Sweater Yarn Yardage Calculator
Estimate yarn yardage needed for a knitted sweater by chest size and yarn weight.
Covers adult sizes XS through 3XL across worsted to fingering yarn.
The single most common cause of a half-finished sweater is running out of yarn part way through. Yardage requirements rise faster than you expect with size, and worsted-weight estimates from a pattern do not transfer to fingering-weight substitutions without recalculation.
This calculator uses published yardage tables from the Yarn Council and Patons knitwear designers. The base estimate is for a long-sleeved crew-neck pullover; cardigans add about 10% for the front bands and button overlap; short sleeves drop about 20%; heavily textured projects (cables, stranded colorwork) can add 25-40% because both stitches and yarn carries consume more yarn per inch.
Rough per-size yardage ranges (long-sleeve crew, average gauge):
- XS / 32 in chest: 700-1500 yards depending on weight
- S / 36 in: 800-1700
- M / 40 in: 900-2000
- L / 44 in: 1000-2300
- XL / 48 in: 1100-2600
- 2XL / 52 in: 1300-2900
- 3XL / 56 in: 1500-3200
Within each size, fingering-weight uses the most yardage (because each stitch covers less surface), then sport, DK, worsted, bulky in descending order.
Always buy 10-20% extra. Dye lots vary subtly between batches, and ordering more later from a different lot may produce a visible color shift even with the same listed shade. Many knitters buy a “safety skein” of every project; if untouched, it gets used in scrap-yarn projects later.
Worked example: medium pullover (40 in chest), worsted weight, long-sleeve crew. Base estimate around 1450 yards. Add 15% safety = ~1700 yards. At 200 yards per skein, that’s 9 skeins.
Tips for stretching yardage:
- Knit sleeves first; you will know how much yarn you have left for the body and can shorten the sleeve cuffs if necessary
- Knit the body bottom-up so the yoke (which is most visible) gets the freshest dye lot
- Substitute a contrasting color for cuffs or hem if you start to run short
Pattern designers usually publish yardage requirements per size — trust those over generic estimates. This calculator is a sanity check for substitutions and stash-busting projects without a specific pattern.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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