The low tech solution is to knit with the inner end of the skein. This is unfortunately not always easy to find. Sometimes I get to tear out half the skein before I find it, especially if the yarn is fine.
If you buy yarn in hanks and wind the balls yourself, you can make them so that you can pull the yarn from the center of the ball.
A more sophisticated solution is a yarn bowl.
You can buy one or make one yourself.
Balls of yarn bouncing around are more of a problem if you are using more than one colour. If you make a yarn bowl or bag yourself, you can make two or three loops for different skeins.
A great ad hoc solution is to use a tea pot or kettle. Use a crochet hook to fish out the yarn through the spout.
Another hack I found on the internet is to use foldback clips and a bowl or box. This is especially useful if you are using two or more balls of yarn.
Personally, I just pull the inside end of the skein (and often make a mess of it), but I am hoping that one day my boyfriend will buy me a snot nose yarn bowl.
Annaplexis 