Are you planning on making a some knit or crochet dishcloths? The yarn you choose can make a big difference in how durable the finished dishcloth is. Today we are going to look at the best yarn for dishcloths so your finished project will hold up for years.
When choosing a yarn for your knit or crochet dishcloth, there are a lot of factors to consider. You have a wide variety of stitch choices, so if you choose a more complicated stitch you want a yarn that will really show off that stitch definition. The wrong yarn can hide all that hard work.
Wait, Can’t You Use Any Yarn for Dishcloths?
Most knitters or crocheters will tell you that the quality of the yarn will make a difference in your finished product, and they are right. A good quality cotton yarn will beat out a cheap acrylic anyday for a knitted or crocheted dishcloth.
However, if you are new to crochet, or are just practicing your ami skills, it’s perfectly fine to use yarn scraps to practice your projects. Once you are ready to make things to gift, however, you might want to look into some quality yarn for your projects (assuming your yarn scraps aren’t quality, of course!).
What to Consider when Choosing the Best Yarn for Dishcloths
Let’s take a look at the factors to consider when choosing a yarn for your next (or first!) crochet or knit dishcloths.
1. Durability
Let’s face it, these finished items are meant to be used and abused! So you want a yarn that can hold up to the wear and tear of scrubbing, getting wet over and over and being thrown in the washing machine. Not every yarn can handle this.
When choosing a yarn, check the yarn label to ensure it can be machine washed. These yarns will hold up much better than yarns that need to be hand washed (and who wants to hand wash a dishcloth??).
It’s much better to be able to pop these in the dirty laundry and wash them with everything else. This ensures they get truly clean and (hopefully) sanitized along the way. So the first thing to look for is a good durable yarn.
2. Color
Color is another choice you’ll have to make when deciding upon a yarn for your dish cloth. The color you choose will play a big factor in how happy you are with the finished product, and how well it goes with the kitchen decor of its intended user.
Some yarns don’t come in a wide variety of colors, so if you choose one of those yarns you will be limited as to what color you can make. So you want to choose a yarn that comes in many different colors, so that you won’t be limited by the selection and can match any kitchen decor. There are many great yarns out there that are durable and have a wide assortment of colors.
3. Care
Like we mentioned in the durability section, you want a yarn that is super easy to care for. These babies are meant to be used, not just sit around and look pretty!
Always, always check the care instructions on the yarn label. For each recommended yarn below you will see the care information, and I’ve only chosen yarns that are machine washable.
4. Fiber Content
This really piggybacks on the last question, because the fiber content of the yarn will, in large part, determine how easy it is to care for. When crocheting or knitting dishcloths, you want a yarn that won’t kill your hands while you are making it (not too rough), has wonderful stitch definition and holds up to the wear and tear of kitchen use.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular fibers for dishcloth patterns.
Acrylic
Some people swear by acrylic yarn for dishcloths, but I do not think it is the best choice for a dishcloth. While it is easy to care for, it doesn’t hold up as well as a classic 100 percent cotton yarn or a cotton blend yarn, so I haven’t chosen any acrylic yarns for our list.
Polyester
Before the advent of Scrubby yarn, polyester wouldn’t even have made this list. Now that there is a whole line of scrubby yarn made specifically for kitchen use, it is a definite on the list of best yarns for dishcloths!
Polyester is a good choice if using one of the scrubby yarns specifically made for holding up to the wear and tear of washing and scrubbing. These yarns can also have wonderful texture if you are making actual scrubbies, so they are dual-use yarns.
Cotton
Another popular choice is cotton yarn. This fiber has amazing stitch definition and is what I prefer for all of my kitchen use items, especially dishcloths.
Most cotton yarns are machine washable, although some can stretch out of shape a bit, so it’s best to look for a cotton made for kitchen use (don’t worry, we have a lot of good options below!).
You can find sturdy cotton yarn made for kitchen use in most any color and very inexpensively. There are also other great cotton blend options, which we will look at below as well.
5. Cost
Since you are making a small item, this doesn’t factor in as much as if you were making something larger like a baby blanket or rug. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t care how much the yarn costs!
Most kitchen cotton is super inexpensive, can be found online and at your local craft store (sometiems even at Walmart!) and comes in so many colors. Cost shouldn’t really be a major factor when choosing a yarn, but it can be a deciding factor if choosing between two yarns.
6. Availability
Sometimes I really just want to feel the yarn before I choose it. Can you relate? I like to squish the skeins and see how the fibers feel.
So as much as I love online shopping, there is just something about being able to handle the yarn that appeals to me. I tend to use yarn that is available nearby, although there are times that I really love ordering online, from places such as We Crochet.
So while I am providing links to the yarns below, many of these are also available at your local store (think JoAnn or Michael’s, and sometimes even WalMart!) and a lot of times you can use a coupon at the big craft stores or they run sales on yarn! (I love the 20% off total purchase coupons when they run them and sometimes they will have 25% off a certain brand, so be on the lookout for deals!)
Best Yarn for Knit or Crochet Dish Cloth Patterns
There are many different yarns on the market that make amazing crocheted creations, and it would be impossible for me to list them all here, but these are some of my favorite ones that I have used and loved.
I’ve broken them down by yarn type (fiber) so you can easily choose the yarn that best meets your needs. These yarns all work well for both crochet and knitted dishcloth patterns.
Cotton Yarn
Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton
24/7 Cotton is a wonderful mercerized cotton that would be completely amazing for any dishcloth project. This yarn has been used for years as a favorite – and it’s made a lot of “best” cotton yarn lists!
Fiber Content: 100% Mercerized Cotton
Yardage/Weight: 186 yards/3.5oz
Care: Machine wash and dry
Click here to check out 24/7 Cotton yarn!
Dishie from We Crochet
This great cotton is one of my favorites! It’s tough enough to be used in kitchen items (hence the name), but soft enough for amigurumi. It comes in a wide variety of colors (including Multi and Twist) and is a real value.
Fiber Content: 100% Cotton
Yarn Weight: Worsted weight #4
Yardage/Weight: 190 yards/100g
Click here to check out Dishie Yarn!
Lily Sugar N Cream Yarn
This is a huge favorite among both knitters and crocheters who make kitchen items. It’s been around forever, can be found just about everywhere yarn is sold, and is super durable and inexpensive.
Fiber Content: 100% USA grown Cotton
Yarn Weight: Worsted weight #4
Yardage/Weight: (Solids) 2.5oz and 120 yards
Care: Machine Wash and Dry
Click here to check out Lily Sugar N Cream Yarn!
A very similar, equally popular option is Peaches N Cream yarn.
Cotton Blend Yarn
CotLin from We Crochet
I love CotLin for making dishcloths! This cotton blend is a dream to work with, has amazing stitch definition and comes in a ton of colors. It’s a must-try.
Fiber Content: 70% Tanguis Cotton, 30% Linen
Yarn Weight: DK #3
Yardage/Weight: 50g, 123 yards
Care: Machine washable, tumble dry low
Click here to check out CotLin!
Universal Yarns Clean Cotton
This is your yarn if you are looking for a recycled yarn! It’s made from a recycled cotton and polyester blend, keeping old clothes out of the landfill. It’s a wonderful choice for helping the environment and it’s super affordable, too.
Fiber Content: 85% recycled cotton, 15% poly blend
Yarn Weight: Worsted Weight #4
Yardage/Weight: 75g, 131 yards
Care: Machine Wash and Dry
Click here to check out Clean Cotton!
Polyester
Red Heart Scrubby
This classic scrubby yarn is hands-down the best polyester option. There are many variations of scrubby, including scrubby smooth and sparkle. This is my go-to for kitchen scrubbies and dishcloths that are used at the sink!
Fiber Content: 100% Polyester
Yarn Weight: Worsted Weight #4
Yardage/Weight: (solids) 3.5oz, 92 yards
Care: Machine wash and dry
Click here to see Red Heart Scrubby yarn!
Common Dishcloth Yarn Questions
While technically you can use any yarn for a dishcloth (especially when practicing), the best yarns for this type of project are cotton or cotton blend yarns. You can also choose a polyester such as a scrubby yarn. Most knitters and crocheters choose a yarn that is mostly cotton.
It typically only takes one skein of yarn to make a simple dishcloth, whether it is knitted or crocheted. A typical size for a dishcloth is 8-9 inches square, so it will take 85-90 yards of worsted weight yarn for this project.
As you’ve seen from our list of dishcloth yarn above, by far the most common yarn weight for dishcloths is a worsted weight yarn (category #4). That is the yarn weight that most manufacturers make for kitchen use.
There is some debate about this, but may people choose to use the mercerized cotton of Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton and love it for their crocheted and knitted dishcloths. This doesn’t seem to be an issue as far as durability is concerned.
Always check the materials section of your knitting pattern or crochet pattern, but here are the most common materials needed: knitting needles or crochet hook, yarn of choice, yarn needle/tapestry needle, and scissors. Some patterns may call for a stitch marker or other notion, but most will not.
For most you will just need to know the basic crochet stitches: chains, single crochet, double crochet stitch and slip stitch being the most common. If you are knitting you will need to know how to cast on, work the knit stitch and purl stitch (or just knit if you are working garter stitch) and bind off.
Most patterns for a knit or crochet washcloth can be made into dishcloth patterns just by ensuring that you use the right cotton yarn for kitchen use. You can also make a cotton dishcloth out of a dish towel or potholder pattern.
Looking for an awesome dishcloth pattern?
Check out this collection of textured crochet dishcloths or this collection of knitted dishcloths!
Well, that about wraps it up for our talk about the best yarn for dishcloths. I hope this guide was helpful – and that you’ll give a dish cloth a try sometime soon!
Happy Knitting or Crocheting!
Amanda
Want More “Best Yarn” Posts? Check These Out:
How to Choose a Yarn for Dishcloths
Learn how to choose the best yarn for your next (or first!) dishcloth.
Materials
- Yarn choice information from labels
Tools
- None
Instructions
- Find the yarn label on your chosen yarn or have the information pulled up online.
- Check the fiber content to ensure it's a good choice for dishcloths (cotton, cotton blend, polyester).
- Check the care information to ensure you can wash it easily.
- Check to ensure this yarn comes in the color(s) you want.
- Check the cost to make sure it's within your budget.
