Yarn for popular gifts
| Gift | DK (yd) | Worsted (yd) | Bulky (yd) | Worsted skeins (200 yd, +10%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby hat | 80 | 70 | 50 | 1 |
| Child hat | 140 | 110 | 80 | 1 |
| Adult hat | 190 | 150 | 110 | 1 |
| Adult mittens (pair) | 160 | 130 | 100 | 1 |
| Cowl | 240 | 190 | 140 | 2 |
| Adult scarf (7 × 60 in) | 420 | 340 | 250 | 2 |
| Baby blanket (30 × 36 in) | 1,080 | 860 | 650 | 5 |
| Throw (50 × 60 in) | 3,000 | 2,400 | 1,800 | 14 |
Plain knitting (stockinette, garter or rib). For crochet, add about 30%; for cables, add 25–30%. Adult socks need about 450 yards of fingering weight for the pair. The numbers match the yarn calculator.
Yarn cost calculator: skeins and priceOpen the calculator
Planning a gift list
- Write down each person and the gift, with the size. For hats, the hat size chart gives head sizes by age.
- Add up the yardage per yarn and colour, plus 10% for swatches and seams.
- Buy each colour from a single dye lot.
- Check the total with the yarn cost calculator, especially if you are comparing two yarns.
Gifts that finish fast
- Bulky hats and cowls: small, quick, and one or two skeins each.
- Mittens and fingerless mitts: less than a skein of worsted.
- Scarves in bulky yarn: fewer stitches per row, so a whole scarf goes much faster than in DK.
- Leave blankets and sweaters for gifts you start early: they take thousands of yards and many hours.
Gift tag tip
Keep a yarn label and add a small care note to the gift: hand wash or machine wash, and how to dry. It saves a handmade wool hat from the dryer.
Yarn cost calculator: skeins and priceOpen the calculator
Questions
How many skeins for a hat?
One 200-yard skein of worsted is enough for an adult hat in plain knitting. A pom-pom or a contrast brim needs a little extra yarn.
How much yarn for a scarf?
About 340 yards of worsted for a 7 × 60 in scarf in plain knitting, or 250 yards of bulky.
What is the quickest knitted gift?
A bulky-weight hat or cowl. It needs only one or two skeins and few stitches per round.