Comfy Cottons

Tara is a great cotton/microfiber yarn from GGH. It knits up at about 4 stitches per inch, so you can have a summer cardigan in no time! Two of the sweaters currently in our front window are made of Tara: Flair from Knit and Tonic and the Sweater with Cap Sleeves (above) from Rebecca #33 (also available free on their website). Tara would be a good substitute for Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton if you’d like to try something other than pure cotton. We have Tara in beautiful neutrals, including black, white, and grey, as well as some nice bright colors.

On the lighter side, GGH Bali is a worsted weight cotton/acrylic blend. If you are interested in how this knits up, we have this cute little hoodie dress from Rebecca #39. The yarn looks great in stripes, and we have some colors that would complement each other well.

Finally, there’s Rowan Calmer. With 25% acrylic, this yarn has a nice bounce to it, and it is a popular choice for sweaters, accessories, and baby items.

We have a sample from the Baby Knits Kit worked in Calmer. The knitted fabric is nice and dense and so very soft. I often recommended this for hats if the intended recipient is very sensitive or allergic to animal fibers. We have every shade of pink you might want, as well as some beautiful earth tones.

The acrylic content in these yarns gives them a springiness more like wool than pure cotton. In addition to being easy on the hands, these cotton blends knit up into garments with a nice elasticity, allowing them to retain their shape without stretching and sagging. If you are avoiding animal fibers or just want to try out a comfortable cotton yarn, one of these might be just the thing!