Yarn quantity calculator

Find out how much yarn you need for a blanket, hat, scarf, sweater or socks, in any yarn weight, and how many skeins to buy.

Craft

Units
Use my swatch for a more accurate estimate

Knit or crochet a swatch of at least 10 × 10 cm (4 × 4 in) in your pattern stitch. Measure how much yarn it took: unravel it and measure, or weigh it and use the yardage on your ball band.

You'll need about

– yards

 

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How this was calculated
Fabric area
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Yarn per area
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Method
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Extra to buy
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How the calculator works

Every project is turned into an area of fabric, the same way designers estimate yardage. A blanket is width × length. A hat is circumference × height. A sweater is its body plus two tapered sleeves. That area is multiplied by how much yarn a square inch of fabric typically uses in your yarn weight and stitch.

The typical figures are calibrated against published yardage for common projects. A worsted-weight throw comes out around 2,700 yards. An adult medium sweater comes out around 1,250 yards. Real patterns land within that range for most makers. Textured stitches, cables and colourwork use more yarn. Lace and open crochet stitches use less.

Typical yarn per 100 g by weight

Use this to check which weight your yarn is, or to fill in the skein length if your ball band is missing.

WeightCYCAlso calledTypical length per 100 g
Lace0Cobweb, 2-ply800 yd / 732 m
Fingering1Sock, 4-ply400 yd / 366 m
Sport25-ply, baby330 yd / 302 m
DK3Light worsted, 8-ply250 yd / 229 m
Worsted4Medium, 10-ply200 yd / 183 m
Aran4Heavy worsted, 12-ply180 yd / 165 m
Bulky5Chunky, 14-ply120 yd / 110 m
Super bulky6Super chunky70 yd / 64 m
Jumbo7Roving30 yd / 27 m

Tips for buying yarn

  • Buy from the same dye lot. The dye lot number is on the ball band. Skeins from different lots can look different side by side.
  • Swatch first for big projects. Ten minutes of swatching can save you buying a whole extra skein, or running short.
  • Scrappy and striped projects need about 10–15% more in total, because of the ends woven in at every colour change.

Common questions

How accurate is this yarn calculator?
For plain fabric it is usually within about 15% of what a pattern calls for. Tension varies a lot between makers, so the tool shows a likely range and adds 10% extra by default. Using the swatch option brings it within a few percent.
Does crochet use more yarn than knitting?
Yes. Crochet fabric is thicker and uses roughly 25–40% more yarn than knitted stockinette in the same yarn. The crochet stitch options already include this, so just pick Crochet and your stitch.
Should I buy extra yarn?
Buy at least one extra skein for anything larger than a hat. Dye lots vary, so a matching skein can be impossible to find later. Most shops will take back an unopened skein.
How do I measure the yarn in my swatch?
The easiest way is to weigh the swatch on a kitchen scale and use the ball band: yarn used = swatch grams × (skein length ÷ skein grams). Or unravel the swatch and measure the yarn directly.
What if my yarn weight is between two categories?
Choose the weight whose typical length per 100 g is closest to your yarn (listed in the table below), or enter your skein length and use the swatch option for the best result.
How much yarn for a blanket?Yardage chart for every blanket sizeHow much yarn for a sweater?Baby to 5XL, knit and crochetHow much yarn for a hat?Preemie to adult largeHow much yarn for a scarf?Scarves, cowls and wrapsHow much yarn for socks?Baby to men’s large