Lace yarns are the thinnest yarns, and include "fingering" weight, "2ply", and 10 count crochet thread. Stockinette gauge equals 33-40 stitches per 4 inches.
"Big Loop is the thickest yarn available in the market today, and we produce it at our mill in Key Largo, FL with 100% domestic merino wool.
In the U.S., 4 ply yarn typically means a medium weight yarn or double knitting (DK) yarn.
50 Cute Projects to Make from Leftover Yarn – They Make Excellent Gifts, Too!
- Make simple cable necklaces and bracelets.
- Water bottle carriers.
- Give your clock a cozy.
- Make some colorful lanterns.
- Make whimsical sculptures with yarn and glue.
- Make tassels.
- Crochet a picture frame.
- Crocheted cell phone cover.
'Can I substitute DK yarn for worsted?'You can! But it's worth bearing in mind that DK is a slightly thinner yarn to worsted, so the best way to substitute is by going up a needle or hook size so that the tension will be the same.
Count the wraps within the inch, and compare against these measurements below:
- Lace or 2 ply: 35 or more.
- Light fingering, sock, or 2 ply: 22 – 34.
- Fingering or 4 ply: 19 – 22.
- Sport: 15 – 18.
- DK: 12 – 17.
- Worsted or Aran: 9 – 11.
- Bulky or Chunky: 8 – 10.
- Super Bulky or Super Chunky: Anything that has 7 or less wraps per inch.
Yarn Weight (Thickness)
| Yarn Weight | US Needle Size | Knitting Stitches Per Inch, in Stockinette Stitch |
|---|
| Fine or sport-weight | 3–6 | 5–6 |
| Light worsted or DK (double-knitting) | 5–7 | 5–5 1/2 |
| Medium- or worsted-weight, afghan, Aran | 7–9 | 4–5 |
| Bulky or chunky | 10–11 | 3–3 1/2 |
It's the most common yarn weight that you'll find on American shelves… and if you shop in Big Box stores, you might see it labeled as a “medium weight yarn.” 8 ply is the yarn that you'll find most easily in Australia (which I know from personal experience), and I've heard that it's pretty standard in the UK as well.
3 ply yarn is one of the most enjoyable weights to knit with as it's fine and lightweight. It's also known as fingering yarn because it's so easy to use. We usually suggest 2-3.5mm needles for projects using smaller patterns, but larger needles can be used to achieve open knit effects.
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, or ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Embroidery threads are yarns specifically designed for needlework.
Amazon.com: red heart worsted weight yarn.
Worsted (/ˈw?ːrst?d/ or /ˈw?st?d/) is a high-quality type of wool yarn, the fabric made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from Worstead, a village in the English county of Norfolk.
2 ply wool, also known as lace weight wool, is the lightest yarn weight. It's delicate and ultra-thin, making it suitable for light garments such as shawls, wraps, shrugs and much more.
DK yarns are lighter than worsted, but heavier than sport. DK yarn is equivalent to #3 Light on the Standard Yarn Weight System. Worsted weight yarn also includes Aran and afghan weight yarn. It is #4 Medium on the Standard Yarn Weight System.
Structure of a 4 ply yarnply (lace weight), DK was known as 10 ply and 4 ply lies somewhere in between. This was great and you could easily see that 2 strands of 4 ply are about the same thickness as DK, 2 strands of lace weight are about the same as 4 ply.
Sport weight yarn and DK (double knitting) weight yarn are often viewed as interchangeable, but they do have a slight difference. As you will see on the criteria listed with the icons to the right, sport weight yarn is a teeny bit lighter or finer than DK weight.
A 4 ply is the same as fingering or baby weight and doubling it should get the same gauge as DK on the same needles. Other wise you'll have to use much smaller needles and if you follow the pattern numbers, will get a smaller item.
8/2 is a 2 ply, 8/4 is a 4 ply and 8/8 is an 8 ply. They get progressively fatter and therefore have less yardage per pound. The 16/2 is half of the size of a #8……so that first number sort of gives you an idea of the size of the yarn.
Fiber TypeHowever, the three most common yarn choices for beginners are wool, cotton, and acrylic yarn. There are pros and cons to each, although any will be suitable for beginner crocheters. Cotton yarn: Cotton is an inelastic fiber, which makes it slightly more of a challenge to crochet with than wool is.
2 strands of DK = Worsted or Aran. 2 strands of Worsted = Chunky. 2 strands of Aran = Chunky to Super Bulky.
DK or double knitting (UK) is the same thickness as 8ply (AU/NZ). There is no direct equivalent in the USA, although imports may be described as a 'light worsted'.
DK or Double Knitting This is a term that originated in Britain and is used by all types of manufacturers. It refers to a yarn size very close to a sport weight, but slightly heavier. The gauge is about 5 1/2 stitches per inch and is usually knit on a U.S. 6 needle.
As you can see, a double knitting weight yarn is a light to medium scale 3 yarn. If you've been faithful to the chunky sizes or super fine sizes, the DK weight yarn has a lovely in-between thickness. Not too fine, neither is it overbearing.
