How much yarn for a sweater?
How many yards for a sweater: estimates for baby, child and adult S–3X pullovers in fingering, sport, DK, worsted and bulky yarn, knit or crochet, with skein counts.
Make a swatch of at least 6 × 6 in in your stitch, wash and block it, then measure and weigh it.
Pattern yarn — from the materials list.
Your new yarn — from its label.
You need about
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Sweater yarn requirements
A sweater estimate is built from the finished chest, body length, sleeve length and the average sleeve circumference. The sizes above use typical finished measurements with a little positive ease; for an oversized fit, choose the next size up, and for a cropped sweater reduce the length in the custom mode.
A medium adult pullover knitted in worsted weight needs about 1,100–1,250 yards; in fingering weight about 1,800–2,000 yards; in bulky about 800–900. Cables add 30–40% and colorwork (stranded) about 25%, because the unused color is carried behind the work.
Sweaters are where pattern yardage is most reliable, because the designer knit the sample. Use this calculator as a check, for sizes the pattern does not grade, or when substituting yarn — and always buy enough of one dye lot, since a sweater uses five to twelve skeins.
Sweater yardage chart
| Size | Super Fine (1) Fingering | Fine (2) Sport | Light (3) DK | Medium (4) Worsted | Bulky (5) Chunky |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby (6–12 mo) 20 in chest, 10 in long | 400360 m · 1 sk | 330300 m · 1 sk | 300280 m · 2 sk | 240220 m · 2 sk | 180165 m · 2 sk |
| Child 4 26 in chest, 15 in long | 780720 m · 2 sk | 650600 m · 2 sk | 600550 m · 3 sk | 480440 m · 3 sk | 360330 m · 3 sk |
| Child 8 30 in chest, 18 in long | 1,0901,000 m · 3 sk | 910830 m · 3 sk | 830760 m · 4 sk | 670610 m · 4 sk | 500460 m · 4 sk |
| Adult S (36 in) 36 in chest, 24 in long | 1,7301,580 m · 5 sk | 1,4301,310 m · 5 sk | 1,3201,200 m · 6 sk | 1,050960 m · 6 sk | 790720 m · 7 sk |
| Adult M (40 in) 40 in chest, 25 in long | 1,9701,800 m · 5 sk | 1,6401,500 m · 5 sk | 1,5101,380 m · 7 sk | 1,2001,100 m · 7 sk | 900830 m · 7 sk |
| Adult L (44 in) 44 in chest, 26 in long | 2,2502,050 m · 6 sk | 1,8501,700 m · 6 sk | 1,7001,560 m · 7 sk | 1,3601,250 m · 7 sk | 1,020930 m · 8 sk |
| Adult XL (48 in) 48 in chest, 27 in long | 2,5002,300 m · 6 sk | 2,1001,900 m · 7 sk | 1,9101,750 m · 8 sk | 1,5301,400 m · 8 sk | 1,1501,050 m · 9 sk |
| Adult 2X (52 in) 52 in chest, 27.5 in long | 2,7502,500 m · 7 sk | 2,2502,100 m · 7 sk | 2,1001,910 m · 9 sk | 1,6701,530 m · 9 sk | 1,2501,150 m · 10 sk |
| Adult 3X (56 in) 56 in chest, 28 in long | 2,9502,700 m · 8 sk | 2,4502,250 m · 8 sk | 2,2502,050 m · 10 sk | 1,8101,660 m · 10 sk | 1,3601,240 m · 11 sk |
Values are yards with 10% extra; small figures are meters and skeins of a typical ball: super fine 420 yd / 100 g, fine 330 yd / 100 g, light 250 yd / 100 g, medium 200 yd / 100 g, bulky 130 yd / 100 g. Use the calculator with your own label for exact skein counts.
| Size | Light (3) DK | Medium (4) Worsted | Bulky (5) Chunky |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby (6–12 mo) 20 in chest, 10 in long | 440400 m · 2 sk | 350320 m · 2 sk | 260240 m · 3 sk |
| Child 4 26 in chest, 15 in long | 870790 m · 4 sk | 690630 m · 4 sk | 520480 m · 4 sk |
| Child 8 30 in chest, 18 in long | 1,2101,110 m · 5 sk | 970880 m · 5 sk | 730660 m · 6 sk |
| Adult S (36 in) 36 in chest, 24 in long | 1,9101,750 m · 8 sk | 1,5301,400 m · 8 sk | 1,1501,050 m · 9 sk |
| Adult M (40 in) 40 in chest, 25 in long | 2,2002,000 m · 9 sk | 1,7501,600 m · 9 sk | 1,3101,200 m · 11 sk |
| Adult L (44 in) 44 in chest, 26 in long | 2,4502,250 m · 10 sk | 1,9801,810 m · 10 sk | 1,4801,360 m · 12 sk |
| Adult XL (48 in) 48 in chest, 27 in long | 2,7502,550 m · 12 sk | 2,2002,050 m · 12 sk | 1,6601,520 m · 13 sk |
| Adult 2X (52 in) 52 in chest, 27.5 in long | 3,0502,750 m · 13 sk | 2,4002,200 m · 13 sk | 1,8201,660 m · 14 sk |
| Adult 3X (56 in) 56 in chest, 28 in long | 3,3003,000 m · 14 sk | 2,6502,400 m · 14 sk | 1,9701,800 m · 16 sk |
Values are yards with 10% extra; small figures are meters and skeins of a typical ball: light 250 yd / 100 g, medium 200 yd / 100 g, bulky 130 yd / 100 g. Use the calculator with your own label for exact skein counts.
About these numbers: estimates assume typical gauge for each yarn weight. Your tension, hook or needle size and stitch pattern can move them by ±15% or more — weigh a swatch in the swatch calculator for a figure based on your own work.
Tips
- Worsted adult M: about 1,100–1,250 yd
- Cables: +30–40%; stranded colorwork: +25%
- Cardigan with button bands: +5–10%
- Long or tunic length: scale the body
How to work out how much yarn you need
- Choose the project. Pick knit or crochet, the project and its size — or a custom width and length.
- Set the yarn. Choose the yarn weight (CYC 0–7) and stitch, then type the length and grams from your skein label.
- Add a safety margin. Keep 10% extra, or more for tight tension, borders and fringe.
- Check with a swatch. For the most accurate number, weigh a blocked swatch in the From a swatch tab and scale it to your project.
FAQ
How much yarn for a sweater?
A typical adult m (40 in) (40 in chest, 25 in long) in medium weight needs about 1,200 yards (1,100 m) including 10% extra, knitted in stockinette.
Quick rule of thumb for sweater yarn?
Worsted adult M: about 1,100–1,250 yd.
How accurate is a yarn calculator?
Estimates from typical gauge are usually within ±15%, because tension, hook or needle size and stitch pattern vary. The swatch mode — weighing or measuring a real swatch — is accurate to a few percent.
How much extra yarn should I buy?
Add about 10%. Add more (15–20%) for tight tension, textured stitches, borders and fringe, or when you cannot buy more of the same dye lot later.