Crochet guide
Crocheting with twine, jute and cord
Twine from the hardware store or the garden shed can be crocheted like yarn. Jute and hemp are rougher than wool or cotton yarn, and hemp has almost no stretch, so they are worked loosely and in short sessions. They are used most for baskets and bags.
On this page 8 parts
What twine is
Twine is a light string or cord made of thinner strands twisted together. The word covers several fibers:
| Fiber | What it is like |
|---|---|
| Jute | A rough, shiny plant fiber, spun into coarse, strong strands. Burlap is made of it |
| Hemp | A strong plant fiber, sold as twine, as cord and as yarn |
| Other fibers | Cotton and nylon are also made into twine. Kitchen or butcher's twine is one household kind |
Jute twine is sold for the garden and in hardware stores. Hemp is also spun into yarn for crochet and knitting.
What it is like to crochet
- It is rough. These fibers are not as soft as wool or cotton yarn. Jute in particular is a rough fiber.
- Hemp has almost no stretch. A stitch made tightly in it is hard to get the hook back into.
- It is harder on the hands than yarn. Crocheters who work in twine suggest short sessions, with breaks.
Keeping the loops loose
Because the strand does not give, pull each loop up a little taller than you would in yarn. The stitches of the next row or round are then easier to enter. Yarn tension has more on tight and loose stitches.
Which hook
Go by the thickness of the strand and by the fabric you want. Basket patterns in jute twine and in household twine name a 6.5 mm (K-10 1/2) hook, and another names 5 mm (H-8) for jute string.
A thin twine can be thickened by holding strands together. One basket pattern holds three strands of twine together and works them as one. See crocheting with two strands.
Which stitches
Baskets in twine are worked in single crochet (double crochet in United Kingdom terms), round and round. See working in the round.
What twine is used for
- Baskets.
- Market bags and other bags.
- Dish scrubbers, in hemp.
- Jewelry such as bracelets, in fine hemp cord.
Ends
A rough fiber is hard to sew in afterward. One basket pattern has the starting tail crocheted over on the next round instead. Weaving in ends covers working over a tail.
Where to go next
- For crochet worked over a rope or cord, see rope and cord.
- Crocheting with unusual materials covers raffia, paracord and others.
- Crocheting with plastic bags and crocheting with fabric strips.