What Is Crochet Cotton?

Crochet lace rose

Crochet cotton and crochet thread are one in the same and you may see the terms used interchangeably. It is not the same as cotton yarn because it is much smaller than yarn and thicker than sewing thread. The cotton has been mercerized for crocheting numerous projects from crafting to clothing. The denser ply helps it to withstand intricate crocheting with small sharp metal hooks and comes in a variety of sizes, colors and threads to suit the crafter's taste.

History

Crochet lace doilies

In the late 1800s, crochet cotton pieces could be found around the world. In Australia some dollies where made with beads. The beaded coverings not only served as a decorative purpose but also were crafted to protect their milk and food from insects and flies since refrigeration had not yet been invented at that time. The women of the 1800s began making small projects like doilies but soon it became so popular they moved on to intricate designs and larger more complicated projects such as clothing and bedspreads.

Sizes

Fancy lace trim

Today crochet cotton comes in sizes three to 100. The sizes are inverted so a size three is almost as thick as yarn and size 100 is thin as sewing thread. Historically cotton thread came in even finer sizes; all the way down to 200. Three or more strands are twisted together to make a single thread of crochet cotton.

Weights

Intricate lace trim handkerchief

Cotton weight produces different sizes with the same pattern because of plies. Plies are made when two or more threads are twisted together to create a strand that is stronger. This technique is called plying and produces the different weights. The cotton is then put through a process call mercerizing. Mercerizing is when crochet cotton is held taunt and dipped in a sodium hydroxide bath followed by an acid bath to neutralize it. The weight listed on the label signifies the thickness of the strand. Crochet cotton labeled with the #10 is bigger than crochet cotton with the #100. The thread becomes finer as the number grows larger.

Thread varieties and hooks

Detailed lace motif

In addition to sizes and weights there are many thread varieties and hooks for different projects. There are crochet cotton threads specifically designed for different crafting projects. Threads are generally packaged on spools and are sold separately from yarns in a nearby section in craft stores. Shopping online you will find more varieties than what's sold in stores. The crochet thread hooks are always steel and much smaller than traditional crochet hooks. They range from size 00 to size 14. The smaller the hook's number the larger the size of the hook thus producing a larger size project.

Projects

Various fancy lace trims

Online as well as wherever crochet cotton is sold you will find many free and retail projects using crochet thread. You can choose from a beginner project such as a simple doily or more advance ones like clothing. Learning to crochet with crochet cotton can be challenging in the beginning but once mastered the results are impressive.

References

• Crochet Memories
• DHub