Do you want to know what confuses me the most about fiber crafts? Yarn terminology & weights! It feels like there are 100 different ways to say the same thing. Below I am going to try to simplify the varied ways to label yarn, determine weight, and the hooks/needles that correspond with each weight.
I grabbed this chart from Craft Yarn Council | Yarn Weight System Standards website. This is based on the ‘industry standard’ and can vary a titch from brand to brand.
Regional Types
There is another conversion chart that I want to share from Laughing Hens | Yarn Conversion Chart – I love this chart because it breaks down the different “types” by UK, Australian Ply, and US.
0. Lace | UK-Lace | Australian-2ply | US-Lace
1. Super Fine | UK-3-4ply | Australian-3-4ply | US-Fingering
2. Fine | UK-4ply | Australian-5ply | US-Sport
3. Light | UK-DK | Australian-8ply | US-DK
4. Medium | UK-Aran | Australian-10ply | US-Worsted
5. Bulky | UK-Chunky | Australian-12-14ply | US-Bulky
6. Super Bulky | UK-Super Chunky | Australian-16ply | US-Super Bulky
It was only a short while ago I found out that types of yarn can be specific to region. This helped me navigate and understand the “types” listed in the chart & described in patterns.
How to read a label
Each label is laid out very different. This is from one of my recent projects (Pound of Love from Yarnspirations). You will usually see the weight/type, gauge/hook&needle recommendation, care instructions, and how much yarn is in the skein.

Leave a comment