How To Change Yarn Weight In Pattern

In this post, nosotros will look at how to substitute yarn in a knitting pattern.

Substituting yarn in any knitting design will help you to transition from beginner to more than advanced and will allow you lot to be more artistic with your knitting.

This volition give you the ability to experiment with a variety of different yarn colors and finishes.

Learning the skill of yarn exchange volition provide you with the liberty to explore a range of different fibers other than those recommended in each knitting pattern.

yarn filled shelves for how to substitute yarn in a knitting pattern

Why Would You Choose To Substitute The Yarn?

Let'south say you have style besides much yarn of a specific type of yarn in your stash, but information technology's non the yarn recommended and used in the pattern, wouldn't it exist great to employ the yarn you take at domicile?

Likewise, allow's say yous are allergic to a sure fiber, for instance, alpaca fibers.

Does that hateful you tin can't brand certain patterns using this yarn? No…

Information technology means you are going to acquire to substitute this yarn with i that you can use/similar.

Yarn Substitution Fabricated Easy…

Yarn commutation can exist a scary thought for anyone less experienced with reading knitting patterns; however, it's easier than information technology seems!

In one case you've mastered how to substitute yarn in a knitting design, you lot will be well on your way to creating a wide range of items in different colors and finishes.

To work out what yous can use instead of the yarn suggested by your pattern, simply follow these three simple checks outlined below.

How to substitute yarn in a knitting pattern

1. Check The Judge And Weight

The first step in yarn substitution, and to ensure you have the correct weight or thickness of yarn, is to check the pattern's size gauge.

From here, you can institute exactly how many stitches and rows per inch your substituted yarn will need to friction match.

If your new thread is a proficient substitute, it should knit to the same size.

The estimate is important

Your gauge will usually say something like "eight sts and 17 rows, to 10 x 10 cm using size 9mm knitting needles"; which would tell you that your yarn should measure 10 centimeters by ten centimeters, for every 8 stitches and 17 rows that you knit (using 9mm needles).

Whichever option yous determine to substitute your original yarn for, brand sure information technology matches your estimate – if it doesn't, your finished particular could end up a very different size.

In addition to using the knitting blueprint'south gauge, the yarn specified in your instructions should besides give you an indication of the ideal weight and thickness required.

Most designs that supply details for the estimate will also requite you the weight.

Image Source – King of beasts Brand Yarns

Yarn weights

Yarn weight volition be listed under a variety of different types, for example:

DK weight yarn
Aran weight yarn
Chunky yarn
Super bulky yarn
Worsted weight yarn
Fingering weight yarn
Sport weight yarn

Know your yarn weights

Knowing the weight of the yarn that you require will help to narrow downwardly your search, and will brand shopping for your substitute yarn much easier.

If you'd like to know more about the various types of yarn weights, read my guide Yarn Weights | A Beginner's Guide.

Yous tin can likewise check out this handy yarn weight chart below for you to pivot for futurity reference.

2. Check The Fibre

Every bit each ball of yarn will behave very differently from the next, information technology's essential to notice out the limerick of the original yarn.

For example, a woolen hat that yous would desire to vesture for insulation in winter won't do the same job if made from lighter-weight cotton fiber yarn.

Acrylic fibers can too feel very dissimilar from natural wool, and so information technology's always best to bank check the exact textile limerick before you buy.

The fiber content is key, you can't wait a 100% wool yarn to produce the same elasticity and fabric as an acrylic alloy yarn.

Related Postal service – Yarn Types

Choosing the fiber type

The best rule for yarn substitution is to select a type of fiber that resembles the original thread as best as possible.

Your pattern will exist designed for a specific kind of weight and finish, so information technology's usually best to attempt to stick with the same fiber specified (or as close to information technology) so that your finished item looks as y'all expect it to.

3. Chec1000 The Length

A knitting blueprint volition ever state how many balls or skeins of yarn information technology will require; however, this will usually change when substituting yarn for a different type.

Not all yarn balls are created equal, and they often take very different lengths.

If yous tin't find the yardage on the pattern page it's always available on the shop folio of the yarn if you are shopping online or on the yarn characterization if you are visiting your yarn store.

To piece of work out the total length you will demand of your substitute yarn, utilise this elementary two-step calculation to establish the length and how many balls you volition need:

Image Source – Lion Brand Yarns

Calculate the original total length

Take the number of skeins required for the design and then find the length of ane of those balls of yarn.
For example, your knitting instructions state viii balls of yarn, with one ball measuring 100 metres.
Adjacent, multiply that private length by the total number of assurance required: 8 x 100 = 800 metres.

Calculate the quantity of substitute yarn required to complete the pattern

Find out the length of one of the new balls of yarn.
For this example, let's say our new thread is 95 metres.
Then, divide the total yardage by the length of 1 of the new balls of yarn: 800 / 95 = 8.4.
This calculation gives us eight.4. assurance or ix once rounded upwards.

Last Tips and Advice

So, we now know that to complete this pattern with our substituted yarn, we will need nine balls.

At present that you lot've learned how to substitute yarn in a knitting pattern, you volition find that you can create more items in a much wider choice of fibers and finishes.

Adjacent fourth dimension you lot head to your local knitting shop or you're shopping for knitting yarn online, why not endeavour yarn substitution and see what you tin can make!

Here are some tips to remember:

Tip 1

If you don't want to use or can't find the specified yarn on a knitting design, yous could get to your local yarn store and ask for some help from the people who work at that place.
Chances are that anyone working in that location will exist an experienced knitter and tin give yous some good advice.
Y'all could besides bring together some knitting groups on Facebook and ask in there for some help.

Tip two

Just because two yarns have the same estimate doesn't hateful that they tin can substitute for each other successfully in a given pattern.
If they take different characteristics – texture, mantle, fiber and colour, then the concluding garment will look and feel different from the 1 pictured on your blueprint.

Tip iii

Use a tool – like this one from YarnSub.
There are tools online that can help you to find a yarn for your project
If you have a yarn listed on a design that has been discontinued, merely type it into the search box and the tool will help y'all to find a substitute.

Tip 4

Swatches are your all-time friend.
Permit's say you lot did all the math and you lot institute the correct yarn sub for your sweater.
Before starting your project it'due south ever ameliorate to make a pocket-sized sample using the patterns sew pattern, to make certain everything is going as planned.
Remember never two strands of yarn are fabricated the same.
Swatches are too a smashing way to check the stitch definition.

Tip 5

Ravelry tin can exist a great source of information.
Ravelry is non only full of patterns but also has a neat yarn information library.
And there you can find information well-nigh the weight category a yarn belongs to, its fiber content, etc.