How much yarn do I need? Select your project and size to get an instant estimate in yards and meters.
Pick your project, size, and yarn weight — get an instant yardage estimate.
| Size | Pullover | Cardigan | Vest |
|---|
Worsted-weight baseline. Adjust up for finer yarns, down for bulkier.
Textured stitches eat significantly more yarn. Here's how much more compared to stockinette baseline:
Thinner yarn = more yardage needed for the same fabric area. Lace/Fingering uses the most yardage; Super Bulky uses the least but knits up fastest.
Every knitter has experienced "yarn chicken" — that nerve-wracking moment when you're racing to finish a row before your last skein runs out. Beyond the emotional toll, running short means either a trip back to the yarn store (hoping the same dye lot is still in stock) or compromising your project with a mismatched skein. This calculator eliminates the guesswork.
Our estimates combine WPI-based density algorithms with standardized garment dimensions from the Craft Yarn Council. The result accounts for average stitch density, seaming allowance, and a built-in 15% safety buffer. For complex stitch patterns like cables or colourwork, we recommend adding an additional 20-30% on top of the estimate — those stitches pull yarn from the back at steep angles, consuming significantly more yardage per row.
A note on fiber content: cotton, linen, and other inelastic fibers tend to use slightly more yardage than wool or acrylic for the same pattern, because they lack the natural stretch that fills in gaps between stitches. If you're working with plant-based fibers, err on the generous side when buying.