Are you feeling like sitting in furnace in this summer? Are you crocheting / knitting with sweaty hands and feeling frustrated? Are you giving up your crochet hook / knitting needle in this summer? I’m here to solve all these problems by selecting perfect yarn for summer.
It is very hard to find suitable yarn for our climatic condition. I know that summer is awful for knitting, crocheting and any other yarn works. It’s really tough to work with woolen or acrylic yarn, since it will badly sweat your hands. With that wet hands, you can’t do any yarn works. It will make you feel irritated and frustrated. Your health may also spoil. Obviously, you can’t use the wearable products made with woolen or acrylic yarn. It is very important to choose the perfect yarn accordingly. So, don’t worry I’m here for you to help. In this blog I’m going to share perfect yarn for summer and my favorite summer yarns.
In winter we have to choose wearable which trap the heat in. Likewise, in summer we have to choose wearable which is very light weight and breezy.
How to choose yarns for summer projects?
For summer projects you have to use light weight or thin yarns. And for winter use thicker or chunky yarns. So that, it can trap the heat in. And second most important thing is, select plant-based yarn for summer. And animal-based yarns / synthetic yarns are meant for winters. Plant-based yarns tends to have cooling nature and animal based are opposite, it will keep you warm.
Recommended Crochet Supplies:
Yarn classification:
Natural:
1) Plant-based
ex: cotton, bamboo
2) Animal-based
ex: wool
Synthetic:
ex: acrylic, polyester
Blended:
ex: natural + synthetic, synthetic + synthetic, natural + natural
Okay! As I mentioned above, we can use plant-based yarn. Or we can also use blended yarn which has more plant-based fiber in it.
Now let’s see what are all the yarn options we have in India:
Cotton & Bamboo:
As we all know cotton is best for summer. 100% cotton yarns are perfect. But some cotton yarns will be soft and some will be rough. So, while you are choosing yarn for wearing projects go for soft cotton yarn.
And second option, you can also choose blended yarn which has more plant-based material in it. For example: cotton- 60% viscose-40%
And another best yarn is bamboo yarn or bamboo blended yarn.
And another option is cotton threads- like crochet cotton thread or knitting cotton thread. Since these are so thin, it will consume lot of time to complete the project. If you have more time, I highly recommend cotton threads.
You can also use mercerized cotton thread. Mercerized cotton is nothing but 100% cotton which under goes mercerization process. Which means extra shine, lustrous is added and it improves dye uptake and tear strength, reduces fabric shrinkage. Projects made with mercerized cotton can be used for really long time. Maybe you can pass your projects over generations. You can wash it as many times as you want, the color and finish will last long. And projects made using this yarn will be more drapey, it won't be stiff. Isn’t that cool? Yeah! I just love mercerized cotton yarn.
Can we use acrylic yarn in summer?
Does acrylic make our body cool? – Definitely not. But you can use some kind of acrylic yarn for summer. It depends on what kind of projects you are making.
How to choose which kind of acrylic is best for summer? Very simple: Don’t select the yarn which has plasticky or polyester feel in it. Or else you can go for swatch test. Make a small crochet/ knitting swatch using acrylic yarn, wash it either by hand or machine. After drying, feel the material. If it feels scratchy or sweaty, avoid that kind of acrylic yarn. If it feels soft, you can go for it.
Tip: While buying acrylic yarn for summer project, check out the yarn label whether it has mentioned, soft acrylic or baby soft acrylic.
So, it’s not like that we cannot use acrylic yarn for summer. You can use it, it’s up to you. Make some loose stitch / lacy stitch for summer projects. Don’t make dense stitches like moss or waist coat stitch.
Linen:
Who doesn’t love linen? Linens are super comfortable during summer. So, you can use linen or linen blended yarn for summer projects.
Silk:
What? Silk?
Yeah! you heard it right! It’s Silk….
How? Wearing silk sarees will be so sweaty during summer. How can we use silk yarn for summer projects?
Definitely you can go for silk yarns. You know what? Silk yarns are very special. It has one unique special property, that, it will keep you cool in summer and warm in winter. No other yarn has this special property rather than silk. We can use silk in all climates. Isn’t that amazing? In India, silks are very special and we all love silk. And it is easily available in markets.
Only thing about silk yarn is, it’s costly compared to other yarns. We can definitely use silk or silk blended yarn for summer.
Points to remember while making summer projects:
- use thin and light weight yarn.
- use loose / lacy stitches.
Now let’s see some of my favorite and summer yarn availability in India:
1) GulEra 3ply cotton – This is very soft and can be use for baby projects and wearable projects or any kind of projects. This is one of my favorites.
2) GulEra chainlet 6ply cotton – This is little thick and cannot be used for baby projects.
3) Anchor crochet / knitting cotton – My all-time favorite. I love this yarn
4) Baroque crochet cotton
5) GulEra T-shirt yarn – Can be used for decors, bags or baskets.
1) Nako calico – Super soft. It can be used for all kind of projects. This is one of my favorites.
2) Nako frizzy
3) Nako hosgeldin soft – Bamboo Blended. Again, it’s super soft and cool. This is one of my favorites.
4) Nako fiore
5) RedHeart crochet cotton
1) Vardhman farrago
2) Vardhman grandeur
3) Vardhman cotone – Beautiful pastel colors. So soft. This is one of my favorites.
Yarn addict: StyleCraft and Ice yarns are available. I love both the brands. Especially I love Camilla Cotton yarn from Ice yarn for summer.
Sunrayscreation: Super quality silk blended yarns are available .
Magic Needles: Nako, kotton yarns are available.
The Happy Hands Store: Some imported yarns are available
If you have tried any other yarn options, feel free to comment below!
Keep crocheting! Bye!
Hi, can you explain more about viscose yarns available at yarnkart.com ?
Lovely write up Raveena!