Let’s face it – nothing is quite as scary to a knitter as finding out you’re going to run out of yarn with three rows left at the finish line. It’s not even bait and switch – it is as though you have eaten all but the very last morsel of your favourite cake, then found out that someone had swiped that piece from under your nose. Devastating!
Don’t worry. You don’t need a PhD in mathematics or some grubby old crystal ball to calculate your yarn amounts. It starts with a little bit of forethought and some more or less apparent tricks.
The Golden Rule: Buy More
But seriously, let’s share an important reality that every knitter learns the hard way: Always buy an extra ball. Dye lots can change, and that “matching” yarn you locate half-a-year down the line will be like a red flag in your completed project. For Knitting Kits, visit www.woolcouturecompany.com/collections/knitting-kits
Start with the Pattern
Many patterns give you the yarn requirements, but those are generally for the smallest size in suggested yarn. A larger size or substitution requires an adjustment. Examine the finished measurements of that pattern to see if they jibe with your target size—and therefore whether you might need more yarn. Revolutionary, right?
The Swatch Method
Ah, yes… the gauge swatch. Except here’s the kicker – your swatch is basically a little yarn computer. The knitted swatch should measure 4 inches, and then you need to unravel it very carefully. To know how much yarn was actually used in the measurement process! Multiply this by the total square inches of your project, add 10% to that just in case and hey presto – there you have it!
Weight Watching
Different yarn weights behave differently. Watch the yarn weight and yardage per ball when substituting. So, a 50g ball of sock yarn might have 400 yards in it but the same weight could only make you an 80 yard chunky.
Digital Helpers
Today we have modern things called apps and online calculators that do most of the heavy lifting. Just tap in your measurements, yarn deets and stitch patterns — the magic of technology will do everything else.
The Bottom Line
Estimating is a science, an art and somewhere in between. When in doubt, round up. Then, you’ll thank yourself when you’re not scrounging around trying to find yarn that matches.