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Saturday 26 October 2013

Grand Unified Yarn Theory. Or, 'What is this yarn?'

In the table below I've tried to sensibly and as completely as possible list the information I find I need when faced with a ball of yarn or a knitting pattern calling for yarn. For each yarn weight, there are ranges for YPP, WPI, Nm, and the Ply/Count measurement system, as well as knitting gauges and needle sizes.

I found an array of different definite standards while I was setting this up. I ended up not following any of them exactly, but aimed for a middle-of-the-road usefulness.


I have a PDF of this table at my Etsy shop.
 


Yarn Weight Name
m/100g
YPP (Yard per pound)
Nm
(m/g)
Ply/Count,
Woolen Measure
WPI - Wraps per inch
Gauge – Stockinette Stitches per
Knitting Needle Size
Yarnstandards.com
UK, NZ, AU
1”
4”
US
Metric
UK
Hamster Floss
1800
9000
18
1/60 -
1/56
60
20
80?






0 : Lace


Cobweb
1200
6000
12
2/48 -
1/28
50
13
52






0 : Lace
1 ply
Lace
560 -
1200
2800 -
6000
5.6 -
12
2/28 -
2/24


30 -
45
9 -
13
36 - 52
000 -
1
1.5 -
2.5
17 -
13
0 : Lace
2 ply
Baby
420 -
580
2100 -
2900
4.2 -
5.8
3/28 -
2/20


21 -
29
7.5 -
9
30 - 36
1 -
2
2.25 -
3
13 -
11
0 : Lace
3 ply
Fingering, Sock
320 -
460
1600 -
2300
3.2 -
4.6
2/16 -
4/28
19 -
22
6.5 - 7.5
26 - 30
1 -
3
2.25 - 3.25
13 -
10
1 : Super Fine
4 ply
Sport
260 -
340
1300 -
1700
2.6 -
3.4
2/12 -
5/28
15 -
18
5.75 - 6.5
23 - 16
3 -
5
3.25 -
3.75
10 -
9
2 : Fine
5 ply
DK
200 -
280
1000 -
1400
2 -
2.8
2/10 -
6/28
12 -
14
5.25 - 5.75
21 - 23
5 -
7
3.75 -
4.5
9 -
7
3 : Light
8 ply
Worsted
180 -
220
900 -
1100
2.8 -
2.2
3/12 -
8/28
9 -
11
4.75 - 5.25
19 - 21
7 -
9
4.5 -
5.5
7 -
5
4 : Medium
10 ply
Aran
160 -
200
800 -
1000
2.6 -
2
9/28 -
3/10
8 -
10
4 - 4.75
19 - 21
8 -
10
5 -
6
6 -
4
4 : Medium
12 ply
Bulky, Chunky
80 -
160
400 -
800
0.8 -
1.6
10/28 -
3/8
7 -
8
3 -
4
12 - 16
9 -
11
5.5 -
8
5 -
0
5 : Bulky


Super Bulky
80
400
0.8
4/6
6
2.75
11
13+
8+
00
6 : Super Bulky