{"id":2722,"date":"2019-06-10T16:59:53","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T23:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lindadeancrochet.com\/blog\/?p=2722"},"modified":"2019-06-10T16:59:55","modified_gmt":"2019-06-10T23:59:55","slug":"cotton-yarn-is-not-created-equally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lindadeancrochet.com\/blog\/?p=2722","title":{"rendered":"Cotton Yarn is not Created Equally"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The weather is changing and I want to crochet with cotton,\nbut not all cotton is created equally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When going through the craft store aisle of yarn, finding a cotton yarn for you project can be a bit challenging. The mainstream market seems to only have room for cotton crochet thread and a medium weight cotton that is often associated with dish towels. (Need to know more about yarn weight? Here is some info<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I venture into my small local yarn store I do find a\nfiner weight yarn of cotton, but it states \u201cMercerized\u201d. It has a nice sheen,\nbut is this what I need for my project?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing a bit about cotton, can really help you to avoid any\nmistakes with projects in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Cotton?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cotton is a plant based fiber, well it is actually a cellulous\nbased fiber that protects a plants seeds in what is referred to as a boll. The\nfiber has a short staple, meaning a short length. Due to the short nature of\nthe fiber it is spun together more times than might be necessary for a wool\nyarn. This is strictly due to its length. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When long fibers are twisted together they have more points\nof contact when lying next to each other, so just a few twists can hold them\ntogether. With cotton being short, however, the fibers do not have as many\npoints of contact, and thus have to be twisted together more times to ensure that\nthey stay twisted together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is this high amount of twist that can cause cotton to shrink\non its first wash. When water finally makes contact with the spun cotton, the cotton\nactually relaxes and while it softens up, it also can be less stretched and\nthus \u201cshrink\u201d. Unlike wool this reaction will only occur once, and for any use\nforward the cotton will remain completely stable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Mercerized?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many like to use cotton yarns for dish clothes, however this\nis where you need to understand the term \u201cmercerized\u201d. Cotton when spun can\nhave a soft, fuzzy, halo around it. You find this in most medium weight cotton\nyarns available on the market today. The term mercerized is a process in which\nthe cotton yarn is essentially singed and the fuzzy halo is removed, leaving in\nits place a sleek shiny yarn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Note the top yarn (pink) has a shine, this yarn is mercerized. The bottom yarn (green) has a softer, slightly fuzzy look, it is not mercerized.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So why is it important to know about mercerized? Well, for\nstarted mercerized cotton does not absorb water like un-mercerized yarn. Meaning\nif you wanted to make a dish towel mercerized cotton will not behave in a\nmanner that you desire. This is a pretty important distinction, and one worth\nrepeating. If you want to make household items that will absorb liquids, do not\nuse mercerized cotton. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mercerized cotton I find to be lovely in garments and\nshawls. It has a nice sheen and feels like cotton, but unlike my T-shirt, if\nyou hit me with a water balloon it will not pull dramatically down with the\nweight as it will not be absorbing the water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Can I Find Cotton Yarn?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You might have to do a bit of looking to find cotton yarns for you project, but it is worth the trouble. Here are a few suggestions: <\/p>\n\n\n\n