Ceramic yarn bowls are a great way to keep your yarn from rolling away while you work. For avid knitters and crocheters, a sturdy bowl makes pulling from a ball much easier, which makes the process smoother and more enjoyable.
What makes a good yarn bowl? The best yarn bowls are made of durable and high-quality ceramic, are the perfect size to fit your yarn ball of choice, don’t let your yarn escape easily, and have a design that fits your personal taste.
Let’s take a look below to find out what to look for when you need to buy a yarn bowl and find the best one for you.
Why You Need A Yarn Bowl
The first question that comes to mind when you consider buying a yarn bowl is: do you really need it? If you are an experienced knitter or crocheter, you have probably experienced your ball of yarn rolling around or getting tangled (especially when you are pulling from the center) when you are working on your project.
This gets annoying since you will need to stop your project to pick up the yarn or untangle it.
The yarn bowl solves all of these problems! It is a dedicated home for your ball of yarn while you are knitting or crocheting to keep your yarn in one place so that it doesn’t roll around and collect dust or get damaged in the process.
Yarn bowls are also useful because they often have a hole or hook to loop your yarn through. This acts as a guide and a tension point to keep the yarn from getting tangled while adding a bit of tension while you are pulling the yarn.
If this has convinced you to get a yarn bowl, then let’s take a look at what you need to consider when looking at all the options on the market.
Ceramic Yarn Bowls – Buyer’s Guide
1. Materials
Yarn bowls can be made from various materials such as wood, ceramics, or plastic.
Wooden yarn bowls are made from sturdy wood and are eco-friendly. They are quite easy to match with your existing decor, and you don’t have to worry about dropping and breaking yarn bowls, especially if you have pets or young children.
Wooden bowls can be very lightweight, which may not be able to hold still while you pull your yarn. When you buy a wooden yarn bowl, you also need to pay attention to how smooth the wood surface is because a rough surface can snag or damage the delicate yarn. They’re also lighter and can end up tipping over and spilling the yarn.
Plastic bowls aren’t as beautiful as some of the materials used, but they are highly durable, practical, and affordable. They will last for years without needing to be replaced.
Most plastic bowls have a pretty smooth surface, but the downside is plastic is usually very light, which means it won’t be sturdy enough when you need to pull hard on a ball of yarn.
This is why stone or ceramic yarn bowls are usually the best material for yarn bowls.
These bowls usually have distinct decorative designs that make them great conversation starters in your home. The material is both sturdy and smooth, which can support yarn pulling without damaging your yarn.
However, this type of bowl is prone to breaking, so if you have pets or young children, you will need to keep the bowls in an area that is out of reach to protect them.
2. Size
Good size and height are both important when buying a yarn bowl. You should get one that has enough space to accommodate the size of your yarn ball, with not too much extra space (because the ball can jump out of the yarn bowl).
You can usually find yarn bowls with sizes ranging from 5-10 inches. Smaller bowls are great to support sock yarn and lace-weight yarn, while large bowls are good for chunky yarn.
If you are unsure, the safest option would be something that is about 6-8 inches in diameter. This is a great size that can accommodate small to medium-weight yarn.
3. Smoothness
The bowl’s smoothness is probably the most important thing to look for when you are buying a yarn bowl.
When working with yarn, especially thin, delicate yarn, the yarn bowl’s smooth surface is the key to protecting your yarn. You don’t want your yarn to get snagged or damaged by the yarn bowl’s rough surface.
This is why stone or glazed ceramic bowls are always the best choices when you need to buy a smooth yarn bowl.
4. Guides
Yarn bowls usually have guides, which are small loops or hooks where you can feed the yarn through.
These guides should have a looped design that keeps the yarn from spinning out when you knit or crochet, so if the guide has a design that is too simplistic, then the yarn can get dropped right away.
These guides are quite useful to keep the yarn from tangling while you knit. When you buy the yarn bowl, make sure that there’s no unfortunate bump around the guides because these can snag your yarn when you pull it through.
5. Design
Yarn bowls are not only useful assistants for knitting or crocheting, but they can also be quite stylish!
There are a ton of yarn bowl designs for you to choose from, and it’s definitely a matter of taste. You can always find one that matches your decor or become a conversation piece in your home.
The Best Ceramic Yarn Bowls
If you are convinced about adding a yarn bowl to your craft corner, then let’s take a look at some of our recommendations for the best ceramic yarn bowls.
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sleepy Sheep Ceramic Yarn Bowl | Sheep shaped, 6" x 4.5", smooth and sturdy |
| 2. | MyGift Rustic Handcrafted Ceramic Knitting Yarn Bowl | 3.5" x 6.25", distressed rustic finish |
| 3. | 7" Inch Handcrafted Ceramic Knitting Yarn Bowl | 7", petal design, holes for needle storage |
| 4. | Furls Handmade Ceramic Yarn Bowl | 6"x6", glazed dual tone, blue and white |
| 5. | Midnight Sun Pottery Yarn Bowl Blue Ridge Beige | 5.5"x5.5", hand crafted, unique glaze finish |
| 6. | Ceramic Yarn Bowl | 8", decorative swirl/hook, metallic |
| 7. | Milltown Merchants White Yarn Bowl | 6", high gloss, minimal design, needle holes |
1. Sleepy Sheep Ceramic Yarn Bowl
This sleepy sheep ceramic yarn bowl is the perfect mix of quality and craftsmanship. The uniquely designed ceramic design of an adorable sheep keeps your yarn free of annoying tangles and knots while you knit and adds an interesting touch to your craft corner.
This 6″ by 4.5″ yarn bowl has an ergonomic shape that comfortably holds your yarn in place, with a distinct guide that keeps your yarn from tangling.
Thanks to the ceramic material, this bowl is also very smooth and sturdy, which protects your yarn while keeping it in place while you work on your project.
2. MyGift Rustic Handcrafted Ceramic Knitting Yarn Bowl
This is a delightful handcrafted round ceramic pottery yarn bowl with a cutout design that allows yarn to flow freely while keeping your yarn tidy and tangle-free. This 3.5″ x 6.25″ yarn bowl can support a small to medium-sized yarn ball.
This yarn bowl is made with a distressed rustic finish that adds an interesting touch to your home. When not in use, you can use it as a centerpiece on a decorative table or place it on your knickknack shelf or desk.
3. 7″ Inch Handcrafted Ceramic Knitting Yarn Bowl
The handmade ceramic yarn bowl is an amazing assistant for any knitter. It can keep your yarn clean and tangle-free and fits in nicely with your home decor thanks to the playful color petals design.
The 7″ size comfortably supports medium to chunky yarn, while the large opening helps to guide the yarn while you knit. When you need to put the project to rest, the yarn bowl also has two holes at the back to help you store your knitting needles until the next use.
4. Furls Handmade Ceramic Yarn Bowl
At first glance, you may think that this ceramic yarn bowl is a decor piece rather than a functional item, thanks to the beautiful handmade details and the glossy dual-tone glaze.
However, this design is highly functional as a yarn bowl. The 6″ by 6″ inch size can hold a small to medium ball of yarn, and the hook on the side helps to guide the yarn through to keep it from tangling while you knit.
5. Midnight Sun Pottery Yarn Bowl Blue Ridge Beige
This dark blue glazed yarn bowl is an original work of art. It is handcrafted on the potter’s wheel, so it is definitely one-of-a-kind.
As a yarn bowl, it also stands out from other yarn bowls, mainly because of the pronounced guide that adds a decorative touch to the bowl while keeping the yarn firmly in place while you work on your project.
With this design, you won’t have to worry about your yarn dropping out of place or getting tangled while you knit.
The 5.5″ by 5.5″ size can comfortably support a small or medium ball of yarn.
6. Ceramic Yarn Bowl
This is another yarn bowl that has a very distinct design. Rather than a looped guide, this yarn bowl has a decorative swirl that acts functionally as a guide to keep your yarn in place. With this design, your yarn won’t be going anywhere while you knit.
This is also a relatively big yarn bowl (8″), which can support chunky yarn as well as medium-weight yarn. Because of the size and the interesting cutout design, this bowl can make an interesting decor piece yet highly functional too.
7. Milltown Merchants White Yarn Bowl
If you love a simple, minimalistic look, then this Milltown Merchants Yarn Bowl is perfect for you.
This yarn bowl comes in white and has a high gloss finish that makes it easy to hold the yarn in place without damaging the delicate yarn. This 6″ bowl is quite deep, with a nice edge on top to keep the yarn ball from popping out while you knit.
This yarn ball also has a pronounced guide that keeps the yarn in place as you pull your yarn, as well as several smaller holes designed to hold your knitting needles when you are not knitting.
This elegant design is highly practical and useful, and it can add a decorative touch to your craft corner as well!
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