You probably know the feeling? You have found the prettiest pattern on a sweater with the design you’ve been dreaming of 😍 You take a look at the instructions and the materials needed to get an overview, and to your frustration you discover that the recommended yarn is not available, and the only information about the yarn is a yarn category you do not know 😔

But fear not! In this blog post, I will take you through the English yarn categories, so you can safely choose yarn from Hobbii’s site even though the pattern might be in English.

Standard Yarn Weight System:

The Standard Yarn Weight System consists of seven categories ranging from 0 to 6, Lace to Super Bulky.

Below, you can find a chart showing the categories that will help you get an overview of all the information that is necessary to find an alternative as well as a description of the yarn categories including yarn suggestions available here at our shop which you can use instead of the original yarn.

It doesn’t get easier than that!

Category 0, Lace:

Light Fingering, Cobweb

Lace is the category that describes the thinnest yarn you can find. It can be difficult to say how many stitches a knitting swatch will contain since the yarn is often used on larger needles than what is normally recommended. However, don’t be frightened by this – it is both fun and challenging to work with lace yarns, and the large needle sizes add a beautifully airy and draped look to the finished result.

Here at our shop, we have received the pretty  Lace which is perfect for cruets and tiny figures. The recommended US needle size written on the yarn label is 1.5 (2.5 mm), but if you wish to create figures, you can profitably use crochet hook size steel 12 (1.25 mm), so the stitches become really dense.

Are you curious on how to make tiny figures, but lack the hooks for it, then I recommend this crochet hook set. Here you get 10 hooks in sizes steel 18-C/2 (0.5-2.75 mm), so you can find just the right hook size that fits you and your crochet gauge.

Category 1, Super Fine:

Fingering, Sock, Baby

This category might be the most popular category within the yarn universe – at least at our little yarn shop.

Category 1 yarn usually creates a knitting swatch of 27-32 stitches on US needle sizes 1.5-3 (2.25-3.25 mm). In this category, you will find various and very popular yarns such as sock yarn and Baby Merino.

The Super Fine category is often used for crocheted animals for babies, socks for cold feet and clothing for both kids and adults. It is this exact diversity that makes this yarn category so popular.

Our silky soft Alpaca Silk also belongs to yarn category 1. Make e.g. the beautiful Wind scarf which is perfect for seasons such as spring and fall. It can be made in a long or a short version.

Category 2, Fine:

Sport, Baby

A swatch in yarn from category 2 usually works up 23-26 stitches on 4” on knitting US needle sizes 3-5 (3.25-3.75 mm) to obtain the right knitting gauge.

In our shop you can find Soft Alpaca which belongs to yarn category 2. Soft Alpaca is a really incredible, fluffy yarn made from the softest Alpaca wool which will keep you warm on a cold day. Our popular and versatile cake-yarns Twister and Sultan Deluxe also belong to yarn category 2.

Category 3, Light:

DK, Light Worsted

DK is short for Double Knitting and it basically means that the yarn is just as thick as if you used 2 threads of fingering. The term originated in England, but is now used as a general term since it describes the thickness of the yarn.

A knitting swatch should consist of 21-24 stitches on 4” (10 cm), and thus it overlaps yarn category 2. Therefore, it is a good idea to check which needle/hook size you should use so you get as close to the original yarn as possible.

Here at our shop, you will find e.g., Rainbow 8/8, Happy Feet XL and Baby Merino XL which are all twice as thick as their “Fingering” counterpart.

In some countries it is actually very common to make socks out of yarn from this category because they become wonderfully thick and warm. If you feel like giving it a go, then you should try our two patterns Lady socks and Cable socks for the entire family which both fit Happy Feet XL.

Category 4, Medium:

Worsted, Aran, Afghan

Medium yarn is knitted on needle size 7-8 (4.5-5 mm) and projects work up quickly with this yarn weight. With a knitting swatch of 16-20 stitches, you quickly see a development. Aran-weight yarn is often a bit thicker than Worsted, but these two qualities often work as substitutes.

In our shop, you will find e.g., Happy Sheep Woolpower which is a classic Worsted quality in 100 percent untreated wool - a favorite among several of my colleagues ;)

Category 5, Bulky:

Chunky, Craft, Rug

Knitted on needle size 9-11 (5.5-8mm), you get a knitting swatch of 12-15 stitches and a wonderful texture in your project which works up quickly. In this category you will find the classic Léttlopi in which the popular Icelandic sweaters are knitted.

Category 6, Super Bulky:

Bulky, Roving

With a knitting swatch of 6-11 stitches per 4” this last category represents the thickest yarn on the market. Your work becomes wonderfully thick and warm - perfect for your winter projects. On the other hand, category 6 is not great for delicate and complicated patterns.

Here at Hobbii, we offer the incredible Snowstorm from the  Super Bulky category. A yarn which can be used for warm ponchos as well as felted slippers.

I hope this short guide can help you to find the right yarn next time you need to find an alternative in our shop. And please remember that the knitting gauges described here are recommendations only. You should – as you probably know – always follow the knitting gauge described in the pattern. Above, you will find an overview of yarn and the various knitting and crocheting gauges.

Enjoy!

Love,

Eva from Hobbii

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