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Yarn guides
How to choose, compare and buy the right amount of yarn — with tables computed by the same engine as the calculator.
- Yarn weights explained: lace to jumboWhat yarn weight means, the Craft Yarn Council categories 0–7 from lace to jumbo, UK and Australian ply names, typical gauge, needle and hook sizes, and yardage.
- How to measure a swatch — and turn it into a yarn estimateHow to knit or crochet, wash, block and measure a gauge swatch, then weigh it to calculate exactly how much yarn a blanket, sweater or shawl will need.
- How to substitute yarn without running shortSwap the yarn in a knitting or crochet pattern safely: match weight, yards per gram, fiber and gauge, then buy by total length, not skein count. Worked examples.
- Yarn dye lots: what they are and how to avoid running shortWhat a yarn dye lot number is, why skeins from different lots can show stripes, how many to buy, and how to blend, alternate or hide a lot change when you run short.
- C2C vs granny squares: which uses more yarn?Compare yarn use for C2C, granny square, single crochet and double crochet blankets: yardage by blanket size, why the stitch matters, and how to estimate motifs.
- How to read a yarn labelDecode a yarn ball band: weight category symbol, yards and grams, fiber content, gauge square, needle and hook sizes, color and dye lot numbers, and care symbols.