Materials
Sultan and Sultan Deluxe by Hobbii
Cotton Kings Sultan, Sultan Deluxe, and similar 100% cottons by Hobbii such as Dahlia Mixo, are some of my favourite yarns for making napkins. They come in a stunning array of solid and ombre colours, and are fine and absorbant. Click here to see some of my napkins made with Sultan Deluxe, which is the softest of these and my preferred napkin yarn.
Rainbow Cotton by Hobbii
This is another fine, lightweight cotton by Hobbii which is great for napkins and very lightweight placemats. It comes in an overwhelming array of solid colours and is a highly economical choice.
Cotton Pure from Purl Soho
This is one of absolute favourite cottons. It is unmercerized with an extremely matte finish, but is still machine washable and durable. The colours are very slightly heathered for a natural, textured look. This is an organic cotton and is a little pricier than some, but it comes in massive spools which are more economical. Some might consider this yarn too fine for something like a placemat but I disagree.
Dishie by Knitpicks
This is my go-to economical worsted craft cotton for dishcloths. It is available in an array of colours and stays soft after washing. It is a little finer than some of the other worsted craft cottons out there, making it a good choice for a thick, sturdy placemat as well.
Zooey by Juniper Moon Farms
Juniper Moon makes some very beautiful cotton linen blends, ideal for luxurious housewares with a rustic aesthetic. Click here to see some of my placemats made with Zooey.
Paintbox Yarns from Lovecrafts
Paintbox comes in both DK and fingering weight, and in a vast array of exciting colours. I use the fingering weight (4ply) for napkins.
This is a fun, inexpensive crafting cotton. It's about as bulky as I like to go, and I do prefer finer yarns for decor items like placemats, but Sudz is great for dishcloths. It stays soft after repeated washings, unlike some of the other worsted craft cottons out there. The self-striping creates beautiful colour effects when worked with textured stitch patterns like Tunisian honeycomb stitch.
Gossypium by Hobbii
This tweedy sport weight cotton is only available with points on the Hobbii website. I love the texture and it's a perfect weight for placemats. I have to use it judiciously when I can get my hands on some, so I combined it with Sultan deluxe to make these placemats.
