Yarn substitution calculator
Enter the yarn the pattern calls for and the yarn you want to use. You get the total length to buy, how many skeins that is, and how closely the two yarns match in thickness.
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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How it works
Patterns list skeins of one yarn; what you really need is the same total length. The calculator multiplies the pattern's skeins by their length, then divides by the length of your new skein and rounds up. To judge whether the yarns are interchangeable it compares yards per 100 g: within 10% is a good match, 10–20% needs a careful swatch, and more than 20% usually means a different weight category.
| Weight | yd / 100 g | m / 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| 0 · Lace | 880 | 805 |
| 1 · Super Fine | 420 | 384 |
| 2 · Fine | 330 | 302 |
| 3 · Light | 250 | 229 |
| 4 · Medium | 200 | 183 |
| 5 · Bulky | 130 | 119 |
| 6 · Super Bulky | 70 | 64 |
| 7 · Jumbo | 30 | 27 |
Fiber matters: dense cotton, linen and silk have fewer yards per gram than wool at the same thickness, and airy alpaca or chainette yarns more. When fibers differ, compare the label gauge too. Read the step-by-step yarn substitution guide.