Best Yarns for Handmade Washcloths & Dishcloths

Knit and crochet washcloths make excellent gifts and are fun and fast to make! They can be a fun exercise in trying out a new stitch pattern, or soothing mindless projects with an easily memorized textural pattern. But you don’t want to use just any fiber type to make something that will be used to scrub or clean things. Wool is a no-go, as it will felt when agitated. It’s also fuzzy, and won’t feel ideal on the skin for this purpose. Neither are other animal-fiber yarns good choices.

The standard for washcloth and dishcloth yarns has always been worsted-weight cotton. But there are other plant fibers and blends out there that make wonderful choices, too, and in widely varying price points. Any weight of yarn could potentially be used for such a project but worsted and DK tend to be the most common. And ultimately, yarns used in washcloths need to be easily cared for, as they’re going to be washed frequently. Here, we’ve rounded up our favorite yarns for washcloths and dishcloths.

Tried & True – Lily Sugar’n Cream

The yarn many of us may think of first when it comes to dishcloth yarn is Lily Sugar ‘n Cream. This 100% USA-grown cotton yarn been around for over 50 years and is widely available online and in nearly all craft stores that sell yarn.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many options and colors this yarn comes in because it’s an overwhelming number! You can find solids, stripes, self-shading, large 400 gram cones, and scented—yes—scented varieties! It’s affordable, too, and there are so many patterns out there for this yarn.

Budget Friendly Dishcloth Yarns

Click the arrows to the right and left below to scroll through the yarn photos.

Other affordable worsted cotton options include Knit Picks Dishie, Premier Yarns Home Cotton, Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, and Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton Solids and Prints. In addition to a slew of solids, most of these brands also include other multicolor varieties and cones.

Beyond Basic Washcloth and Dishcloth Yarns

If you want to up your dishcloth game a notch, you might consider working with Pima cotton. This type of cotton is relatively common, but the price point is a bit higher. Pima cotton is considered a higher quality type of cotton because it has a longer staple, resulting in less pilling than ordinary cotton. Fabric made with Pima cotton also has a smoother appearance.

There are many Pima cotton yarns in the market, including Cascade Ultra Pima (DK), Knit Picks Comfy (Pima/Acrylic, worsted), Berroco Pima 100 (worsted), Malabrigo Verano (hand-dyed, DK), and We Are Knitters The Cotton (worsted). Each of these options is slightly different, but all would be wonderful choices for dishcloths or washcloths. We think Malabrigo’s Verano would be especially stunning in this type of project!

Related: Top 100% Cotton Yarns

Alternatives to Cotton Yarns

One fiber type that can get overlooked is linen. Derived from the flax plant, this fiber is actually stronger when wet, making it ideal for a heavy-use item like a dishcloth. There are a number of 100% linen yarns, and also blends that incorporate linen with other plant fibers. While a yarn that is pure linen is a great choice for dishcloths and washcloths, the addition of cotton or bamboo can make the hand of the yarn softer, making it more pleasant to work with. Either option works well!

Some yarns out there in the market include Cascade Yarns Hampton (DK, Pima cotton/linen), Katia Linen (DK, cotton/linen), FibraNatura Flax (DK, 100% linen), Knit Picks CotLin (DK, cotton/linen), and Scheepjes Linen Soft (DK, cotton/linen/acrylic).

Related: Turn Any Knit or Crochet Stitch Pattern Into a Washcloth

Whew—that’s a lot of yarn options for washcloths! We hope you’re not too overwhelmed by all the choices out there, but instead find it inspirational to consider all the different paths you might take.

Do you have a go-to washcloth or dishcloth yarn? Let us know in the comments below!

Originally from Iowa, Amy Gunderson lives in sunny Reno, NV. She’s been the creative director for Universal Yarn, yarn director for Jimmy Beans Wool, and all-around yarn enthusiast for over a decade. Her knit and crochet designs have appeared in most major magazines including Interweave Knits. When she’s not dreaming up a crazy sweater idea, you can find her violining, knitting at the dog park or smashing balls on the tennis court. Follower her on Instagram as @amyyounggunderson or on Ravelry as @amygunderson.