- Jun 26, 2022
- 2 min read

Yarn Weights, Explained

Updated: Mar 30, 2023

When you walk into a craft store or yarn shop it’s easy to quickly become overwhelmed with all of the different yarn choices. If you are brand new to crochet and you are trying to decide which yarn to use for a hat, for example, but there are hundreds of options, it may be hard for you to know which one is perfect for your project. While every yarn isn’t perfect for every project, increasing your knowledge about yarn weights will allow you to be a lot more creative in your choices.

The Yarn Weight System

Yarn 'weight' refers to the thickness of the yarn, not the literal weight (heaviness) of the yarn. The range goes from 0 (the thinnest) to 7 (the thickest) and you can see the full Standard Yarn Weight System here.

Here is a snapshot of what each yarn weight symbol looks like, this is what you will see on yarn labels:

Yarn Weights Broken Down

You will see the symbols above on nearly every yarn label. Below is a more extensive breakdown of yarn weights.

	Lace yarn (0) is also known as “cobweb” or “light fingering” yarn. This is the thinnest yarn available. It is just barely thicker than thread. Lace yarn is mostly used for creating lace, or doilies.
	Super fine yarn (1) is also known as “fingering” yarn. This yarn is very thin and is mostly used for lace as well as socks. It is also sometimes used for making baby items.
	Fine yarn (2) is also known as “sport” yarn. This yarn is very fine and is also great for baby projects. It is also used for heirloom sweaters and other delicate accessories and is sometimes used in lightweight afghans.
	Light yarn (3) is also known as “DK” or “light worsted” yarn. This yarn is slightly heavier than the fine weight yarn and is often used for items such as garments and heavier baby items.
	Medium yarn (4) is also known as “aran”, “afghan”, or “worsted weight” yarn. This is the most frequently used yarn weight. It is great for beginners as it is easy to work with. This yarn weight is great for making blankets and afghans.
	Bulky yarn (5) is also known as “chunky”, “craft”, or “rug” yarn. This yarn is very thick and it works up very quickly when using larger hooks. It is great for making scarves, rugs, and throws.
	Super bulky yarn (6) is also known as “roving” yarn. Super bulky yarn is a thick yarn that works up quickly. It is most commonly used for scarves, hats, blankets, and throws.
	Jumbo yarn (7) is also known as “roving” yarn. Jumbo yarn is the thickest yarn weight. Jumbo yarns are great for arm knitting and they work up extremely fast.

Yarn Weight and Suggested Hook Sizes

Just as you can be easily overwhelmed by yarn, crochet hooks can also be pretty intimidating in the beginning! I’ve definitely been there, but don’t worry, this should make things a little more clear for you!

Each yarn weight has a suggested crochet hook size. Please remember that this is a suggestion, NOT a rule. When I first began learning crochet I stuck to these recommendations because it was easiest.

Now that I’ve been crocheting for a while, I know that I tend to crochet a little more loosely than most people, so I typically go down a size or two. If you are working off a pattern, there will typically be a hook size listed for you so you won’t even have to think about it!

Yarn Weight	Suggested Hook Size
0– Lace	(B-1) 2.25 mm, 2.50 mm
1– Super Fine	(C-2) 2.75 mm, (D-3) 3.25 mm
2– Fine	(E-4) 3.50 mm, (F-5) 3.75 mm
3– Light	(G-6) 4.00 mm, (7) 4.50 mm, (H-8) 5.00 mm
4– Medium/Worsted	(I-9) 5.50 mm, (J-10) 6.00 mm, (K-11) 6.50 mm
5– Bulky	7.00 mm, (L) 8.00 mm, (M/N) 9.00 mm
6– Super Bulky	(N/M) 10.00 mm, 12.00 mm
7– Jumbo	(P/Q) 15.00 mm, (Q) 16 mm