How to Choose the Best Yarn for Summer Knitting

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.

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

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

What's the best yarn for summer knitting?

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 beyond its ability to conduct heat. According to the International Wool Textile Organization, lightweight wool can help wick moisture away and keep you cool.

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

• Breathable. Breathable yarns allow air and moisture to pass through them, making you feel more comfortable when you’re sweating.
• Cool. Some yarns will help absorb heat from your body and keep you cooler.
• Soft. You’ll likely be wearing it close to your skin.
• Lightweight. Go for the fingering or lace-weight yarns. DK-weight yarns also work well. Who wants to wear a bulky sweater in the summer? However, be aware that 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.

Using cotton for summer knitting

Cotton yarn is often considered 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 care for (they can be machine-washed), they may take longer to dry. This is because cotton fibers are naturally hollow and can hold up to 27 times their own weight in water. It’s especially important to keep in mind during the cold weather season due to the risk of hypothermia, but you may also want to consider this 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. Additionally, if you get caught in the rain, you risk being cold for an extended period.

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 considerable 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. 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

Using linen yarn in summer projects

Linen yarns are the superior choice for summer clothes, as they are not only soft and durable but 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 its weight in moisture and sweat, making it 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 that make it perfect for summer clothes:

• Breathable
• Drapes well
• Moisture-wicking
• Cooling
• Durable (more than cotton)
• Dries quickly (faster than cotton)
• Doesn’t pill
• Becomes softer 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

Is bamboo yarn suitable for summer and spring clothing?

The answer is a definitive yes, bamboo yarn is an excellent 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), durable, and possess 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 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 that could be seen as negative:

• Slippery
• More heavy
• May shrink when washed

Is silk yarn good for summer knitting or crochet?

Silk yarn is an excellent 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, 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.

Similar to bamboo yarns, I recommend using wooden needles when working with silk yarns, as they can be pretty slippery.

The benefits of silk yarns for warm-weather knitting

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 counterpoints 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

Other factors to consider before choosing your summer and spring yarn

When selecting 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 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (or 38 degrees Celsius) in the summer? In that case, you should 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 at 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, such as wool.
• Your project’s structure, surface pattern, and fit. You’ll get significantly different results when knitting the same pattern with various types of yarns. Linen yarn can lend your knitted or crocheted garment a nice drape, and silk can add a beautiful luster. Make sure you understand the yarn’s characteristics before purchasing it for your summer project. If you’re making a dishcloth, 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 be a bit uncomfortable, even before you’ve finished the project. Think about where you’ll spend the most time when you’re working on your project - will you primarily 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, consider how long it will likely take you to complete the project (and be honest!). Will it be finished in time for you (or your loved one) to wear this summer? 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 autumn arrives. In that case, you may want to reconsider your strategy when selecting 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.” Ultimately, selecting the right yarn for your summer knit or crochet project is largely a matter of personal preference. Choosing a yarn that you love might be the best choice altogether, as it can help you stay motivated, enjoy the process, and complete your work.