What Yarn Should I Use for Knitting Dishcloths?

All of the Amazing Uses for Hand Knit Dishcloths

Dishcloths are such a delightfully quick and fun knitting project with so many opportunities wrapped up in them. They are great for gifting, very utilitarian (and can be super cute), a nice way to scratch the knitting itch without committing to a big project, and the perfect way to learn and test new techniques.

And beyond all of that, I love to design hand knit dishcloths that can be used for seasonal decor. In case you're looking for dishcloth knitting patterns, some of mine are the Summer in the Sun Dishcloth, Lovely Heart Dishcloth, Lacy Snowflake Dishcloth, and Eggtastic Dishcloth Canvas (in Garter and Stockinette).

But What Yarn Should I Use to Knit Dishcloths?

I imagine that most of us (at least in the United States) start by purchasing the 100% cotton yarn at the large box stores that's marketed for knitting or crocheting dishcloths.

Think, Lily Sugar 'n Cream, Peaches & Creme, and Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn.

And for good reason! These yarns tend to be fairly cheap and quite accessible (no shipping or specialty shop required).

But they certainly do come with some drawbacks as well. Namely, the stiffness.

So are there other options? Absolutely! For example Pima cotton creates a very soft fabric, but it also comes with a higher price point.

How to Choose Which Cotton Yarn is Best for Your Dishcloth Knitting

As with most things in life, I can't tell you exactly which yarn you should use for your hand knit dishcloths, because there are a lot of characteristics that come into play: your budget, what's accessible to you, your color preference, and your texture preference). So, ultimately, you're going to have to be involved in the decision.

Your final yarn decision will come down to:

How much you are willing to pay for the yarn
Whether you want to pay (and wait) for shipping the yarn
How many color options you need, and if you're looking for a specialized look
How much you care about the texture (i.e., stiffness and softness) of the yarn
If you make values-based purchasing decisions
If you have preference on the fiber content

My Favorite Cotton Yarns for Dishcloth Knitting

Personally? I really love the Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn. Sadly, though, it's no longer available in Michael's stores (my go-to big box craft store).

There is Peaches & Creme, but I find that it's quite a bit more stiff and not as soft. Still, it tends to be my go-to due to the price point, and the fact that it doesn't require shipping. (Aka, I can see the colors in person at the store and can pick it up spur-of-the-moment for a project.)

However, the more that I knit with it, I think the more that I dislike it.

For my latest pattern (the Eggtastic Dishcloth Canvas - Garter Version and Stockinette Version), though, I used a new-to me yarn.

I'd picked up the Lion Brand Tom Daley Made with Love The Cottony One to make some baby knits that would be durable and easy to wash. Thinking it was 100% cotton (spoiler: it's not; it's 60% cotton and 40% acrylic), I knit up a few knitting samples in the yarn. (These are the navy blue and dark gray samples in the image above.)

And oh my goodness, I loved it so much! Compared to Sugar 'n Cream and Peaches & Creme, it felt sooo buttery soft. Not only was it a dream to knit with, but it also smoothed out so much nicer. My only "dislike" with it is that it's not a 100% natural fiber.

After I'd knit up all of my dishcloth knitting samples, I went through my stash to see if I had any other cotton yarns that I could work up and create a complete review of cotton yarns with. (Spoiler: I haven't worked with them yet, so that review is still an idea and not an actual thing.)

What I found was Knit Picks Comfy and Knit Picks Shine, and oh boy, they're both so soft, too! Unfortunately, these are both sport weight yarn (rather than worsted weight), but Knit Picks does have a Comfy Worsted yarn and a Shine Worsted yarn. Although I haven't worked with either just yet, I can still recommend both of them!

Alright, so where do we go from here?!

You will need to assess what is most important to you in your cotton yarn.

If it's the texture of the yarn that's most important to you, you'll probably want to feel it yourself, so you might opt for yarn that's available in shops near you.

If the color palette is the most important aspect to you, you'll want to visit the websites linked in this blog post and find which best fits your need.