A yarn bowl is a round or oval shaped vessel that is used to hold yarn in place while knitting or crocheting. It has a swirl on the side and sometimes holes as well. The swirl is used to feed the yarn through, while the holes are there so that you can knit or crochet with multiple strands of yarn at the same time. Yarn bowls help keep yarn clean, organized, and untangled as you work your way through a project. They are also useful for keeping pets or children from tangling the yarn into an un-knitable mess. Yarn bowls come in different sizes, so its important to consider how many skeins of yarn you will be placing in the yarn bowl. If you are knitting with two strands held together at the same time, you may want to purchase a large yarn bowl to accommodate both of them. To use a yarn bowl, you simply place the yarn in the bowl and then feed it through the main swirl. Yarn bowls may be used for knitting or crochet, and there is no difference in how they are used for either hobby. You can purchase yarn bowls at your local yarn store or online.