Yarn Weight Chart for Crochet

Yarn weight describes how thick a yarn is. It affects the size of your stitches, the hook you use, how much yarn a project needs and how the finished fabric feels. Many yarn labels, especially in North America, show a standard weight number from 0 (lace) to 7 (jumbo).

Reading a yarn label

A yarn label packs in a lot of useful information:

• Weight symbol — the number from 0 to 7, sometimes with a name such as “DK” or “worsted”.
• Recommended hook or needle size — a starting point for your gauge swatch.
• Gauge — how many stitches and rows the manufacturer expects in a 4 in (10 cm) square.
• Length and weight — for example 200 yd / 100 g. Length matters most when buying enough.
• Fiber content — cotton, acrylic, wool or a blend.
• Dye lot — buy all skeins for one project from the same dye lot.
• Care instructions — washing and drying advice.

Common yarn weight names

Different countries and brands use different names. “Sport”, “DK”, “worsted”, “aran” and “chunky” are the ones you will meet most often. Because names overlap, the weight number, gauge and length per 100 g are more reliable than the name alone.

Checking a yarn’s weight without a label

If a skein has lost its label, use wraps per inch (WPI):

1. Wrap the yarn around a ruler or pencil, laying each wrap snugly beside the last without overlapping or stretching.
2. Count how many wraps fit in 1 inch (2.5 cm).
3. Compare your number with the WPI column in the chart above.

WPI is an estimate, but it is usually enough to place a mystery yarn in the right category.

Choosing a weight for your project