What would your answer be to this question? What is the best yarn for crocheting bags?

Any guesses? My immediate answer is cotton! But let me also provide some clarity for that.

The yarn you choose is going to depend on the style bag you want to make. And what you plan to use it for, so let me offer you some guidance and some other things besides fibre to consider.

Cotton is my go to fibre for bags because it has less stretch to it than acrylic, and it has better stitch definition. You could also get away with a cotton/acrylic blend too, but make sure it isn’t a super stretchy one.

If you don’t like working with cotton, then you can use acrylic, but I would recommend some things. I wouldn’t use acrylic for a bag that you intend on holding heavy things with. Anything like a string shopping bag or beach bag, I would avoid acrylic. If you really want to stick to acrylic, no matter what, then you have some options that can help you out. The simplest is to line your bag. If you’re not a sewer, then buy a calico bag or even one of those organza bags that you might get for a gift. The bag is already made, you just need to sew or crochet it into the bag you’re making. You could also try using a smaller hook than recommended. This will make the stitches more compact and potentially less prone to stretching as quickly.

T-shirt yarn can also be good for making bags, but keep in mind that it is quite thick, so you’ll be very limited in the style bag that you can make. You could also try some twine or string, but these might be uncomfortable to work with.

I would still turn to cotton before anything else though. There are lots of style bags and different types of cotton that you can test out. A mercerised cotton will give a longer wearing bag and it often has an almost waxy texture to it and a shine as well. A cotton that is softer to the touch might not be as hard wearing, in that it might fluff up a bit. If you’re using the bag only on occassion that shouldn’t matter too much though. If you want the bag to have some structure, then I would definitely opt for a mercerised cotton first. But if you’re after a slouchy, soft style then normal cotton is perfect.

I could recommend some different cottons to try, but it is probably more helpful to let you explore and try from what you have access to. I did share some of my favourite yarns in a past post, so you can always read that for which ones I am likely to recommend.

Anyway, as with many things, cotton is a favourite yarn for me – maybe that is also why I love to make bags too?

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Seona x