Yarn Weight Chart report
Many people may think "yarn weight" is a strange term cause yarn weighs next to nothing. Yarn weight has little to do with the yarn's actual weight and more to do with the thickness of a yarn strand. A strand of yarn is made up of one or more yarn plies that are twisted together. Any yarn weight can have one-ply or many.
Ply refers to the number of strands plied or twisted together during spinning to create a single strand of yarn. A 2ply yarn has two strands, and a 3ply has three, and so on. Plies are still commonly used as names for yarn weights, even though weight and ply are no longer always related.
Knowing your yarn weight will make it easier to choose a yarn that works best for the project at hand. We will explain the yarn weight and help you choose the right yarn for your project with the following yarn weight conversion chart.
Yarn Size Guide
Yarn size gives a clue to the most suitable crochet hook or needle for a project. For most crochet projects, yarn weight is an important consideration to ensure the result is what you expect. Yarns come in a wide range of different thicknesses. A yarn's weight is determined by its thickness, regardless of the overall weight of the ball. A thin yarn such as lace is described as 'light,' while a thick yarn such as super-chunky is 'heavy.' The standard yarn sizes usually can be found on the ball band and the suggested needle size and tension.
Yarn Weight Chart
| Category Names | Weight Symbol | Type | Knit Gauge | Needle Metric Size | Needle U.S. Size | Crochet Gauge | Hook Metric Size | Hook U.S. Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lace | 0 | Fingering 10-Count | 33-40 sts | 1.5-2.25mm | 000-1 | 32-42 double crochets | Steel: 1.6-1.4mm/Regular hook: 2.25 mm | Steel: 6, 7, 8/Regular: B-1 |
| Super Fine | 1 | Sock, Fingering, Baby | 27-32 sts | 2.25-3.25mm | 1-3 | 21-32 sts | 3.25-3.5 | B-1 to E-4 |
| Fine | 2 | Sport, Baby | 23-26 sts | 3.25-3.75mm | 3-5 | 16-20 sts | 3.5-4.5 | E-4 to 7 |
| Light | 3 | DK, Light Worsted | 21-24 sts | 3.75-4.5mm | 5-7 | 12-17 sts | 4.5-5.5 | 7 to I-9 |
| Medium | 4 | Worsted, Aran, Afghan | 16-20 sts | 4.5-5.5mm | 7-9 | 11-14 sts | 5.5-6.5 | I-9 to K-10.5 |
| Bulky | 5 | Chunky, Craft, Rug | 12-15 sts | 5.5-8mm | 9-11 | 8-11 sts | 6.5-9 | K-10.5 to M-13 |
| Super Bulky | 6 | Bulky, Roving | 7-14 sts | 8-12.75mm | 11-17 | 7-9 sts | 9-15 | M-13 to Q |
| Jumbo | 7 | Roving | 6 sts and fewer | 12.75mm and larger | 17 and larger | 6 sts and fewer | 15mm and larger | Q and larger |
Note: Lace weight yarns are usually knitted or crocheted on larger needles and hooks to create lacy, openwork patterns. Accordingly, a gauge range is difficult to determine.
And Steel crochet hooks are sized differently from regular hooks: the higher the number, the smaller the hook.
Yarn Weight Conversion Chart
| UK | US | AUS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ply | Laceweight | 2 ply |
| 2 ply | Fingering | 3 ply |
| 3 ply | Sock | 4 ply |
| 4 ply | Sport | 5 ply |
| DK | DK, Light Worsted | 8 ply |
| Aran | Worsted | 10 ply |
| Chunky | Bulky | 12 ply |
| Super Chunky | Super Bulky | 14 ply |
Final Words
If you are a beginner who learning how to knit or crochet, then the above yarn weight guide and conversion chart will help you figure out yarn weights and categories. Once you get a better understanding of yarn weights, you will easily be able to swap out different types of yarns within a weight. Not surprisingly, the weight of the yarn coincides with the thickness and texture of the pattern.
