Yarn Bowl Guide: Why Get One & The 9 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. I review the best yarn bowls.

Knitters relax and knit away when their yarn ball stays in place. Plus, they are super stylish!

My Quick Recommendations

• My Top Pick – Black Mango Wood
• 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, fact checked and updated this post on December 31, 2023.

Table Of Contents

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

Wood

Two-Tone Rosewood MangoWood Yarn Bowls – Knitters Favorite

A two-toned tapered rosewood bowl natural finish. The mango wood texture is a pleasing contrast with the other tone. Store other things in it, too, not only yarn balls! Great for textured novelty yarns. A gorgeous addition to any yarn bowl collection.

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

• Dimensions: 5″ wide, 3.5″ high

Knit Picks Black Mango Wood: Suits Any Project

This unique version 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

Craftamma Indian Wood

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This is made from handcrafted Indian Wood and 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

Carbonized Bamboo Yarn Bowls

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A beautiful bowl with a lid for added prevention of yarn slipping out. This thing is made of a sustainable resource with a smooth finish, and affordable pricing.

• Dimensions: 5.5″ diameter x 3.5” inches tall

Furls Fiber Arts Dharma Small

Each Small Dharma Yarn Bowl is 6″ wide by 2.5″ tall with a wall thickness of 1/4″ and weigh approximately 7.5 oz.

Ceramic Styles

The Art of Lucky Stradley Sculpted Face – A Wool Bowl With A Difference!

Need a laugh? Choose scuplted 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 by American ceramic artist Lucky Stradley. 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 Design by Misunrie

A gorgeous cat stoneware clay wool 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

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A custom ceramic yarn 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

Emerald Green Ceramic

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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.

• Dimensions: 5.5″ wide, 3.75″ high

Metal

Furls Fiber Arts

These were a limited edition. Handcast and hand-polished with beautiful anodized metal crochet bowl. These smooth aluminum bowls have three choices. Keep your eye out for offers and deals for these beauties.

• Polished Aluminum
• Rainbow Anodized
• Hammered Gold

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

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What Is A Yarn Bowl?

The design of most yarn bowls is similar. They’re sometimes referred to as a yarn holder bowl. Most 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 fiber without snagging.

The weight of at the bottom 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 ball in your lap. They often have circular cutouts for storing straight needles, or using more than one skein in your colorwork project.

A yarn bowl is also known as a crafter bowl.

How Big Should It 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.

Why Do Your Need One?

• 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.
• They keep your balls, hanks & skeins 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 it out of reach from curious children
• Move it to wherever you feel like knitting. Glorious sunny day outside? Take it outdoors and know the yarn isn’t going to get dirty.
• The whole purpose is to be a holder and look beautiful on your coffee table. More attractive than a bag.
• They’re good for other crafts like crocheting
• Makes an excellent decor piece in your house (Something to show off when you have company over 🙂)

Are Yarn Bowls Any Good?

Sure! Yes Yarn Bowls are good. Their high quality, durability, and beauty make them a great choice. They make a real difference to your knitting life. Any fiber arts lover would appreciate them.

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: a tote bag, a teapot, a colander, a plant pot (with drainage holes), ziplock bags, a woven basket, or a 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 of them through a hole. Great for stranded knitting, Intarsia, or Fair Isle patterns. (Remember, you’ll need to cut the working strand threaded through a hole so you remove it from the top.)
• The holes prevent you from yanking the yarn out when it gets smaller.

How To Choose – Factors To Consider

• The pottery (wood, plastic, or metal) needs to be smooth where the strand comes out. Even the smallest rough edge catches and frays the yarn. You don’t want your knitting project falling apart!
• They need a wide, flat base, so it won’t tip over when a dense ball 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 it out.
• High walls are best, or the ball spins right out!
• You’ll benefit with two slots if you are an avid color-work knitter. Two colors remain untangled
• If you knit with a large unwound skein, an oblong shape is good.

Where To Buy Yarn Bowls?

You can buy them online. Shop at handmade Etsy stores for unique products. Shop at Knit Picks, Crochet.com. Check each shop for the costs for shipping add this to the total amount in your cart.

Conclusion

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.