Sweater Yarn Calculator

Yarn estimates for sweaters and cardigans by size, sleeve style and yarn weight, with a breakdown by piece.

A sweater is the project where a yarn estimate really matters, because a garment can take ten skeins and a misjudged order is expensive. This calculator estimates the yardage from the finished chest measurement, the garment length and the sleeve style, then splits the total by body and sleeves so you can see where it goes.

At a glance

What you enter: Finished chest measurement, Body length, hem to shoulder, Sleeves, Yarn weight, Your gauge: stitches per 4 in, Ribbed hem, cuffs and neckline, Colourwork or cables, Safety margin
What you get: Total yarn needed, Skeins to buy
Formula shown: Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy: Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓

Finished chest measurement in

The wearer's chest plus the ease you want.

Body length, hem to shoulder in

Sleeves

Yarn weight

Your gauge: stitches per 4 in st

Ribbed hem, cuffs and neckline

Colourwork or cables

Safety margin %

Ten percent is normal. Use fifteen for a single colour garment.

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Sweater Yarn Calculator

1 Enter Finished chest measurement (in), The wearer's chest plus the ease you want.
2 Enter Body length, hem to shoulder (in)
3 Enter Sleeves
4 Enter Yarn weight
5 Enter Your gauge: stitches per 4 in (st)
6 Enter Ribbed hem, cuffs and neckline
7 Enter Colourwork or cables
8 Enter Safety margin (%), Ten percent is normal. Use fifteen for a single colour garment.
9 Press Calculate. You get Total yarn needed, Skeins to buy, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
10 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

DK pullover, women's medium

A 40 inch finished chest, 24 inch body, long sleeves, with ribbing.

You enter

Finished chest measurement: 40 in
Body length, hem to shoulder: 24 in
Sleeves: 4
Yarn weight: 4
Your gauge: stitches per 4 in: 22 st
Ribbed hem, cuffs and neckline: Yes
Colourwork or cables: No
Safety margin: 10%

You get

Total yarn needed: 735
Skeins to buy: 3

Roughly six to eight skeins of 200 yards.

Open this example in the calculator →

Chunky oversized cardigan

A 48 inch finished chest, 26 inch body, long sleeves, with ribbing.

You enter

Finished chest measurement: 48 in
Body length, hem to shoulder: 26 in
Sleeves: 4
Yarn weight: 6
Your gauge: stitches per 4 in: 14 st
Ribbed hem, cuffs and neckline: Yes
Colourwork or cables: No
Safety margin: 15%

You get

Total yarn needed: 3,326
Skeins to buy: 26

Bulky yarn works up quickly, which is why oversized chunky knits are popular first garments.

Open this example in the calculator →

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Frequently asked questions

How much yarn does a sweater need?

A women's medium pullover in DK weight usually takes 1,100 to 1,400 yards, which is six to eight skeins of 200 yards. The same sweater in worsted takes roughly 1,000 to 1,200 yards because the fabric is thicker and covers more ground per stitch. A bulky sweater can drop to around 800 yards.

How much ease should I add to the chest measurement?

It depends on the look. Negative ease of about 2 inches gives a close fitting garment in a stretchy fabric, zero to 2 inches of positive ease gives a classic fit, 4 to 6 inches gives a relaxed fit, and 8 inches or more gives an oversized look. Enter the finished chest above, not the body measurement.

Should I buy an extra skein for a sweater?

Yes, if the yarn is a single colour and you can afford it. Sweaters are heavy on yarn and a dye lot mismatch halfway up the body is glaring. One extra skein costs much less than remaking a sleeve, and leftover yarn from the same dye lot is useful for repairs later.

How much more yarn do cables use?

Cables pull the fabric in, so you work more stitches to reach the same width, and crossing stitches consumes yarn. Allow roughly twenty to thirty percent more than a plain stockinette version of the same garment. The colourwork toggle above uses twenty five percent as its allowance.

Terms used here

Short, plain-language definitions of the words this calculator uses.

Dye lot The batch a skein of yarn was dyed in, printed as a number or code on the label.

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