• Plant pot (with drainage holes)
• Ziplock bags
• Woven basket
• Water jug

Why Are There Holes?

There are holes in yarn bowls for the following reasons:

• Rest your knitting needles when not in use.
• If working with multiple yarns, thread each yarn through a hole. Great for stranded knitting, Intarsia, or Fair Isle patterns. (Remember, you’ll need to cut the working yarn threaded through a hole so you remove it from the top.)
• The holes prevent you from yanking the yarn out of the yarn bowl when it gets smaller.

How To Choose a Yarn Bowl – Factors To Consider

• The pottery (wood, plastic, or metal) needs to be smooth where the yarn comes out. Even the smallest rough edge catches and frays the yarn. You don’t want your knitting project falling apart!
• Yarn bowls need a wide, flat base, so it won’t tip over when a dense ball of yarn is rolling around.
• A wooden knitting bowl of lightweight wood is great when traveling.
• It needs an opening where the yarn slips through from the top. Otherwise, it’s more challenging to take the yarn out of the yarn bowl.
• High walls are best, or the ball spins right out!
• Get a yarn bowl with two slots if you are an avid color-work knitter. Two colored yarns remain untangled
• If you knit with a large unwound skein, an oblong yarn bowl is good.

Where To Buy Yarn Bowls?

You can buy yarn bowls online.

Such incredible inventions. They make knitting much easier and enjoyable, with less mess! Worth the investment. That’s a fact. 🙂

Do you use a yarn bowl? Any recommendations? Tell me in the comments!

References

1. Jawed, M. K., P. Dieleman, B. Audoly, and P. M. Reis. “Untangling the Mechanics and Topology in the Frictional Response of Long Overhand Elastic Knots.” Physical Review Letters 115, no. 11 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.115.118302.

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