The 5 Best DK Yarns, Voted by Our Customers

DK is the weight most patterns call for, which can make picking the right one surprisingly tough—when everything technically works, it’s hard to know which yarn truly shines. With thousands of reviews in our shop, we decided to step aside and let you do the talking. Five specific yarns rise to the top time and after time, each excelling at a different kind of project. Here’s why fellow stitchers love them, in their own words.   

Key Takeaways

• Choose the right DK yarn for the project, not based on the label. Blankets, baby knits, toys and children's jumpers each have a different winner here.
• Washability guides repeat purchases. The reviews that mention ease of care on wash number twenty are the ones that end with 'I'll buy it again'.
• Colour range matters more than you'd think. Makers plan their projects around a palette, then come back to match yarns, shade by shade.
• Cotton DK isn't a compromise. Reviewers who switch for an allergy or a summer garment stay for the stitch definition.
• Splitting is usually a needle-related problem. Simply jumping up a half size resolves almost every splitting complaint makers share with finer DK weights, keeping your stitches smooth and snag-free.   

The 5 Best DK Yarns, Voted By Our Customers

Best all-rounder

Paintbox Yarns Simply DK

100% acrylic, DK weight

★★★★★

If you only keep one go-to DK yarn in your stash, our maker community says this is the one to choose. It boasts the widest colour palette in our entire shop, works like a dream for both knitting and crochet, and reviewers constantly tell us they keep coming back for shade after new shade!   

Shop Simply DK

Featured customer reviews

Verified review

★★★★★Aug 18, 2026

Paintbox Yarns Simply DK is my favorite "mitten yarn'! I knit lots of mittens! Mittens are always in progress around my other projects. If I have just a few minutes I can pick them up and have a little calm moment. This DK yarn comes in so many "kid friendly" colors! It"s consistent in texture, color, length of skeins, ease of use. The only "problem" I have ever encountered is that sometimes colors are unavailable. Even that doesn't last long! My patterns are decades old, as I am, and still no difficulties!

— Mary Lewis

Verified review

★★★★★Aug 14, 2026

“Gtrest company for all your crafts needs”

The paintbox yarn is easy to knit up. I love the colours. I have bought several colours of this yarn.

— Madeline Barnfather

Verified review

★★★★★Aug 10, 2026

Always happy with my purchases from Love Crafts, good quality, great price and delivery. Knits up really nice.

— Elaine Connolly

Best for blankets

Stylecraft Special DK

100% premium acrylic, DK weight

★★★★★

The cozy blanket yarn with a true cult following! What makers rave about in the reviews isn't just its day-one softness, but how impossibly soft and durable it stays by wash twenty—plus a rich, expansive colour palette that’s deep enough to build an entire year-long temperature blanket around.   

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Featured customer reviews

Verified review

★★★★★Jul 30, 2026

This is my favorite acrylic. Always consistent in quality and value. Washes up very nicely, gets softer and softer. Great color selection. I’ve made multiple twin sized blankets with Stylecraft and will always come back for more.

— Michelle Bailey

Verified review

★★★★★Jul 13, 2026

This is my go to yarn for many projects as it easy to use and washes well. It has a lovely soft feel and I use it for knitting and crochet. It has a vast selection of colours and goes a long way making it economical for baby and child’s garments.

— Carolyn Anderson

Verified review

★★★★★May 20, 2026

Crochets up great. Love the variety of colors and the price point is quite fair. Colors do go out of stock, but they come back after a period. Use these colors mainly for my temperature blankets I make every year.

— Crissy Brady

Best cotton DK

Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK

100% cotton, DK weight

★★★★★

The go-to DK to reach for when wool is off the table—whether you're stitching around sensitive skin, crafting a breathable summer top, or making plush toys that need crisp stitch definition. Reviewers who expect stiff cotton are pleasantly surprised by how delightfully soft it feels in their hands!   

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Featured customer reviews

Verified review

★★★★★Aug 20, 2026

“Cotton knitting yarn”

Bought for item for wool-allergic person. Really impressed with this cotton

— Lin Harwood

Verified review

★★★★★Aug 21, 2026

“satisfied customer”

great cotton yarn for crochet! Made a hobo bag. Smooth and consistent throughout.

— Nancy Duckworth

Verified review

★★★★★Aug 13, 2026

Great to work with- yarn soft but not splitting during use. Currently crocheting a blanket but will also work well for toys and knitted items. Only slight drawback for baby items might be the ‘do not tumble dry’

— Carole Pashley

Best for children's knits

Hayfield Bonus DK

100% acrylic, DK weight

★★★★★

The ultimate workhorse DK yarn for kids' wear that gets played in hard and washed even harder! Reviewers consistently choose it for durable sweaters, cozy hats, and cute crochet toys—and they keep coming back because it holds up through endless laundry cycles far better than the price tag suggests.   

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Featured customer reviews

Verified review

★★★★★Jun 30, 2026

“Great service”

Idea for the project that I’m doing especially for kids knits they grow so quickly that it’s easy to do another larger knit. The wool knits lovely and washes well, warm for wearer and lasts well , good selection of colours too

— Jacquie Curran

Verified review

★★★★★Jul 31, 2026

I have always been impressed by Hatfield yarn. It looks great and it works well for amigurumi!

— Megan

Verified review

★★★★★Jul 6, 2026

“Great products and service.”

Love the colour of this wool. It is really soft and easy to work with. Great value.

— Helen Hughes

Best baby DK

Paintbox Yarns Baby DK

Acrylic and nylon blend, DK weight

★★★★★

A top-rated baby DK yarn formulated for maximum softness against sensitive skin. Completely machine washable and tumble-dry safe, it maintains its texture and shape through frequent, heavy-duty wash cycles.   

Shop Baby DK

Featured customer reviews

Verified review

★★★★★Aug 7, 2026

“Love this yarn”

I love this yarn for baby blankets. It is so soft and creates beautiful stitches. Washes beautifully and holds up well with the constant use it gets. Great color selections.

— Julie Liuzzo

Verified review

★★★★★Jul 7, 2026

Knits up great. Perfect for baby projects. Machine wash and dryer friendly. Perfect for busy moms. Lots of beautiful colors.

— Karen Johnson

Verified review

★★★★★Jun 30, 2026

Very nice product, knits up well. I would certainly use this wool again

— kathy taylor

How These Five Compare

Buying your very first DK yarn instead of adding a fifth to your stash? Start with Paintbox Yarns Simply DK! It’s the most forgiving yarn of the bunch, boasts our widest selection of colours, and takes just one project to show you why so many crafters make it their forever staple.   

Frequently Asked Questions

What does DK weight mean?

DK stands for double knitting — a medium weight yarn that typically knits at around 22 stitches to 10cm on 4mm needles. It's the most common weight in knitting and crochet patterns, which is why it's the most useful weight to keep in the house.

Which DK yarn should I buy first?

An acrylic or acrylic-blend DK in a colour you actually want to look at for a fortnight. Paintbox Yarns Simply DK on this list is the one our customers reach for most; it's forgiving, washable and inexpensive enough to practise on.

Is DK the same as light worsted?

Close, but not identical. DK sits between sport and worsted — US patterns calling for light worsted will usually work with a DK, though you should always knit a tension square before committing.

Can I substitute one DK for another?

Usually, if the metres per ball are similar. Match length rather than weight in grams, and remember that swapping acrylic for cotton changes the drape considerably even at the same tension.

Which DK is best for a baby blanket?

One that survives the washing machine. Paintbox Yarns Baby DK and Stylecraft Special DK are the two our reviewers name most for baby projects, both for softness and for how they wash.

Why does my DK yarn split?

Loosely plied yarns split more when the needle tip is very sharp or the tension is tight. Going up a needle size, or switching to a blunter tip, solves it for most of the reviewers who mention it.