Guides

The parts of a substitution the calculator cannot decide for you, each with the makers’ own labels as evidence.

Hands comparing the bands on two yarn balls with an order checklist on a phone beside an open delivery box

Buying yarn online: what to check before you order

A pre-order checklist for yarn you cannot touch: confirm the exact line, compare length and gauge, buy the full amount in one dye lot, and read the return terms before you pay.

Planning a swap, 7 min read

A knitter working with rust and gold yarn strands feeding from two separate balls into one fabric

Holding two strands of yarn together: what weight it makes and how much to buy

Two strands of a finer yarn approximate one strand of a thicker category. See Lion Brand's equivalents, why they are approximate, and how to work out the yardage to buy.

Planning a swap, 6 min read

Hands wrapping raspberry yarn around a wooden pencil while holding it beside a rigid ruler

Wraps per inch: how to estimate the weight of unlabelled yarn

Measure wraps per inch with a pencil and ruler, read the result against the Craft Yarn Council chart, and see why WPI gives an approximate thickness category but never a yarn's length.

Labels and categories, 7 min read

A man easing a washed green hand-knit cardigan into shape on a pale towel beside a wash basin

How to wash a hand-knit without losing its shape

Hand-knits have no sewn-in care label, so the yarn's ball band decides the method. Here is how to read it, wash gently, and dry the piece flat so it keeps its size.

Gauge and fiber, 6 min read

A crafter comparing two teal yarn skeins beside a window while a matching knitted project rests in her lap

Ran out of yarn? How to work in a different dye lot

Check the label, compare replacement yarn in two kinds of light, test the change, and alternate the old and new dye lots to soften a visible color break.

Dye lots, 6 min read

An older woman winding crinkled rust yarn while unravelling a separated sweater panel at a craft-room table

Can you unravel an old sweater and reuse the yarn?

Often, yes, if the sweater was knitted in shaped pieces rather than cut from fabric. Check the seams first, then rewind, wash out the kinks, and measure what you have before planning a project.

Yardage, 7 min read

An older crafter smoothing a washed sage-green gauge swatch flat on a towel beside a wooden ruler

Should you wash your gauge swatch before measuring?

Yes: wash and dry the swatch the way you will care for the finished piece, measure before and after, and read stitch and row gauge for what each controls.

Gauge and fiber, 6 min read

Hands arranging yarn samples from fine thread to thick jumbo yarn across a wooden craft table

Yarn weight numbers 0 to 7: a practical guide

Decode the number inside the yarn-ball symbol, see the eight standard yarn weight categories, and use the number without mistaking it for a complete substitution rule.

Yarn labels, 7 min read

Two people measuring a partly knitted teal chunky blanket across a sofa

Why blanket yarn skein estimates disagree

Separate the blanket estimate from the yarn's package length, then convert the required yards into a whole number of balls.

Quantity, 8 min read

An older man knitting the second sock of a pair beside a cake of variegated yarn

Is one 100 g skein enough yarn for adult socks?

Use 100 g as a starting point, then compare your sock pattern's required length with the exact yarn's published length per ball.

Quantity, 8 min read

A crafter weighing a partial ball of blue yarn on a digital kitchen scale

How to estimate the yarn left in a partial ball

Weigh a partial ball, use the exact yarn line's published package figures, and calculate an estimate in yards or metres.

Yardage, 8 min read

A person sorting unlabeled cream and coral yarn skeins into groups on a wooden table

Do solid and print yarns have the same yardage?

Sometimes, but never assume it. Compare the exact solid, print, Wave, Sport, or Chunky line because package length and category can change.

Quantity, 8 min read

Hands measuring a coral knitted swatch with a wooden ruler on a linen table

Same yarn weight: will the fabric match?

Not necessarily: the same weight category can support a yardage calculation, but gauge, fiber, care, and your swatch decide whether the fabric works.

Gauge and fiber, 8 min read

A person examining a skein with a blank paper band in a yarn shop

How to read a yarn label for substitution

Find the four label fields that matter for a yarn swap: length, package mass, weight or category, and gauge, then use each for the right decision.

Labels and categories, 9 min read

A person knitting a cream swatch beside a sunny window with yarn on a linen table

How many skeins do I need of a different yarn?

Convert the pattern yarn into total yards or metres, divide by the replacement yarn's published length, and round up to a whole-skein count.

Quantity, 8 min read

A person wearing a cream hand-knit cardigan beside a basket of yarn

Pattern yarn discontinued? How to swap without running short

Recover the old yarn's exact package length, turn the pattern amount into total yards or metres, then compare an exact target line and swatch.

Planning a swap, 9 min read