question for those who knit/crochet

Seems like all of the handmade beanies, cloches, tams etc I come across are made out of acrylic yarn. Why isn't cotton yarn used instead? Is it just a matter of supply? price? quality of finished product? what?

I ask because I am looking to buy one, but acrylic yarn itches badly on my forehead.

Thanks!

 

its quite hard, now days, to find a non-synthetic yarn at your basic craft store. Even things that look like wool often times an acrylic/natural fiber mix. There are cotton yarns out there, but they are really thin... almost more like string than yarn.

Someone could make you a hat out of cotton, just using more than one strand at a time.. say, like 3.

 

I crochet with all types of yarn, not just acrylics. Lately I have been using wool and cotton blends. While acrylics are normally scratchier, many different companies are making softer acrylic yarns, that are nice to the touch and don't feel like a synthetic acrylic.

Cotton tends to be more expensive than acrylics and usually comes in smaller amounts than acrylics. Bernat makes a nice 4 ply cotton yarn, but again, it's pricier than acrylic.

Kitchen cotton or cotton thread is nice, but like "ice" said it is usually in a 1 or 2 ply.

I use acrylic when making hats, because it keeps my costs down. If someone asks for a certain yarn I am more than happy to get it, but I charge accordingly. I tend to buy the softer acrylics, instead of the cheaper brands like Red Heart, because I too don't like the scratchy feeling.

I've made hats out of cotton yarn, but they don't hold their shape as well as other types of yarn. Atleast in my opinion they don't.

 

Wow thanks you guys! Exactly what I wanted to know. So I guess I could wear acrylic.

 

there are some inexpensive cotton yarns out there... sugar & cream is 100% cotton. there's another one that i see everywhere that i can't think of the name. i have some sitting here if you'd like me to make you one (it might be a couple weeks though gotta finish my christmas gifts first). i have some off white, and some blue. or i can send you some if you knit or crochet.

 

Oh thank you for the offer Sarahstar, but I already ordered the hat! Thank you again, though.

 

I can't wear wool..it itches like crazy.... Wool is also fiddly to care for.
And I find that cotton is too bleah, the colour runs and fades big time. Also plant fibres have no stretch, as animal fibres do. So whatever I make remains stiff and icky feeling, and it takes forever to dry...

So bottom line...I love BLENDS! I can get cotton or wool blends that feel really nice...

 

Cotton is not my favorite thing to knit with because it dries your hands out. That is why I prefer to knit with wools or blends. I only use cotton for dish rags.

 

my absolute favorite fibre is this sweet alpaca/silk blend that i get at a wool mill fairly close to where i live. it is soooooo soft! heavenly for knitting and crocheting!

 

omg! that sounds amazing. how spendy is it?

my local yarn store carries a lot of natural fibers. it's awesome, but very expensive.

today i scored a gorgeous and oh, so soft wool/alpaca sweater at the thrift. i was going to unravel it for the yarn, but it fits my hubby, so i gave it to him.

 

I think price is one thing, and organic cotton is even more expensive. Cotton is one of the most water-intensive and pesticide-laden natural materials. Wool isn't any better, as many sheep are mutilated for it and later turned into "food" and silk worms are boiled alive to get silk. I think there is a plant fiber called "banana silk". I like acrylics, Many are very soft and plush. Some feel like the soft wool hair. It's pretty much all I use. I don't knit or crochet just yet but I do make scarves using a different knotting method.
www.savethesheep.com for more wool info.