Yarn Yardage Calculator
The yarn yardage calculator converts the yarn you have into usable length. Enter how many grams you own along with your skein’s weight and yardage, and it works out the total yards and meters – so you can tell at a glance whether your stash is enough for a pattern.
How many yards is your yarn?
How the yarn yardage calculator works
Yarn is sold by weight, but patterns are written in length, and the two only line up if you know the yarn’s yards-per-gram. The yarn yardage calculator takes the grams you have and divides by the weight of one full skein to find how many skeins that represents, then multiplies by the yards printed on the label. The same method works for full skeins, partial balls, and a mixed stash alike, as long as every entry uses the numbers from that specific yarn.
Because one gram of a thin lace yarn contains far more length than one gram of a chunky yarn, you cannot convert grams to yards without the label information. That is why the calculator asks for both the skein weight and the skein length; together they set the exact ratio for your specific yarn.
Worked example
Imagine you have 250 grams of a yarn whose label reads 100 grams and 220 yards per skein. Dividing 250 by 100 gives 2.5 skeins worth of yarn.
Multiplying 2.5 skeins by 220 yards gives 550 yards, which is about 503 meters. If your pattern calls for 500 yards you have just enough – though buying one more skein of the same dye lot would give you a safe margin.
Reading a label for the yarn yardage calculator
Every ball band lists the net weight in grams and the length in yards or meters; enter those two numbers exactly as printed. The Craft Yarn Council guide to yarn labels explains each symbol you will see, including the weight category and recommended gauge.
If your label shows meters instead of yards, multiply meters by 1.094 to get yards before entering the value, or simply read the meters result. Yardage can vary slightly between dye lots and even between skeins, so treat the total as an estimate. For definitions of the weight categories that affect yards per gram, see the Standard Yarn Weight System.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I convert grams of yarn to yards?
Divide the grams you have by the weight of one skein to get the number of skeins, then multiply by the yards per skein from the label. For example, 300 grams of a 100 gram, 200 yard skein equals 600 yards.
Why do I need the skein weight and length?
Because yards per gram is different for every yarn. A thin fingering yarn packs far more length into 100 grams than a bulky yarn does, so the label numbers are the only reliable way to convert weight into length.
How many meters are in a yard?
One yard equals 0.9144 meters, and one meter equals about 1.094 yards. The yarn yardage calculator shows both units so you can match whichever your pattern uses.
Can I use this for partial skeins?
Yes. Weigh the leftover yarn on a kitchen scale in grams and enter that figure. The calculator scales the yardage down proportionally, which is handy for deciding whether an odd ball is enough for a hat or a pair of mittens.
Are label yardages exact?
They are close but not guaranteed. Manufacturers allow small tolerances, and yardage can drift between dye lots. Treat the result as a reliable estimate and keep a little extra on hand for large projects.