Yarn Weight Craft Reference
A reference for the standard yarn weight categories used across knitting and crochet patterns, with typical wraps-per-inch (WPI) and common hook/needle size ranges.
What the numbers on the chart mean
The eight categories, 0 for lace to 7 for jumbo, are the Craft Yarn Council standard, and the symbol printed on a ball band is that number inside a skein outline. Each row carries two things: wraps per inch, and the needle and hook range the yarn was designed around.
Wraps per inch is measured, not looked up. Wind the yarn round a ruler or pencil for one inch, snug but not stretched, with the strands touching and never overlapping, then count them. Thirty wraps is lace; ten is worsted. It is the fastest way to place a yarn wound off its band, or a mystery skein from a destash.
Where the categories blur
- The ranges overlap on purpose. Fine (2) runs 12-18 WPI and Light (3) runs 11-15, so a yarn at 14 wraps is honestly either. The needle ranges separate them: 3.25-3.75 mm against 3.75-4.5 mm.
- The names differ by country. US fingering is UK 4-ply, US sport is 5-ply, and US worsted sits between UK DK and aran. Two yarns labelled aran can be a full category apart.
- Category 4 covers two yarns. Worsted and aran share the row, but aran is noticeably heavier and usually takes the top of the 4.5-5.5 mm needle range.
Frequently asked questions
Is DK the same as worsted?
No. DK is category 3 at 11-15 WPI on 3.75-4.5 mm needles; worsted is category 4 at 9-12 WPI on 4.5-5.5 mm. Substituting one for the other changes gauge by about a stitch per inch.
How do I measure wraps per inch?
Wrap the yarn round a ruler over one inch with the strands touching, no stretch and no gaps, and count. Do it twice on different parts of the skein.
What weight is 4-ply yarn?
Category 1, super fine, the same as US fingering or sock yarn. The ply count describes how many strands are twisted together, not the thickness.