Yarn weight chart
Yarn weight chart and finder
The Craft Yarn Council's weights 0 to 7 side by side with British and Australian names, wraps per inch, gauges, needles and hooks. Not sure what a yarn is? Let the finder work it out.
Which weight is my yarn?
22 stitches per 10 cm matches CYC 3 Light.
3Light
- US names
- DK, Light Worsted
- UK
- DK (double knitting)
- Australia
- 8 ply
- Needles
- 3.75–4.5 mm (US 5–7)
- Hook
- 4.5–5.5 mm
- Knit gauge
- 21–24 sts / 4 in
The yarn weight chart
Gauges are stocking stitch for knitting and single crochet for crochet; on small screens, scroll the table sideways.
| CYC category | US names | UK | Australia / NZ | Knit gauge, sts / 4 in | Needles | Crochet gauge, sc / 4 in | Hooks | WPI | m per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0Lace | Fingering, 10-count crochet thread | 1 ply, 2 ply | — | 33–40 32.5–39.4 / 10 cm | 1.5–2.25 mm US 000–1 | 32–42 double crochets | Steel 1.6–1.4 mm; regular 2.25 mm US Steel 6, 7, 8; regular B-1 | 30–40+ | 600+ |
| 1Super Fine | Sock, Fingering, Baby | 3 ply, 4 ply | 3 ply, 4 ply | 27–32 26.6–31.5 / 10 cm | 2.25–3.25 mm US 1–3 | 21–32 | 2.25–3.5 mm US B-1 to E-4 | 14–30 | 350–600 |
| 2Fine | Sport, Baby | — | 5 ply | 23–26 22.6–25.6 / 10 cm | 3.25–3.75 mm US 3–5 | 16–20 | 3.5–4.5 mm US E-4 to 7 | 12–18 | 250–350 |
| 3Light | DK, Light Worsted | DK (double knitting) | 8 ply | 21–24 20.7–23.6 / 10 cm | 3.75–4.5 mm US 5–7 | 12–17 | 4.5–5.5 mm US 7 to I-9 | 11–15 | 200–250 |
| 4Medium | Worsted, Afghan, Aran | Aran (also worsted) | 10 ply, some 12 ply | 16–20 15.7–19.7 / 10 cm | 4.5–5.5 mm US 7–9 | 11–14 | 5.5–6.5 mm US I-9 to K-10½ | 9–12 | 120–200 |
| 5Bulky | Chunky, Craft, Rug | Chunky | 12 ply, 16 ply | 12–15 11.8–14.8 / 10 cm | 5.5–8 mm US 9–11 | 8–11 | 6.5–9 mm US K-10½ to M-13 | 6–9 | 100–130 |
| 6Super Bulky | Super Bulky, Roving | Super chunky | — | 7–11 6.9–10.8 / 10 cm | 8–12.75 mm US 11–17 | 7–9 | 9–15 mm US M-13 to Q | 5–6 | under 100 |
| 7Jumbo | Jumbo, Roving | — | — | 6 and fewer 5.9 and fewer / 10 cm | 12.75 mm and larger US 17 and larger | 6 and fewer | 15 mm and larger US Q and larger | 1–4 | under 100 |
Lace (0): CYC notes that lace is usually worked on larger needles and hooks than these for an open fabric, so its gauge is hard to pin down; always follow the pattern. Steel hooks are numbered the other way round from regular hooks: the higher the number, the smaller the hook. A dash means the source gives no common name.
How to read the chart
The Craft Yarn Council (CYC), the trade association of the US yarn industry, sorts yarn into eight weight categories, numbered 0 (lace) to 7 (jumbo). Many ball bands print the number inside a small skein symbol. Each row gives the usual stocking stitch gauge over 4 inches, the needles and hooks most often used, and the crochet gauge. CYC calls these guidelines only: your pattern's gauge always wins.
UK and Australian names. Britain and Australia name yarns by ply: 4 ply, DK (double knitting), aran and chunky in the UK; 4 ply, 5 ply, 8 ply, 10 ply and 12 ply in Australia and New Zealand. These names describe thickness, not how many strands are twisted together, and they overlap: Australian 12 ply can be Medium or Bulky depending on the yarn.
Wraps per inch. For yarn with no band, wrap it snugly round a pencil or ruler, strands side by side with no gaps or overlaps, and count the wraps in one inch. Compare the count with the WPI column. It depends on how firmly you wrap, so confirm with a swatch.
Using the finder. Choose what you know: the gauge or needle size from the band, the WPI, or the length per 100 g. The finder names the matching categories and highlights them in the chart. CYC's ranges overlap at the edges, so a value on a boundary can match two.
Worked example
A ball band says 22 stitches to 10 cm on 4 mm needles. That is 22.4 stitches per 4 in, inside the Light range of 21–24, and 4 mm sits inside Light's 3.75–4.5 mm needle range, so the yarn is a DK: 8 ply in Australia.
Sources
- Craft Yarn Council, Standard Yarn Weight System: categories 0–7, yarn types, knit and crochet gauges, needle and hook sizes, and the lace and steel hook notes.
- Craft Yarn Council, Wraps Per Inch (WPI): the WPI ranges and how to measure them.
- Wikipedia, Yarn weight, international comparison table: UK and Australian names and typical metres per 100 g. Lengths per 100 g vary with fibre, so treat them as rough.
Questions about yarn weights
Is worsted the same as aran?
They are neighbours. CYC puts both in category 4 Medium, 16–20 stitches per 4 in. Aran usually sits at the thicker end of that range and worsted at the finer end, but brands differ, so compare the gauge printed on the bands rather than the name.
What does DK mean?
Double knitting, the British name for CYC 3 Light yarn, about 21–24 stitches per 4 in. In Australia and New Zealand the same thickness is called 8 ply.
What do 4 ply, 8 ply and 12 ply mean?
In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, ply names describe a thickness of yarn. They no longer count the strands twisted together, so check the gauge on the band. 4 ply is sock or fingering weight, 8 ply is DK, and 10 and 12 ply are around worsted to chunky.
Why does my value match two categories?
CYC's ranges touch or overlap at the edges: 24 stitches per 4 in is the top of Light and inside Fine, for example. Check a second clue, such as the needle size on the band, or knit a swatch.
Can I swap one yarn for another in the same category?
Often, but not always. Two yarns in one category can still knit to different gauges, especially across fibres such as wool and cotton. Swatch the new yarn, compare its gauge with the pattern's, and compare lengths per ball when you work out how much to buy.