Crochet Au Naturel … Hemp, Jute and Twine Crochet

Hemp Nettle Yarn from Darn Good Yarn

Let’s look at some natural fibers in crochet and explore how people use their creativity with them. We’ll look at crochet in hemp, jute and twine … but first let’s look at the difference in these items. First of all, twine is a term that can refer to either of these items (and may also refer to cotton or nylon). When a crochet pattern refers to twine, without specifying which kind it is, then the choice is up to you.

Hemp vs Jute

As for the difference between hemp and jute, deGiotto Rope explains:

“Jute and hemp, while similar in that they are natural fibers with a lot of tooth (grip), they are very different to tie and work with … Jute is a short fiber compared to hemp.  It is not as dense as hemp and not as strong.  By volume, it is about half as strong as hemp.  When new, jute can be scratchy. … It can also have a strong smell. If hemp has jute beat on strength, durability, softness and arguably smell, why would one choose jute over hemp.  Two reasons.” (Speed and shine.)

David P. West elaborates in Fiber Wars:

“Flax, hemp, jute and ramie are “soft” bast fibers, fiber found in the stem of the plant. Jute is produced in the humid tropics. Ramie, a perennial nettle, although highly researched by the USDA, never became an established crop due to its recalcitrant degumming requirement. Hemp fiber bundles are longer than those of flax, but flax fiber generally contains less lignin and is therefore more flexible and makes a finer fabric. The characteristics of these two fibers overlap and the best hemp can be superior to flax for fine fabric. Hemp is generally stronger than flax and both are stronger than jute.”

So, in general people tend to choose hemp for crafting because it’s softer and more flexible than jute but there are times when you want more rigidity, durability and strength and if that’s the case then choosing jute might be a better option.

Hemp Crochet

Awhile back we looked at 20 hemp crochet designs for inspiration. Here are some new ones:

Hemp crochet dish scrubbie free pattern from Darn Good Yarn. The designer says: “Use it in the shower or on your counters. I actually love to use mine in the kitchen because they take grit up super quick.”

Hemp crochet skirt pattern by Doris Chan. This is the Ping Skirt which has a matching Ming Jacket. Both are published in Crochet Lace Innovations: 20 Dazzling Designs in Broomstick, Hairpin, Tunisian, and Exploded Lace.

Hemp cuff bracelet free crochet pattern by For the Love of Scarves

Etsy’s RebeccaVellaDesign used overlapping crochet squares to create this unique earth-inspired skirt, made from a combination of yarn, ribbon, hemp and fabric.

Both hemp and jute are often used in crochet art. There is hemp in this crochet art piece by Dale Roberts, found in The Fine Art of Crochet

Jute Crochet

And here are some examples of jute crochet:

Jute bowl free crochet pattern from Crochet In Color

Free crochet pattern for jute twine flower pot by @annabooshouse

Jute crochet bowl made by Nita of Lilena

Jute crochet spa pillow by Ralph Lauren, which shows that jute can be soft, too. The purse below is also a Ralph Lauren jute creation:

This crocheted jute bag by Twyla Cottrell was embellished with wooden beads and driftwood

Little Birdie Crochet on Instagram shared these jute crochet baskets

Stella Rittwagen Buylevard jute purse with crochet

Twine Crochet

Finally, here are some examples of twine crochet where the fiber for the twine hasn’t been specified:

Twine crochet envelope by lyndapc on Instagram; this one looks like cotton twine. She also made this twine crochet bag:

Twine crochet art by Susanna Bauer

Nan Nickson twine crochet art

Crochet artist Dale Roberts loves to work with basic single crochet and double crochet stitches in unique ways. The piece shown here is a recycled kitchen item that’s been crocheted over with cotton and twine.

Fun fact: four twine balls in the world claim to be the largest