Yarn Weights
- Becca Norman
- Oct 17, 2019
- 1 min read
It’s all on the labels
“But how in the heck am I supposed to decipher all the gibberish on there?” (you ask) Well, it’s easier and more complicated than you might think. There are a lot of numbers and words on those labels, but when it comes to weight (the thickness of the yarn) the best indicator is the recommended knitting needle size. That doesn’t mean that you have to use that size needle; it’s just a recommendation along with the gauge it might* give you with that particular yarn. (More on gauge later…)
If you have a yarn with no label and you need to know its weight, check out this blog post all about that.
If you've even been unsure how to tell if you're getting the yarn weight you need, or don't even know what that means, I made this video for you. Now you can get the appropriate yarn for that awesome knitting pattern!
The breakdown
Yarn labels almost always have a needle size listed somewhere, usually in relation to gauge.
Lace: 2-2.5mm (US 0-1)
Fingering: 2.25-2.75mm (1-2)
Sport: 3.75mm (US 5)
DK: 4mm (US 6)
Worsted: 4.5-5mm (US 7-8)
Aran: 5.5mm (US 9)
Bulky: 6mm (US 10)
Super Bulky: 6.5-10mm (US 10.5 -15)
Worried you won’t be able to remember all that when you’re staring at shelves full of yarn? I made a free Cheat Sheet PDF for you to print or save to your phone and take to the store with you.
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