How Will I Know....If I Have Enough Yarn?
Tech Talk, December: Estimating Yarn, Part 1
December 9, 2024
Most patterns specify the number of yards required, but what if you don’t have a pattern? How will you know if you have enough yarn? Did you know that you can also estimate yarn quantity using grams? Using grams is convenient because it doesn’t require knowing yardage – stitch size and yardage vary by yarn thickness, but the grams required are pretty consistent across yarn sizes.
Before we share guidelines for small projects, a few details to note:
Different types of stitching will eat up yarn faster (we’re talking about you, cables) than others, so keep in mind your stitching choices will cause variances.
Also, fibers vary in density. For example, most worsted (#4) wools have 200-220 yards in 100g but worsted cotton has about 180 yards in 100g. If you’re working in a denser fiber, like cotton, bamboo, or silk, you’ll need more yarn.
Finally, pay attention to how many grams are in each skein. Many wools and acrylics have 100g skeins but some are 50g. Working in a fluffy yarn like mohair? These are often in 25g balls. Read the ball band or ask us to confirm your estimate using the yarn you’ve chosen.
Now that we mentioned those, Onward! Keeping stitch & fiber variances in mind, here are a few guidelines on how many grams you need to make several smaller items:
Fingerless mitts only need about 50g of yarn. If you’re making larger mitts or gloves (with fingers), you’ll need about 100g.
Many baby clothes need 50-100g. Baby booties and hats are closer to 50g and sweaters need about 100g. Sizing up to toddler? You’ll want about double what you need for baby sizes.
Adult size hats and socks both need about 100g. Want a slouchy hat or one big enough to cover a lot of hair? You’ll probably need about 150g. The same goes for socks with higher-than-ankle cuffs.
Scarves (often rectangles) can be hard to estimate because width and length vary so much. However, what we think of as suit or coat scarves (typically 6-8” wide by 60” long) require 200g.
Shawls typically need 300-400g of yarn but you can also make a shawlette (aka a small shawl that you tuck into the neckline of your sweater or coat) with 100g.
Larger items, like blankets and adult sweaters have a lot more variance so we’re going to devote separate newsletters to them.
Caryn & the Yarnivore Crew
Coming Attractions!
Unfortunately, our December trunk shows had to cancel! We'll be back in January with more indie dyed fun! In the meantime, we have a fabulous selection of indie dyed yarn from your faves, including Bad Frog, Chaos & Zorn Junction.
Please note Yarnivore's holiday hours: We close early (3p) on the eves (Christmas & New Year's) and are closed on the holidays themselves (12/25 & 1/1). Otherwise, we're open regular hours!
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