An artful knitting yarn with denim-inspired depth and richness, Japanese Denim Cotton has the hardworking sensibility and understated beauty of vintage workwear.

• Made in Japan with 100% organically grown cotton, this yarn combines cool breathability and machine-washable durability. The cotton is also unmercerized, a less processed approach that preserves the fiber’s natural softness, absorbency, and subtle luster.
• Far lighter and more elastic than a traditional cotton yarn, Japanese Denim Cotton has a chainette structure that gives it a buoyant springiness unusual in the world of plant-based yarns. Made from a fine 2-ply strand machine-knit into a slender I-cord, it knits up at a classic sport weight into a smooth, even fabric. A trip through the washer and dryer softens the hand beautifully, like the perfect pair of broken-in jeans!
• Japanese Denim Cotton is dyed with a special technique traditionally used for woven denim fabric. In this case, before being knit into a chainette, the cotton plies are repeatedly dipped into the dye bath at brief intervals, allowing intense color to develop on the outside of the strand while leaving the core of the yarn undyed for a traditional "ring-dyed" effect. That white core subtly comes through in the finished fabric, emulating the timeless blue-over-white look of woven denim.
• While denim is traditionally dyed with indigo—which can be easily bleached and washed out—Japanese Denim Cotton is made with reactive cotton dyes to keep the color from fading with time. Choose from beautiful blues referencing classic denim washes, each with slight variation to give the finished fabric a lovely stonewashed look, and be sure to explore our growing collection of Japanese Denim Cotton knitting patterns for some thoughtful ways to showcase these rich denim blues!
• TIP: As with all plant fibers, we recommend pulling Japanese Denim Cotton from the outside of the ball.

Product Details

• Content: 100% organically grown cotton
• Weight: 50 grams (1.76 ounces)  
• Length: 158 yards (144 meters)
• Gauge: 6-6.75 stitches per inch, sport-weight yarn
• Suggested Knitting Needle: US 3-5 (3.25-3.75 mm)
• Suggested Crochet Hook: D-F (3.25-3.75 mm)
• Recommended Care: Gently machine wash and dry
• Milled In: Japan 

Sustainability + Environmental Impact

• Made with 100% organically grown cotton. This yarn is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified—the world's leading certification for organic fibers—ensuring strict environmental and fair labor practices across the supply chain, including complete traceability, eco-friendly manufacturing, wastewater treatment, and more.

Recommended Substitutions For Japanese Denim Cotton

• Looking for more yarn like this? Another organically grown sport-weight yarn, Cotton Pure comes in just about every color you can imagine and is wonderfully soft and supple in your hand and on the needles. Another beautiful cotton yarn, Sketchbook Cotton overlaps with Japanese Denim Cotton at the dense end of its gauge range and has a wonderfully soft, broken-in feel. Also machine washable, but made with soft superwash wool, Daily Wool Sport knits up at a similar gauge, as does our pure super baby alpaca yarn, Season Alpaca.
• You'll find so many more yarns you love when you shop our other sport-weight yarn, cotton yarn, plant-based yarn, and machine washable yarn, all available only at Purl Soho.
• Learn more about how to substitute yarn with our confidence-boosting Yarn Substitution Made Easy article!

Learn More

• Learn all about knitting with cotton yarn and find out why our cotton yarns are so lovely on your needles! Dive into different types of cotton, discover the properties of this cool and breezy plant-based fiber, and learn what "unmercerized cotton" is and why we love knitting with it.
• Dive into the world of yarn with our Complete Guide To Yarn, exploring fiber, spin, weight, dyeing, and more. It's truly a Yarn School 101 for all the basics knitters need to know about yarn!