Yarn estimator
How much yarn your project needs, expressed as an honest range instead of false precision.
Use metres for metric yarn and finished dimensions, yards for imperial.
Blocked swatch width, measured across the middle.
Blocked swatch height, measured up the middle.
How much yarn the blocked swatch used, in yards.
Optional. Leave blank if you don't know the skein yardage.
Optional. Defaults to 15%.
Your estimate
Show the math
Your swatch density is 0.5 yards per square in. That density applied to the project area gives an estimated 3200 yd.
| Swatch area | 4 in × 4 in | = 16 in² |
|---|---|---|
| Yarn per area | 8 yd ÷ 16 in² | = 0.5 yd/in² |
| Project area | Σ(piece area × quantity) | = 400 in² |
| Estimate | 0.5 yd/in² × 400 in² × (1 + 15) | = 3200 yd |
| Range | estimate ± 10% | = 2880 to 3520 yd |
| Skeins | ceil(3200 ÷ 220) | = 15 skeins |
The range is ±10% of the estimate, which reflects swatch measurement uncertainty.
The general formula
swatch_area = swatch_width × swatch_height yards_per_sq_unit = yarn_used ÷ swatch_area project_area = Σ(piece_width × piece_height × quantity) estimate = yards_per_sq_unit × project_area × (1 + waste) range = estimate ± 10% skeins = ceil(estimate ÷ yards_per_skein)
What this calculation does not account for
- Colourwork or multiple yarns, which can change yarn usage dramatically.
- Very different stitch patterns between the swatch and the finished piece.
- Heavily textured fabrics where the swatch density does not match the whole garment.
- Yarn substitutions with different fibre content or yardage per weight.
How to use this
- Measure a blocked swatch in the same stitch pattern you plan to use.
- Weigh or measure the yarn used in that swatch.
- Enter the finished dimensions of each piece in your project, including quantities for identical pieces like sleeves.
Related calculators
Need to convert a pattern to your gauge first? Start with the gauge or pattern resize calculators. Planning a granny-square blanket? The granny-square calculator estimates its yarn too.