Yarn Calculator

If you’ve ever finished a project and wondered exactly how much yarn you used, this little calculator does the maths for you.

It’s something I use all the time when I’m designing and sampling, but it’s just as useful when you’re working from a partial skein, keeping track of yarn for a project, test knitting, or trying to work out whether you’ve got enough left for something else.

There are two ways to calculate your yarn usage. You can weigh your yarn before and after knitting, or simply weigh your finished project. Enter the original weight and length of your skein, then choose the method that works best for you. The calculator will work out how much yarn you’ve used in grams, metres and yards.

How to use the calculator

Grab your yarn label and choose how you want to calculate your yarn usage.

Full skein weight — Enter the original weight shown on the yarn label, e.g. 100 g.

Full skein length — Enter the original length shown on the yarn label, e.g. 225 m or 246 yd, and select metres or yards.

If weighing your yarn before and after knitting:
Enter the weight of the yarn you have before you begin, then weigh what’s left once you’ve finished. This works with a full or partial skein.

If weighing your finished project:
Weigh the completed project and enter its total weight. For the most accurate result, exclude the weight of any buttons, zips, pom-poms or other non-yarn components.

Hit Calculate yarn used and you’ll get the approximate amount of yarn used in grams, metres and yards.

A note on accuracy

The calculator gives you an estimate based on the weight and length stated on your yarn label. Actual skein weights and lengths can vary slightly, so your results may not be exact.

For the most accurate result, use scales that measure to at least 0.1 g — particularly when weighing small amounts of yarn.

If you’re weighing a finished project, make sure it’s completely dry before weighing it.