How much lace weight yarn do I need?
Lace weight (0) yarn needs: yards and skeins for shawls, scarves, wraps and garments, gauge and needle sizes, plus a calculator for your own label and swatch.
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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About lace yarn (CYC 0)
Lace weight is the finest category — often 800 yards or more per 100 g. It is used almost exclusively for openwork shawls, stoles and fine scarves, and is usually knitted on needles much larger than its thickness suggests, which opens the fabric and stretches the yardage.
| Also called | Lace, cobweb, light fingering, 10-count crochet thread |
|---|---|
| Knit gauge | 33–40 stitches per 4 in (10 cm), stockinette |
| Needles | 1.5–2.25 mm (US 000–1) |
| Crochet hook | 1.4–2.25 mm (steel 6–8, B-1) |
| Typical ball | 440 yd / 402 m per 50 g (≈ 880 yd / 100 g) |
| Yarn rate | ≈ 1.34 yd per sq in in stockinette at average tension |
How much lace yarn do I need?
| Project | Knit stockinette | Knit garter | Crochet single | Crochet double |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby blanket 30 × 36 in | 1,6401,500 m · 4 sk | 1,9701,800 m · 5 sk | 2,6002,400 m · 6 sk | 2,1001,900 m · 5 sk |
| Throw 50 × 60 in | 4,5504,150 m · 11 sk | 5,4505,000 m · 13 sk | 7,3006,650 m · 17 sk | 5,8005,300 m · 14 sk |
| Queen blanket 90 × 100 in | 13,65012,500 m · 32 sk | 16,40014,950 m · 38 sk | 21,85019,950 m · 50 sk | 17,35015,850 m · 40 sk |
| Adult scarf 8 × 64 in | 750690 m · 2 sk | 900830 m · 3 sk | 1,2101,100 m · 3 sk | 960880 m · 3 sk |
| Adult beanie | 290260 m · 1 sk | 350320 m · 1 sk | 460420 m · 2 sk | 370330 m · 1 sk |
| Adult sweater, M | 2,4502,250 m · 6 sk | 2,9502,700 m · 7 sk | 3,9003,550 m · 9 sk | 3,1002,850 m · 8 sk |
| Women's socks (pair) | 490450 m · 2 sk | 590540 m · 2 sk | 790720 m · 2 sk | 620570 m · 2 sk |
| Triangle shawl 64 × 30 in | 1,4101,290 m · 4 sk | 1,7001,550 m · 4 sk | 2,2502,050 m · 6 sk | 1,7901,640 m · 5 sk |
| Amigurumi, 8 in | 260240 m · 1 sk | 310290 m · 1 sk | 420380 m · 1 sk | 330300 m · 1 sk |
Values are yards with 10% extra; small figures are meters and skeins of a typical ball: lace 440 yd / 50 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.
Compare other weights: super fine, fine, light, medium, bulky, super bulky, jumbo. See the full yarn weight chart or read yarn weights explained.
FAQ
How much lace yarn for a throw blanket?
About 5,800 yards (5,300 m) for a 50 × 60 in throw in double crochet with 10% extra — 14 balls of 440 yd / 50 g.
What needle and hook size for lace yarn?
The Craft Yarn Council suggests needles 1.5–2.25 mm (US 000–1) and hooks 1.4–2.25 mm (steel 6–8, B-1), for a knit gauge of 33–40 stitches per 4 inches.
What does the number on a yarn label mean?
It is the Craft Yarn Council weight category, from 0 (lace) to 7 (jumbo). 3 is DK, 4 is worsted or aran, 5 is bulky or chunky and 6 is super bulky.
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.