Crochet guide
Crocheting with unusual materials
Crochet is not limited to yarn. Other long, bendable strands are worked with the same stitches. This guide covers raffia, paracord, ribbon yarn, roving and tulle, and points to the guides on plastic bags, twine, wire, fabric strips, floss and beads.
On this page 7 parts
The materials at a glance
| Material | What it is | What it is made into |
|---|---|---|
| Raffia | Fiber from the leaves of a palm | Bags, baskets, rugs |
| Paracord | A light nylon cord | Straps, bracelets, belts |
| Ribbon yarn | A flat yarn that looks like ribbon | Accessories, such as scarves |
| Roving | A thick strand of fiber that has not been twisted | Quick, bulky pieces |
| Tulle | A net fabric, cut into strips | Scrubbers for dishes |
The stitches do not change with the material. What changes is how the strand handles in the hand and on the hook.
Raffia
Raffia is a fiber from the leaves of the raffia palm. It is made into mats, baskets and hats, and it can be crocheted in place of yarn.
Crochet patterns use raffia for tote bags, baskets and rugs.
Paracord
Paracord, short for parachute cord, is a light nylon rope. It was first used for the lines of parachutes and is now sold as a general purpose cord.
It is made into straps, bracelets and belts. Part of the point of such a piece is that it stores a long length of cord in a short one, and can be undone when the cord is needed. A crocheted strap does both: crochet uses a lot of cord for its size, and it pulls out quickly.
Ribbon yarn
Ribbon yarn is flat, like a ribbon, and some of it is wide. It is used for accessories, such as belts, headbands and scarves, more than for large pieces.
Roving and very thick yarn
Roving is a thick strand of fiber that has not been spun into a twisted yarn. It makes quick, bulky pieces, and it is thick enough to be worked with the fingers in place of a hook. See finger crochet.
Jumbo yarn, the thickest weight class, is used for crochet at a large scale: blankets, cushions and baskets. It takes a very large hook. The hook size by yarn weight chart gives the hook sizes for each weight.
Tulle
Tulle is a fine net fabric. Cut into strips, it can be crocheted like yarn. Its rough texture is the reason to use it: crochet patterns make dish scrubbers from it, for pots and pans. For cloths that scrub, see also stitches for dishcloths.
Other materials on this site
- Plastic bags (plarn)
- Twine, jute and cord
- Wire
- Fabric strips and old T-shirts
- Embroidery floss
- Beads
- Fuzzy, velvet and boucle yarn
For ordinary yarns and their fibers, see types of yarn.