Do You Need a Yarn Bowl for Knitting? 5 Alternatives to Try

If you’ve joined me on a TikTok Live or seen some of my photos over the years, you might notice I often have my yarn in a bowl. Maybe you’ve seen other knitters doing it, too.

Perhaps you’ve seen some of them using a fancy ceramic yarn bowl with swirly bits cut out and little holes along the side. It’s possible you’ve seen a wooden yarn bowl polished to a high sheen that shows off the grain of the wood just so.

And if you’re like many knitters, you’ve probably asked yourself what in the world is the deal with these fancy yarn bowls. Luckily, I’ve got you covered, along with a list of possible alternatives if you’re not in a place where you want or can splurge on a specially designated yarn bowl.

What Is a Yarn Bowl Good For?

So first, let’s talk about why you might want a yarn bowl. Ever been knitting, given a tug on your working yarn, and had the ball fall off the table/couch/your lap onto the floor where it rolled far away or under some furniture?

Yeah, it’s a painful experience.

Yarn bowls can help prevent that problem by corralling the yarn and keeping it from rolling away. A bowl that is specially designed for use as a yarn bowl will usually have at least one spot where you can feed the yarn through, which will allow for increased tension that creates a smoother roll off the ball or cake of yarn. It might also have some holes in the side where you can feed multiple strands of yarn from different yarn balls, which can be good for doing stranded color work without tangling your yarn.

I love yarn bowls for a few reasons. Most important, of course, is that they are genuinely useful. I hate it when my yarn rolls off and I have to climb under furniture to get it back. They’re also beautiful and come in so many different styles, so there’s a yarn bowl for every aesthetic. Finally, I love supporting fellow makers and small businesses, and those are your best sources for yarn bowls.

But what if you don’t have space or funds for a dedicated yarn bowl, or you’re just not ready to get one for any other reason?

Six Things You Can Use as Yarn Bowls

If you’re not interested in buying a yarn bowl or don’t have room in the budget for one right now, there are lots of other things you can use. The main qualities you need to look for are (1) weight and (2) a lip or rim that will keep the ball of yarn from rolling away. Here are some things I’ve used over the years.

1. A regular bowl

I used to have a really beautiful stoneware yarn bowl that a colleague got for me from Uncommon Goods, but alas, it had an unfortunate incident with my excited toddler several years ago and is no longer with us. Nowadays, I usually just use a regular bowl.

My favorite is a little jasperware bowl I found in an antique shop. It’s just the right size for a ball of sock yarn, and I rarely work with anything larger. Notice that the sides are fairly vertical rather than gently sloping outward and upward. That makes it extra good for use as a yarn bowl because it’s hard for the yarn to slide up and over the sides.

2. A colander

Colanders with larger holes can be a great option for a yarn bowl. You can feed the yarn through the holes in the colander, and it will act just like the holes in the side of a yarn bowl.

You’ll want to choose a colander that has some heft to it so it can counterbalance the force of you tugging on the yarn, so go for a heavier metal or even ceramic colander. Make sure, too, that the holes in the side of your colander are smooth. You don’t want a jagged edge damaging your yarn.

3. A teapot

Now this might sound strange to you, but hear me out. What’s a teapot’s defining feature? Its spout.

And it turns out the spout of a teapot is great for feeding yarn through. A teapot is heavy enough that it can hold the yarn in place, and it’ll usually have a lid, too. On the other hand, if you find a lidless teapot at a thrift store, most people want want it for a teapot anymore so you might be able to score a good deal on your new DIY yarn bowl.

4. A heavy drawstring bag

A lot of knitters and crocheters like using project bags, and with good reason. They keep your yarn, pattern, and notions all corralled in one place so you can easily grab them and go. It makes portable stitching much easier.

But the other benefit of a good project bag is that it can act like a yarn bowl. If the bag is made of a heavy enough canvas and has a drawstring closure, you can feed the yarn through the small opening at the center of the closure and contain the ball of yarn that way.

If you’re feeling brave, you can also do this with a zippered bag (and I’ll be honest, I often do exactly that). There is a risk, though, that the yarn could snag in the zipper’s teeth, so chose this path at your own discretion.

5. A basket with a liner

Finally, I love a good basket for use as a yarn bowl, but I’ve learned the hard way that a basket without a liner isn’t the best choice. That’s because the basket material often has poky bits that can snag your yarn. For the smoothest yarn control experience, I recommend a basket with fairly high walls and a cloth interior that will protect the yarn from catching on twigs or splinters.

Do you have an alternative to a yarn bowl that you love to use? Please share in the comments! I’m always curious to hear what other people have come up with.