How much yarn?

[Clark Badgett]

If I were wanting to make a couple pairs of socks, and a decent sized scarf, about how much yarn would I need to buy?

[KarinTimour]

Re: How much yarn?

Dear Clark:

This depends on the size of the needles and the size of the yarn that you're planning to use.

When you buy yarn you want to look at both the package and the yardage. Worsted weight yarn, Aran weight yarn and Double Knitting weight yarn (also known as "DK") tends to be sold in 2 different units of measure -- a "skein" or a "hank." The yardage on these can vary by brand and by type of yarn. Most are around 200-275 yards, some are as low as 100 yards.

Sport weight yarn is generally sold in either a hank or a "ball". Sock yarn, Fingering yarn, baby weight yarn are all sold in balls. Balls tend to be sold at a 50 gram ball, and the yardage varies by how fine the yarn.

Socks
A word of warning on buying modern "sock yarn" to make socks. Modern knitters have a belief that wool socks wear out immediately if they are made without a man-made fiber spun into the yarn for "reinforcement." Always look on the label of the yarn you're considering to see it's content. If there is ANY non-natural fiber content, run away, run away! I've been on some events that were so cold and miserable that we had to have someone on fire watch at night to keep people from rolling into the fire in their sleep. And I've gotten many socks in for repair with the toes scorched off. I've conducted burn tests in my kitchen sink with 100% wool yarn and with modern sock yarn. When I touched a match to the 100% wool, it smoldered and went out. When I put the flame to the modern sock yarn, instantaneously I got nearly a 3 foot flare that almost caught the kitchen cabinets on fire. If socks made with modern sock yarn get too close to flame, the man-made fiber in them will melt to the skin. This is also true for "wooly nylon reinforcing fiber." My advice is to avoid both.

But will socks wear out without reinforcing fiber? Not if they are made at 7, 8, 9 stitches per inch.

I make socks on a size 0 needle and use 4 ounces of fingering yarn to make a pair. That's about 422 yards of yarn. If you want to make contrasting color heels and toes, you'll need about 2 ounces of the contrasting color.

Scarves
While it's possible to make a servicable scarf from worsted weight yarn, that's not what was used in the 1860s. I'd consider a fingering or sport weight yarn for a scarf, and when I make them, I make them 10 inches wide and 60-65 inches long.

Fingering weight scarves: These are knit on a size 4 needle and you'd need 600 to 700 yards of yarn.

Sport weight scarves: Knit on a size 5 needle, you'd need somewhere between 700 yards and 800 yards of yarn.

As a first time knitter, make sure when you buy yarn that it is of not only the same color, but the same dye lot. When they dye yarn, even if it's the same color, there can be slight variations in the color if one skein came from another dye lot. If you run short as you are nearing the end of your project, and they only have yarn from another dye lot, you'll see the line in the scarf where you started the skein from the other dye lot. Most stores will allow you to return unused yarn for a certain period of time. Ask when you buy the yarn how long you have to return unused yarn. To keep track, I write this informaiton on the back of the receipt, and keep the receipt and the ball band from the first skein all together in a safe file in case I need to return unused balls or skeins.

Hope that's helpful,

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Clark Badgett]

Re: How much yarn?

Karin, thanks for the answer, again. I have both worsted and sporting weight 100% wool yarn right now. I use the worsted weight for practicing with. I was planning on use the sporting weight for the scarf and eventually the socks, and currently use the standard #8 needles that are 9" long. I plan to also get some double ended needles soon.

The sporting weight yarns I have are in 465 yard skeins. I find it at a local Hobby Lobby and it's the Lion brand fishermans wool in solid colors, and a bit smaller in diameter than the worsted weight I have. I will wait until I get real good before I invest in the natural dyed or more specialty yarns.

I tend to avoid synthetic materials as much as possible even in modern clothing as the synthetics leave a lot to be desired as far as feel. My lable reading drives the wife crazy.

[KarinTimour]

Re: How much yarn?

Dear Clark:

Sounds like a plan. Reading the label is a very good habit to cultivate, especially with yarn. I recently found out that when companies advertise that the yarn is "90% wool, 10% donegal" that the "donegal" is actually "acrylic." But the casual reader would see that and think "donegal wool."

You may find that when you knit with the sport weight yarn you'll want to drop down a few sizes on the needles, as sport weight yarn knit on a #8 is likely going to be pretty lacy -- won't do much to keep you warm.

Good luck and keep knitting!
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com