Yarn Weights

In our collection, we have a range of different yarn weights!
In this post, you can learn what these yarn weights are and see why yarn is placed in these categories!

Different yarn weights are desired by different creators depending on the project/pattern they are working on. For example, a hand knitter making a sweater would gravitate more toward a soft bulky yarn, but a weaver looking to make a finely woven fabric would opt for a thinner weight like lace or fingering yarn.

We calculate this yarn weight by counting the number of times a yarn can wrap around a ruler in a one-inch segment. This is called the wraps per inch and is commonly abbreviated as WPI!

Bulky

Bulky yarn is about 7 WPI. It’s mostly used for soft, warm clothing and accessories like hats, gloves, scarves, sweaters, etc.

Aran 

Aran is thinner than bulky yarn with 8 WPI, but it is also commonly seen in garments like the ones listed above.

This example of Aran weight yarn has an undulating texture.

Worsted

Worsted yarn is about 9 WPI.

Worsted and Aran weight straight yarns are both a great option for knitted fabric due to the nice stitch definition they create.

DK 

DK yarn is about 11 WPI. Its name is an abbreviation for Double Knitting weight.

Sport 

Sport yarn is around 12 WPI and is good for lightweight garments.

It’s not as light as fingering yarn but not as heavy as the previous weights.

Fingering

Fingering yarn is around 14 WPI and is popular for knitted socks, shawls, and baby items.

Lace

Lace is the thinnest of yarn weights we have in our yarn collection. It can be used along with other yarns or on its own to create thin and delicate projects.

Undefined Weight

In your time on our website, you may have discovered that some of the yarns’ weight is marked as undefined. A yarn is marked undefined when there is an inconsistent thickness because this interferes with a proper WPI count.

Take a look at our cloud yarn for example. This slubby yarn rages from tightly spun yarn to wide, fluffy sections, so it is tricky to know what an actual WPI for this yarn would be.