Crochet bags with Crochet Thread

If there was royalty among crochet mediums; crochet thread would undoubtedly be the Queen. Both refined and delicate, thread crochet is truly an art for the skilled and the bold.  Even though crochet thread would never be my first choice for crocheting bags, I couldn’t possibly leave it off my list answering the following question:

What type of yarn is best for bags?

Crochet thread being the fourth entry to this list, I will once again refer you to my three previous articles dedicated to T-shirt yarn Ribbon Yarn, and Macrame/Craft cord respectively, so as to have a better understanding of the concept of this catalog of crochet materials.

Crochet thread is a dense thread made from cotton or acrylic fiber: thicker than sewing thread and thinner than yarn.  It is quite resilient yet rigid. Also, it is an excellent medium for creating table runners, doilies, coasters, kitchen-towels, appliqués, laces, jewelry, bookmarks, ornaments, shawls, dresses, baby shoes, and last but not least bags. Crochet thread has two main particularities: thread size and hook size. Crochet thread is by definition (thread not yarn) a thin fiber.

According to Wikipedia: “Crochet thread comes in sizes from 3 to 100, although historically it came in much finer sizes, down to 200. Diameter is inversely proportional to number, so size 3 is nearly as thick as yarn, and size 100 is as fine as sewing thread. Thread may also be categorized by the number of plies and size 10, thread is known as bedspread weight. Smaller sizes (40 and above) are often used for tatting jewelry and fine lace.”

Similarly for hooks, the larger the number the smaller the size. But also the hook itself is a totally different story. Crochet thread hooks are according to Wikipedia: made of steel and are typically measured in millimeters. So a number 14 steel hook size is 0.6mm thick whereas a number 0 hook is 3mm thick and a number 14 steel hook would be the one to use with a thread size 100 whereas a number 0 hook works well for a thread size 3 or 5.  However for threads sized 3 and 5 you can and I believe you must use a conventional crochet hook, sized from C to E to make your life easier.

Pros

• Lightweight: Crochet thread is light as a feather as will be the bag made from it.
• Soft: Although it has a dense pile it is quite easy on the hands especially when it comes to thicker sizes that are usually recommended for bags.
• Sleek: Cotton thread, especially if it has been mercerized, has an amazing lustrous look and feel and produces superb delicate uniform handiwork.

 Cons

• Fiddly:  A thin medium requires more stitches, more rounds, or rows. This means repetitive movements that may strain your hands plus it can take forever to complete a project especially a large one.
• Expensive: Cotton thread is not a cheap crochet medium. The fact is, that it takes many spools to finish a piece of work as large as a bag therefore crochet thread is not the best choice for a low budget project.
• Difficult for beginners: Working with thin thread is a challenge. It is quite difficult to locate your insert points and requires more tension than when working with yarn and it can be quite frustrating especially when going from yarn to thread crochet.
• Inelastic: Cotton thread is not stretchy; this means that when stressed it will over-stretch and will not bounce back into its original shape: a feature that is absolutely undesirable in crochet bags.

Tips

• When using crochet thread always work in a good light so that you won’t strain your eyes.
• Crochet thread projects do not keep their form so it might be a good idea to stiffen them with starch.
• Remember that when it comes to thread crochet smaller is bigger both for thread and hook size.
• For more rigid texture try using crochet thread with dense stitches as the waistcoat stitch and stitches worked around the posts.

Dos

• You must definitely try to use crochet thread with Lacy stitches such as the shell, angel wings, or diamond lace stitch.
• Crochet thread is ideal for projects created with the use of a basic stitch pattern and decorated with appliqués.
• A mercerized cotton crochet thread is an excellent choice for Beaded projects such as a beaded coin purse or a beaded clutch and a thin thread can allow the use of smaller beads giving a very sophisticated effect to the finished item.
• Though there appears to be some conflict concerning whether Wayou bags are made with cotton or acrylic thread I believe that cotton threads produce amazing Wayuu bags.

Don’ts

• Do not use too thin crochet thread to form the body of a bag. When I’m making a bag I never go lower than size 10. Sizes 3 and 5 are the optimal choice for bags with the exception of decorative elements such as borders, flowers, bows, etc for which you could use thinner thread.
• Do not use crochet thread to make big bags such as beach bags or shopping bags. It will take a lot of time, and effort, and countless spools, unless it’s a fillet pattern with large parts of dead space.
• Using crochet threads for bags that need to hold their form; such as bags with 3d shapes like the macaroon bag, is not a very good idea. Even if you use tonnes of starch, your bag will still collapse.
• I don’t recommend the use of cotton thread for beginners. If you have little experience or you are used to working with thicker mediums, try to gradually reduce the diameter of your yarn in every new project you start and then move to thread.