Calculator: Yarn Substitutions for Yardages

Posted on By Mikey 12 Comments on Calculator: Yarn Substitutions for Yardages
Yarn Substitution Calculator
Yarn Substitution Calculator

How Much Yarn Will You Need?

Many crocheters substitute yarns all the time but are unsure how to calculate it.

For this calculator, you need to know the following to enter into the spots:

  • On the pattern How many balls of yarn does it require? Separate by colour if you have multiple colours and do the calculator for each colour.  
  • The pattern tells you which yarn to use. Tell me how many yards are on that recommended ball. If you don’t know that, find the yarn makers website and look up the yarn. Most makers of yarn have that information published.
  • Now, look at the ball that you want to change the yarn too. Tell me how many yards are on that ball?

Yarn Calculator

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Comments (12) on “Calculator: Yarn Substitutions for Yardages”

  1. Hi Mikey!
    Happy New Year! I’m starting a temperature blanket, I have 7 colors picked out. I’m in South Carolina, and I’ve looked at your weather chart (thank you for the link) and I can see that I will be using more of the same color yarn in the warmer months, than in the colder months. We rarely get below 30, but we definitely start getting warmer around March – September, then it starts cooling off again. At any rate, how on earth can I figure out how many skeins of each color I would need? I’m thinking of using Caron Simply Soft, the 315 yd size, and probably a 5.5 hook. Can you help me? Please? xo

    1. I really don’t know that answer. Each of our climates would be different. I would divide up the warmer climates one increments so it appears to be more colourful. Example would be colour C is 60 – 65, D 66 – 70 for example. Just customize your chart to your climates.

  2. I want to make large doilies using a discontinued yarn called Aunt Lydia’s Denim. But doily patterns are mostly thread. Will I have to add or subtract stitches if I use those patterns with this larger ply cotton.

    1. Not usually. As long as the hook size matches the recommended yarn size. You will know in a few rounds if it won’t work.

  3. Does this calculator work if I wanted to substitute a medium weight yarn in place of a bulky/chunky yarn in a pattern? Many of the blanket/afghan patterns I like use chunkier weights, but I prefer to use a medium yarn as I am still new to crocheting and find it easier to work with.

  4. Hi Mikey,
    I am following your puffy baby blanket pattern and 10.5 Oz of bernat baby blanket yarn to make a full size blanket. Can you please let me know the number of chains required and the amount of yarn?
    Thank you for your time and assistance. I really like the puffy baby blanket pattern

    1. Evening Geetha, I don’t know the amount of yarn you would need because I haven’t made a blanket like that with that yarn in a larger size. Usually, full-size blankets are using 100 – 120 chains across.

  5. I’m new at this crochet….looking for a way to decide which needle goes with which yarn. Thanks

  6. I need to downsize the blanket I made for a friend to a toddler nap blanket. The original blanket pattern is Sophies Universe which I love. I also added the Sophies Universe All Grown Up additional pattern. Using #3, I used 5 balls of yarn 1245 yds in each ball. I want to use #2 yarn and need to know how much yard to purchase. I will be using the same color to crochet the blanket. Decided on one color as I wanted the pattern of the stitches to show up and not get lost in the colors, even thou I do love the colors.

  7. Hi Mikey. I live in Australia and we do not really buy our wool/acrilic, by the skein or yard. We mostly buy it by the ply…either 2 or 3 or 4 ply(usually very nice baby wool, in pale colours) 6 ply sometimes socks and fine jumpers, but mostly 8 ply for almost anything, including granny squares, and cushion covers etc….I am not expecting you to answer straight away, but it would be nice if there was some way maybe you or someone else could explain the differences…I do not buy online, so as some one else suggested just get it on line…I don’t, but it would be handy if I had the differences between skeins/yards and ply’s

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