Yarn Yardage & Weight Conversion
Calculate how many skeins of yarn you need for a project, and convert between yards per skein and grams.
Results
What is it?
Yarn yardage is the total length of yarn wound on a skein. Patterns list total yardage needed; you divide by yards per skein and round up to find how many skeins to buy. The yards-per-100g metric lets you compare yarn densities across different weights and fiber types.
How to use
Read the yards and grams from your yarn label. Enter the total yardage required by your pattern. The calculator tells you how many complete skeins to buy and how many grams total you need.
Example scenario
220 yards per skein, 100g per skein. Pattern needs 440 yards: buy 2 skeins (200g). Yards per 100g = 220 yd/100g — this is typical DK weight yarn. Worsted weight is usually 190-200 yd/100g; lace weight 800-1000+ yd/100g.
Pro tip
Always buy one extra skein beyond what you calculate — dye lot differences make it impossible to perfectly match yarn purchased later. Store the spare skein and return it if unused (many yarn stores allow returns on full skeins). For color-sensitive projects, check that all skeins share the same dye lot number printed on the label.