Determining Yarn Weights

Yarn comes in different thicknesses or yarn weights. In this video, Corrina Ferguson shares tips for determining the weight of a yarn. She looks at both the wraps per inch (WPI) as well as the gauge to determine the thickness of the yarn.

Yarn Weight

There are eight standard yarn weights. They are:

• Lace
• Super Fine
• Fine
• Light
• Medium
• Bulky
• Super Bulky
• Jumbo

Corrina focuses on the seven most common yarn weights in the video.

Wraps Per Inch (WPI)

The wraps per inch of a yarn is determined by wrapping the yarn around a knitting needle and then measuring how many times it is wrapped around the needle in a one-inch segment. Corrina demonstrates this with a super bulky yarn and a worsted-weight yarn.

Gauge

The gauge of a yarn is also an important tool for figuring out the weight of a yarn. A small swatch can be worked in stockinette stitch (knit on right side/purl on wrong side) and the stitches can be counted to determine the gauge. Corrina demonstrates this on a worsted weight swatch. She counts the stitches over a two-inch segment, which allows her to calculate the stitches per inch.

Wraps per inch and gauge are important tools for determining yarn weight and can help you figure out what type of yarn you have, even if the yarn label is missing.

Get the Wraps Per Inch Cheat Sheet PDF here.