If you’ve never knit with cotton yarn before, you’ll need to know how this fiber behaves, feels, and looks. Truly, before beginning any knitting project, you should be knowledgeable about your knitting fiber. So today, we’re going to talk about cotton from field to fiber to finished product.
There’s a lot of information, as you can imagine, so there’s no time to waste. Let’s get right to it.
What is Cotton?
When talking about cotton it’s best to see it for yourself. So take a minute, go to your bathroom, and take a look at a cotton ball or cotton washcloth. Put your face really close to the material.
What you’ll see are the fine, hair-like fibers. Do you see them? Each individual hair or fiber is a single cell. These cells are cotton fibers which makes up cotton itself. Pretty interesting, right?
Of all the natural fibers produced on the planet, cotton is the most widely used and widely produced.
Before we continue, I just wanted to clarify something. In some instances you may see the phrase natural fibers spelled as natural fibres. To be clear, they are one and the same. It is simply a matter of American English vs. British English. In the case of this post, I will employ the American version only.
What are Natural Fibers?
Natural fibers are fibers that originate from plants or animals. Some examples of natural fibers are cotton, silk, or wool to name a few. But while cotton and wool are natural fibers, they are both from different fiber classes: plant and animal.
Is Cotton a Protein Fiber?
Remember when we said cotton fibers are actual cells? Good. What this means is cotton is made up of cellulose. In other words, it is grown by plants, not animals. Therefore, it is not a protein fiber.
Unlike protein fibers like wool, cellulose fibers pull heat away from the body. This is what makes cotton a great fiber to use for warm weather knits.
Where Does Cotton Come From?
Cotton begins with the cotton plant. It is from this plant that the cotton fibers are extracted. But this description really doesn’t do justice to this amazing natural fiber. Let’s take a minute to really discuss the growth process of cotton fibers.
How Does Cotton Grow?
When the cotton plant or shrub grows, it produces a flower or cotton blossom. This blossom then evolves into a cotton boll, a protective case which surrounds the seeds. As the boll ripens, the case begins to dry and crack, which exposes the natural cotton fibers.
Doesn't sound too amazing, I know, but it really is.
What's incredible about this process is the fact that the cotton fibers begin to form on Day 1 of flowering. And within a short amount of time, the transformation is complete. From blossom to boll to fiber, the whole process takes only 60 days. Then these cotton fibers are ready to harvest.
In truth, cotton fibers grow from the outer layer of the cotton seeds, the seed coat. Then a process of separation occurs. First, the cotton seeds from the plant, then the fibers from the seeds. Finally, the cotton fibers get converted into thread, natural fiber yarn, or other soft cotton textiles.
Earliest Cotton Fragments
Historically speaking, cotton has been in use since prehistoric times. Some of the earliest cotton fragments found were threads in copper beads. This evidence dates back to the Neolithic time period, around the 5th millennium BC.
What Does a Cotton Plant Look Like?
If you’re wondering what a cotton plant looks like, here’s an example.
Where is Cotton Grown?
These days the biggest producers of cotton are China, India, and the United States respectively. In the U.S., Texas is the leading cotton producing state. Outside of Texas, cotton grows in 17 southern states. The map below shows all 17 states where cotton is grown in the U.S.
How is Cotton Made into Yarn?
Raw cotton is first spun and twisted, then made into yarn. This process locks the fibers together and gives the yarn strength.
If you’re interested in the process of cotton from farm field to finished product, then check out this video. It shows how cotton yarn is made along with other cotton products.
Is Cotton Vegan?
As I’ve mentioned before, cotton yarn gets made from plants. Many would consider this a vegan friendly fiber, and it is, but not if you live an organic lifestyle.
See, to protect the cotton plant from insects and pests, pesticides and fertilizers often get used. But there is an alternative to common cotton yarn. We’ll continue this discussion a little later on in the post.
For now, let’s take a minute to discuss cotton yarn and its properties.
Get I Love This Cotton Yarn for your knitted dishcloth.
Properties of Cotton Yarn
- Cotton is an incredibly strong and durable natural fiber, wet or dry.
- Capable of absorbing up to 27x its weight in water, cotton can also allow water to evaporate.
- It’s soft to the touch and lightweight. And because it’s a cellulose fiber, it pulls heat away from the body. This trait makes cotton garments comfortable to wear any time of year.
- Cotton makes for a very soft yarn. It’s machine-washable and, over time, cotton actually gets softer with more use.
- Generally, it's an inexpensive yarn, but quality varies by price. Depending on your cotton yarn knitting pattern, spending a little more might be worth it.
- Cotton yarn shows every stitch in great detail. Just look at the beautiful garter stitch texture in the image below.
Get I Love This Cotton Yarn in Bright Green.
Get Nicky Epstein's Knitting in Circles book for your library.
Some properties of cotton yarn are less advantageous but are, nevertheless, important to know.
What You Should Know Before You Knit with Cotton Yarn
- 100% cotton knits may be a little stiffer than other yarns or blended yarns.
- Because cotton holds water better than other yarns, it also has the chance to stretch and sag. Once it has stretched, it'll never return to its original size or shape.
- Cotton has no elasticity or “memory”. This can make it difficult to keep even knitting tension or cause hand strain.
- The bulkier the yarn, the heavier your project. This may make it difficult to wash and care for, depending on the size. The bigger the project, the more weight, the more stretch…you get the idea.
- Dyed cotton, especially darker colors, has a tendency to bleed. This is why it’s important to knit a gauge swatch before you knit your project. You’ll want to treat your swatch like your finished article to test color, stretch, and size.
- Finally, unless you’re using organic cotton, your cotton yarn was treated with pesticides. If you’re looking for something more eco-friendly, give organic cotton a try.
Learn everything you need to know about knitting with yarn cones here.
What is Organic Cotton?
Organic cotton yarn is completely free of pesticides and is not genetically modified. Organic cotton yarn is very eco-friendly and, some say, even softer than other cotton yarns. Softer, planet friendly, and toxin-free? Sounds pretty amazing.
Uses of Cotton Yarn
Because cotton makes for a soft baby yarn, knitters love to make cool cotton knit blankets.
Cotton also makes some of the best baby blankets. You can learn more about baby blanket sizes here. And be sure to check out these free baby blanket knitting patterns.
You could also make knitted dishcloths or wash cloths, produce bags, or other household projects. It’s also a great summer yarn, perfect for making light summer tops or blouses.
Get the Free Knitting Pattern for Water Lily here.
Tips for Knitting with Cotton Yarn
- To counter 100% cotton yarn’s lack of memory, some knitters suggest knitting with smaller needles than the yarn label suggests. This will give you a tighter, more solid knit fabric.
- Some knitters find cotton to be slippery. You may want to experiment with different types of knitting needles before starting your knitting project.
- Another way to help hold your yarn project’s shape is to use textured stitches. Stockinette stitch is fine for small projects. If you’re knitting a baby blanket or something larger, stitch variation will help keep its shape better.
- If you want to knit something cool for summer, consider using a cotton blend yarn instead. Depending on the blend, you will get more drape, less weight, and more elasticity.
Finally, there are a few more important facts we need to discuss before we wrap up.
Does Cotton Shrink in the Wash?
When laundering cotton knits, it’s best to err on the side of caution. For long-lasting results, use cool water and a delicate cycle. This will reduce the chance for color fading and shrinking.
Does 100% Cotton Shrink in the Dryer?
If it’s a natural fiber, it will shrink in the dryer. Cotton yarn is no exception.
You should care for a cotton project by gently washing it, reshaping it, and laying it flat to dry. If you're worried about keeping the shape of your knit, use a blended cotton yarn.
Just make sure that if you wash and dry your cotton knits, you allow them to completely dry. Why? Keep reading.
Do Moths Eat Cotton?
Unlike wool, moths do not love cotton, but cotton does have enemies. They are mold and mildew, not moths. Because cotton is so absorbent, it tends to take longer to dry, especially in humid environments.
This is why you should allow your knitted piece to dry fully before storing it away. Doing this will extend the life of your cotton knits.
Below is an example of a cotton dishcloth. This is one of my favorite knitting patterns to make with cotton yarn. You can find the knitting pattern for the Petal Dishcloth here. Enjoy!
So now you know more than you need to know about cotton yarn, its properties, uses, and its drawbacks. You can now make a truly informed decision about cotton yarn before choosing your next knitting project.
Happy Knitting!
Resources:
Genetic Science Learning Center, University of Utah
What size needles should I use for Patons cotton splash wool please. Found some wool while tidying during these scary times. Years ago I did alot of machine knitting, unfortunately don't have a pattern, unable to contact any such business, all shops closed. Hoping you'll be able to help.
Thanking you in anticipation
Anna Cotter,
Co. Cork southern Ireland.
Hello, Anna. Hmmm. Since that yarn is discontinued it is difficult to find a lot of info, as I'm sure you already know. I've seen it listed as a DK and a Worsted weight yarn. The average knitting needle size ranges for these yarn weights range from U.S. 5-7 to U.S. 7-9 (3.75 mm - 5.5 mm). It's not much information but I hope it helps. Best of luck and thanks for stopping by! -Christina
Hi, I have been trying to knit a beret adult size in cotton, and going on a wool patrern. What a disasrer. It is huge! Do u have a plain easy pattern for a beret or beanie, knitted in COTTON please.
Hi there! I do, actually. It's called Summer Slouch Eyelet Beret and you can find it in this knitted hat patterns post. I believe it's the last pattern on the page. Best of luck!
Hi,
It will be highly appreciable, if you share any technic to dye the cotton yarn, as in some project of mine customer is asking for colored cotton which should not bleed.
kindy suggest.
thanks
Hello. As I am just learning about dyeing yarn at the moment, I don't have a tutorial on my site to point you to. I do know that to keep cotton yarn from bleeding you'll need to add salt. You will find more information about this process here. I hope this helps you.
Thank you for taking your time to share this information. Giving cotton yarn's lack of memory would you recommend against a super stretchy cast on for a bottom up t-shirt pattern? I was considering the Tillybuddy cast on but perhaps a long tail cast on is the better choice? I was trying to avoid having to estimate the long tail length since I need to cast on 174 stitches - ugh!
Hi Elcee! Great question! If you're main concern is playing yarn chicken with your cast on, I've got a knitting tutorial specifically for the long tail cast on that eliminates this problem. Here's the link to that tutorial and you'll want to look for the two strand method within that post. I hope this helps!
Thank you Christina! I did end up using the two strand cast on and it worked great. I was curious though if a cast on that is any stretchier than long tail would be a bad idea for a cotton shirt hem since cotton probably doesn't "bounce" back into shape?
Terrific! I'm so glad that helped you. It's a life saver, for sure. As far as the cast on, personally, I probably wouldn't go any stretchier than long tail. If you're really concerned, you could knit a couple of small swatches trying out different cast ons with cotton yarn to see which you like best. It wouldn't hurt to wash and treat these swatches as you would the top to see how it holds up. That'll save you a lot of frustration later. Let me know how it turns out! ~ Christina
Hi! I really enjoyed reading about cotton, especially the short video on cotton processing from field to finished product. You answered my question about using cotton for garments when you suggested a blend instead of 100% cotton yarn for better drape and elasticity. I’ve been afraid of using a cotton yarn because I didn’t want my work to “grow” but I live in a warm climate so can’t always use wool. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment and kind words, Paula. I'm so glad you found the post to be useful.
I live in Texas so I know all about warm climates. 🙂 Wishing you luck with your knitting!
thank you for sharing this information on cotton yarns. I have tried knitting with cotton in the past and experienced the saggy and no memory shape for a sleeveless top I made. I just purchased a blend of acrylic (48%)and cotton (52%) and look forward to trying it out. I am hoping it may be easy to work with and wonder if you
have any pointers or feedback on how it looks and "behaves" when knit. thank you
Hi Dianne! You're very welcome. I know that the acrylic will add more memory to the project but may add to the warmth as it is not very breathable. I'd recommend knitting a big swatch out of it. You could use it as a washcloth later if you want. The trick is to knit the swatch, wash it, dry it, and hang it to see how it behaves. In other words, treat it like you would the knitting project so you can see how it holds up. Hanging the swatch will tell you if the blend will hold it's memory or if it will stretch. Also, put it against your skin to see how it feels. Give it a real test drive so you'll know without question if its worth knitting into a wearable project. I hope this helps! 🙂
hi cristina, i am considering knitting a summer a line tank dress (aline on ravelry) with fine cotton yarn, the pattern as written is all stockinette, should i consider adding some garter row stitches? the pattern calls for espace tricot held double but im going to use a yarn art rosegarden cake instead. im comfortable with the math of any conversion needed. i am still considering weather to hold it double as in the pattern or wether to knit it single and just convert the gauge. any pitfalls i should watch for?
Hi Emmi! Those are great questions. Nice to see you're thinking ahead.
The only way to decide on single strand or yarn held double is to knit two swatches in the yarn you want to use. Consider drape, preference, etc.
You mention that the pattern calls for fine cotton yarn. Will your yarn sub also be cotton, cotton blend, or some other fiber? I ask because if it's 100% cotton, your dress will eventually sag because cotton has no memory. With that said, I also recommend the "hang test" of your swatch. Wash, block, and add some light weights to it to see if the yarn will retain its form or lose it.
Finally, if it's just stockinette, it'll definitely roll. If that's not the look you want, you could add some garter stitch rows to offset it.
Just out of curiosity, have you checked to see the finished projects for this pattern on Ravelry? That might also give you some additional information to prepare for before knitting.
I hope this helps! Thanks for reaching out. ~ Christina