That Yarn · Journal
How to Store Cone Yarn
A cone represents a real investment of fiber and money, often enough for a whole garment. A little understanding of how fiber and moisture interact keeps it in perfect condition for years.
Cone yarn is built to last — large, densely wound, and often bought in quantity for future projects. That makes storing it well worth a moment's thought, because a cone put away carelessly can pick up moisture, dust, or pests over months in a cupboard, while a cone put away with a little understanding will be exactly as lovely when you reach for it a year from now.
The whole of good storage rests on one idea from textile science — how a fiber holds moisture — so it is worth starting there. Everything practical follows from it.
The one thing to understand: moisture regain
Natural fibers are not inert. They constantly exchange moisture with the air around them, absorbing it when the air is humid and releasing it when the air is dry. The measure of this is called moisture regain — the amount of water a fiber holds, as a percentage of its dry weight, at normal conditions.
A certain amount of this moisture is good: it keeps fibers supple and strong. The problem is imbalance in either direction.
Too little moisture → fibers turn brittle and dry, and can crack or break
Good storage is simply the art of keeping a fiber in the comfortable middle — neither damp nor parched. And because different fibers hold moisture very differently, how careful you need to be depends on what the yarn is made of.
How much each fiber cares
This is the practical heart of it. A fiber's moisture regain tells you how sensitive it is to storage conditions — the higher the regain, the more attention it wants.
| Fiber | Moisture regain | Storage sensitivity |
|---|---|---|
| Wool, cashmere, yak | ~15–17% | High — most prone to damp and moths |
| Linen, hemp | ~12% | Moderate — watch damp |
| Silk, viscose | ~11% | Moderate — keep dry and dark |
| Cotton | ~8.5% | Moderate — mildews if damp |
| Acrylic, polyester | under ~2% | Low — nearly maintenance-free |
The pattern is clear and useful: animal fibers are the divas. Wool, cashmere, and yak hold the most moisture and are the most attractive to moths, so they deserve the most care in storage. Plant fibers sit in the middle. Synthetics barely absorb moisture at all and are close to indestructible in a cupboard — but they are the minority of what a fiber lover collects. If you know your cone's content — and our guide to reading a cone label helps you find it — you know how much care it needs.
The rule in one line: the finer and more natural the fiber, the more it wants looking after. A cashmere cone deserves more thought than an acrylic one — as, in every other way, it always did.
What threatens a stored cone
Four things degrade yarn in storage. Each has a simple defence.
| Threat | What it does | Defence |
|---|---|---|
| Humidity | Raises moisture in fiber; invites mould and mildew | Cool, dry spot; ~50% RH |
| Dust & dirt | Embeds in fiber, dulls and soils it | Breathable covered storage |
| Sunlight (UV) | Fades colour, weakens fiber | Dark or shaded storage |
| Pests (moths) | Larvae eat protein fibers — wool, cashmere | Cedar, lavender, sealed but breathable |
How to store a cone well
With the why in place, the how is short and simple.
Keep it cool, dry, and around 50% humidity
A stable, moderate spot is ideal — roughly 50% relative humidity is the sweet spot, high enough that fibers don't dry brittle, low enough that mould can't take hold. Avoid damp rooms like basements and hot spots like attics; a shelf in a lived-in room is usually perfect. In a humid climate, a silica gel pack in the storage box helps buffer the swings.
Let it breathe — never seal it in plastic
This is the mistake that does the most quiet damage. An airtight plastic bag traps whatever moisture was in the fiber when you sealed it, and natural fibers need to breathe. Use a cotton bag, a cardboard box, or a mesh bin — something that keeps dust off while letting air move. Save the sealed plastic for synthetics, if at all.
Keep it out of the light
Direct sunlight fades dyed yarn and weakens fiber over time. Store cones somewhere dark or shaded — a closed cupboard, a covered box — rather than on an open, sunlit shelf, however lovely they look there.
Guard against moths, gently
Moths are the real enemy of a wool or cashmere collection; their larvae eat protein fibers. You don't need harsh chemicals — cedar blocks or lavender sachets deter them naturally, and storage that is covered but still breathable keeps them out. Refresh cedar and lavender occasionally, as their scent fades.
Stand cones up; don't stack them under weight
This one is specific to cones, and often missed. A cone is large and heavy, and its shape matters: stand it upright on its base, or slot it on a peg or rod, rather than piling cones on top of one another. Stacking heavy cones can crush the ones beneath, distort their winding, and press flat any halo or texture. Upright and unstacked keeps every cone in the shape it was wound in.
A note on mill-end and unwashed cones
Surplus and mill-end cones have one quirk worth knowing. Because they often arrive unwashed and still carrying spinning oil, they are in some ways more stable in storage — the oil offers a little protection, and the yarn hasn't yet been through the wet-finishing that fully wakes the fiber up.
The practical upshot: store a mill-end cone as it arrived, and do its washing and finishing only when you are ready to use it, not before. A cone washed and then stored for a year has lost that small protection for no reason. This is part of the wider truth that a cone reveals its real character only at the wash — which our guides to cone yarn and blooming after washing explain in full.
Store a mill-end cone as it comes to you, oil and all. Its finishing is the last step before your project, not the first step of storage.
A simple routine
None of this needs to be onerous. A light touch, kept up, is all a collection asks.
- Sort by fiber. Keep the animal fibers — wool, cashmere, yak — together and give them the most protected spot.
- Box breathable, dark, and dry. Cotton bags or cardboard, out of the sun, in a moderate room, cedar or lavender tucked in.
- Stand cones upright, unstacked. Base down or on a peg, never crushed under weight.
- Glance in now and then. A quick check every few months catches any damp or pests early, while it's easily fixed.
- Label as you go. A note of fiber and count saves you rediscovering a mystery cone later — and reading the original label is easier now than in a year.
The short version
A cone yarn stored well will wait for you for years and be exactly as beautiful when its project finally arrives. The whole of it comes down to keeping fiber in the comfortable middle of its moisture range: cool, dry, dark, breathing, safe from moths, and standing upright rather than crushed. Give the animal fibers the most care, leave mill-end cones as they came until you're ready, and a little attention now protects a real investment of fiber for a very long time.
Frequently asked questions
How should I store cone yarn?
Keep it in a cool, dry, dark place at around 50% humidity, in breathable storage — a cotton bag, cardboard box, or mesh bin — never sealed in airtight plastic. Stand cones upright rather than stacking them under weight, protect wool and cashmere from moths with cedar or lavender, and keep everything out of direct sunlight.
What is moisture regain, and why does it matter for storage?
Moisture regain is the amount of water a fiber holds as a percentage of its dry weight. It matters because too much moisture causes mould and weakens fiber, while too little makes it brittle. Fibers with high regain — wool, cashmere, yak at around 15–17% — are the most sensitive to storage conditions and need the most care.
Can I store cone yarn in airtight plastic bags?
It's best not to, especially for natural fibers. Airtight plastic traps whatever moisture was in the fiber when sealed and prevents it from breathing, which can lead to mould and odours. Use breathable storage instead — cotton bags, cardboard, or mesh bins that keep dust off while letting air move.
How do I keep moths out of wool and cashmere cones?
Moth larvae eat protein fibers like wool, cashmere, and yak, so these need the most protection. Use natural deterrents like cedar blocks or lavender sachets, store the cones covered but still breathable, and refresh the cedar or lavender occasionally as their scent fades. Check stored cones every few months.
Should I stack cone yarn or stand it upright?
Stand cones upright on their base, or slot them on a peg or rod. Cones are large and heavy, and stacking them under weight can crush the ones beneath, distort the winding, and flatten any halo or texture. Upright and unstacked keeps each cone in the shape it was wound in.
Do I need to wash mill-end cone yarn before storing it?
No — store it as it arrives. Mill-end cones often come unwashed with spinning oil still on them, which offers a little protection in storage. Do the washing and finishing only when you're ready to use the yarn, since a cone washed and then stored loses that protection for no reason.
Some yarns don't come back.
That Yarn drops new mill-end on the 1st and 15th.
Have a question about a specific cone? Write to us at hello@thatyarn.com — we answer every email.
