Article Understanding Yarn Weights And Ply World Standards

By Carey Nuss

If you’ve ever looked at yarn and wonder, what yarn weight is this? Then, you’re in the right place!

This post will go over different yarn weights, what they are and what they look like. You can also refer to the yarn weight chart at the bottom of the post for a quick overview.

 Some yarns are thick and sumptuous while others are skinny like a spiderweb. Others are in-between, and some defy category (fun fur, anyone?).

Like people, yarns come in many shapes and sizes. So, in order to talk about the bigness or smallness of yarns, the Craft Yarn Council designed a system to categorise yarn weight. Let’s meet the yarn family!

 If you’re wondering, “what’s worsted weight yarn?” then you’ve come to the right place! Yarns come in many shapes and sizes. They can be as thin as a cobweb (like a lace-weight) and as thick as a soda can (like jumbo yarn for arm knitting).

Worsted weight yarn is a medium weight yarn that sits in the middle of the yarn weight family.

 YARN WEIGHT FAMILY –

Lace weight is the thinnest and lightest type of yarn. It’s used mostly to knit lace shawls and scarves. To get the open lace effect, use a larger needle size.

Super fine yarn includes sock and fingering yarn. It’s often used to make socks, hats, mittens and other accessories. An entire sweater knit in super fine yarn is a long journey, but so, so satisfying!

1 Ply or fine yarn includes sport and baby weight yarn. It’s sometimes confused with light weight yarn. (In fact, sometimes I mix up the two!) This is a versatile yarn that’s great for just about anything: cardigans, sweaters, hats, socks, you name it.

DK weight, 2 Ply, Lace Weight Yarn and light worsted yarns fall into this category. These yarns are just a teeny bit thicker than fine yarns and a tiny bit thinner than medium yarns.

The 4 ply yarn or worsted weight yarn is the most popular medium weight yarn. Not too big and not too small, they’re just right for most projects.

Chunky 5 ply yarns and rug yarns fall into this category. These knit up nice and quick and are perfect for warm hats, dramatic scarves, blankets and rugs. Cowichan sweaters are usually knit in bulky yarn.

Super bulky yarns are the ultimate in instant gratification knits. At 6-11 stitches to four inches, you can easily finish a hat in just a few hours. In fact, you can do just that with the Big Hat pattern and Mistake Stitch Infinity Scarf. These yarns are usually single ply and super warm on account of their bulk.

 Yarn Weight Chart

Here’s a photo of the whole yarn gang family, from 0 weight yarn to 6 weight super bulky!

      Now after looking at what yarn itself looks like it is time to look at yarn labels and understanding the ply’s on labels. The following sources of information is also in accordance with the yarn weights standards and weights council. Buy having an organisation as valuable and worldwide as the yarn council they help us understand all things to do with fibre for crafts, crochet knitting and more worldwide.

You'll notice some of the ply label pictures in this article are slightly different to what you see in shop commercially here in Australia. That is because yarn labels the same as patterns are labelled differently throughout the world. The labels here I have sourced are from the world yarn council and tend to be used buy home spinners and dyers. It will do you good to recognise bits of not only the standard Australian labels but also what the world labels look like.

If you ever loose a label though off your yarn and want to work out what ply it is all you have to do is use the wraps per inch system and do the math. If you don't know how to wpi system you'll be able to read some more about this term in another article I'm going to do later on in understanding tension and yarn substation's. I want to keep this article on ply fairly simple to some degree especially for beginner's to crocheting and knitting. So, on that note ill continue on with some of the more commonly know terms of ply.

         We will start off with the most common weight used worldwide and that is , “what’s worsted weight yarn?” Yarns come in many shapes and sizes. They can be as thin as a cobweb (like a lace-weight) and as thick as a soda can (like jumbo yarn for arm knitting).Worsted weight yarn is a medium weight yarn that sits in the middle of the yarn weight family.

 It is a medium thickness means that it’s great for knitting sweaters, hats, scarves, mittens, blankets and beyond!

 Because worsted yarn is so “knit-able,” I think of it as an all-purpose yarn. So when in doubt, grab a worsted weight. And get this! I’m not the only one who believes this.

 According to large-scale yarn manufacturers like Lion Brand and Bernat, their most popular yarn weight for knitting and crochet is – you guessed it! – worsted weight yarn!

 Within the yarn weight family, I like to think of worsted yarn like the popular middle child of yarn weights if you will.

Worsted Weight Yarn Comparison

Because yarns come in so many different sizes, the Craft Yarn Council (CYC) created a standardised yarn weight system to bring unity and order to the yarn world.

This system is widely adopted among crafters, yarn manufacturers, designers and publishers, so consider it the gold standard for categorising yarn weights.

      Each yarn weight is assigned a number, beginning with lace weight at 0 and going up to jumbo yarn at 7.

      In the UK and Europe, yarn weights are more often referred to by their numbers. For instance, a French knitter may talk about a “number three yarn” instead of a “DK weight.”

      In North America, yarns are often referred to by their descriptive names, like a “worsted yarn” instead of a “number four yarn.”

      Under this system, worsted yarn is considered a medium weight number four yarn with a knitting gauge of 16-20 stitches for every four inches of knitting.

 When shopping for worsted yarn, look for the word, “worsted” or a prominent number four on the yarn label.

 This yarn label clearly indicates that the yarn is a “worsted weight.” We can also tell by its knitting gauge of 10 X 10 CM X 20 sts = 4″

      If both are absent, check the crochet/knitting gauge to see if it falls within 20 stitches for four inches of knitting. To make matters slightly more complicated, worsted weight yarn is also sometimes called “Afghan” or “Aran” weight.

 What Needles to Use for Worsted Yarn

The needle size for worsted yarn varies depending on the project. In general, a 4.5 to 5.5 mm (US 7-9) needle will produce a firm yet pliable fabric. I would consider this the “standard” fabric – neither tight nor loose, but just right.

     For lace knitting with worsted yarn, it’s recommended to go up several sizes to a 6.0 to 8.0 mm needle for open lacework.

      If you are knitting socks, potholders or dish towels, which need a tighter tension, go down several sizes to a 3.25 to 4.0 mm needle for a stiff and sturdy fabric.

 But Remember:

These are general guidelines. Your best bet is to look to the yarn label, which should provide a “recommended needle size” for knitting “standard” fabric.

From there, go up or down a needle size (or sizes) to get the exact knitting tension for your project.

 A Word About Worsted Yarn and Plies

I’ve always found the best way to understand yarn plies is visually, especially when you are just starting out learning to crochet or knit. Having an article to reference back on as you need with all the information to read and pictures to sight does help teach you about yarn and plies. Don’t panic though even the most experienced crocheter or knitter will tell you it takes time to learn the information, however the more you craft with your crochet or knitting the more you learn along the way.

You can think of plies as super thin mini yarns that are spun together to make a larger strand of yarn.

When three plies are spun together, the resulting yarn is called a three-ply yarn.

If two plies are spun together, the result is a two-ply yarn.

Even one ply of yarn can be twisted to create a single-ply yarn.

 Yarns can be made up of as many as eight plies of yarn! Eight-ply yarns are often called a “cabled yarn” since the eight plies are braided into a smooth cable. Worsted yarns come in a variety of plies – from one-ply to eight-plies.

 When thinking about plies, the general rule is that the more plies of yarn, the less likely the yarn will pill and break.

 Twisting plies together gives the resulting yarn strength and body. A single-ply yarn can be easily broken if you pull of each end hard enough. However, if you twist two single-plies together, the resulting two-ply yarn will be a lot harder to tear apart.

 So, when choosing a worsted weight yarn, consider what your final project will be. If you plan to knit a cushy cowl, a single-ply is an excellent choice.

 However, if you’re knitting a pair of hard-wearing mittens, consider a three or four-ply yarn.

 My Favourite Worsted Weight Yarns:

What discussion on yarns would be complete without some yarn eye candy? Here are a two of my favourite worsted weight yarns. One as a skein and one as a ball although they look totally different on the outside they are in fact made from the same ply weight.

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Pascuali Forest (Left)  is a 100% natural sock yarn in a 4 ply. Pascuali Forest is incredibly soft, so think beyond socks!

It is the perfect yarn for so many other uses, including sweaters, scarves, shawls, towels and many more.

 The ultra-fine Merino wool provides elasticity & helps regulates body temperature.

The Cotton component ensures moisture absorption and constant freshness.

Instead of nylon, which is used in classic sock yarns to provide strength, Pascuali Forest uses 100% natural Bamboo viscose to add durability and a subtle shine.

 Flotte Socke (Right) is made from the Rellana's sock knitting yarn label "Flotte Socke" (which can mean both "quick sock" and "fancy sock") it offers a wide range of different colours, variegation's and patterns.

Rellana is a family-owned German yarn manufacturer from the North-West of Germany. Since the 1970s, Rellana has developed a reputation for high quality knitting and crochet yarns at very competitive prices.

I do hope you find this article on ply and yarn weights useful, referee back to it as you need to. Weather you are a beginner or experience crafter we all at times need some where to reference back to on things with crochet and knitting. I’ve taken a few years off at times over my life and then come back to it and realising I too have had to reference back to articles to jog my own memory on different thing at times.

Crochet & knitting is like falling off a bike as the old saying goes as your able to pick the craft back up and hop back into it all, even if you take a break for a while.

 Just remember too if your starting out it can all be a daunting as there is so much to learn and many mistakes along the way, if you stick to it though you will work what style of crafting suits you, your favourite needles, patterns and even favourite ply’s!

Carey, Caszs Country Crafts

 Here’s A Copy Of The Two Visuals For You To Reference Back To.

 Yarn Thread Ply & Yarn Labels Ply.

 Yarn Ply Guide Fibre Visual…

Yarn Ply Guide Labels Visual …