If you have read the article on how to decipher a label on a skein of wool, you have certainly wanted to go further and understand all the names for wool sizes: fingering, lace, Nm etc.
Let's go ahead and dive into the technical side.
Wool sizes
First, let's talk about titling
This article will enlighten you on the different sizes of wool available on the market and their names depending on the country.
When making my wool, I had to delve into the technical terms of industrial spinning and understand what counting was.
You might ask: what's the point of knowing this?
In some online stores, including Colourmart which supplies wholesale yarns from the textile industry – cashmere here I come – wools are classified according to the count. Not according to their thickness or their use or the needles needed to knit them.
The titration
The count indicates the thickness of a thread, so it gives you the ratio between the weight (we are talking here about a kilo) and the length of the thread. The more thread there is per kilo, the finer the thread will be, therefore the higher the count will be. The unit used to indicate this count will be the Nm or metric number.
The metric number
This metric number will indicate the amount of yarn (the yardage) per kilogram of wool. So, for example, you might find a number like Nm28, which would mean you have 28,000 meters of yarn per kilogram.
Let's go a little further if you don't mind.
Sometimes you can find this indication Nm 2/28 like here at Colourmart
Let’s decipher what these numbers mean
- Nm means metric number so you will know that the reference weight is the kilogram
- Then the second number gives you the footage so here we have 28000 m (or 28 km) of wool spun in a single strand
- And the very first number speaks of the number of times the yarn is twisted (in this case we have a two-ply yarn)
So, in short, we are dealing with a 2-ply yarn weighing 14,000 m per kilo. In fact, you have to divide the second number by the first to get the final yarn quantity.
So, in knitting language, you will end up with a yarn of 1400 meters per 100 g, therefore a lace yarn or even cobweb!
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Let's get to the point, the names of wool sizes
This is where things get complicated because depending on where the wool is produced, the names will be different.
In Europe, yarn stores simply list the needle size needed to knit the yarn. Sometimes, it also lists its intended use, e.g., baby yarn, sock yarn, or lace yarn.
But you will also find mention of names like superfine, fine, light, medium, coarse etc. Very clear names that only require you to take a look at the label to check the needle size to make sure it is what you are looking for.
It is not the same for the wools of the English-speaking knitting world; and with the arrival of Ravelry, these mentions tend to extend to the French-speaking world.
Let's clarify things a little.
Here are the names you might find on yarns purchased online and sometimes even in stores: fingering, lace, worsted, aran, DK, etc. It's enough to make you lose your Latin, isn't it?
So let's review each size of wool with its English name.
The finest :
- Cobweb: This term means spider web. I think this one speaks for itself, it is a very fine lace yarn (often more than 1400 m per 100 g) particularly used to make Shetland or Orenburg shawls (those shawls which can go through a wedding ring or commonly called "wedding ring shawls" in English).
- Lace or lace thread: Lace skeins generally weigh 700 to 800 m per 100 g. They are knitted with needles ranging from 2 to 3.5 mm. They are generally used for airy lace shawls but sometimes also for making lightweight tops.
The fine ones, my favorites :
- Light fingering: This yarn is somewhere between lace and fingering. Skeins are generally a little over 400 m. These are the yarns most commonly used for making socks or mittens.
- Fingering: Fingering yarn can be compared to baby yarn, which is knitted between 3 and 4 mm. It is my favorite yarn for sweaters and shawls; not too thick, not too warm, and with a finish that is just perfect for textures. The skeins are between 360 and 400 meters per 100g.
Those more dedicated to sweaters :
- Sport: Sport yarn is the yarn that falls between fingering and DK. It is a little less common on the market than DK but it is lighter, it is often knitted in 4 mm. It will be perfect for sweaters. Skeins generally have 280 to 300 m per 100 g.
- DK: The meaning of DK is: "double knit." There was a time when spinning mills didn't have the technical capabilities to spin yarns thicker than fingering. So they doubled the yarn to get a thicker yarn. As you can see, if you don't have DK on hand, you can knit two fingering yarns together to get the same result. A skein is generally 200 m / 100 g and is knitted in 4 or 4.5 mm.
THE more big:
- Worsted: This yarn will knit in 4.5, 5, or 5.5 mm. It is much thicker, and a skein contains approximately 150 to 180 m of yarn per 100 g.
- Aran: This is not a different category, but another name for worsted yarn. Some will say it is different, others will tell you it is not. Personally, I have never seen any difference between worsted and aran; and as its name suggests, it is perfect for "Aran" sweaters, those Irish sweaters dotted with cables!
Very thick wools:
- Bulky: This is a really thick yarn! It knits in 5.5 mm or 6 mm and sometimes even more. Perfect for a quick knit hat. I don't recommend it for a sweater unless you live in Iceland and go out in -20°!
- Chunky: Here you will find all the yarns above bulky, those that are knitted with stakes: from 8 to 15 mm or even 20 mm! I admit that I never knit this kind of quality, the needles being difficult to handle.
In conclusion…
Here are a few brief descriptions of the wool weights available on the market. There's much more to say about wool and even its names, but that will be for other posts!
If you have any additional questions or suggestions, please feel free to share them below in the comments section.
See you soon,
Christelle
Comments 4
Thank you very much for these explanations which are very enlightening for me as a beginner.
Author
My pleasure !
Hello, Thank you for this very comprehensive and super interesting article! I learned a lot!
Author
My pleasure !