Crochet guide
Yarn weights for crochet
Yarn weight means how thick the strand is, not how heavy the ball is. A label shows it as a number, and each number has a usual crochet gauge and a usual range of hooks.
On this page 7 parts
What yarn weight means
Yarn weight is the thickness of the strand. It is not the weight of the ball: a label gives that separately, in ounces or grams.
Thickness matters because a pattern is written for one weight of yarn. A thicker or thinner yarn changes the size of every stitch, and with it the size of the piece.
The numbers on the label
The standard yarn weight system of the United States sorts yarn into numbered weights. 0 is the finest, and the higher the number, the thicker the yarn. On a label the number is printed inside the yarn weight symbol, a small drawing of a ball of yarn. Some labels give the weight's name as well, or in place of the number.
| Weight | Yarns in it | United Kingdom name | Australian name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 Lace | fingering, 10-count crochet thread | no one name | no one name |
| 1 Super fine | sock, fingering, baby | 4 ply | 4 ply |
| 2 Fine | sport, baby | no one name | 5 ply |
| 3 Light | DK, light worsted | DK (double knitting) | 8 ply |
| 4 Medium | worsted, afghan, aran | aran | 10 ply |
| 5 Bulky | chunky, craft, rug | chunky | 12 ply |
| 6 Super bulky | super bulky, roving | super chunky | no one name |
| 7 Jumbo | jumbo, roving | no one name | no one name |
In the United Kingdom and Australian columns, "no one name" means the published charts give different names, or none.
The standard's own page now says a size 8 has been added. It gives no figures for it yet, so the tables on this page stop at 7.
The usual gauge and hook for each weight
| Yarn weight | Crochet gauge in 4 in (10 cm) | Usual hook |
|---|---|---|
| 0 Lace | 32 to 42 double crochets | steel 1.4 to 1.6 mm, or a regular 2.25 mm hook (steel 6, 7, 8, or regular B-1) |
| 1 Super fine | 21 to 32 | 2.25 to 3.5 mm (B-1 to E-4) |
| 2 Fine | 16 to 20 | 3.5 to 4.5 mm (E-4 to 7) |
| 3 Light | 12 to 17 | 4.5 to 5.5 mm (7 to I-9) |
| 4 Medium | 11 to 14 | 5.5 to 6.5 mm (I-9 to K-10 1/2) |
| 5 Bulky | 8 to 11 | 6.5 to 9 mm (K-10 1/2 to M-13) |
| 6 Super bulky | 7 to 9 | 9 to 15 mm (M-13 to Q) |
| 7 Jumbo | 6 and fewer | 15 mm and larger (Q and larger) |
For weights 1 to 7 the gauge is the number of single crochet stitches (double crochet in United Kingdom terms) in 4 in. Lace is the exception. The standard gives its gauge in double crochet (treble in United Kingdom terms), and it notes that lace yarn is usually worked on a larger hook to make an open fabric.
The steel hook numbers in the lace row are the standard's own. Makers do not number steel hooks alike, and the steel hook size chart lists steel 6, 7 and 8 as 1.8, 1.65 and 1.5 mm, so go by the millimeters.
These are guidelines: the most common gauges and hooks for each weight, not rules. The gauge and the hook in your pattern come first. Crochet gauge and how to measure it shows how to check yours, and the hook size by yarn weight chart answers for one weight at a time. Crochet hook sizes explained covers the hook letters and numbers.
Yarns of one weight are not all alike
Each weight covers a range of thicknesses, and two yarns with the same number can differ. Aran and worsted are both weight 4, for example, and aran is usually a little thicker.
So when you use a different yarn from the one a pattern names, choose the same weight and then make a gauge swatch.
What ply means
A ply is one of the strands twisted together to make a yarn. Counting them does not tell you how thick a yarn is, because the strands themselves can be thick or thin.
In the United Kingdom and Australia, though, names such as 4 ply and 8 ply are used as the names of weights, as in the first table.
Yarn with no label
You can find the weight of an unlabeled yarn by counting its wraps per inch.
- Wrap the yarn around a pencil or a ruler.
- Lay the wraps side by side, touching but not overlapping, and do not pull them tight.
- Count the wraps in 1 in (2.5 cm).
- Find the count in this table.
| Weight | Wraps per inch |
|---|---|
| 0 Lace | 30 to 40 or more |
| 1 Super fine | 14 to 30 |
| 2 Fine | 12 to 18 |
| 3 Light | 11 to 15 |
| 4 Medium | 9 to 12 |
| 5 Bulky | 6 to 9 |
| 6 Super bulky | 5 to 6 |
| 7 Jumbo | 1 to 4 |
The count changes with how tightly you wrap, so treat the answer as a guide and make a gauge swatch before you start.
A weight to learn with
For a first project, choose a yarn of medium thickness in a light color: the stitches are easier to see in a light color than in a dark one. Medium thickness means weight 3 or 4: the yarns called DK, worsted and aran.