Boy, I know what you mean. Right now I am working on a baby blanket and although the pattern is fairly easy, the yarn I chose to use is another story. They are pull skeins, and I am having the same trouble you are. If I don't pull out a big wad, then I luck out and get it on the first try. But the other day I was just working along and all of a sudden the yarn just got really thin, like they almost missed it on the spinner and then went back to normal again. Then about 6 inches of baby blanket later I am knitting along and then the yarn is broke right there in the middle of my row. And I'm only in the middle of the skein!!! I would think there would be better quality control than that. From now on, the only thing I can think of is to roll all my skeins into a ball before I start, which could be time consuming, but I'm tired of finding flaws in the middle skeins while I'm knitting.

I went to ebay and purchased a yarn ball winder. It will make a pull skien in a cake shape. That way, I can remove any knots and tangles along the way, before I get to them in the middle of a skein, unexpectedly. It only takes a couple of minutes to rewind a pull skein, or to wind an unwound hank of yarn. It was around $30, but worth every penny. I have rewound every skein I've used since I bought it. No more tangles and an easy to find end when I am ready to start the skein. If there is a broken spot or a knot you need to cut out, you can always start winding a new ball with the winder, so you know you are about to run out of yarn.

Tami

When you buy yarn at the store, try to remember to select only those with the little end sticking out.

Someone told me to hold the yarn with the label upright like a book and pull from the right side.