Yarn Calculator
Work out how much yarn a project needs from its finished size, your stitch gauge and the yarn weight you plan to use.
At a glance
- What you enter
- Finished width, Finished length, How many?, Yarn weight, Your gauge: stitches per 4 in, Your gauge: rows per 4 in, Stitch pattern, Safety margin
- What you get
- Yarn needed, Yarn needed (metres), 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 ↓
Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.
How to use the Yarn Calculator
- 1 Enter Finished width (in)
- 2 Enter Finished length (in)
- 3 Enter How many?
- 4 Enter Yarn weight
- 5 Enter Your gauge: stitches per 4 in (st)
- 6 Enter Your gauge: rows per 4 in (rows)
- 7 Enter Stitch pattern, Textured and structured stitches use more yarn over the same area.
- 8 Enter Safety margin (%), Covers dye lot differences, borders and gauge drift. 10 to 20 percent is typical.
- 9 Press Calculate. You get Yarn needed, Yarn needed (metres), 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.
Worsted throw blanket
A 50 by 60 inch throw in worsted weight at a typical 18 stitches per 4 inches.
You enter
- Finished width
- 50 in
- Finished length
- 60 in
- How many?
- 1
- Yarn weight
- 5
- Your gauge: stitches per 4 in
- 18 st
- Your gauge: rows per 4 in
- 24 rows
- Stitch pattern
- 1
- Safety margin
- 15%
You get
- Yarn needed
- 2,588
- Yarn needed (metres)
- 2,367
- Skeins to buy
- 13
Round up to the next whole skein when you buy.
Light DK sweater panel
A 40 by 24 inch sweater body panel in DK weight, worked slightly loose at 20 stitches per 4 inches.
You enter
- Finished width
- 40 in
- Finished length
- 24 in
- How many?
- 1
- Yarn weight
- 4
- Your gauge: stitches per 4 in
- 20 st
- Your gauge: rows per 4 in
- 28 rows
- Stitch pattern
- 1
- Safety margin
- 15%
You get
- Yarn needed
- 574
- Yarn needed (metres)
- 525
- Skeins to buy
- 2
Sleeves and ribbing are not included, so allow more for a whole garment.
Super bulky cowl
A 30 by 12 inch cowl in super bulky yarn at 10 stitches per 4 inches.
You enter
- Finished width
- 30 in
- Finished length
- 12 in
- How many?
- 1
- Yarn weight
- 7
- Your gauge: stitches per 4 in
- 10 st
- Your gauge: rows per 4 in
- 14 rows
- Stitch pattern
- 2
- Safety margin
- 10%
You get
- Yarn needed
- 1,103
- Yarn needed (metres)
- 1,009
- Skeins to buy
- 13
Super bulky projects finish fast, so a single skein often covers a cowl.
Guides that go with it
The Complete Guide to Crochet Hook and Yarn Sizes
If you have ever stood in a yarn aisle holding a pattern that says "4 mm hook, worsted weight" and wondered whether the skein in your hand is actually worsted, this guide is for you. By the end, you w...
Natural vs Synthetic Materials: Which Is Better for Handcrafting?
You are standing in a craft shop aisle, or more likely staring at two browser tabs, and the same question keeps surfacing: do I buy the wool, the linen, the real leather, or do I buy the acrylic yarn,...
How Much Yarn Do You Need for a Blanket?
Yarn math is the part of blanket making nobody warns you about. Run out at row 180 of 200 and you have a problem: dye lots rarely match perfectly, and a substitute yarn can change how the whole thing...
Frequently asked questions
How much yarn do I need for a blanket?
Why does my gauge change the amount of yarn I need?
How much extra yarn should I buy?
Does crochet use more yarn than knitting?
Is this yarn estimate exact?
Terms used here
Short, plain-language definitions of the words this calculator uses.