Meet Ksenia Naidyon, Author of One Skein Knitting!
Every knitter has a skein or two or beautiful yarn that they've been saving for a little too long. Usually it's a hand-dyed treasure picked up from somewhere special like a yarn event or your favourite local store, and it's all too easy to set those precious skeins aside until the perfect pattern comes along, but those days are over now: with One Skein Knitting, you now have not just one fantastic pattern but 18!
Created by celebrated designer Ksenia Naidyon (known online as @life_is_cozy), One Skein Knitting is a curated collection of 18 stylish accessories that utilise single skeins. With everything from socks to shawls, scarves and cowls, each project presents an ideal opportunity to put those souvenir skeins that you've been saving to good use! We're in love with this gorgeous book, and we recently sat down with Ksenia to discuss her stunning designs, where she finds inspiration, her route into craft and more!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi! I’m Ksenia Naidyon, a professional knitwear designer and the creative force behind Life Is Cozy. I’m originally from Ukraine and now live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my family. I have a degree in mathematics (probability theory and statistics for the win!), which explains my love of spreadsheets and charts. Since 2012, I’ve published more than 150 patterns, collaborated with a wide range of yarn companies, and had my designs featured in publications around the world, from Pom Pom and Laine in Europe to Making in the US and Amirisu in Japan. I also teach classes and workshops, create knitting tutorials, and am a passionate knitwear photographer.
Outside of designing, I’m happiest baking something unnecessarily elaborate, running along the SF Bay, writing with vintage fountain pens, losing track of time at Filoli Gardens, or listening to British murder mysteries on audio.
Tell us about One Skein Knitting.
One Skein Knitting is a collection of 18 knitting projects designed to make the most of a single beautiful skein of yarn. The book covers a range of yarn weights and techniques, from delicate lace to cozy Aran-weight projects, with a particular focus on texture, interesting stitch combinations, and letting the character of the yarn shine.
I wanted the book to be more than simply a collection of patterns, though. Alongside the projects, I share ideas and guidance to help knitters decide what their special skein might become: from yarn pairings that help narrow down which patterns will work with which colorways to notes on adjusting patterns for different yardages and sizes. My hope is that knitters will find something they’re excited to make, but also come away looking at the special skeins in their stash with a little more curiosity and confidence.
What can knitters find in your book that they can’t get anywhere else?
I think what makes the book unique is that it’s not just a collection of one-skein patterns; it’s a way of thinking about one-skein knitting. I wanted to give knitters the tools to look at a beautiful skein of yarn and understand what it could become. Almost every pattern talks about how things like fiber, weight, texture, color, and yardage can influence our choices. The designs explore a wide range of textures, techniques, and construction methods. My hope is that readers will not only find projects they’re excited to knit, but will come away feeling more confident about making their own creative decisions with that special skein sitting in their stash.
What’s the best part about knitting projects with just one skein of yarn?
They are quick, portable, and deeply satisfying. There’s also something special about the challenge of working within the limits of a single skein. You have to think carefully about how to make the most of what you have, and I find those constraints incredibly inspiring. A beautiful skein can have so much personality, from its color and texture to its fiber and drape. I love figuring out what kind of project will let those qualities shine! And there’s something wonderfully satisfying about turning that one skein into a piece that feels much bigger and more special than you might expect.
What is your favourite project/pattern from the book?
This is hard, like asking someone to choose their favorite child! If I only have to pick one, it would probably be the Valeriana Cowl. I love the wavy bottom edge, all the textures, and how easy it is to wear. And the sparkly pink yarn was a delight to work with!
How big a part, if any, does sustainability play in your work?
Sustainability isn’t necessarily the starting point of my work, but I do think it’s an important benefit of making things by hand. A handmade garment or accessory takes time and care to create, and that tends to give it a very different value from something mass-produced. We’re more likely to take care of things we’ve made (or that someone has spent hours making for us!) and to keep, repair, and use them for a long time. Handmade gifts can be incredibly personal and meaningful, rather than something that is simply bought and quickly forgotten.
There’s a strong connection to the one-skein philosophy of my book, too: using what you have, slowing down, crafting thoughtfully, and making things that are meant to be enjoyed for years.
What was your route into craft?
My mom taught me how to knit at a very young age, but I wasn’t enchanted with it from the first kiss :) As I mentioned earlier, I studied mathematics and worked in the field for many years. In my early twenties, knitting became a serious hobby and a way to relax and have a creative outlet, and eventually I even opened a small Etsy shop selling my handknits, mostly scarves and cowls.
When we moved to San Francisco in 2015, my life changed quite dramatically, and it felt like the right moment to give my lifelong passion for fiber arts a proper chance. I started designing and writing knitting patterns, and it quickly became clear that this was something I wanted to do full time.
In many ways, knitting feels like the perfect combination of my two sides: pure creativity and solid mathematics. I love that you can start with something completely abstract, like a shape, a texture, or an idea, and use a very precise system of numbers and stitches to turn it into a physical object. My mathematical background is also very useful in the less glamorous parts of knitwear design, like grading patterns into multiple sizes, plowing through my favorite spreadsheets, and moving through calculations swiftly.
I’ve now been designing professionally for more than a decade, and I still find that transformation from an idea in my head to a piece I can wear and that other people can knit completely magical.
Where do you look for inspiration?
I love texture. Playing with different textures and finding the perfect one for a yarn or a project are definitely the main things that keep my work so interesting. Sometimes I try five or six different stitch patterns before I find the one that feels just right, and that’s the most satisfying thing ever.
When it comes to patterns and shapes, my main source of inspiration is the plant world. It can be observed and drawn from endlessly! Anything from the shape of a flower petal to the way the sunlight dances in the leaves can become an inspiration for a knit fabric. There is also the symbolism of the plants. For example, one of my most popular older patterns is the Mallow Cowl, designed in 2020. Gentle mallow flowers symbolize health and protection - two things many of us were wishing for at the time - and it felt right to incorporate that meaning into a pattern.
I’m also often inspired by my favorite places: California, Northern Italy, and Ukraine. Sometimes the spark comes from an architectural detail of an Italian palazzo, another time from the colors seen on a walk through the rolling hills of Sonoma, and then just a look at traditional Ukrainian clothing can explain many of my garment silhouettes.
Who would you invite to the perfect knitting retreat, alive or dead?
Elizabeth Zimmermann! I would have loved an opportunity to talk to her and even more so to knit together. She was a revolutionary in knitting, and her relaxed attitude toward tricky areas of the craft heavily influenced the way I see knitting today.
Describe One Skein Knitting in one word.
Entertaining!
No two projects are alike, and I think knitters will have a lot of fun exploring all the different textures and constructions.
Are you ready to finally turn that skein you've been saving into something special? Order One Skein Knitting today at the link here!
About the Author
Ksenia Naidyon
Ksenia Naidyon is a professional knitwear designer and fiber enthusiast known for her elegant, wearable...