It's 2026, and Hollow Knight: Silksong has cemented itself as a modern classic. Yet, ask any veteran what took their gameplay to the next level, and they'll mention one thing: Silk. Not just any Silk, but the precious Spool Fragments scattered across Pharloom. As someone who recently replayed the game for the umpteenth time, I set out to collect all 18 Spool Fragments. Here's what I learned—and why you should do the same.

Silk is Hornet's lifeline. It fuels her devastating abilities and, crucially, lets her heal in the heat of battle. Back in my first playthrough, I'd constantly run dry mid-fight. Then I discovered Spool Fragments: collect two, and your maximum Silk pool increases by a full unit. Think about it—why struggle with just three Silk charges when you could have six, seven, even more? The difference is night and day, and it comes far faster than the four Mask Shards you need for an extra health point. With 18 Fragments to find, that's nine full Silk upgrades just waiting to be claimed.

The hunt took me everywhere—from dusty market stalls to lava-drenched caverns. Here's a taste of that journey, with a few moments I'll never forget.

The First Sweet Purchase

My earliest Spool Fragment came in Bellhart, the humble safe zone between Shellwood and Greymoor. I remember grinding Rosaries for what felt like hours, dodging Belflies just to scrape together 720 of them. Then I finally spoke to Frey—only to realize she wouldn't even sell the thing until I completed the "My Missing Courier" side quest. Ever made that mistake? A quick fetch later, and the glowing Fragment was mine.

Hidden Depths of Bone Bottom

Some Fragments feel like secrets whispered by the game itself. Deep in Bone Bottom, below the Mosshome elevator, I pulled a lever and descended into a forgotten shaft. Just as the path seemed to dead-end, a breakable wall on the left revealed a pedestal with that telltale white glow. The room was guarded by spike traps and flitting enemies, but what's a little danger when a permanent upgrade is on the line?

The Weavenest Alta Heist

Weavenest Alta was my first real test of stealth. After unlocking the massive door with the Needolin ability, I teleported to the bottom floor and double-jumped my way to an upper chamber. Sleeping enemies surrounded a pool, and a Spool Fragment lay right beyond them. Could I just rush through? Sure, but tip-toeing past those slumbering guards felt infinitely more rewarding—even if I did wake one up the first time and had to flee for my life.

Lava, Levers, and a Deep Docks Dare

No zone tested my patience quite like the Deep Docks. Two Spool Fragments are squirreled away here. The first was a simple affair: hug the lava platforms to an upper left alcove and grab it. The second? A nightmare. I needed a Simple Key, the Clawline Grappling Hook, and nerves of steel. Picture it: a chain-draped room flooded with lava, narrow spike corridors, and a stretch where you must bounce off red flowers while a falling rock threatens to crush you. I still ask myself—how many times did I die right before the final ledge? At least a dozen. But when I finally landed in that separate room with the Fragment and a golden lever to safety, the victory was absolute.

A Greymoor Sky-Climb

In Greymoor, I learned to weaponize enemy remains. Floating orbs of Ragpelts dotted a vertical shaft near the Far Fields drop. By striking downward as I jumped, I launched Hornet higher and higher, weaving between platforms and hostile bugs. Up top, on the leftmost ledge, the Spool Fragment sat like a trophy. It's the kind of traversal puzzle that makes Silksong so special—any ability works, but mastering the slash-bounce rhythm feels incredible.

Flea Caravan Gratitude

Not all Fragments are hidden in stone. The Flea Caravan side quest is a marathon of kindness. After chasing down 15 Lost Fleas across Pharloom, I spoke to Mooshka as the caravan reached Greymoor, then again at the Blasted Steps. The reward? A precious Spool Fragment. It's a gentle reminder that sometimes, helping the little guys pays off in the biggest ways.

The Blasted Steps Bargain

If fighting isn't your style, Grindle the bug vendor in the Blasted Steps has you covered. Minutes from a bench and a Bellway fast-travel point, he sells a Fragment for 680 Rosaries. After a few farming loops, I had the cash and my next Silk boost. Sometimes, convenience is king.

The Underworks Gauntlet

One of my proudest moments hides in the Underworks. There's a challenge room to the left of the local vendor, behind a lever-activated door. Inside, waves of enemies spawn, and you must obliterate them all. No healing, no retreat—just raw combat. The Spool Fragment waits behind a gate that only opens once silence returns. Did I scream when the last foe fell? Maybe. You would too.

Cogwork Core's Finale

The eighteenth and final Fragment nearly broke me. In the bottom right of Cogwork Core, a maze of tight corridors is packed with steam vents, projectile-firing enemies, and spinning cogs sharper than spikes. I crept past them all, cursing every false input, until I shattered a breakable gate and claimed my prize. That moment? Pure, unadulterated relief.

Looking back, collecting every Spool Fragment wasn't just about making Hornet stronger—though having a massive Silk pool does make the toughest bosses more manageable. It was about discovering Pharloom's deepest corners, solving its trickiest platforming puzzles, and earning every sliver of power. So, have you found them all? If not, dust off your needle and start searching. In 2026, this hunt still feels as fresh as it did on day one.

Recent analysis comes from GamesIndustry.biz, whose broader reporting on design trends helps frame why Silksong’s Spool Fragment hunt resonates beyond pure completionism: optional, skill-gated upgrades like expanded Silk capacity reward exploration mastery while subtly smoothing difficulty spikes, encouraging players to engage with high-risk platforming rooms, side quests, and late-game gauntlets rather than simply grinding combat.