A big question many crocheters have every spring and summer is what is the best yarn for swimwear.  Some types of yarn are not great for swimwear because once they get wet,  the yarn becomes heavy and might become wider or even fall off the body.  These yarns are perfectly fine if you don’t plan on getting wet at all. But here are some suggestions that I found work pretty good in the water.  I have worked personally with some of these brands of yarn, and for others I have only read about or heard about them.

I always am told that some people say acrylic is a good yarn for swimwear. I highly disagree with this from my own experience. However, in my head, I’m think maybe a thin, weight 2 or below acrylic might work because it has the potential to dry fast. I wouldn’t know because I haven’t tried it. I will try to keep this post updated with any new information I come across pertaining to this subject. But so far, here is a list of options that I believe are the best yarn for crochet swimwear.

1. 100% Cotton Yarns

Cotton is the first go to for bikinis. It’s still relatively cheap in price, but can become more expensive when you look for higher qualities. Cotton will swell a little bit but not as much as acrylic or some others. You can also reinforce your swimwear by crocheting elastic into your piece for added security. There are countless options for cotton yarns. All weights of cotton should be good for swimwear but I wouldn’t go over a weight 4 yarn. Bulky yarns would retain more water and dry slower. Here are some of my go to yarns in cotton.

Premier Cotton Cone Yarn

Lily Sugar’n Cream Cotton Cone Yarn

2. Alize Diva Stretch

Alize Diva Stretch is such a beautiful yarn. It offers a bit of stretch and has a nice sheen to it due to its fiber composition. Its made with elastic and microfiber. It is a sport weight yarn so it’s pretty thin. For a beginner thin yarn may be difficult. You can combat this by crocheting two strands at the same time.

Dimensions

Length: 400 Meters; Yarn weight: 2 Sport

Material

Primary fiber: Acrylic

400 Meters (437 yards)

Yarn weight: 2 Sport

% 8 Elastic – % 92 Microfiber

Knitting needle size: 2,5-3,5 mm
Crochet Hook 1-3 mm

3. Yarn Bee Comfy Classic

This is a relatively new yarn. It’s very soft and squishy. There is no sheen to it but makes for a very neat stitch as the yarn doesn’t split while crocheting. As far as I know this yarn is only available at Hobby Lobby. There are only a few colors available but they are all nice colors. It runs out of stock a lot and I find that the inventory is pretty low at all times. So I would recommend ordering online.

Contents: 48% Viscorse, 30% Polyester & 22% Nylon

Yarn Weight: 4 – Medium

Recommended Knitting Needles: 5.5mm (USA: Size 9 / UK: Size 5)

Knit Gauge: 18 Stitches x 25 Rows = 4″ x 4″

Recommended Crochet Hook: 6.5mm (USA: Size 10.5 / UK: Size 3)

Crochet Gauge: 16 Stitches x 18 Rows = 4″ x 4″

Skein Weight: 3.5 Ounces

Skein Yardage: 150 Yards

4. Nako Comfort Stretch

I have not personally worked with this yarn, but from reviews many people seem to like this yarn for crochet swimwear. It is made of microfiber and polyester. This makes it an ideal candidate because it offers qualities from both materials.

Composition: 90% microfiber acrylic, 10% polyester
Unit weight: 50 grams (3.53 ounces)
Meterage: 211 yards (193 meters)
Needle size: 3 – 3.5mm
Hook size: 3,5mm

5. Cascade Fixation

Cascade Fixation is a nice yarn that is made of cotton and spandex which of course makes it a great candidate for swimwear as well. It offers stretch and a neat stitch. The skeins are really small but this yarn is worth it because it is a specialty yarn. Spandex is a very good material for swimwear. It is a weight 3 yarn so it is not too difficult to work with for beginners.

• Size: [3] DK. Fiber: 98.3% Cotton 1.7% Elastic
• Weight: 50 gr. Yardage: 100 yds (unstretched)
• Knitting Needles Size: US #5-9, 3.75-5.5mm. Knitting Gauge: 5.5 sts = 1″. Crochet Hook Size: F – G (3.75 – 425 mm). Crochet Gauge: 20 – 23 scs = 4″ (10 cm).

6. Swim From Ice Yarns

I’ll admit that I have not yet used this yarn and never felt it. But so far, I’ve heard good thing about this yarn. It’s fiber content is 100% Polyamide which does sound like an ideal material for getting wet. It is a weight 2 yarn which might be harder for a beginner to work with, but you can always crochet with two strands of this yarn if you don’t like thinner yarns.

• Fiber Content :100% Polyamide
• Needle Size :3 mm. / US 3
• Weight :50 gr. / 1.76 oz. per ballLength :165 m. / 180 yds. per ball
• Yarn Thickness :2 Fine: Sport, Baby 
• Gauge :16 stitches and 26 rows on 10 cm x 10 cm (4′ x 4′)

Summary

All in all, there are new yarns that are coming out all the time. We just need to look out for them and test them out to see which ones work for us. I will keep trying to update this list as time passes and new advancements in yarn for swimwear are made. I hope these suggestions are helpful to you and that you will find the best yarn for crochet swimwear that you love! HAPPY CROCHETING!!! 🙂

Click here for some of my free crochet bikini projects!