is there a difference in crochet thread and crochet cotton?

[mva5493]

Not sure if this is in the right forum, if not please excuse me:blush I am interested in doing the squiggly hot pad, but have never worked with thread, and while in walmart last night was looking through the thread, I saw crochet cotton and wondered if there is a difference?

 

So for those of you who have some thread experience, is there a difference? and what size would be good for a newbie to work with???

[Yammy]

Now I could be wrong but, crochet cotton is in yarn weights: worsted, sport etc. Crochet thread is sized by numbers and the numbers increase from 3 which is about sport weight down to 80 which is thin as sewing thread.

[crochetsal]

It depends. Crochet cotton could be worsted, sport, or thread. Southmaid (to name one) has a crochet cotton, size 10. If the label says size 10, or bedspread weight, then it is the cotton thread.

Sally

[Tampa Doll]

Unless you are going to crochet with 2 strands, crochet cotton is what is used. It is basically ww - double ww and sports.

[mva5493]

Thank you for your responses. I beleive what I saw was southmaid in #10. Any brand or type favorites?

[magiccrochetfan]

Valerie, you can make the squiggly hot pad with any size yarn or thread you want, I think. You will just have a different gauge. If I remember right, sleevelessinsu (her thread was the first place I saw the squigglies) used size 10 thread. The original pattern she cited http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/projects/july99_crochet_2.html calls for rug yarn, that is worsted weight I believe. I am using size 10 thread and a size 7 steel hook for mine. I have different brands because that is what have local access to--Royale and Aunt Lydia's (which I think are the same thing but packaged differently) and Traditions. I like the way the Traditions feels while working with it the best of the 3, but it lacks the shiny finish of the other 2. I haven't used Southmaid so I don't know about it.

 

As far as what is good for a newbie, I don't know what to recommend. You might be more comfortable working with something bigger like Sugar& Cream to begin with. The size 10 thread is pretty small and does take a (relatively) long time to complete. Size 5 or 3 thread would go quicker, and I am thinking about that for future project.

For this project you probably do want all cotton as synthetics could melt if a really hot dish is placed on them.