As soon as summer starts nearing I start noticing an explosion of straw, raffia and rattan accessories on Instagram. And it totally makes sense, the natural fibers are perfect for beach-going, sunny days and generally just that vibe of la vie est belle.
And as a crafter, I am pulled to these materials like a moth to the flames. There’s not much point to knitting heavyweight items made of wool and other warm and cozy fibers during the warmer months. I live in Kuwait and we casually watch the temperature hit 50 degrees Celsius every year.
A couple of summers ago I got my hands on viscose raffia blend by Ice Yarns. Which is actually 100% viscose. It was super soft but also did not hold its shape at all so I ended up with a beautiful but floppy bag.
Last year, I found twine at my local Daiso and tried it to make bags. It is much more structured and did end up looking gorgeous but it was still not what I really wanted.
After sitting tight for three months of lock down, I had run dangerously low on yarn and caved and ordered raffia. I tried to find something that was specifically made for knitting or crocheting but none of the available ones shipped to my location. So, I found the biggest most affordable rolls and decided to dive head in (which is my signature MO).
I was so excited to try it out when it arrived, that I did zero research about working with raffia, which was a mistake. So here are my tips so you can learn from my mistakes.
There’s raffia and there’s paper yarn
These are actually two different things even though they look the same and can behave like each other. Raffia comes from an actual tree and is water proof. Paper raffia is what the name suggests and can disintegrate if you soak it.
It is really tough on the hands
So take breaks, because after an hour or two of crocheting with it I could hear my joints creaking. This isn’t soft or buttery and will punish you for not stopping.
You might have to figure out its weight
The kind I bought did not indicate what yarn weight it was so I had to guess. It is probably a sport – DK weight yarn. I used a 4mm hook with it and got a nice sturdy fabric that held its shape.
You can hold it double
The first project I made was a hat and I wanted a nice thin fabric that would still move and not be super stiff. But when I wanted to make a basket but, I held the yarn double and used a 4.5mm hook. Super thick and strong.
It does not like being ripped out
I could rip out a stitch or two. But when I messed up my hat dimensions and hat to rip the whole thing out, it was torturous. The stitches kept getting stuck and after I was done the paper had lost its beautiful shine and smoothness. So maybe think really well before you start working.
Even the simplest stitches look gorgeous in it
Because the interest is in the novelty of the yarn, even a simple single crochet bag or hat can look like something you pulled off a shelf at a designer boutique.
You can glue the ends together
Instead of weaving in the ends, I just glued in the new yarn when I needed to add in a new roll. Just unfold the paper flat, cover it with regular stick glue and add the new piece onto it. Fold it back onto itself and hold it until it is dry. Try to overlap the paper for about an inch so it is nice and secure.
It can rub your skin raw
Not only was it tough on my joints, the skin on my knuckles that kept brushing the thing i was working on was raw after I was done. One more reason to take more breaks.
It has zero chill (stretch)
There really is no stretch at all in it. So if you are new to this kind of crochet, you might want to practice on a swatch first to get your tension even. You can’t really block it so you need to get nice even stitches as you work. It is forgiving and still looks great with the odd stitch, but for a more polished looking finished object, take the time to do it right the first time.
All of these things said, I really do enjoy working with paper raffia, because the end results are so worth it.
If you have ever crocheted with raffia or paper yarn, please let me know what you think. Have you ever used something non-yarny in your crafting? Let me know about that too. I am always curious about the different things we can use.
