Why Cotton: A Cotton Yarn Comparison for Crafters

There are two types of fiber enthusiasts: those that love cotton yarn and those that hate (or at least don’t love) cotton yarn. I am a firm believer in giving new yarn at least two attempts to prove itself, and cotton can be allll over the place. Let’s learn to love cotton, yarn friends!

Cotton yarn can be transformed into pretty much any household item. This could be kitchen goods, such dishcloths or washcloths, a set of coasters, Scentsy travel tin holders for the car, water bottle carriers, pot holders, placemats, baby bibs, or market bags.

Shoot! You can even make a Cold Shoulder Cover Up using cotton yarn. 😉 And then wear your Egg-cellent Apron made using cotton to gather your eggs!

Cotton Yarn Comparison

As far as brands go, you’ve got your Peaches & Creme cotton, Sugar & Cream cotton (not the same as Peaches & Creme!), Crafter’s Secret cotton, I Love This Cotton!, Bernat cotton, Lion Brand’s Kitchen Cotton, and Premier cotton.

Red Heart has their own cotton as well but as far as I can tell one variety is discontinued and the other is only available online. (If you’ve seen this in-store recently let me know!)

Things we love about cotton yarn…

It is super absorbent. Which is why it works better than acrylic yarn for kitchen/bath use.
*note that cotton gets heavier and stronger when wet.

It does not stretch much. Which, incidentally, is why it works great for certain clothing; said egg apron, and other kitchen items.

It breathes. Unlike acrylic and/or bulky yarn.

It softens after repeated washing.

It is durable. While some brands are softer to work with than others, essentially all cotton yarn is durable and will stand up to repeated washing.

So what’s the difference between the cotton yarn brands?

Honestly? Not much. Most brands of cotton yarn have a very similar texture and thickness. I Love This Cotton and the Premier are the two exceptions. If given a blindfolded “feel” test I’m not sure I could tell the difference between the Bernat, Peaches & Creme, Sugar & Cream, Crafter’s Secret and the Lion Brand Kitchen yarn.

I would, however, absolutely be able to tell which was the I Love This Cotton and I’d be willing to gamble that I could pick out the Premier cotton as well. The Premier is a bit thinner/softer to the touch, and the I Love This Cotton is the softest of them all. I often wonder if it is actually cotton I’m working with.

Quite possibly the most important difference between these cotton yarn brands? The I Love This Cotton does “shed” more than the others.

These five cotton yarn brands are similarly priced per yard. The smaller skeins of Peaches & Creme and Sugar ‘n Cream are between $1.50 and $1.99 at most stores. The Bernat DeLux is only available at Joann (near me, anyway) and is $6.49 regular price. Note that the Bernat DeLux is double the size of the smaller skeins and Jo-Ann frequently has coupons/sales so it’s not as big of a difference in price as it may seem.

Cotton yarn selection

I have found that selection when it pertains to cotton yarn really depends on where you’re shopping. Jo-Ann typically has a large selection of cotton yarn, whereas Michaels has about two columns of bins. Hobby Lobby only carries their own two brands; Crafter’s Secret and I Love This Cotton.

The cotton yarn selection at Walmart can vary greatly from store to store. For instance, the Walmart nearest me has a very limited yarn selection, with cotton comprising about half. The Walmart about 10 minutes away, however, has just about every kind of yarn you could dream of – including a delicious assortment of cotton.

Cotton can also be mercerized! Mercerized cotton is a treated cotton yarn that therefore is not as absorbent, it is less likely to shrink in the event it gets wet and appears shinier to the eye. It keeps its shape extremely well which makes it the perfect yarn for the Aldi Quarter Keeper Keychain. Note that this mercerized cotton is not the same as mercerized cotton thread, which can be used for doilies or sun hats.

Remember too that if you can’t find a certain type of yarn at your store, check their website! Many times we can find ship-to-store with free pickup! Walmart has even started offering an additional discount on certain brands/varieties (and not just yarn!) if you order online and choose in-store pickup.

In summary

All in all, I find that most cotton yarns are very similar to one another, both in quality and in price per yard. As mentioned above, the most notable exception for me is the I Love This Cotton; it has a completely different texture than the other six brands I compared. I personally choose to use the I Love This Cotton for clothing only, and the other brands for any other pattern/design calling for cotton yarn.

Which cotton yarn is your favorite, and why?

More yarn comparisons and techniques:

The Difference in Bernat Pop! Yarn Cakes, Caron Cakes, Mandala and Sweet Rolls
Hobby Lobby’s NEW Sugarwheel Yarn Cakes: Comprehensive (Independent) Review
Caron Cakes vs Sweet Rolls: An Independent (and 100% Honest) Review
Caron Cupcakes, Caron Tea Cakes, Caron Big Cakes and Caron Sprinkle Cakes

Comments

Gramma says
April 5, 2019 at 8:23 pm

I think you're comparing 100% cotton and cotton blended with acrylic or polyester yarns. All the Premier cotton yarns I'm aware of have synthetic fiber in them. If I'm wrong, I'd like to know!

Diana says
April 5, 2019 at 5:21 pm

What do you mean when you say the yarn "sheds?" Does it pill?

- Gail Sprague says
  April 6, 2019 at 8:44 am
  
  It's fuzzy & you may find some small fibers transfer to your clothes kinda like dog or cat hair.
  
keisha says
March 11, 2019 at 5:23 pm

Thank you for the info! Good to know mercerized cotton is best for swimsuit cover ups. I found your blog post because I am researching which cotton is best for baby washcloths. Sugar'n Cream is my go-to for kitchen cloths, was wondering if there was something a little softer, but not I Love This Cotton! because I don't care for the way it feels when it's wet. I bought some Crafter's Secret today - good to know it's comparable to S'n C!

Krystal says
February 8, 2019 at 5:11 pm

I believe, unless something’s changed recently, the Canadian company that makes Sugar and Cream bought the US company that made Peaches and Creme several years ago, and these two yarns are now essentially the same product packaged under different names. At least that is the information I came across when hunting for cotton yarn options (Peaches and Creme is the only cotton yarn carried at my local Walmart, and I was trying to see if driving across town to the Hobby Lobby for the more well-known Sugar and Cream was worth it. I guess I assumed the Peaches was a more generic version of Sugar ... not the case, as I found out.)

Vonnie says
July 8, 2018 at 12:02 pm

While the 'I Love This Cotton' was soft, I found that the dye came out easily. Not a happy thing when you wash them and the dye comes off and onto your other items.

- Theresa says
  April 6, 2019 at 1:13 pm
  
  I had that same problem with the one skein I bought. I made a dishcloth with it and it turns my water blue every time. I don't use it anymore. I am new to cotton yarn. I bought some last year to play with. I liked the softness of I Love This Cotton, but the peaches and cream were more practical for t by e dishcloths.
  
Vanessa says
June 3, 2018 at 8:29 am

I am currently making Sophie’s Universe with “I Love This Cotton” and was thinking the same thing...is this really cotton or acrylic?!? It sure feels and behaves just like acrylic yarn! It is so soft! I hope it doesn’t shed/pill too much as a blanket!

Donna C says
May 18, 2018 at 9:23 pm

Hard to find LB's Kitchen Cotton in more than a few colors anymore. I am thinking like its predecessor, its been or being discontinued. Meanwhile, someone has asked me for some trivets and I want them colorful as the ones that made her ask - so off I go looking for a substitute for the LB Kitchen Cotton. I think its going to have to be the HL Crafter's Secret (and its on sail through 5/19) but I hope to find in-store the full variety of solids. Otherwise, I'm going to have to shop online and pay postage. Anyhow, thanks for the comparison. You've quite helped me with this pickle~!

- Donna C says
  May 18, 2018 at 9:24 pm
  
  hahahaha SALE, not sail.
  
Jean says
May 10, 2018 at 5:13 pm

I like thinner yarns and made my sweater out of Ice brand cotton in #2.

Debbie Clemmer says
May 10, 2018 at 4:09 pm

Have you ever tried the Herrschners cotton yarn? I have debated on getting some but haven't yet if I can buy similar in the store

- Lisa says
  November 27, 2018 at 3:42 am
  
  I have. its thinner but I really like it.
  
Janet Rahn says
May 4, 2018 at 8:52 pm

This was very interesting and informative and I really enjoyed it, but one thing I need to correct..... Hobby Lobby also carries Sugar and Cream spools and Sinfonia which is a mercerized cotton and has VERY bright colors, very pretty. I have crocheted with Sinfonia and made dishcloths which work good!! I really like working with Hobby Lobby's Crafters Secret also.

Jenni says
March 28, 2018 at 12:46 am

Since pretty much anything I use has to be ordered online postage factors in heavily to the cost. I haven't been able to try the brands you have listed yet although the Lions Brand one would be easier for me to access from your list. I have been using Scheepjes Cotton 8 with my Sophie and am quite happy with it although it does tend to split while crocheting.

Deb says
March 26, 2018 at 3:26 pm

I love this cotton from hobby lobby. Even for dishcloths they're just a pleasure to handle!

Gloria says
March 26, 2018 at 11:52 am

So after reading this, the best yarn for swimsuits and coverups would be mercerized cotton?

- Heart Hook Home says
  March 27, 2018 at 8:57 am
  
  I think mercenized cotton would be an excellent choice for a swimsuit or coverup!
  
Emily says
November 3, 2017 at 7:03 am

This was a brilliant review!! Thank you! I’ve always wondered about the LB kitchen cotton. Thank you.

- Ashlea says
  November 3, 2017 at 3:01 pm
  
  You are so welcome!

Which Cotton? A Cotton Yarn Comparison for Crafters