Lion Brand Notebook ®
Yarn weights go by so many different names, it can be difficult to keep track of what’s what! (For example, did you know that Fingering weight and Sock weight are one and the same?)
To help you out, we’ve compiled a chart using the yarn weight standards developed by the Craft Yarn Council, along with examples of Lion Brand Yarn in each category.
| Yarn Weight Symbol/Category Name | Commonly Used Names | Example of Lion Brand Yarn |
 |
Cobweb, Lace, Crochet Thread |  |
| LB Collection® Wool Stainless Steel * | ||
 |
Sock, Fingering, Baby |  |
| LB Collection® Silk Mohair | ||
 |
Sport, Baby |  |
| Vanna’s Glamour™ | ||
 |
DK, Light Worsted |  |
| LB Collection® Cotton Bamboo | ||
 |
Worsted, Afghan, Aran |  |
| Wool-Ease® | ||
 |
Chunky, Craft, Rug |  |
| Wool-Ease® Chunky | ||
 |
Bulky, Roving |  |
| Wool-Ease® Thick & Quick® |
* Note: Although LB Collection® Wool Stainless Steel is listed on our website as a Category 1 Super Fine yarn, it may be used as a Category 0 yarn.
Interested in learning more about which of our yarns are in which weight category? Click here to check out our list of yarns by weight class on LionBrand.com.
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Sherrie
Thanks for the lowdown on yarn weights! It was nice to see words like Roving, Fingering & Aran put into perspective. Some of these took me a long time to figure out, and cannot be found on labels- so this is like a shortcut for newer yarncrafters.Â
Christie
thanks for the info….. I still have one question… where does “crochet thread” fit into the picture? I have seen patterns for ” aunt Lydias’s crochet thead size 3″ so is that smaller than a 0? …….
thanks for the help!
Christie
Christina
Hi Christie,
As a general rule, crochet thread is durable yet fine, making it perfect for crocheted doilies and lace. (Our discontinued Lion® Crochet Cotton, for example, was like LB Collection® Wool Stainless Steel in that it was classified as a 1, but could have been used as a 0.)
Aunt Lydia’s Crochet Thread is listed as “thread,” not “yarn,” on the Coats & Clark website, so I believe it is subject to a different weight scale. Hope that helps!
Anonymous
 Good question, Christie. Crochet thread is measured using a different scale, from 3 to 100 (and sometimes even higher). The larger the number, the thinner the thread. Size 3 thread is usually the thickest you’ll find; it’s roughly equivalent to a fingering or sport weight yarn. I hope that helps!
Susan Masse
The best way to calculate thread/yarn size is WPI (wraps per inch). I would love to see every company include this information along with their opinion of the weight of the yarn and its symbol. I always record wraps per inch when starting a project: if someone wants to recreate it 50 years from now, they will still be able to calculate the WPI and choose a yarn that will work for them.
Christina
Hi Susan,
Thanks for the great tip! Since Lion Brand Yarn is a member of the Craft Yarn Council, we list our yarn weights based on the standards that they’ve developed. However, determining wraps per inch at home is a great way for knitters and crocheters to determine how yarn weights will work for their personal use.
Anonymous
Susan, thanks for the tip! Since Lion Brand Yarn is a member of the Craft Yarn Council, we list our yarn weights based on the standards that they’ve developed. However, determining wraps per inch at home is a great way for knitters and crocheters to determine how yarn weights will work for their personal use.
Marsha
I was at the store the other day and a “non-crocheter” was in the yarns looking for “3-ply” yarn which was on her son’s school list….. I hadn’t heard of yarn referred to in that manner….. I am use to worsted, sock, baby, sport, etc. I had to stop and think about it!
debwayedsar
could you use size 5 crochet thread for #1 weight yarn?
Zontee
Hi Deb, I believe so. You may want to read this article from designer Vashti Braha’s site for more info:Â
http://crochetpatterncompanion.blogspot.com/2010/08/cotton-crochet-thread-sizes-equivalents.html
april
What is the difference between fingering yarn and #10 cotton bedspread weight yarn?
Thank-you, April
Zontee
Hi April, they are about the same thickness; however, #10 bedspread crochet thread is most often 100% mercerized cotton, with a Z-twist (meaning it’s spun in a counter-clockwise fashion). This kind of crochet thread is very smooth. As with any weight of yarn, fingering-weight yarns can be any kind of fiber and texture–you can certainly substitute fingering weight yarns into a pattern that suggests #10 crochet thread, keeping in mind the fact that the results may look somewhat different from the original. Whenever substituting yarns, we do recommend that you make a test swatch with the new yarn to see if you like the results before continuing. Hope that helps!
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[…] What Is Fingering/Sock/Sport/DK/Worsted…Weight Yarn? […]
Judy Brown
If a pattern calls for DK doubled, may I use a single #6 and get the same results?
paula
I would like to see the yards per ounce listed on the labels. That tell me more about the yarn than any other information…. wraps per inch, stitches per inch, can be pretty subjective by the person doing knitting or wrapping!! I know exactly what I need to know by how many yards per ounce a yarn is ….I can then pick up my needles and start “swatching” or do my own wraps per inch on my calculator!.
Sue Scott
What does 1oz yarn mean??
Frances B Jarvis
I use “total yards†on a lable to determan what to buy. However some yarn lables do not list this. Why?
Helen Long
Substituting yarn question.
Can I use two strands of Vann’a’s Glamour # 2 fine in a scarf pattern calling for worsted #4.?
Thank you so much in advance.