Let’s talk yarn storage for a minute. You’ve been spinning yarn like crazy, more than you can possibly knit. Now you need to store some of that yarn.
You might be tempted to pull out the ball winder and wind those skeins into nice, pretty balls, ready to go the next time you start a project. Perhaps you bought the yarn at a store that offered to wind it for you. Resist this urge!
It is best to store yarn as a hank or skein. When you wind your yarn into a ball, you put tension on the yarn. Over time, this stretches the yarn and it loses its elasticity. The yarn in the center of the ball is under more tension than the yarn in the outer layers, creating inconsistent drape and gauge throughout the yarn.
If you’ve already wound it into a ball and have absolutely no other options, try re-winding it with next to no tension on the yarn as you wind. This will create a larger, softer ball that puts less tension on the yarn. However, all things considered, leave those skeins as skeins.