How to Calculate Yarn Substitutions

You can substitute yarn for most any project.

Most knitting and crochet patterns call for a particular kind of yarn. While the design may be lovely in that yarn, there are a lot of reasons to choose something different. Perhaps the yarn is discontinued, you can't find it in your area or it is beyond your budget. Or maybe you want to use yarn in your stash or it just doesn't come in a color you like. Whatever the reason, substituting a different yarn is easy if you consider a few things.

Instructions

1. Check the pattern for the yarn weight. Yarn comes in a range of weights from fine lace-weight to super bulky. For successful substitution, find a yarn that has the same weight as the pattern.

2. Study the design. Not all yarn is suitable for all designs. For example, a cabled wool sweater needs a yarn with some "memory" to create the crossed stitches. In addition, cables are heavy. So an inelastic and heavy cotton yarn is not a good substitute for wool.

3. Find the amount of yarn the pattern calls for. The yarn label lists the skein's yardage and the pattern lists how many skeins you'll need. Multiply those two figures for the total yardage. When you find a suitable yarn, divide that yarn's skein yardage by the total amount to find out how many skeins you need.

4. Consider the color. Multicolored or variegated yarns are beautiful, but they are not always a good substitute for solid color yarns. If your pattern uses lace, cables or detailed stitch patterns, the design can get lost in a highly variegated yarn. If you like multicolored yarns, consider one with subtle or tonal color changes.

5. Knit or crochet a gauge swatch to make sure the substituted yarn matches the pattern's gauge requirements. If the pattern's gauge is in a pattern stitch, make sure to use that same stitch with the substituted yarn. Wash and dry the swatch before checking the gauge.

Tips & Warnings

• Gauge is important in garments because you want them to fit. But for items like shawls or scarves, gauge is not as critical. However, the gauge swatch will help you determine if the substituted yarn is suitable for the design.

References

• "Knitty"; Thinking Beyond the Pattern, a Field Guide to Yarn Substitutions; Jenna Wilson; Winter 2003
• "Knitting Rules"; Stephanie Pearl-McPhee; 2006
• Knitting Brain: Yarns
• Jimmy Beans Wool: Need to Substitute Yarn?