How to Store Your Yarn Stash Safely

Why a little planning saves a lot of yarn

If you have ever pulled a half-finished jumper out of a cupboard and found a small, bald patch where the shoulder should be, you already know why this matters. Wool, alpaca, cashmere and silk are protein fibres, and the common clothes moth enjoys them every bit as much as we do. Add the British climate to the mix, with damp winters, humid summers and the odd blast of central heating, and a stash left in the wrong place can emerge musty, faded or riddled with holes. The reassuring part is that protecting your yarn takes very little effort, and most of what you need is probably already in the house.

Keep it away from sunlight, damp and heat

The three things that do the most quiet damage to stored yarn are ultraviolet light, moisture and fluctuating temperatures. Sunlight fades dye quickly, even through a thin cotton bag, and it degrades the fibres themselves over time. Damp encourages mould and that unmistakable fusty smell, while repeated swings between warm and cold create condensation inside whatever you have packed your yarn into.

Some of the most tempting storage spots in a British home are also the worst ones:

• Lofts and sheds — roasting in July, freezing in January, and often damp year-round.
• Garages and conservatories — the temperature and humidity are never stable, and conservatories bake in summer sun.
• Airing cupboards — warm, yes, but usually humid too, which is exactly what moth larvae and mould like best.
• Windowsills and sunny shelves — direct light will strip the colour from the outermost skeins within a season.

Instead, aim for a stable interior spot: the top shelf of a wardrobe, an under-bed drawer, a cupboard in a room you heat, or a bookcase well away from the window. A cheap hygrometer is a genuinely useful purchase if you are unsure — anywhere regularly above about 60% relative humidity is worth avoiding.

Choose breathable bags and boxes

Natural fibres need to breathe. Sealed plastic boxes and vacuum bags look wonderfully tidy, but they trap any residual moisture in the yarn along with it, and that trapped damp is the perfect breeding ground for mildew. Vacuum bags also compress fibres, which is hard on bouncy woollens and crimped yarns if they stay squashed for months.

Good options include:

• Cotton pillowcases and drawstring bags — cheap, breathable and easy to label.
• Canvas or calico storage bags — sturdy enough for stacking, still airy.
• Cardboard boxes — breathable and good in dry cupboards, though they will soften in a damp room.
• Wicker baskets lined with cotton — charming on an open shelf, as long as the room is dry.
• Plastic crates with ventilation holes — a decent compromise if you drill or choose a ventilated design.

If you really must use a sealed plastic box, make certain the yarn is bone dry first and tuck in a few silica gel sachets to absorb any moisture that creeps in.

Deter moths naturally with cedar and lavender

Cedar and lavender are the traditional allies here, and they genuinely help, provided you use them properly. Both work as deterrents rather than killers, so they need to sit close to the yarn and be refreshed regularly.

• Cedar blocks or balls — the oils fade after a few months. Give them a light sanding with fine sandpaper to open up fresh timber, or top up with a few drops of cedarwood oil on a cotton pad.
• Dried lavender bags — lovely in a drawer. Crush the contents between your fingers every so often to release the scent, and replace the bags each year.
• Combine the two — a cedar block at the back of the cupboard and lavender bags tucked among the yarn covers more ground.

Pair this with a good hoover around the stash area every few weeks. Moth larvae feed on dust, hair and skin cells before they move on to your best merino, so cleanliness does a great deal of the work.

Prepare yarn before it goes into storage

A little preparation now prevents a lot of grief later. Wash and thoroughly dry any knitted garments before they go away, since traces of sweat and food are what attract moths in the first place. Keep yarn in the form it arrived in where you can — skeins and balls store better than tightly wound cakes, which can stretch fibres over time.

If you suspect an infestation, seal the yarn in a plastic bag and freeze it at minus 18°C or colder for at least 72 hours, then let it come back to room temperature and repeat the cycle once more to catch any eggs that survived the first round. Label everything with fibre content, weight, dye lot and quantity — future you will be grateful when a pattern calls for 300g of a specific shade. Skip mothballs; the smell lingers and they are best avoided in a home with children or pets.

Keep the stash usable, not just safe

Finally, resist the urge to cram. Air needs to circulate between bags and boxes, so leave a little space rather than pressing everything tight. Rotate your stock so the oldest yarn is used first, and keep works-in-progress in their own labelled bag with the pattern and needles, separate from the main stash. A quick five-minute rummage every month or two lets you spot damp, dust or an unwelcome nibble before it spreads. Your yarn will repay you with years of soft, fragrant, perfectly usable skeins.