STEP BY STEP: Have you fallen head over heels for one of our knitting or crochet patterns, only to discover that the yarn used has been discontinued? Don’t worry—there’s good news! In this post, we’ll show you exactly how to find an alternative yarn for your project.
Here at Hobbii, we’re absolutely smitten with all of our yarns! ❤️ But sometimes we have to say goodbye to certain yarns to make room on our shelves for new ones.
Because of this, you might spot patterns on our site that feature yarns we no longer sell. But don’t worry—if you can’t snag the designer’s original yarn, you can still stitch up the same pattern with a delightful substitute yarn (it’ll be every bit as beautiful)! 😍
Have you run into a pattern that uses a discontinued yarn? In this blog post, we’ll walk you through how to find a suitable replacement yarn for your next knitting or crochet adventure.
Step by Step: How to Calculate Substitute Yarn Amounts
Swapping one yarn for another might look intimidating at first glance, but once you get the hang of the math behind it, it’s really no biggie.
And once you’ve mastered these tricks, you’ll be able to figure out yarn alternatives for any project—knit or crochet—so the sky’s the limit! ✨🧶🪄
You only need to remember three simple steps:
- Make sure the yarn matches the pattern’s knit or crochet gauge.
- Calculate your total yardage based on the original yarn.
- Determine how many skeins of the new yarn you’ll need.
Let’s break it down in more detail:
1. Check the Gauge
Have a yarn in mind for your project? The first step is to check that it lines up with the pattern’s recommended knit or crochet gauge.
It can take a little detective work to track down a yarn that can stand in for another. Pop over to our yarn product pages, where you can sort everything by knitting gauge for a handy overview.
It’s fine if the gauge varies by a stitch or two, but remember, even small differences can have a big impact on your finished piece—especially if you’re making garments. Even a tiny mismatch in your gauge swatch can lead to big sizing headaches in a larger project. And let’s face it—no one wants a sweater that ends up baggy or way too snug. 😞
In many cases, you can ensure the right gauge by going up or down in hook or needle size.
Check out our guides on how to test your gauge and adjust with different hook or needle sizes:
When you download any of our patterns, you’ll usually find the gauge information on page 1 or 2.
2. Calculate the Total Yardage
Now it’s time to figure out how many yards (or meters) of yarn you’ll need for your project. Look at the original yarn used in the pattern.
If you’ve downloaded one of our patterns that uses a discontinued yarn, you can usually find info about that yarn’s yardage on page 1 or 2 of the pattern, along with how many balls you’ll need.
To find the total yardage, multiply the number of balls by the yardage per ball:
Number of balls x yardage (or meterage) per ball = total yardage
3. Figure Out How Many Skeins You’ll Need
Finally, you just need to calculate how many skeins or balls of your new yarn you’ll need. To do this, divide the total yardage by the yardage of the new yarn you’ve picked:
Total yardage ÷ yardage of chosen yarn = number of skeins for your project
You’ll likely end up with a decimal, so remember to round up—nobody wants to run out of yarn! And don’t forget to do a quick gauge swatch before you jump in. ❤️
Have Fun!
We hope this little guide comes in handy. We can’t wait to see what you’ll knit or crochet next!
Find patterns with discontinued yarns HERE
Sort our yarns by gauge HERE
Struggling to Find Yarn Details in the Pattern?
Some of our older designs may not include the original yarn’s yardage, which means the usual method won’t work. In that case, you’ll need a dash of extra know-how when choosing a substitute yarn.
Not feeling fully confident? Let us tempt you with our newer patterns that use yarns we still carry. Check them out right here!
