Yogurt Yarntainer
My sister-in-law, knowing my yen for knitting, once very thoughtfully presented me with a yarntainer, which I love because it keeps any skein of yarn clean, tangle-free, and more important, cat-free, as I knit—I can toss it on the couch, or in the footwell of someone’s car without firing up any additional synapses. Here’s my knockoff version—all you require is a used 32oz. yogurt container, a sharp point for poking a hole in the middle of the lid, and an eyelet of sufficient diameter to snap into said hole. (The raw edges of the plastic will otherwise catch at the yarn.) I happened to find this particular eyelet on the floor while I was cleaning up one day; a scrapbooking or paper-arts friend might have an extra eyelet or two for you.
And there you have it. You find a second use for something disposable (“reuse” is, of course, a step up from “recycle”) and you get to stash $7 to $12 extra dollars in your knitting fund.
Eunice said,
October 22, 2006 at 5:47 pm
oh, that is a great idea. i was wondering how to transition from my ziploc-yarn-containing habits. i have plenty of yogurt containers and a grommet tool to make holes. And it makes a good gift for my knitting friends as well :)
azgoddess said,
October 23, 2006 at 6:05 pm
nice…nice
my problem is i crochet with the big rolls…and it’s hard to find a container big enough
but i do like playing with my cat…he got totally tangled in my yarn last nite…he was a riot….
Adelin said,
October 24, 2006 at 11:24 am
Do you have an eyelet setter? Or did you just stick the sucker right in there?
Dorothy said,
October 29, 2006 at 12:10 pm
very nice idea. another suggestion for centerpull balls is using a knee-high pantyhose as a “yarn bra.” or you can slice up sections of full length hose and knot the end. not so helpful if you have cats, though.
we also made beanbags by felting swatches, sewing two together as a pillow and filling with beans using a knotted section of pantyhose as a liner.
glad I found this blog, good suggestions, thanks.
heather said,
January 20, 2007 at 10:00 am
just got around to making one of these - brilliant, thanks!
Maria said,
May 15, 2007 at 7:06 am
That’s a great idea. I made mine with a plastic container i got full of wanton soup. For the hole in the middle i burned a candle until it was big enough and w a pencil i smooth the edges . Also a good container would be those big tubs of butter. :)
Lisa said,
May 20, 2007 at 12:11 am
For the large balls, you could use regular storebought ice cream pails, or go to your local ice cream parlour and ask for a five gallon bucket…
Veroninca said,
June 2, 2007 at 6:46 pm
OMG! This is great! I have 4 little 10-week-old kittens that have a ball when the yarn comes out! However, my productivity diminishes significantly… lol They’re too cute to be mad at, though. :)
They’re still going to try to play with it, but probably not as much, once I find a good container… I buy everything in little containers because it’s just me.
Diane said,
June 6, 2007 at 7:12 am
Amazing idea! I’m going to have to make me one of these as my cats won’t leave wool alone! This’ll be brilliant for keeping the wool clean when I’m crocheting blankets! Thanks for the inspiration!
The Worsted Witch » Twinetainer said,
July 8, 2007 at 11:37 am
[...] Remember the Yarntainer? It’s a great way to store twine, too. In this case, we reused a takeout soup container to tame our hemp twine. [...]
RebeccaCarter » Blog Archive » Tip o’ the Day: Knitting the Way said,
October 30, 2007 at 4:51 pm
[...] By doing it yourself, you can control the quality of the ingredients that go into that scarf. Try Blue Sky Alpaca or Lion Brand Yarn in organic cotton. Once you get going, there will be no stopping your green knitting self. Next thing you know, you'll need a Yogurt Yarntainer. [...]
Beth said,
February 18, 2008 at 1:41 am
How about a large peanut butter plastic container. The lid screws on - all I have to do is figure out how to get the hole made in the top without breaking it (hard plastic lid). Maybe a hand drill? Great idea - wish I had thought of it myself!
jessica said,
February 18, 2008 at 8:42 pm
that is GENIUS!!!!
Why do I not think of these things….
sewiknittoo said,
August 5, 2008 at 11:34 pm
that was a great idea…
Michelle said,
August 6, 2008 at 4:17 pm
What marvelous timing! Reading about this great idea soon afterI starting a baby blanket the required two strands of yarn to be knit at one time. Didn’t think much of this technique (am new to the joys of knitting) until I did a few rows and what a tangle to undo!!! Like every other row… This yogurt yarntainer is very innovative and ecofriendly (and I have a large how grommet tool). Very cool.
My cats don’t play with my yarn. Is there something wrong here?!!? I guess I should be grateful that the yarn is safe but I worry about my ‘kids’ missing out on some serious feline stimulation…