Is cotton or acrylic better? Good question! And it depends.

It depends mostly on what you prefer. I always base my yarn preferences on what I prefer to use and I encourage you to do the same.

Neither is better than the other as both cotton and acrylic are like everything else – they have their pros and cons. So I will lay out some things about each for you and let you decide based on some simple criteria.

All of these are also dependent on the brand that you purchase, because each will have their own price point and manufacturing methods which will also impact the yarn that you buy from the shelf.

The texture and structure of acrylic and cotton is very different. Both can feel very soft (that’s what we fall for!), but they respond and look very different in your final project. Cotton tends to have a more structured appearance. The stitches in a cotton project will always look ‘crisper’ and more defined than acrylic. Some cottons might be stiffer and more difficult to work with than others, but I find it rare to come across a bad one. Acrylics can be very scratchy and feel rough to work with, more so if you buy the really cheap ones. But a good acrylic is often more “spongy” to work with so can be easier for those that are still getting used to manouvering a hook.

They wear differently too and again there will be variations between brands. Some cottons will go fluffy after extended wear. Some acrylics are prone to pilling. It is hard to tell which cottons will go fluffy with wear and it becomes a trial and error game. Some acrylics are labelled as ‘anti-pilling” which will mean that they can take on more wear and tear. This makes acrylics great for kids clothes and beanies and garments that are going to be worn and washed a alot. Because of this I would consider what the final project is going to be used for when deciding on a yarn to use.

You can probably tell by comparing the balls of yarn as the sizes are quite different, but cotton projects end up much heavier than acrylics. I personally love a heavy blanket so I welcome blankets made from cotton. You might not like a heavy blanket, which means acrylic will be better.

Cost is also a factor for both cotton and acrylic and that will depend entirely on your budget. I have found though that cheap yarn is cheap for a reason. If you want to spend less then I would encourage you to choose based on feel, because if it feels scratchy or stiff then it is not going to be nice to work with. I have learned this the hard way!

Acrylic tends to be more stretchy than cottons. Because of this cottons will hold their shape a lot more. Some of that can be dependent on the stitch design and project too. A lacier project will hold it’s shape better in cotton than in acrylic. They can also take on more weight before stretching so can be more suitable for things like bags. The stretchier acrylics can make it easier to get garments on and off if they have fewer fastenings to help with the process.

So as you were reading this, what appealed to you most? That will help you decide where you want to lean towards when you go to choose your yarns. I tend to have both in my stash and a lot of blends that contain both too. I work with cottons more than anything else because I love the crispness and definition of the stitches. I would just encourage you to buy small amounts of anything that you want to try and just test them out – that is half the fun of crocheting!

If you want to have small projects to try yarns out on, then be sure to give granny squares a go! They’re small and fun and can be joined to make anything you want, or can be used as a coaster. You can scroll back through my blog for granny square project ideas. And if you’ve never made a granny square or are new to crochet then you really should check out my Square A Day Challenge!

Let me know in the comments too if you prefer cotton or acrylic! And if you have a go to of either that you love to work with.

Seona