Calculate That Yardage

Many times when we start a project, we use a written pattern and the designer has been kind enough to tell us how many yards of yarn we need to get before casting on. Sometimes, though we are either adapting an existing pattern, creating something new, or if you’re like me, just winging the thing! Times like these call for a little help in the “wait, how much yarn do I need to make a dog sweater for my tiny doxie??” department.

Beginning knitters ask me if dye lot matters, and I can promise you from experience that it will. This means that when you are buying the yarn for your next scarf or wrap or blanket, you need to know approximately how much yardage you’ll need and get enough all in the same dye lot. For larger projects, this means you’ll need to order your yarn online, to ensure dye lot matching.

You can use the handy knit calculator over at Jimmy Beans by selecting your project type, finished size, and gauge and it will calculate for you the approximate yardage you’ll need to prevent a game of yarn chicken from breaking out.

Or you can download this nifty chart created by Lion Brand Yarns:

Of course, you’re just getting an estimate and your own knitting gauge will vary. Also, if you have a cat that eats yarn, you might want to buy extra, just in case!