Yarn Weights

Believe it or not, there are standard yarn weights. There are. Really! But they don’t apply across countries, and there aren’t any yarn police out there enforcing them (that I know of, I could be wrong). It can get awfully confusing when you’re out on a S.E.X. (stash expansion expedition). The chart below will help you figure out how what’s on the pattern compares to what’s in the yarn stash.

If you have unlabelled yarn, the best way to determine its weight is in Wraps Per Inch. Get a ruler and wrap the yarn snugly around it for a pre-determined distance, like 2 inches. (You’ll want a few more inches for a bulky yarn.) Count how many wraps you got in an inch, and voila! Wraps Per Inch. Consult the chart below and off you go.

All figures approximate.

Yarn Weight	Wraps Per Inch	Knitting Needle Size	Yards Per Pound
Lace Weight	18 WPI	-	2600+
Fingering/Sock Weight	16 WPI	US 0-3 / 2mm-3.25mm	1900-2400
Sport/Baby Weight	14 WPI	US 4-6 / 3.5mm-4mm	1200-1800
DK (Double Knitting) Weight	10-14 WPI	US 3-6 / 3.25mm-4mm	1000-1200
Aran/Worsted Weight	12 WPI	US 6-9 / 4mm-5.5mm	900-1200
Bulky/Chunky Weight	10 WPI	US 10-11 / 6mm-8mm	600-800
Super Bulky Weight	8 WPI	US 11+ / 8mm+	400-500