SkeinMath

Yarn weight chart

Published October 13, 2026.

Many yarn labels show a number from 0 to 7 that tells you how thick the yarn is. The system comes from the Craft Yarn Council, a US yarn-industry association. The higher the number, the thicker the yarn, the fewer stitches fit in 4 inches and the larger the needle or hook you need.

Knitting

Weight Also sold as Stitches per 4 in (10 cm), stockinette Needle (mm) Needle (US)
0 Lace Fingering, 10-count crochet thread 33–40 1.5–2.25 000–1
1 Super Fine Sock, fingering, baby 27–32 2.25–3.25 1–3
2 Fine Sport, baby 23–26 3.25–3.75 3–5
3 Light DK, light worsted 21–24 3.75–4.5 5–7
4 Medium Worsted, afghan, aran 16–20 4.5–5.5 7–9
5 Bulky Chunky, craft, rug 12–15 5.5–8 9–11
6 Super Bulky Super bulky, roving 7–11 8–12.75 11–17
7 Jumbo Jumbo, roving 6 or fewer 12.75 and larger 17 and larger

Crochet

Weight Single crochet per 4 in (10 cm) Hook (mm) Hook (US)
0 Lace 32–42 double crochet Steel hook 1.6–1.4, or regular hook 2.25 Steel 6, 7, 8, or regular B-1
1 Super Fine 21–32 2.25–3.5 B-1 to E-4
2 Fine 16–20 3.5–4.5 E-4 to 7
3 Light 12–17 4.5–5.5 7 to I-9
4 Medium 11–14 5.5–6.5 I-9 to K-10½
5 Bulky 8–11 6.5–9 K-10½ to M-13
6 Super Bulky 7–9 9–15 M-13 to Q
7 Jumbo 6 or fewer 15 and larger Q and larger

The standard measures gauge over 4 inches, which is 10.16 cm. Patterns written in metric usually use 10 cm, which is close enough for choosing a yarn.

Reading the chart

  • The ranges are guidelines. They show the gauges and tool sizes used most often for each weight, not limits. Your pattern’s gauge always wins.
  • Lace weight is the exception. Lace is usually worked on bigger needles or hooks than its thickness suggests, to make open, airy fabric, so its gauge range is hard to pin down. In crochet, the standard gives lace gauge in double crochet rather than single crochet.
  • Steel hooks count backwards. For the steel hooks used with crochet thread, a higher number means a smaller hook.
  • Two yarns with the same number can still behave differently. Fiber, twist and how a yarn is spun change how it knits up. Swatch before you swap one yarn for another.

How to use it

  1. Find the weight number on the yarn label, or the weight your pattern asks for.
  2. Use the needle or hook range as a starting point for your swatch.
  3. Measure your swatch and compare it with the pattern’s gauge. The gauge calculator shows how much a difference changes the size.

Needle and hook sizes in this chart are given in millimeters and US sizes. For the full list of sizes, see the knitting needle size chart and the crochet hook size chart.

Questions

Is DK the same as light worsted?

In the Craft Yarn Council system both belong to weight 3, Light. Individual yarns still vary, so compare the gauge printed on the labels.

What weight is worsted yarn?

Worsted is in weight 4, Medium, together with afghan and aran yarns.

Why does my pattern's gauge fall outside the range for its yarn weight?

The ranges are guidelines for the most common gauges. Lace and openwork patterns, for example, often use a much larger needle or hook than the range suggests. Always follow the gauge in your pattern.

Sources

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