Knitting and crochet are two of the most popular yarn arts. Using yarn of various sizes, you can make nearly anything, including hats, blankets, shawls, sweaters, and socks. There are different yarn fibers, too, such as wool, acrylic, and cotton.
So, what is the best cotton yarn for socks? The best cotton yarn for socks is finger weight, soft to the touch, and made with a cotton-blend rather than 100% cotton.
Socks are one of the most common knitting and crochet projects. They take a lot of patience since you have to work with extremely thin yarn, but the final product is worth it.
Cotton Yarns For Socks – Buyer’s Guide
Before you purchase a skein or two of yarn to make socks, it’s important to make sure you have the right type of yarn.
Check out the top characteristics to look for in cotton yarn for socks below.
Finger Weight
To get the close weave that helps socks stay warm and tight on feet, you’ll need to use finger weight yarn.
Yarn comes in a variety of sizes, and the size scale has a few different ways to reference each size. Below is an easy guide to yarn sizes:
Size Number | Size Name | Ideal Projects |
1 | Super fine / finger weight | Socks, shawls |
2 | Fine / sport weight | Socks, shawls, baby clothes |
3 | Light / worsted weight | Hats, baby clothes, sweaters |
4 | DK / worsted / medium / aran weight | Hats, scarves, most clothes such as sweaters and tops |
5 | Bulky / chunky weight | Blankets, sweaters, afghans |
6 | Super bulky / roving weight | Blankets |
7 | Jumbo / roving weight | Blankets |
You’ll notice from the chart that the correct yarn weight for socks is the smallest yarn weight, referred to as finger weight, super fine, or weight 1 yarn.
Finger weight yarn gives you that dense knit or crochet structure that makes it resemble a solid piece of fabric, giving your feet a high level of warmth and protection.
Soft
Since socks are worn on your feet – one of the most heavily used parts of your body – you want to make sure they’re going to be comfortable!
Not all cotton yarns will be soft. Sometimes they’re blended with a scratchy fiber that can ruin the gentle feel of the yarn.
Feel the yarn before you purchase it so you know how soft it will be on your feet. It’s always best to buy new yarn in person, then if you like it, you can restock online.
Cotton-Blend
Although 100% cotton may feel softer than a cotton blend, it’s important to try to find a cotton blend yarn rather than yarn that’s 100% cotton.
Yarn that’s made with 100% cotton doesn’t have the stretchiness needed for socks. The socks will end up too loose and won’t stay up on your ankles.
It’s best to work with a blend, since the blended fibers will often add that flexibility so you can make them smaller and have them stretch to fit just right.
If you do want to work with 100% cotton yarn, just be sure to add some kind of elastic to the top to keep it securely in place.
The Best Cotton Yarns For Socks
When you’re ready to dive into the world of knitting or crocheting socks, check out our list of the top best cotton yarns for socks.
Rank | Product | Key Features |
---|---|---|
1. | YarnArt Flowers Moonlight Glitter Cotton Yarn | Finger/super fine/1 weight yarn, 50% cotton and 50% acrylic blend |
3. | Regia Cotton Tutti Frutti | Fine/2 weight yarn, 55% acrylic and 45% cotton blend |
2. | Universal Yarn Bamboo Pop Sock | Finger/super fine/1 weight yarn, 92% cotton, 5% polyester, 3% other fiber blend |
4. | Etrofil Re-Public Cake Yarn | Finger/super fine/1 weight yarn, 53% cotton, 43% polyacryl, 4% lurex blend |
5. | Red Heart It's A Wrap Yarn | Exact yarn weight not mentioned, 72% cotton, 18% polyamide, 10% polyester blend |
6. | Red Heart It's A Wrap Rainbow Yarn | Finger/super fine/1 weight yarn, 55% bamboo, 37% cotton, 8% PBT blend |
7. | Red Heart Croquette Yarn | Finger/super fine/1 weight yarn, 100% cotton |
1. YarnArt Flowers Moonlight Glitter Cotton Yarn
If you’re looking for a wider variety of color options online, then YarnArt has a great cotton yarn for you!
Their Flowers Moonlight glitter cotton yarn has 36 different color options, giving you a nice range to choose from.
This yarn is finger weight and has a blend of 53% cotton, 43% polyacryl, and 4% lurex. The lurex fiber is what gives this yarn its cute metallic accent.
Although there is a metallic strand running through the yarn, it still has a soft and gentle feel that will be comfortable for the sock wearer. One skein is perfect to make one pair of socks!
2. Regia Cotton Tutti Frutti
Since this Regia cotton yarn is made by German brand Schachenmayr, you’ll find that most of the label and information is provided in German rather than English.
Don’t worry – this yarn is still a great cotton yarn to use for socks. It even has an image of a sock made from this yarn on the label!
This yarn is a blend of 72% cotton, 18% polyamide, and 10% polyester. Since the cotton is blended with other fibers, it will do a better job of staying in place.
The listing on Amazon only has one color option, but if you search for “Regia cotton yarn” you’ll be able to find other colors, too. You can also try searching “Regia tutti frutti” since that includes the specific name of this yarn line.
3. Universal Yarn Bamboo Pop Sock
Universal Yarn has an incredibly soft cotton blend yarn that works great for socks called Bamboo Pop Sock.
This yarn is super fine finger weight, which is the ideal size for socks.
It’s made of a blend of 55% bamboo, 37% cotton, and 8% PBT fibers. The PBT fiber is a type of synthetic polyester fiber that’s commonly used to make synthetic lashes.
This particular listing is only for the color “Morning Glory,” but as with the yarn above, you can easily find other color options by searching for “Universal Yarn Bamboo Pop Sock.”
4. Etrofil Re-Public Cake Yarn
With 20 different color options listed, this Re-Public cake yarn from Etrofil provides another high variety of colors for those looking to make fun socks.
This Re-Public yarn is finger weight, so you know it will work great for knitting or crocheting socks.
It is 100% cotton, rather than a cotton blend, but we still love it because the cotton fibers are so soft and there are so many color options. You can add a piece of elastic around the top of the sock to help keep it secure on the foot.
This yarn style is variegated, which means that the different color fibers are woven together to make for a dynamic look.
5. Red Heart It’s A Wrap Yarn
Check Current Price On Yarnspirations
Red Heart is a popular and well-known yarn brand, so you’ll see it a few times on this list.
The first option for cotton yarn for socks is the Red Heart It’s A Wrap yarn. This yarn is finger weight and is made of 50% cotton and 50% acrylic.
Although there are only 7 colors currently listed, there are often more color options on other websites such as knitpicks.com or even in stores like JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, or Michael’s.
This yarn is soft to the touch and is the perfect weight and blend for making cotton socks.
6. Red Heart It’s A Wrap Rainbow Yarn
Check Current Price On Yarnspirations
Although similarly named, this Red Heart It’s A Wrap Rainbow Yarn is a little different from the listing above.
This yarn is fine weight 2, rather than finger weight 1 size. The yarn strings will be a little bigger, so this will work well for soft, comfy socks.
It’s another blend of acrylic and cotton, though this one is 55% acrylic and 45% cotton. All you need is one skein to make a pair of socks!
This is another yarn that comes with just 7 color options, but can potentially have more depending on where you check.
7. Red Heart Croquette Yarn
Check Current Price On Yarnspirations
Our final Red Heart recommendation is the Croquette Yarn. This yarn is super fine finger weight, perfect for a close-knit sock.
It comes in a blend of 92% cotton, 5% polyester, and 3% other fiber. This other fiber is likely the shiny strand of metallic running through the yarn to give it that extra dazzle!
There’s only one color option listed on Yarnspirations, but you can always find more by searching other websites or in craft stores.
Because this blend is a high concentration of cotton, it may not have the elasticity needed to stay securely on your ankle. Try incorporating a small bit of elastic if you notice the sock slipping.
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