What the Heck is a Hank?
The definition of jargon according to Google is: “special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or groups and are difficult for others to understand.”
Knitting most definitely has its own jargon and we are here to help you be ‘in the know’!
Recently I came across a Very Pink YouTube video that is titled “Skein, Ball, Hank, Cake”. I was immediately interested because I wasn’t sure of the difference between a skein and a hank. Now I know and I’ll pass that along to you!
Skeins
A skein is yarn that comes ready to knit from the mill. It’s usually oblong and the yarn can be pulled from one of the ends.
Balls
A ball is much like a skein in that it comes ready to use. It’s usually flatter than a ball of yarn that’s been hand-wound. It certainly doesn’t roll around as easily as a hand-wound ball! Some balls of yarn are rather loosely wound; this is great for the fibers but it means they tend to get messy-looking quickly and they can’t be fixed. You’ll notice that when you look closely at some of our yarns that come in balls.
Hanks
A hank, which is most of our yarn at My Sister Knits, is basically a circle of yarn strands that are twisted and folded to keep them in check. You can’t knit from a hank as you’d end up with a totally tangled mess. Like balls, usually they are rather loosely wound which is good for the fibers. Also, if you’re looking at hand-dyed hanks, they are easy to untwist and see the colors. We will happily wind hanks for you either when you purchase them or when you’re ready to knit with them. Diana particularly loves winding!
Cakes
A cake of yarn is a hank that has been wound and is ready to use. You can either pull from the center or from the outside. I like to pull from the center unless it’s fingering or lace weight. Those weights tend to sink in on themselves as you use them and I end up winding them into a ball and therefore pulling from the outside anyway!
At this point your mind might start going in all sorts of directions. You might wonder, as I did, about the term ‘yarn’. Does it only pertain to wool? If it’s cotton or linen is it still yarn? If it’s spun into a continuous strand, often plied but sometimes not, it is considered yarn!
Here’s one last piece of jargon for you today. The put-up is the form in which the yarn is presented: skein, ball, hank or cake. The next time you’re in the shop, look for the different put-ups!
September and October Classes and Events
Besides listing our classes and events online, we now have cards with everything listed on them in an easy-to-read format! They’re available at the shop for you to pick up. Our Tuesday Techniques and upcoming KALs are listed on them as well as the classes. We’re planning a fun fall and hope you can join us!
Happy Knitting,
Jenny