Best Yarn for Summer Clothes Crocheting & Knits

Written By Katerina Rieckel
How to choose yarn for summer clothes.

Summer doesn't have to mean you should put down your knitting needles or crochet hooks! As the temperatures rise and the days lengthen, you can turn your attention to making lighter, more breathable garments that you can wear even in hot weather conditions.

Selecting the right yarn for summer clothes can make all the difference in comfort and wearability. While you may really want to opt for wool, think again before making a summer top with it as it could easily end up laying in the corner of your wardrobe.

In this summer kniting guide, I'll explore various types of yarn suitable for warm weather knitting and crochet and suggest the best recommended yarns for each. I will also try to debunk some myths around the properties of some of the yarns that you'll find frequently online (spoiler alert: no, cotton doesn't dry fast).

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Top characteristics of summer yarns.

What are the characteristics of an ideal yarn for summer knits and crochet?

Summer by the Lake PDF - Seamless Top Knitting Pattern
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Summer by the Lake PDF - Seamless Top Knitting Pattern

When picking the best yarn for summer clothes, look for the following characteristics:

  • Breathable. Breathable yarns allow air and moisture to go through them, which will make you feel a lot more comfortable when you’re sweating to death.

  • Cool. Some yarns will help absorb heat from your body and keep you more cool.

  • Soft. You’ll likely be wearing it close to your skin.

  • Lightweight. This is a no-brainer: go for the fingering or lace weight yarns. Who wants to wear a bulky sweater in the summer? But also beware - some fibers are lighter than others regardless of their thickness.

  • Durable. Why bother knitting a garment if it wears out quickly?

  • Drapes well. (Nice to have) This is more a matter of taste, but I think most people like their summer tops and tees to drape nicely.

What’s the best yarn for summer clothes?

The best yarn for summer clothes is typically a plant-based yarn such as linen, cotton, bamboo or hemp. Yarns ideal for warm weather should be lightweight, soft but also strong, breathable, and cool. If you want a yarn that works for both warm and cold weather months, try silk or wool yarns as they have unique temperature-regulating properties. While wool doesn’t seem like an obvious choice for summer knitting or crochet, it has some redeeming qualities besides conducting heat. According to the International Wool Textile Organization, a lightweight wool can help retract moisture away and help you stay cool.

Here’s a list of the top choices for yarns suitable for warm-weather garments:

Using cotton for summer knitting and crochet

Cotton yarn is often considered to be the most popular yarn for summer knitting and crochet as it’s breathable, cool and soft. While clothes made with cotton yarns are easy to take care of (you can machine wash them), it will take them longer to dry. This is because cotton fibers are naturally hollow and can hold up to 27 times their own weight. It’s especially important to keep in mind in the cold weather season due to the risk of hypothermia but you may want to consider this even in the summer months. Your cotton garment will absorb your sweat and it won’t dry fast which means you’ll feel the wet fabric on your skin. Also, if you get caught in a rain you will risk being cold for an extended period of time.

On the plus side, the smell of sweat in your cotton garment is easy to wash out unlike with other fibers such as polyester or nylon. Cotton yarns are also strong and can withstand a lot wear.

If you want an extra soft cotton yarn for your knitting, look for Pima (also known as Sea Island cotton, or Creole cotton) or Ultra Pima cotton such as the Cascade Ultra Pima DK Cotton Knitting Yarn. You may encounter the term “Supima” which is a registered trademark of the Supima Association of America and is exclusively 100% American Grown Pima Cotton.

The benefits of cotton yarn for summer crafting

Consider whether the following benefits of cotton yarns resonate with you and the goals of your summer project:

  • Soft (especially pima cotton)

  • Breathable

  • Cool

  • Easy to wash

  • Strong

  • Usually more affordable

  • Different types and finishes to choose from

  • Less prone to pilling

The disadvantages of cotton yarn

Keep the following disadvantages of cotton yarns before choosing them for summer knits or crochet:

  • Takes longer to dry

  • Absorbs sweat and odor

  • Wrinkles

  • Stretches out more

  • Doesn’t bounce back / hold the garment’s structure well

  • Can be quite heavy

  • Low elasticity

Recommended cotton yarns for summer crochet or knitting

Juniper Moon Farm Zooey 60% cotton, 40% linen yarn

Below are some examples of recommended 100% cotton yarns you could use for your summer crafting projects.

If you’re looking to benefit from cotton in combination with another fiber, the following yarns can be a great option for you:

Using linen yarn in summer projects

Seafoam Top PDF - Top-Down Seamless Tunic Knitting Pattern
Seafoam Top PDF - Top-Down Seamless Tunic Knitting Pattern

In my opinion, linen yarns are the superior choice for summer clothes as they are not only soft and durable, but they are also very breathable and moisture-wicking with a nice drape as a bonus. They can be a bit more challenging to work with though, as they are usually quite slippery. You can better manage your linen yarn by using wooden knitting needles or crochet hooks which are my go-to when working with a 100% linen yarn such as Sparrow by Quince & Co. I used this yarn in my Seafoam Top knitting pattern.

Unlike cotton, linen only absorbs about 20% of their weight in moisture and sweat and are easier to dry. Here’s another interesting fact; since raw linen yarns are naturally very stiff, they can’t be used directly for crochet or knitting before going through a process of softening or being blended with another fiber like cotton. From my experience, fingering-weight linen yarns can still feel a bit stiff and challenging to work with and you might end up feeling a bit of pain in your wrists. Consider this if you are more prone to such pains and maybe go for linen-blend yarns instead.

Benefits of using linen yarn for summer clothes

Linen yarn has many great characteristics which makes it perfect for summer clothes:

  • Breathable

  • Drapes well

  • Moisture-wicking

  • Cooling

  • Durable (more than cotton)

  • Dries quickly (faster than cotton)

  • Doesn’t pill

  • Becomes more soft with washing

  • Antibacterial

  • Natural luster

Disadvantages of linen yarns

Consider the following before deciding to work with linen yarn during your summer crafting:

  • Can be stiff to work with

  • Wrinkles

  • More difficult to achieve an even gauge with

  • No elasticity

Recommended linen yarns for summer clothes

Pascuali Nepal, 60% Organic Cotton, 40% Linen, fingering

Here are some hand-selected examples of linen yarns you could use for your summer crafting, sorted by their weight:

  • TOP PICK: Lang Lino, 100% linen, worsted weight, comes in beautiful muted and bright colors. Has an interesting construction that makes it soft and airy.

  • 100% linen yarns:

Yarns that blend linen with other fibers are more common:

Is bamboo yarn suitable for summer and spring clothing?

The answer is a definitive yes, bamboo yarn is a great choice for knitting or crocheting warm-weather garments. Bamboo is a cellulosic fiber created from the pulp of the bamboo stem. Bamboo yarns are very soft (actually softer than cotton with an almost luxurious feel to them), durable and have antibacterial properties. Unlike cotton, bamboo yarn evaporates sweat quickly so you’ll feel very comfortable and cool even in hot weather temperatures.

Due to its softness, bamboo yarn is a bit more slippery which can make it more challenging to knit or crochet with. Try using bamboo needles!! (Just kidding, sorry, I couldn’t resist :) You can use any type of wooden knitting needles or crochet hooks to try to even out your tension. Your stitches shouldn’t slip as much as they would on a pair of metal knitting needles.

Benefits of using bamboo yarns for summer projects

Consider the following positive characteristics of bamboo yarns before choosing it for summer crafts:

  • Very soft (softer than cotton)

  • Durable

  • Cool

  • Moisture-wicking

  • Dries quickly

  • Antibacterial

  • Elastic

  • Drapes well

  • Anti-static

  • Generally more affordable

  • Has lustre

  • Can be machine-washed on low

What are the disadvantages of bamboo yarns?

Bamboo yarn is a great fiber to use, but it has some characteristics which could be seen as negative:

  • Slippery

  • More heavy

  • May shrink when washed

Best recommended bamboo yarns for summer crafting

Consider the following bamboo yarns for your summer projects, whether you’re knitting or crocheting something. Note that they’re usually a blend of bamboo with other plant-based fibers:

Is silk yarn good for summer knitting or crochet?

Silk yarn is a great choice for warm-weather knitting and crochet. It’s a lightweight, breathable material that’s also very soft and smooth. It has a lovely sheen to it which will make your projects feel luxurious. Silk is the strongest natural fibre, so you also get the benefit of durability.

Where does silk come from? It’s actually an animal fibre created by insects when building their cocoons and webs. In the commercial industry, you’ll only encounter silk from the larvae of the Bombyx mori moth and a few other caterpillars of the same family. Bombyx mori is commonly known as the mulberry silkworm, which is a term you might be more familiar with. Pure mulberry silk bedding is considered very luxurious due to its softness, breathability, and hypoallergenic properties.

Similarly to bamboo yarns, I recommend to use wooden needles when working with silk yarns as they can be quite slippery.

The benefits of silk yarns

Silk yarn has many beneficial properties, such as being:

  • Incredibly soft

  • Lustrous

  • Cool due to moisture-wicking properties

  • Breathable

  • Hypoallergenic

  • Smooth

  • Very strong and durable

  • Regulates temperature

  • Easy to care for

  • Lightweight

  • Naturally white

  • Odorless

Are there any disadvantages to silk yarns?

Below are a few counter points to consider before using silk yarns for summer or any other type of projects:

  • Can be expensive

  • Prone to sunlight damage

  • May stretch out

  • Negative environmental impact due to the water and electricity-intensive harvesting process

Recommended silk yarns for summer clothes and accessories

I’ve collected a few examples of silk yarns that can be used for knitting or crocheting warm-weather clothes and accessories below.

  • TOP PICK: ITO Kinu Silk Lace Yarn Cone - This 100% organic silk yarn is perfect for your first time exploration of this luxurious material. Use it to create an elegant summer top with a lovely sheen and drape that will keep you cool at the same time! The lace weight is perfect for a lightweight warm-weather garment.

  • 100% silk yarns:

  • Silk blend yarns:

  • ITO So Asa Yarn Cone, 70% Linen, 17% Cotton, 13% Silk, lace weight

  • Anzula Bella, 60% 21 Micron Merino, 40% Silk, fingering, great for creating a transitional weather piece

Other factors to consider before choosing your yarn

When choosing the best yarn for your summer knitting or crochet clothes and accessories, you might also want to consider the following factors:

  • The climate of the place where you live. Do you live in a place where temperatures rise up to a 100 degrees Fahrenheit (or 38 degrees Celsius) in the summer? In that case, you may want to stay away from any heavier weight yarns.

  • The type of garment or accessory you’re making. If you’re making a shawl that can be easily taken off in a moment’s notice, it’s probably not a big deal if it’s a little warmer than your average cotton t-shirt.

  • How often you’ll wear it and where. Consider how you’ll use your garment in the end - will it be your everyday go-to top? Or maybe you want to wear it only for special occasions? If you plan on wearing it while hiking in the mountains, it might be a good idea to look for a moisture-wicking yarn like wool.

  • Your project’s structure, surface pattern and fit. You’ll get very different results when knitting the same pattern with various types of yarns. Linen yarn can give your knitted or crocheted garment a nice drape, silk can give it a beautiful luster. Make sure you understand the yarn’s characteristics before purchasing it for your summer project. If you’re making a dish cloth, you probably don’t need to think about this that hard unless you really care about its appearance.

  • Your comfort level during the making. Knitting or crocheting with warm fibers during the summer can get a bit uncomfortable even when you’re not wearing the finished object yet. Think about where you’ll spend the most time when you’re working on your project - will you mostly be at home? Are you going to sit outside most of the time? Maybe you have an A/C at home that makes you feel cold and you’ll actually appreciate cozying up with some warm knitting.

  • The realistic timeline of your project. Last but not least, think about how long it will probably take you to make the project (and be honest!). Is it likely that it will be finished in the summer for you (or your loved one) to wear? Maybe you already know you’ll spend more time outside than knitting or crocheting, and you won’t have enough time to finish your garment before the autumn arrives. In that case, you might want to rethink your strategy when picking the right fiber.

You might read this article and think to yourself “Well, that’s all great and fine, but I just really like this particular yarn.” In the end, choosing the right yarn for your summer knit or crochet is really up to you and your personal preferences. Picking a yarn that you love might be the best choice altogether because it can help you stay motivated, enjoy the process, and finish your work.

Katerina Rieckel
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