The Precious Single Skein: Why You’re Holding Onto It—And Why It’s Time to Use It

Intro: That One Skein

We all have one. Tucked in a special drawer or perched on a visible shelf like a tiny altar—the skein. Fingering weight, indie-dyed, maybe speckled or subtly tonal. It might have come home with you from a yarn shop you found while on vacation. Maybe you bought it at a-once-in-a- lifetime yarn festival, or perhaps when you were going through something—a loss, a recovery, a fresh start. Maybe it was a splurge, a treat to yourself after a hard season or part of a victorious celebration.

You haven’t knit it, but you’ve touched it. Smelled it. Admired it. Un-skeined it and skeined it back up. It has a story. And because of that, it feels… too special to use.

Why We Hold On

Yarn, especially hand-dyed yarn, has a way of capturing moments like a photograph. Unlike the yarn you buy in a  sweater’s quantity, this skein wasn’t part of a plan—it was part of a feeling. And when something holds a feeling, it starts to feel sacred. Final.

There’s a quiet fear that if we use it, it’ll be gone. The moment will be over. The magic will end.

But the reality? Using it doesn’t erase the memory. It honors it.

What Happens When You Use It

When you use that yarn, the memory moves forward with you. It’s no longer stuck in a drawer. It becomes a part of your daily life—a cowl that smells like your perfume, a pair of mitts that warm your hands on your way to work, a shawl that lays across your shoulders like a hug.

It becomes wearable memory. Living memory. Something touched by time and stitches.

How to Use It (Gently, Intentionally)

You don’t need to force it into a pattern just to be done with it. This isn’t about “using up stash.” It’s about giving your special skein the space to become what it wants to be.

Here are a few gentle approaches:

1. Let the Yarn Lead

Lay it out. Wind it. Swatch with it. Sometimes all it takes is getting it on the needles to feel the direction it wants to go. A simple triangle shawl? A sockhead hat? A delicate cowl? Let the yarn speak.

2. Don’t Overcomplicate It

You don’t need a masterpiece. In fact, overly complex patterns can drown out the yarn’s voice. Simple stitches let it shine. Garter. Stockinette. A few YO increases, maybe. Done.

3. Use It With Intention, Not Perfection

It doesn’t have to be your “perfect project.” It can be a sketch. A moment. A study in color and texture and memory. And that’s enough.

4. Pair It With a Neutral

If it feels too much to use it all at once, don’t. Use half in a striped project or part of a  color work piece with a neutral companion—something grounding, something quiet that lets your special skein take center stage.

A Final Thought

Using your yarn doesn’t devalue the memory. In fact, not using it can sometimes freeze it in a way that keeps it and you from growing. You’re not breaking the spell by knitting with it—you’re setting it free.

The skein was never meant to end the story, but to carry it forward—in your heart, and into the hearts of those who need to hear it

Resources:

Find that special skein here

Socks are perfect for that single skein of merino/nylon. Read more here