Story time: New beginnings

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Illustration by Aamnah Arshad
Illustration by Aamnah Arshad

Deep down in Felicity’s Yarn Shop lived a light pink yarn. That’s me. I’m not exactly enjoying my time here. Every day, I stare out, hoping that today will finally be the day someone takes me home.

For the past 795 days, I’ve watched every other yarn get chosen, one after the other. Even the newcomers get chosen, but me? I’m still here. Lonely. I’m the only yarn left in the beige basket. I wish… I really wish someone would pick me today.

Oh, look, there’s Felicity’s regular customer, Anna. Anna is looking for pink yarn. She doesn’t like hot pink, rouge, puce, Barbie pink or neon pink. The only pink yarn left is light pink — that’s “me”. I was bound to be chosen. I closed my eyes and hoped that I would be held.

And… yay! Anna chose me. My heart sang with excitement. I was extremely glad she chose me instead of all those show-off pinks.

Now I’m at Anna’s place, in her room and I’m enjoying it a lot. Anna has already started crocheting. Is she going to turn me into a cosy scarf? A baby blanket? A pink flower? There are so many possibilities. I try talking, hoping to ask Anna what she’s making… but then I remember I can’t speak. I’m an inanimate object!

So far, everything Anna has crocheted has been amigurumi — the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting small, stuffed yarn creatures or objects, often with cute, oversized heads and small bodies. I suppose that means I’ll be an amigurumi toy too!

And guess what happened next? I’ve become an amigurumi axolotl. And I love my new identity. I literally look so cute with those tiny eyes, those adorable fins and that little bow on my right ear. Oh… my God! I don’t look anything like the lonely yarn I was just a day ago.

I soon realise that Anna has a crochet website called “The Amigurumi Artist”. When she took me, packed me neatly in a satin sheet and then placed me inside a nice little box — my home — I was being sold to someone named Cindy. I hope Cindy is just as kind and caring as Anna.

My trip to my new home was smooth. When the box was opened, I saw a cute girl looking at me excitedly. Her smile made my day and my life felt worthwhile. Cindy is really nice, kind, gentle and a little shy too! Hopefully, she treats me the same way she seems. Now I’m at Cindy’s place, and it’s amazing. She placed me carefully on her side table and I hope I’ll live a wonderful life here.

It has been a week since I moved to Cindy’s home and I’m really enjoying it. Sometimes Cindy hugs me gently; sometimes she dusts me and cleans me like I’m precious. From a forgotten yarn in a beige basket to a cherished amigurumi axolotl… life feels stitched together perfectly now. Maybe yarn can’t speak, but somehow I found a way to be heard — through the love stitched into every loop of who I’ve become.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 14th, 2026

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