Yarn Needed Calculator

"How many skeins?", answered by garment size + yarn weight + your gauge. The estimate is anchored on grams and yards-per-100g, the two numbers every label prints.

Project

Yarn weight

Your gauge factor (1.0 = pattern gauge) Tighter gauge than spec → +10–20% yarn (factor 1.1–1.2). Looser → −10%. Lace-knit a "hat" in fingering with loose gauge? 1.15.

Yours skein's yards per skein Read the ball band (e.g. "200 yd / 183 m"). Common: 210 yd Caron, 220 yd Red Heart, 123 yd Lion Brand, 100 yd indie, 400 yd sock skein

Estimates = finished-garment yard ranges from knitting conventions (stitches × rows math, averaged across gauge bands). Dye-lot rule: buy all skeins at once.

—estimated yards

—skeins (round up)

—buy this many (frogging swatch)

—≈ weight of yarn needed

—swatch cost warning

—project cost at $/skein

$/skein (for project cost)

How the math works

Base yards by project (worsted, medium gauge): adult M sweater ≈ 1,100–1,500 (L 1,400–1,900, XL 1,700–2,300); cardigan M ≈ 1,000–1,400; kid pullover ≈ 450–600; baby sweater ≈ 250–350; hat ≈ 150–250; cowl ≈ 250–400; scarf ≈ 350–550; mittens pair ≈ 250–400; socks pair adult ≈ 350–500 (400 typical, 600 for crew/tall); afghan twin ≈ 1,800–2,800; shawl ≈ 450–700; throw ≈ 900–1,400; 8 washcloths ≈ 200–300.
Yarn-weight conversion: the yardage above is worsted (≈190 yd/100g). Your yarn converts by grams: yards ÷ (yards per 100 g) × 100 = grams of yarn. Cotton is denser (165 yd/100g), so cotton worsted = ~15% more grams.
Gauge factor multiplies area: stitches-per-inch² drives fabric count; 1.1 factor ≈ +10% stitches. Lace-weight in a bulky pattern? The yards stay, the grams explode, check your label, not a formula.
Buy 1 extra skein per 10 you buy (frog insurance) + swatch = 30–60 yards. Dye lots: the extra skein from the same lot now beats chasing it later.

Garment yardage varies wildly by size, stitch pattern (cables eat 15–25%, lace gives 10%), and needle size. This is the shopping estimate layer, not a guarantee, your pattern's numbers win. Weights for fitted garments: the finished garment, not the yarn, is what's estimated.

Frequently asked

How many yards of yarn for a sweater?

Adult medium, worsted weight: ~1,100–1,500 yards (10–15 skeins of a 200-yard ball). Large 1,400–1,900, XL 1,700–2,300. Chunky cuts the skein count by ~40%; fingering doubles it.

How many yards for a pair of socks?

~400 yards for adult crew socks in fingering weight (350–500 by size; knee socks 600+). One 400-yard sock skein is exactly the magic number.

How many yards for an afghan?

A 50×60 twin afghan runs 1,800–2,800 yards in worsted, 9–14 skeins. Granny-square afghans sit at the top (thick joins); ripple patterns the bottom.