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Yarn Substitution Calculator

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 to get an accurate answer. 
  • 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 has that information published.
  • Now look at the ball that you want to change the yarn too. Tell me how many yards is on that ball?

The calculator will calculate the following:

  • It will tell me how many yards the project requires by using the yardage on the suggested yarn and multiplying by the number of balls required.
  • It will then factor in the new yardage on the ball you want to change to. It will cross compare the yardage and give you the ball count you need.

 

Comments (43) on “Yarn Substitution Calculator”

  1. Annie says:
    October 8, 2018 at 11:38 am

    Trying to determine how many yards is in 16 ounces of worsted weight yarn.

    Reply
  2. Poplar Hill says:
    September 25, 2016 at 10:01 am

    I love this but I think box 4 should say “yards” not balls!

    Reply
    1. Joanne Marshall says:
      October 8, 2016 at 1:42 pm

      No, it needs to say “balls” because the conversion from yards to balls takes place in box 3.

      Reply
  3. Janice says:
    August 17, 2016 at 4:54 pm

    You are amazing…. What else can be said. Love to you all at cc

    Reply
  4. Rose Mullay says:
    August 17, 2016 at 11:03 am

    How much is the calculator?

    Reply
  5. Victoria says:
    December 21, 2015 at 1:26 pm

    My pattern calls for 32 oz of worsted weight yarn, but I want to substitute with a super bulky yarn (6), which comes in 8 oz balls (160 yds) how can I figure this one out?

    Reply
  6. john doe says:
    November 17, 2015 at 11:18 am

    deez nuts

    Reply
  7. Andrea says:
    September 14, 2014 at 4:05 pm

    I am wondering how much yarn i will need for a border on an afghan that i made. Do you have a magic tool for that?

    Reply
  8. Nancy Davies says:
    July 9, 2014 at 2:24 am

    Reading your articles about yarnaholics and hoarders has got me thinking. I looked around and … OMG !!! I AM ONE. !!!
    Now. My question is — is there somewhere I could look to answer the question “what can I make with, say 600 yds of something”? Or what kind of shawl can I make with 600 yds? How about a database where we can plug in how many yds we have and what we can make WITHOUT going out to buy enough to make something? Of course, I could just make a jillion squares and spend the rest of my life connecting them into afghans … And, oh yes, I do have a pile of squares waiting to be connected. Maybe 400 or so? Help ?!?

    Reply
    1. chiggins says:
      July 15, 2014 at 9:12 pm

      http://www.ravelry.com has a search feature that allows you to choose from all sorts of criteria for patterns. Some of them are yardage, colorways, hook size, yarn weight, etc. You also have many choices for what type of article you are wanting to make, such as shawl, sweater, various baby items, toys, afghans, etc.

      Reply
  9. Mikey, The Crochet Crowd says:
    June 9, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    I had a system failure… The calculator was unavailable for a bit… It’s now back up and running.

    Reply
    1. Ellen McClary says:
      June 13, 2014 at 12:28 am

      Genius!! Thank You!!!

      Reply
    2. lishap16 says:
      July 21, 2014 at 12:27 am

      I have a question Mikey! I have 2 skeins of Red Heart Pink Camo, and I’d like to calculate how big the blanket should be. I don’t want to make it too big and have to search for the same lot # for more yarn. The calculator here is, I guess sort of confusing to me, math was NEVER my favorite or strong course! LOL! Can you help me figure this out? Oh, it’s for an 18 month old and I want to use the C2C pattern. Guess that’s important info to have, lol! Thank you Mikey, for any help you or ANYONE can offer!

      Reply
      1. Belinda Sziber says:
        November 10, 2015 at 9:28 pm

        I was just looking for the same exact answer for the same blanket with the same yarn…LOL

      2. happyhker says:
        August 21, 2016 at 1:07 am

        hi lishap crochet until u use half your wool and then decrease or if u want to edge it go a few rows less and then decrease .yeah I know still diceing with the drama of enough to edge or use a contrasting colour and edge in it

    3. Eva Lee Henley says:
      February 9, 2015 at 5:55 pm

      I can’t pull uP the calculator

      Reply
  10. Michele Knight says:
    June 5, 2014 at 3:31 pm

    Are the calculators “down”? I’m not able to use them. I just get:

    [CP_CALCULATED_FIELDS id="6"]

    [CP_CALCULATED_FIELDS id="9"]

    The same goes for the Afghan Calculator…

    Reply
    1. Susan Baldwin says:
      June 7, 2014 at 3:47 pm

      Me too! I thought it was just me.There are always a few “bugs” when something’s new. But it promises to be great!

      Reply
    2. Hannah says:
      June 9, 2014 at 10:58 am

      I am getting the same thing. bummer

      Reply
    3. Mikey, The Crochet Crowd says:
      June 9, 2014 at 7:35 pm

      I had a sytem failure… it turned the functions off… It’s now back up and running.

      Reply
  11. Summer says:
    June 5, 2014 at 11:39 am

    The calculator work great on the website, but the one in the android app has no place to enter information.

    Reply
    1. Mikey, The Crochet Crowd says:
      June 5, 2014 at 11:47 am

      I think I might remove this from the APP area. I think that programming is interfering with this function and leave this only for website use. It’s becoming harder to accommodate and/or afford all of the different platforms people are using.

      Reply
  12. Linda Weiss says:
    June 4, 2014 at 2:27 pm

    Where can the Crochet Calculator be orders, I don’t see it on your website?

    Reply
    1. Mikey, The Crochet Crowd says:
      June 4, 2014 at 3:11 pm

      Look at the top menu… see patterns… when you scroll over it the menu pops down… you will see them there.

      Reply
  13. Vicki says:
    June 4, 2014 at 2:15 pm

    Thank you Mikey. You continue to be amazing!

    Reply
  14. anna says:
    June 4, 2014 at 8:28 am

    OMG Thank you Mikey!!!! You are the bestest of the best!!!!!!

    Reply
  15. Penny says:
    June 4, 2014 at 4:30 am

    Fabulous and convenient addition to the Crochet Crowd web site. Cuddoes, Mikey. You are always thinking of us.

    Reply
    1. RIcki Lieberman says:
      July 27, 2017 at 6:58 am

      How do I get to the calculator?

      Reply
  16. Bonnie says:
    June 3, 2014 at 8:02 pm

    This is great, and very thoughtful of you. 🙂

    Reply
  17. Shirley Senior says:
    June 3, 2014 at 4:21 pm

    the calculators sounds great but I don’t have an android or the other to download the apps….is there some other way I can get them????

    Reply
    1. Mikey, The Crochet Crowd says:
      June 3, 2014 at 4:59 pm

      You can use our online website for it. That’s where it comes from.

      Reply
  18. Jenny says:
    June 3, 2014 at 4:19 pm

    Maybe a different color for the boxes, I have a friend with partial sight and she struggles as well.
    Well done for getting it up and running its a great addition!

    Reply
  19. Kathleen Hart says:
    June 3, 2014 at 4:14 pm

    Great calculators…but I would love to know how to figure out how many skeins of yarn I would need of each color to do a graphighan…do you have a method of calculating that (or a calculator)? It would be based on a stitch count of each color. Thanks in advance if you or someone could answer.

    Reply
  20. Ruth Smoluk says:
    June 3, 2014 at 3:41 pm

    I am lost doing this Calculator.

    Reply
  21. Linda says:
    June 3, 2014 at 3:30 pm

    Thank you! A great, useful tool…..Linda

    Reply
  22. Michelle says:
    June 3, 2014 at 3:29 pm

    Hi. These calculators are great. BUT – would you please ask the designer to make the boxes darker, or give them a dark outline? They are too difficult for me to see. thanks.

    Reply
    1. Mikey, The Crochet Crowd says:
      June 3, 2014 at 3:33 pm

      I’m the guy for the program and unfortunately, that is something I cannot change… I’m sorry… I agree with you but I cannot do anything about it on my end here. Michael

      Reply
  23. Mikey, The Crochet Crowd says:
    June 3, 2014 at 3:18 pm

    I’m going to switch the calculations to Yards instead of feet.

    Reply
    1. stacy says:
      February 9, 2015 at 4:15 pm

      So for the mystery afghan challenge that calls for 6 ounce skein of caron yarn if we substitute a 5 ounce skein of red heart to use instead of the caron how many skein will we need?

      Reply
  24. Patricia Reilley says:
    June 3, 2014 at 2:57 pm

    This is so great – thanks, Mikey!

    Reply
  25. Pingback: Yarn Calculators » The Crochet Crowd
    1. Michele Knight says:
      June 3, 2014 at 2:56 pm

      These are great! However, is there a way to change “feet” to “yards”? As most skeins show the yardage

      Reply
      1. Mikey, The Crochet Crowd says:
        June 3, 2014 at 3:17 pm

        Yep… it can be done.

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