You can use any worsted weight cotton yarn. If you’re using a fairly stiff kitchen cotton, like Lily Sugar ‘N Cream, you will want to wash them at least once before using them to remove eye makeup, so they’ll soften up.

Rather than continue buying, using, and pitching those cotton rounds from the store, you can crochet your own reusable ones. They’re machine washable and dryable, and they’ll get softer with every wash. Make bunches of them; they whip up in just a few minutes! It’s also an excellent project for using up yarn scraps.

While this particular pattern did come directly out of my own head, I am, of course, not the first to have this idea. There is also a British pattern on Ravelry.com, by Heldasland, as well as a pattern for a puffier makeup remover pad by Kimberly Rae.

05/21/10 ETA:

By the way, I got desperate and lazy yesterday and threw one of these in the silverware basket in my dishwasher instead of putting them in the laundry. It came out perfect -- sanitized, soft, and completely clean!

04/11/2011 -- ERROR NOTE

Someone brought to my attention that the magic ring as written did not result in 9 foundation stitches in which to work the bean stitch sets. It should be ch3, dc 8, then join. The pattern has been corrected and reposted.