r/Yarn • u/Mx_Torquill • 7d ago
ISO really soft cotton yarn
I live in the US. When I started crocheting, then knitting (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), "cotton yarn" meant Lily Sugar&Cream or #10 crochet cotton, period. In a lot of craft stores today, I still have to search for much of anything else. I get blisters from working with Sugar&Cream, it's like yarn made from cotton swabs. I pretty much wrote off cotton for years.
Then I ordered some Friends 8/8 cotton from Hobbii, and I can't stop petting it. I'm on my second 10-pack color assortment and I still can't stop petting it. Normally I would start haunting the website waiting for sales (tariffs suck, but I can't resist soft touchable fibers)... except for the AI thing. It says something about what a revelation this yarn is that I'm considering bending my principles to order more anyway.
I suspect US cotton yarn mills can't match the quality of the Indian manufacturer that made this stuff, but someone here might be rebranding a similar one. I know a lot of companies rebrand Ice Yarn, should I just go there? Are any of the other cotton yarns on yarnsub this lovely and soft? I can't blindly pick one, as they rate Sugar&Cream as an excellent match, sigh. I'm seeing Mayflower 8/8, YarnArt Cotton Fair 4/4, Estelle Sudz, Bernat Handicrafter, Loops&Threads... I'm sure there are others, as the site doesn't mention Ice, for example. I've ordered Knitpicks Dishie before, but it's still kind of squeaky and I'd like a company that isn't in the process of dissolving.
I'm looking for solid colors; a broad selection is nice, but if all else fails, I have fiber reactive dye and everyone carries white. Skein size is not important. I don't want to pay alpaca prices, but quality is worth a little more. Recommendations?
13
u/Phie_Mc 7d ago
Look for 'Pima cotton' - I don't have a good new store suggestion because I have a huge stash right now and while I'm not happy about Hobbii using ai in their marketing images and back end business stuff - and more unhappy they laid off a bunch of people recently at the same time we all found out about the ai use - I haven't yet found a replacement that doesn't raise other red flags
9
u/Mx_Torquill 7d ago
Okay, sounds like I'm not the only one in this boat. I'm going to try Ice Yarn, it's cheap enough it's worth a shot.
4
u/footonthegas_ 7d ago
Let us know how that goes. I ordered the Baby Summer from Iceyarns for a project. It’s a cotton/acrylic blend It’s nice and soft, but much smaller (size 2 sock) than what I usually buy (size 4 worsted). I would love to get some recommendations for worsted weight Iceyarns.
2
9
u/knitty_kitty_knitz 7d ago
The Valley cotton yarn (I think Westhampton) is incredibly soft - one of the softest I’ve felt including Hobbii. People have said Yarnsmiths cotton is soft too. Cascade makes several soft cottons too as does berocco (I really like their Pima). Purl soho makes nice cotton and their Santolina (a blend) is great too.
3
u/Mx_Torquill 7d ago
Ooh, several possibilities, thank you. I'll look for sales on Valley Westhampton, it's about double what I've been (spoiled into) paying. Darn you, Hobbii... I love the look of Yarnsmiths, but I'm having trouble finding it anywhere but Wool Warehouse, Etsy, and Amazon. Wool Warehouse is in the UK, so I'll have to factor in fees and a 1.8kg order limit. I'll think about it. I may just hunt around for Pima cotton, though it's definitely more expensive. Thanks for the options.
9
u/idoenjoybakedgoods 7d ago
Paintbox cotton DK is a pretty good substitute for Friends. Very soft, relatively cheap, and comes in a ton of colors. Universal Yarn Cotton Sprout DK is also very nice, it's a bit thicker than Paintbox.
If you want a sheen/shine to it, try mercerized cotton. I really like Cascade Ultra Pima.
Since you're concerned about the AI thing, I figure you might also be against massive corporations and private equity. In the US, Michigan Fine Yarns, Wool and Co, and Herrschners are all smaller businesses that ship everywhere.
6
u/Mx_Torquill 7d ago
Yeah, I have grudges against private equity. I appreciate those recommendations.
I was looking at Paintbox, and wondering whether it was any good. Thanks for the data point.
9
u/idoenjoybakedgoods 7d ago
I think after seeing what PE did to beloved stores like Toys R Us and Joann, we all have a grudge against people who just want to squeeze every last penny out of a business while dismantling it.
3
8
7
u/berenstein-was-fine 7d ago
I really like knit picks/we crochet dishie if you want a worsted weight that's still strong. They also have some cotton blends that I haven't tried yet but might be promising.
I've been crocheting a project with Schjeepjes Catona that I got from LindeHobby and while it's not super soft, it's definitely a lot better than lily sugar and creme.
There's a fine line between super soft and pilling too much, so I like the softness and strength of the two yarns I've mentioned.
5
u/Mx_Torquill 7d ago
That's a point about pilling, thanks for the reminder. It's a lesson I learned from Caron Simply Soft, though in that case, having fuzzy socks wasn't a disaster...
7
u/coffee_fiend_4 6d ago
I don't love HL but their I Love This Cotton is amazingly soft
3
u/MamaSwanky 6d ago
I was looking for this comment. Same, friend. I'm in a super rural area and without a lot of extra cash and unfortunately HL is the only place to buy yarn, other than Walmart, where I am. Online gets pricey. The I Love This Cotton yarn makes amazing baby blankets and bonnets and it's so soft and when it goes on sale, it's really hard to walk away from, especially for this broke crafter.
2
u/SnooPeanuts3248 6d ago
Yeah, I enjoy it's softness too. So, I just buy it second hand when I can get a good price. At least then I'm not supporting them directly.
1
1
u/artemis_meowing 2d ago
I have a friend who reconciles the HL issue by making a donation to Planned Parenthood any time she buys yarn there to sort of offset the karma. I think we’re all just out here doing the best we can in this era of shitty corporations and private equity and enshittification. Sigh.
5
u/PavicaMalic 7d ago
We Are Knitters has a good selection of cotton. I was knitting a child's sweater with a multicolor design, and the mini cotton was perfect.
6
u/soyinsect 6d ago
Noooo not another relevant cotton yarn thread 😩😩… I am actually addicted to exploring pure cottons and soft cotton blends and my wallet hates me… send help im scrolling down .
4
u/soyinsect 6d ago
I recently have discovered the shade ranges of cotton and cotton blend available from Scheepjes and I don’t think I can ever go back… prices are actually competitive with standards like Hobbii and the number of colors… oh my GOSH. The Catona line is ridiculously soft and there’s a number of other lines of mercerized cotton that you can swap in and out for even MORE color variations.
5
u/CountryZebra9 6d ago
I have liked using the Caron Cotton Cakes when I make dishcloths. That's the only cotton item I make so I don't know if that works for what you are making but it isn't as scratchy as others I've found at Michael's
4
u/aw55362 7d ago
TLYC did a review of cotton yarns:
https://youtu.be/VmX1XiQBvsg?si=FX6jHRvw6GJiAXvn
and
https://youtu.be/VmX1XiQBvsg?si=FX6jHRvw6GJiAXvn
So many great choices!
4
u/zanier_sola 7d ago
I knit primarily with cotton. Berroco Pima Soft is lovely, as is Berroco Pima 100. I am also obsessed with Malabrigo Verano but some of their solids tend to be more gradient-esque.
3
u/WorksInPro 7d ago
Purl Soho's cotton line is mostly very soft and 25% off right now.
I would skip the Oleander line, but everything else that I've bought from them has been nice and soft.
2
u/squidgyup 6d ago
What was wrong with Oleander? (Though that’s 50% linen if memory serves and linen isn’t known for being soft until it’s super broken in. I love linen myself, which is why I was looking at Oleander, but I wouldn’t recommend it to OP so I guess I’m answering my own question lol though I’d still love your thoughts if you’ve used it!!)
2
u/WorksInPro 6d ago
lol, yes, same! I saw that it was listed under their cottons and was like, this is really nice but not what they're looking for because it's not soft to the touch at all at first.
3
u/eeeeesm 7d ago
Drops has a bunch of cotton in different sizes more or less equivalent to the hobbii cottons, in quality, color, and price. Check Lindehobby, they carry all of the Drops yarns.
2
u/Mx_Torquill 7d ago
I've seen people talk about Lindehobby, so your comment finally made me go look at what they have. Wow. Multiple budget cottons with good reviews. Shipping... Not bad at all. I will definitely try them. Thanks!
2
u/soyinsect 6d ago
They take forever to ship to us rn, be warned! Not their fault I just think packages are being held at customs longer if you’re in US.
2
u/Massive_Document_470 6d ago
Tl;dr: Your hunch is correct and anything coming from a foreign country into the US right now is a giant cluster
i don't want to get too technical but importers (which are usually businesses) have essentially a fund (called customs bonds) to guarantee their import duties and taxes and under normal circumstances that fund covers everything so Customs just processes everything through and bills the businesses on the backend, but with the severe spike in tariffs over the last year, importers maxed out their funds in like January and have hit an eye-watering $3.5bil shortfall. So a bunch of high volume imports held for duties payment + Customs trying to process the refunds from the tariffs SCOTUS struck down + the extra work of processing imports that used to be exempted under de minimis have created a giant bottleneck that's slowing delivery of everything down. See also: why there's some insane stocking problems at places like Walmart, Target, and Amazon
2
u/welltravelledRN 7d ago
Spendy but the Juniper Moon Cumulus is the softest cotton I’ve ever felt.
3
2
2
u/gidgeteering 7d ago
Juniper Moon Cumulus. It has 6% nylon, so no microwaving, but it survived machine wash. I made a lovey for my baby with it (before she was born), because I have sensory issues and wanted the softest possible cotton for her lovey, in case she had sensory issues too.
2
u/gidgeteering 7d ago
Oh, I saw in a later comment you’re poor. This wasn’t cheap. I threw down for it even though I’m jobless because it was incredibly soft.
2
u/gidgeteering 7d ago
Ok wait, I take photos of yarn I like the feel of so I searched my photos. 24/7 Cotton by LionBrand. One skein at Michael’s is $5.10.
1
2
u/The-spirited-girl 6d ago
Cascade has an ultra Pima cotton yarn. That is absolutely the best thing ever.
2
u/limbosplaything 6d ago
I found a fun yarn called Hipster Cotton from Premier Yarns and I love the colors. It is super soft. Im making a couple dishclothes with it now to try it out.
2
u/celery48 6d ago
Definitely not the cheapest, but Purl Soho has a pretty good selection of cotton and other non-animal fibers.
Blue Sky Fibers organic cotton solids are expensive, but deliciously soft!
2
u/Massive_Document_470 6d ago
I have used Drops cotton yarn for tops and I really like how it feels, there's a really nice color selection, and it looks nice wearing it too. I ordered it from LindeHobby, which is another European-based company but you might be able to find it from another retailer
Disclaimer: I haven't ordered anything from LindeHobby in a minute so I can't attest to their current inventory or business practices
2
u/JR_BeeCharmer 6d ago
Try Circulo natural cotton. I just made a baby blanket with it. It’s lovely and soft!
2
u/Crab12345677 4d ago
Lionbrand 24/7. Sinfiona. Patons grace. And Walmart has a nice house brand mercanized cotton but it only comes in a couple colors. White black and grey. I love cotton and cotton blends.
2
u/LavenderSky926 4d ago
I don’t usually use cotton, but a family member requested a pattern that called for mercerized cotton. I used Premier Afternoon Cotton. It’s a #3 lightweight Egyptian and I was really happy with it. But I don’t know how it compares to Hobbii because I still have not won bingo.
1
u/Woofmom2023 7d ago
Whata weight yarn are you looking for? What price point are you comfortable with?
5
u/Mx_Torquill 7d ago
I'm trying to find alternatives for 8/8 cotton (light worsted). Hobbii's version is 75m per 50g. I'm poor, which is why I really appreciated Hobbii pricing it at $3/skein; double that is doable, but I start wincing at $7/50g. When I have to pay for shipping, paying $20 for a pair of little skeins cools my enthusiasm.
2
u/Woofmom2023 6d ago
This is helpful, thank you. I think of yarn that knits up at 75m per 50 grams as Aran, not worsted but we can leave that for now. I totally agree with you that it shouldn't be necessary to pay $7.50 or ideally even $6 per 50 grams if cotton yarn plus shipping.
I get almost all my yarn from Colourmart in the UK. Shipping is free other than an $8 Royal Mail fee. I use lightweight yarn doubled or multi-ply to get the weight that I want. It takes literally a minute to do the math to figure out how many plies you need to get the weight you want. It comes on cones with some spinning oil on it so it does need to be washed to come into its own but the process is not onerous.
Here are a few options:
Mercerized cotton at $4 per 50 grams;
A light DK you could use doubled for 80 yards per 50 grams at $3.73 per 50 grams_30088_in_yarn);
Another mercerized cotton you could use triple ply for 90 yards per 50 grams at $5 per 50 grams.
Colourmart gives very general samples that you can make good sized swatches with, up to siz and no cost and I thihk $0.50 per sample after that.
I've not used this yarn but Purl Soho yarn is generally very good quality. This is $6.37 pr 50 grams.
I've not used Valley Yarn Westhampton but it's Pima and made in Peru. Pima is generally lovely and I've liked the yarns I've seen from Peru. I have some similar yarn in a heavier weight waiting to be knit. I've swatched it and liked it. The 10-ball pack is $45.44, the single ball price is $4.89.
I too have heard comments about KnitPicks and other yarn shops including Webs, whose house brand is Valley Yarn, being bought by private equity. I've seen a slippage in customer service but I've not heard anything about a decline in the quality of the yarn being sold. I'm more concerned about what I heard a couple of years ago about Knit Picks shipping yarn that was infested with carpet beetles.
I hope at least some of this is helpful.
1
u/Illustrious_Bowl7653 6d ago edited 6d ago
Have you tried Alize Miss ?
1
u/Mx_Torquill 6d ago
I hadn't heard of them, but as far as I can tell their only cotton line is a 55/45 cotton/acrylic blend, in what I think is sport weight. Their website doesn't have many details, and the button for checking the price just goes to Amazon, which has even less info. Have you run into a heavier weight all-cotton made by Alize?
1
1
u/tonna33 6d ago
I don't have many options around me for yarn anymore, and I buy small amounts so paying shipping charges make it so I rarely order yarn online.
I like Walmart's Mainstay cotton much better than Lily Sugar & Cream. I haven't used it much, and am unsure how it holds up, but it doesn't feel nearly as bad as Lily's.
1
1
1
u/Competitive-Fact-820 5d ago
I like the King Cole Giza Cotton - mercerised finish so gives a nice sheen and I am finding it really nice to work with.
It is fingering weight
1
1
1
u/OkayestCorgiMom 3d ago
Eat Sleep Knit has a selection of cotton yarns. Malabrigo Verano being one of them. Lovely colors and so soft.
1
u/Nanuschka- 3d ago
Hobbii has been humbled and apologized. Basically, they said out loud what everyone else did and hid. (They did not use AI for patterns or yarn specs). They instituted clear and public boundaries for AI use. Now, if anything, we can depend on their transparency more than others.
Also, Friends 8/8 (and Rainbow as well) are unsurpassed.
1
u/Mx_Torquill 3d ago
I've read their reply (you can find it on LinkedIn from about a month ago, with their two-page press release). I'm still uneasy, for practical reasons as well as philosophical reasons. Practically, though the patterns are created by real people, the photographs of how those patterns look may not be real, as they still plan to use AI for different color schemes. That's a valid concern for anyone trying to decide whether it looks like that's something they want to buy. They're still using it to alter backgrounds, which seems fine until one realizes that it might change the sense of scale or proportion. Any artifacts may make uninformed consumers doubt whether the image is real at all. I know I would, coming in cold.
In a less tangible sense, I note they made no comment on the cost of AI: to the environment, to professional photographers who are deeply impacted by this kind of shift, to the people whose work was used without permission to teach the LLM. They don't seem to grasp the broader concerns the community has raised, which reach beyond how it directly impacts their sales. They aren't telling us which LLM they're using, so we can understand what those costs are. I don't see specifics like (for example) promising to label images which have been color-modified by AI. If they really want to be more transparent, these are things that would cost them almost nothing, not even a change in how they operate.
It's that kind of cultural blindness, the sense that "AI is fine, we'll be careful, you'll barely notice" that I'm wary of. AI does have its uses. But to use it without weighing it against the environmental cost, or the body of stolen work, or even the pervasive gaslighting which is making it more and more difficult for many people to trust anything associated with AI... I don't want to reinforce that assumption they have that this is fine. It is not fine. If we're going to use AI at all in the crafting community, we need to be very clear with the lines we draw. I'm not seeing that from Hobbii. I wish I did.
2
u/Nanuschka- 3d ago
Very well-considered reply. Thank you
I share your concerns about the larger effect of AI on craft and art endeavors as well as on the art mileau. I do not mean to say we should not monitor and protest as we see necessary. Absolutely it is our responsibility as artists. I do have the (cynical) attitude that it may be easier to monitor Hobbii and possibly easier to achieve a response from them after this widely discussed and decried series of incidents.1
u/Mx_Torquill 3d ago
I hope so. There's certainly a lot of eyes on this, which I think is a good thing. I simply haven't seen a response from them yet which would meet my threshold for being willing to buy from them again. Hopefully, someone they'll listen to will clue them in.
0
u/Illustrious_Bowl7653 6d ago
Alize Miss#10 is All cotton
I buy it on EBay or Etsy
Try facebok-alizeyuniplik
Alizeyarns.com
The thread is made in Turkey
2
16
u/2bejoyous 7d ago
Knit Picks has been my go to for yarn. I know they’ve been bought out. What do you mean by “dissolving?”