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Average Yarn Requirements. Please note, grams or ounces are NOT the figure you need to pay attention to. You knit by yardage, not on how much it weighs.
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These amounts are based on a average size woman's sweater knit in Stockinette stitch. Aran sweaters take considerably more, depending on the pattern.
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1600 fingering weight on a #2 needle
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1400 yards sport weight on a #5 needle
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1200 yards worsted weight on a #8 needle
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1000 yarns bulky on a # 10.5 needle
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A note on size terms: The terms used here are accepted American terms. The words really don't mean anything. For instance "worsted" in reality means made from wool, carded and combed. Also, Ply doesn't mean a thing to gauge. A 4 ply yarn to the English means our fingering weight, to Americans it means worsted weight. Ply is how many strands is spun together to make the yarn. In some yarns today it can be over 30, and still be 4.5 stitches to the inch.
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Of course for those of you who are accountants or engineers, you can do a swatch with 10 yards of yarn in the pattern you are going to use - figure the square inches. Then figure the square inches of your finished garment. The total yardage needed will be garment square inches divided by swatch area, times 10 yards. Wouldn't you rather just knit?
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In Knitting garments to fit, Gauge is Everything. The only time it is not important is when you don't care if it fits or how it looks.
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All patterns are based on an average gauge, knit on the recommended needle size for a particular yarn. That might not be you. Always take that boring little time to do a gauge. It should be 4" by 4" in the same stitch the pattern gauge is made. Measure carefully in the middle of the swatch.
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If you are trying to knit a sweater 40" around, and the recommended stitch gauge is 4 Sts = 1", and your gauge is 4 1/2 Sts = 1" Your sweater will be almost 7" too small. Here is how that works -
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40" (width) X 4 Sts to the inch = 160 Sts. The front or back cast on would be 80 Sts.
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40" (width X 4.5 Sts to the inch = 190 Sts. The front or back cast on would be 95 Sts.
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If your gauge is incorrect you may change needle size to try to adjust it, if you keep within one size. NEVER keep changing the needle until you get the gauge. Change the pattern instead. You may be attempting to work a yarn that is just not workable at that stitch gauge. Perhaps the patterns calls for 3 Sts = 1 inch., and you are trying to get that on a worsted weight yarn. If you manage - you will get a garment that droops, won't hold its shape or you could go in the other direction and knit a garment that is so stiff it will stand on it's own in a wind storm.
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CAST ON = STITCHES TO THE INCH X WIDTH
Guide created: 04/24/08 (updated 08/31/08)
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