White Yarn

Bright white, snow, ivory, cream, and ecru, one colorway per card so you can see how much the whites really vary. Wool, cotton, and linen, in weights from lace to bulky.

Looking for grey instead? Pale greys and silver tones live on our silver yarn page.

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21 colorways in stock on this page

Not all whites are the same

There are two kinds of white yarn. Optic or bleached white has been whitened and looks crisp and slightly cool. Natural white, ivory, and ecru are closer to the undyed color of the fiber, a little warm and a little soft. A bleached white baby blanket and an ecru one look very different in the crib, so it is worth deciding which you want before you buy.

White is also the color that shows stitch definition best. Cables, lace, and textured stitches look sharper in white or cream than in any other color, which is why so many Aran sweaters are knit in it.

White and cream yarns we stock

Keeping white yarn white

Wash your hands before a knitting session, keep the project in a bag between sessions, and skip hand lotion on white yarn days. If a finished piece yellows over time, a soak in a wool wash usually brings it back.

Frequently Asked Questions

White has usually been bleached or dyed to look bright and clean. Ivory is a soft, slightly warm white. Ecru is the natural undyed color of the fiber, a light beige cream. All three can look white on their own and quite different side by side.

A soft wool or merino holds its shape and ages well. Malabrigo Rios and Cascade 220 Superwash are both washable, which matters for anything a baby will use. For an heirloom that will mostly be stored, a non-superwash wool is fine.

Yes. Wool and other animal fibers take acid dyes, and cotton and linen need fiber reactive dyes. Superwash wool takes dye very evenly and brightly. Check the fiber content on the product page before you pick a dye.

White is hard to photograph because cameras try to balance the exposure. Shadows in the twist of a skein can also look grey. Expect the yarn to look brighter in person than it does on screen.

Yes. Cotton is absorbent and can be washed hot, and white can be bleached if it stains. It is the most practical dishcloth yarn you can buy.