Let’s discover together the best cotton yarn for crochet!
Cotton is a plant-based, natural fiber that is soft, breathable, and durable.
You can crochet nearly everything with cotton yarn, from dishcloths to garments, shawls, scarves, Amigurumi, bags, and so much more (see a few projects HERE)!
Not just one cotton Yarn!
One common misconception about cotton is that there is only ONE cotton yarn, which you might picture as the very hard, scratchy yarn that you saw in some shops.
However, the reality is that there are more than 50 varieties of cotton plants growing on the planet, and from each variety, you can produce cotton with different characteristics.
In addition to the differences due to the starting material, the processing of the fibers during production adds even more variety to the final cotton yarn.
So it is easy to get lost in this huge variety of cotton yarns and their unique characteristics.
That’s why, in this post, I’ll help you navigate through the different cotton yarns available on the market and give you an idea of what characteristics to look for based on the project you want to crochet!
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Table of Contents
You can easily skip to the section that interests you more by clicking on the titles below:
- Best cotton yarn brands
- Softest cotton yarns
- Best cotton for dishcloths
- Best cotton for potholders
- Best cotton for Amigurumi
- Best cotton for blankets
- Best cotton for garments
- Best cotton for crochet bags
- Best cotton yarn for shawls and lightweight scarves
- Cotton thread
- T-shirt yarn and Macrame cord
- Bamboo cotton
- F.A.Q. about cotton yarn
Best Cotton Brands
There is no better or worse brand for buying cotton yarn.
Most yarn brands carry at least one or two cotton lines, and their quality mostly depends on the treatment of the fiber during production.
So, choosing the best cotton yarn comes down to choosing the right fiber characteristics for the project you want to make.
And in this blog post, that’s what I’ll try to help you with!
Softest Cotton Yarns
The softest cotton yarns are the ones derived from Pima cotton, Egyptian cotton, or Mako cotton.
Pima, Egyptian, and Mako are cotton varieties that produce long staples and result in better end-product quality.
Besides the yarns produced from these specific cotton plants, there are several organic cotton yarns that are extremely soft to the touch.
| Type | Yarn |
|---|---|
| Best Organic Cotton | — Katia Fair Cotton (Sport, 2, Fine) — Rico Design Essentials Organic Cotton Aran (4, Medium) |
| Best Pima Cotton | — Knit Picks Billow — Concept by Katia Pure |
| Best Egyptian Cotton | — Drops Safran* |
| Best Mako Cotton | — Lion Brand Yarn Mako Cotton |
Best Cotton Yarn for Dishcloths
Cotton is particularly well-suited for crocheting dishcloths and washcloths because it is very absorbent.
The majority of dishcloth patterns use medium-weight (Aran or worsted) yarn, but I like to use finer yarns as well.
Here are a few of my favorite cotton yarns for dishcloths:
Both Katia Fair Cotton and Rico Design Organic Cotton Aran do tend to split a bit, but they are extremely soft and beautiful to the touch.
Drops Loves You 8 is also quite soft and doesn’t split as much.
| Yarn | Yarn Weight | Composition | Length per ball | Machine Wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katia Fair Cotton | Fingering (1, Super Fine) | 100% Organic Cotton | 170 yds (155 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Rico Design Essentials Organic Cotton | Aran (4, Medium) | 100% Organic Cotton | 98 yds (90 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Drops Loves You 8 | Aran (4, Medium) | 100% Cotton | 93 yds (85 m) per 50 g | Yes |
Best Cotton Yarn for Potholders
Cotton is always my yarn of choice for potholders and hot pads! You can crochet good potholders using most cotton yarns, but I found myself using these yarns over and over again!
I love Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK and Schachenmayr Catania and their amazing color options. Moreover, compared to other cotton yarns, they have a much more generous twist which makes them extremely easy to crochet with.
| Yarn | Yarn Weight | Composition | Length per ball | Machine Wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Design Essentials Organic Cotton | Aran (4, Medium) | 100% Organic Cotton | 98 yds (90 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK | DK (3, Light) | 100% Cotton | 137 yds (125 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Schachenmayr Catania | Sport (2, Fine) | 100% Mercerized Cotton | 137 yds (125 m) per 50 g | Yes |
Best Cotton Yarn for Amigurumi
If you’re crocheting Amigurumi, cotton will allow you to reach a stitch definition that you cannot get with any other yarn.
Over the years, I used several cotton brands, and these are some of my favorites:
I tried Hobbii Rainbow Cotton only recently and I might start using it for kitchen projects as well!
It gives a very nice stitch definition, and at the same time, since the yarn has a little fluff on the surface, it creates a full effect, a bit like acrylic yarns.
Oh, and did I mention it has an awesome pastel palette?!
| Yarn | Yarn Weight | Composition | Length per ball | Machine Wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schachenmayr Catania | Sport (2, Fine) | 100% Mercerized Cotton | 137 yds (125 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK | DK (3, Light) | 100% Cotton | 137 yds (125 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Hobbii Rainbow Cotton | DK (3, Light) | 100% Cotton | 115 yds (105 m) per 50 g | Yes |
Best Cotton Yarn for Blankets
Can you actually crochet blankets with cotton yarn?
Definitely yes, especially if you’d like to crochet a throw for Spring and Summer chill nights or a baby blanket for a baby living in warmer climates.
- Katia Fair Cotton
- Drops Cotton Merino – This is a cotton/Merino blend which is amazing for baby blankets!
- Knit Picks Comfy Color Mist Worsted or the non-speckled Knit Picks Comfy Worsted
| Yarn | Yarn Weight | Composition | Length per ball | Machine Wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katia Fair Cotton | Sport (2, Fine) | 100% Organic Cotton | 170 yds (155 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Drops Cotton Merino | DK (3, Light) / Worsted (4, Medium) | 50% Cotton 50% Merino Wool | 120 yds (110 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Knit Picks Comfy Worsted | Worsted (4, Medium) | 75% Pima Cotton 25% Acrylic | 109 yds (100 m) per 50 g | Yes |
Best Cotton Yarn for Garments
Cotton is a great yarn choice for Spring and Summer clothes. Of course, when it comes to garments, you absolutely want to use soft, non-scratchy yarn.
Below, you can find some of the yarns that I personally used for crocheting garments and worked great:
- Concept by Katia Pure – Literally a cloud!
- Concept by Katia Mohair Cotton
- Drops Safran
- Katia Fair Cotton
- Knit Picks Comfy Color Mist Worsted
- Knit Picks Comfy Fingering — Even though this yarn did show some pilling…
- and a special mention goes to bamboo yarns (read below for more about bamboo)!
| Yarn | Yarn Weight | Composition | Length per ball | Machine Wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concept by Katia Pure | Worsted (4, Medium) | 100% Pima Cotton | 109 yds (100 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Concept by Katia Mohair Cotton | Fingering (1, Super Fine) | 70% Cotton 30% Goat Mohair | 246 yards (225 meters) per 50 g | No |
| Drops Safran | Fingering (1, Super Fine) | 100% Egyptian Cotton | 175 yds (160 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Katia Fair Cotton | Sport (2, Fine) | 100% Organic Cotton | 170 yds (155 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Knit Picks Comfy Color Mist Worsted | Worsted (4, Medium) | 75% Pima Cotton 25% Acrylic | 219 yds (200 m) per 100 g | Yes |
| Knit Picks Comfy Fingering | Fingering (1, Super Fine) | 75% Pima Cotton 25% Acrylic | 218 yds (199 m) per 50 g | Yes |
Best Cotton Yarn for Crochet Bags
Crochet bags come in a variety of shapes and sizes. From market bags to totes, zippered pouches, coin purses, and backpacks, here are some of my favorite yarns to use:
| Yarn | Yarn Weight | Composition | Length per ball | Machine Wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schachenmayr Catania | Sport (2, Fine) | 100% Mercerized Cotton | 137 yds (125 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Scheepjes Cotton 8 | Fingering (1, Super Fine) | 100% Cotton | 186 yds (170 m) per 50 g | Yes |
| Drops Safran | Fingering (1, Super Fine) | 100% Egyptian Cotton | 175 yds (160 m) per 50 g | Yes |
Best Cotton Yarn for Shawls & Lightweight Scarves
Triangle shawls and lightweight scarves are one of those accessories that really come in handy during Spring days and chill Summer nights.
Online, you’ll find a large variety of gradient yarn cakes in all colors! Here are a couple of cakes and yarns that I used for crocheting shawls and scarves:
- Hobbii Cotton Kings Sultan Deluxe Shine – I used the “Shine” version with the glitter thread running throughout the cake, but there is also the simple Cotton Kings Sultan Deluxe without the glitter.
- Scheepjes Whirl
- Concept by Katia Mohair Cotton
| Yarn | Yarn Weight | Composition | Length per ball | Machine Wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobbii Cotton Kings Sultan Deluxe Shine | Fingering (2, Super Fine) | 96% Cotton 4% Polyester | 1093 yds (999 m) per 250 g | Yes |
| Scheepjes Whirl | Fingering (2, Super Fine) | 60% Cotton 40% Acrylic | 1094 yds (1000 m) per 215 g | Yes |
| Concept by Katia Mohair Cotton | Fingering (2, Super Fine) | 70% Cotton 30% Goat Mohair | 246 yards (225 meters) per 50 g | No |
Cotton Thread
Cotton thread used to be The yarn for crochet! Nowadays, it is mostly used for doilies, earrings, jewelry, and also garments, including dresses and skirts.
Here are some popular cotton threads for crochet:
- Knit Picks Curio #10 crochet thread
- Aunt Lydia’s Classic Crochet Thread Size 10
- Hobbii Rainbow Lace
T-Shirt Yarn & Macrame Cord
Chunky and super chunky T-shirt yarn and macrame cord are valuable options for crocheting baskets, rugs, wall-hanging bags, etc.
T-shirt yarn is a super chunky yarn that is usually produced from recycled textiles. One more reason to love it!
Normally, T-shirt yarn is mostly cotton with a very small percentage of synthetic fibers, and it is kind of stretchy, just like T-shirts.
There are a number of options to buy T-shirt yarn online. Here are a few:
Macrame cord is very sturdy and unlike T-shirt yarn, it does not stretch and it’s 100% cotton. It can be hard to crochet with cotton cord but the results are nice and sturdy!
I only tried Bobbiny 3mm and loved it!
Bamboo Yarns
One way to make cotton even softer is to blend it with bamboo fibers!
Bamboo yarn is one of the best yarns for garments, baby items, and shawls, but also dishcloths and other self-care products.
One of the main cons of bamboo yarns is that they split a lot, all of them, or at least the ones I tried, which are:
- Stylecraft Naturals Bamboo+Cotton – This one does split way less than the other two because it is more twisted.
- Lion Brand Yarns Coboo
- King Cole Bamboo Cotton
Even though they’re all classified as DK (3, Light) yarns, Coboo does feel a bit more like a light worsted/medium yarn.
| Yarn | Yarn Weight | Composition | Length per ball | Machine Wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stylecraft Naturals Bamboo+Cotton | DK (3, Light) | 60% Bamboo 40% Cotton | 273 yds (250 m) per 100 g | Yes |
| Lion Brand Yarns Coboo | DK (3, Light) / Worsted (4, Medium) | 51% Cotton 49% Rayon from Bamboo | 232 yds (212 m) per 100 g | Yes |
| King Cole Bamboo Cotton | DK (3, Light) / Worsted (4, Medium) | 50% Bamboo Viscose 50% Cotton | 230 yds (252 m) per 100 g | Yes |
Now it’s your turn! Pick the best cotton yarn for your next project and let me know how it goes on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #raffamusadesigns!
F.A.Q. About Cotton Yarn
If you’re new to crocheting with cotton yarn, you might have many questions about this fiber.
So, maybe, I can help by answering a few of the most frequently asked questions about cotton!
What to Make with Cotton Yarn?
Cotton yarn is the best choice for many kinds of projects, and you can find many ideas with linked patterns in this post HERE. But just to recap in short, cotton is great for:
- Anything for the kitchen (dishcloths, potholders, kitchen towels, hot pads, etc)
- Garments for Spring and Summer
- Face scrubbies
- Crochet bags (totes, market bags, coin purses, zipper pouches, etc)
- Amigurumi
- Baby items
- Shawls and lightweight scarves
- And so much more!
Get all the patterns and ideas HERE!
Does cotton yarn shrink?
It is possible that cotton yarn will shrink a bit after washing but it will also stretch quite a bit while wearing or after blocking. So, shrinking is not usually a problem when crocheting with cotton.
Is Cotton Yarn Scratchy?
Certain kinds of cotton yarn can be scratchy and are not great to use for crocheting garments and other wearables. However, there are many soft cotton yarns that are not at all scratchy.
Some examples of non-scratchy cotton yarns are Pima cotton, Egyptian cotton, and cotton/acrylic or cotton/bamboo blends.
How do you Soften cotton yarn?
One common question that many people have is whether cotton yarn will soften after washing. And the answer is definitely yes, but not always.
With many cotton yarns that I used, I noticed that they get considerably softer after washing. For example, this is the case for Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK.
And the nice thing is that cotton will get softer and softer every time you wash it.
Does cotton yarn pill?
Usually, cotton does not pill. However, if you’re using a cotton/acrylic blended yarn, it’s possible that the acrylic component will lead to some pilling.
Does cotton yarn felt?
Pure cotton yarn does not felt. In fact, felting is only possible with animal fibers such as wool, alpaca, or mohair.
Learn more about yarn fibers here on the blog…
What a great article and just what I was looking for to explore best cotton for my crocheting needs. Thank you so much. Will keep this article for future reference.
Hi Rafaella, thanks for the really comprehensive look at cotton and blended yarn. I have a bit of a passion for cotton myself…I’m just starting to explore cotton/acrylic blends. I have tried only a few of the yarns you mentioned…probably because I’m in Australia. I have been loving Ice Yarns!! Thanks again and I’m sure I’ll be back!! ☺️
Wendy
Interesting! May I ask you what kind of brands are mostly available in Australia?
Spotlight and Lincraft are our main craft stores that sell yarn. They have their own brand and Spotlight sells LionBrand, Caron, Abbey Rd, Bernat, Patons, Cleckheaton and a couple of others. Its always better to shop online though, coz it never seems there is enough choice.
Lovely article, thanks so much. It’s just what I needed!