Before you fill your basket
Make the numbers
make sense.
Original explanations and reproducible examples for planning a yarn purchase. Start with a question, then try the linked tool.
How many balls of wool for a crochet blanket? UK sizes
A single-bed crochet blanket takes 13–19 × 100 g balls of DK. Balls for every size from pram to king, worked out from 9 published patterns.
Read the guide ↗02 / Blanket quantitiesHow much wool for a baby blanket? Balls & grams (UK)
A 75 cm crochet pram blanket takes 3–5 × 100 g balls of Stylecraft Special DK. Compare wool quantities in balls and grams for UK baby blanket sizes.
Read the guide ↗03 / Blanket quantitiesHow many granny squares make a blanket? UK sizes
A 120 × 175 cm grid takes 54 squares at 20 cm or 96 at 15 cm, before a border. Compare UK blanket sizes, square counts and wool planning.
Read the guide ↗04 / Temperature blanketsHow much wool for a temperature blanket? By colour
For the 110 cm DK blanket example, allow one Special DK ball per colour for fewer than 30 daily rows. Compare UK temperature bands and ball counts.
Read the guide ↗05 / Hat quantitiesHow much yarn for a crochet hat or beanie?
An adult DK crochet beanie takes about 183–247 metres: one 100 g ball of Stylecraft Special DK. Compare baby, child and adult hats from 12 patterns.
Read the guide ↗06 / Scarf quantitiesHow many balls of wool for a scarf? Crochet DK & aran
An adult crochet scarf takes 2–3 × 100 g balls of DK or aran. Metres and balls for child, adult and long scarves, from 21 published patterns.
Read the guide ↗07 / Garment quantitiesHow much wool for a crochet cardigan? Sizes & balls
Size M in the 19-pattern cardigan and jumper sample needs about 5 balls of Special DK or 7 of Special Aran. Compare bust measurements and ranges.
Read the guide ↗08 / Yarn weightsUK yarn weights explained: 4 ply, DK, aran and chunky
UK yarn weights in real metres per 100 g: 4 ply, DK, aran, chunky and super chunky, from 40 UK-sold yarns, with US, CYC and Australian ply names.
Read the guide ↗09 / Yarn substitutionSubstituting DK yarn: metres per ball & wool quantities
Substituting yarn in crochet: 17 DK yarns run from 200 m to 330 m per 100 g. See the table and how 6 balls of one DK can become 7 or 9 of another.
Read the guide ↗10 / QuantitiesHow many balls of wool do I need? Metres to balls
Divide the metres your pattern needs by metres per ball, then round up each colour. Work out how many 50 g or 100 g balls of wool to buy.
Read the guide ↗11 / Colour planningWork out yarn for each colour separately, then round up
Why adding up all your colours can leave you a ball short, shown with a real three-colour blanket pattern, and how to round each colour on its own.
Read the guide ↗12 / Planning basicsShould I buy extra yarn? When one spare ball is worth it
When to buy one spare ball of your main colour, how to tell a ‘to buy’ quantity from a ‘used’ one, why dye lots matter, and UK shops’ returns windows for unopened balls.
Read the guide ↗13 / Shade referenceStylecraft Special DK colour chart: all shade codes
Stylecraft Special DK colour chart in one list: all 125 shade codes and names, grouped by colour family, newest shades marked. Checked October 2026.
Read the guide ↗14 / Blanket planningHow many chains for a blanket? By width, yarn and stitch
How many chains for a blanket, in centimetres: starting chains for 60–150 cm widths in DK, aran and chunky, from 34 published crochet tensions.
Read the guide ↗15 / Stocking quantitiesHow much yarn for a crochet Christmas stocking?
How much yarn to crochet a Christmas stocking: 20 published patterns compared in metres and grams, with 100 g ball counts for DK, aran and chunky yarn.
Read the guide ↗16 / Advent calendarsYarn advent calendars 2026 (UK): price per metre compared
Yarn advent calendar 2026 UK prices compared per 100 metres: minis, grams, metres, dispatch dates and stock from sellers’ pages, checked 1 October 2026.
Read the guide ↗17 / Hooks and yarnWhat hook size for DK, aran and chunky? UK ball bands
What size crochet hook for DK yarn? 4 mm on 23 of 31 UK DK ball bands. Hooks listed for 86 UK yarns, 4 ply to super chunky, against the US chart.
Read the guide ↗18 / Hook sizesCrochet hook sizes UK: mm, old UK and US chart
Crochet hook sizes UK: a chart from mm to US letters, old UK numbers and Japanese sizes, each column sourced, and the sizes where charts disagree.
Read the guide ↗19 / Shawl quantitiesHow much yarn for a crochet shawl? Triangle, virus and more
How much yarn for a shawl crochet project? 20 published patterns, triangle to virus and prayer shawls, in metres and balls of DK and 4 ply yarn.
Read the guide ↗20 / Blanket yarnAcrylic, cotton or wool for a crochet blanket? UK data
Best yarn for a crochet blanket in the UK? Weight and cost of a single-bed blanket in 23 DK yarns: acrylic, cotton and wool, plus wash and dryer rules.
Read the guide ↗21 / Cushion quantitiesHow much yarn for a crochet cushion cover? UK sizes
A 45 cm crochet cushion cover, front and back, takes 3–4 balls of Special DK. Compare UK pad sizes, metres and ball counts from published patterns.
Read the guide ↗22 / Bag quantitiesHow much yarn for a crochet bag? Totes & market bags
A medium crochet tote takes about 275–410 metres of aran-weight yarn. Compare cotton ball counts, grams and sizes from 24 published bag patterns.
Read the guide ↗23 / Yarn labelsYarn washing symbols & wool care labels (UK)
Read washing symbols and wool care labels on UK ball bands: wash temperatures, tumble drying, ironing and professional cleaning, with 86 yarns compared.
Read the guide ↗24 / Buying decisionsCheapest DK yarn in the UK: price per 100 m compared
The cheapest DK yarn in the UK by price per 100 m: 31 acrylic, cotton and wool DK yarns at six UK shops, checked 1 October 2026, plus a blanket costing.
Read the guide ↗25 / Toy quantitiesHow much yarn for amigurumi? Grams by finished size
Yarn used by 22 amigurumi patterns that state real usage, 20 by one designer: DK cotton toys of 12 to 26 cm took 45 to 120 g, or 3.5 to 6 g per cm.
Read the guide ↗26 / Knit vs crochetDoes crochet use more yarn than knitting? Pattern pairs
Does crochet use more yarn than knitting? 20 Lion Brand designs in both crafts: the crochet version asks you to buy a median 7% more, blankets 18%.
Read the guide ↗27 / Yarn substitutionStylecraft Special DK substitute: 8 UK yarns compared
Need a Stylecraft Special DK substitute? Yarnsmiths Create, Hayfield Bonus and 6 more DK yarns compared on metres, tension, shades, price and balls.
Read the guide ↗28 / Blanket quantitiesHow much yarn for a crochet blanket border?
How much yarn a crochet blanket border takes: an estimate from eight published borders, with DK metres and balls for 1 to 8 rounds on five sizes.
Read the guide ↗29 / Blanket quantitiesDoes moss stitch use more yarn? Blanket balls by size
Does moss stitch use more yarn? Not much: 564–996 g per m², against about 600–860 g for treble and granny. Balls for every blanket size, from 18 patterns.
Read the guide ↗30 / Christmas giftsQuick crochet Christmas gifts: yarn per gift and per ball
Quick crochet Christmas gifts from 27 free patterns: metres per gift, how many you get from one 100 g ball, and the yarn cost of each at UK prices.
Read the guide ↗31 / Garment quantitiesHow much wool for a granny square cardigan? By size
A size M aran granny square cardigan takes about 9 balls of Special Aran in the sample. Compare wool quantities, square counts and fit by size.
Read the guide ↗32 / Colour palettesStylecraft colour combinations: 25 pack palettes
Stylecraft colour combinations from 25 Special DK yarn packs, Attic24 included: every shade code, ball count and price, plus the shades used most often.
Read the guide ↗33 / Blanket costsCost to crochet a blanket in the UK: 2026 yarn study
How much does it cost to crochet a blanket? We priced 23 UK yarns on 2 October 2026. A single-bed DK blanket costs £23.27 to £197.08 in yarn.
Read the guide ↗34 / Granny squaresHow to join granny squares: joins and yarn compared
How to join granny squares: eight joins compared by look, stretch and yarn used, plus seam lengths and joining yarn totals for common blanket grids.
Read the guide ↗35 / C2C quantitiesHow much yarn for a C2C blanket? Tiles & balls
A single-bed C2C blanket takes about 14–19 balls of Special Aran or 13–19 of Special DK. Compare tiles, metres and sizes, with the DK evidence limits.
Read the guide ↗36 / Stitch termsDouble crochet UK vs US: terms chart and 29 patterns
Double crochet UK vs US: a UK dc is a US single crochet. Full terms chart, plus which terms 29 free patterns from UK-facing designers really use.
Read the guide ↗37 / Stitch quantitiesDo bobble and puff stitches use more yarn?
Do bobble and puff stitches use more yarn? In Bernat patterns in one yarn, scattered bobbles added 4–10%, and all-over texture about two thirds more.
Read the guide ↗38 / CAL yarn plannerStarfall CAL and UK crochet-alongs, winter 2026–27
Starfall CAL dates, yarn and price, plus five more UK crochet-alongs for autumn and winter 2026, with pack £ per 100 m checked 2 October 2026.
Read the guide ↗39 / Hooks and yarnBest crochet hooks UK: ergonomic, budget & beginner picks
Start with a 4 mm hook for DK and 5 mm for aran. Compare UK crochet hooks for everyday use, soft grips, budget sets and chunky yarn, without fake testing.
Read the guide ↗40 / Ready to orderWhen to order yarn for Christmas 2026: UK shops
Estimated Christmas 2026 order-by dates for nine UK yarn shops, from their delivery terms checked 2 October 2026, plus Royal Mail’s 2025 posting dates.
Read the guide ↗41 / Buying decisionsBest crochet kits for beginners UK (2026): 19 compared
Looking for a crochet starter kit? 19 UK beginner kits compared on yarn, hook, instructions and UK vs US terms, with quick picks. Prices checked October 2026.
Read the guide ↗42 / Getting startedWhat do you need to start crochet? A UK starter list
What do you need to start crochet? Six UK guides and one US guide compared, plus a costed UK starter list from under £5, prices checked 2 October 2026.
Read the guide ↗43 / DishclothsCrochet dishcloth yarn: how much, and which cotton?
How much yarn for a crochet dishcloth? 20 published patterns and 12 UK cotton yarns compared: metres per cloth, cloths per ball, cost and wash labels.
Read the guide ↗44 / Moon phase blanketsMoon phase blanket 2027: UK dates and yarn per colour
Moon phase blanket 2027: every new, quarter and full moon in UK time from the US Naval Observatory, days per phase colour and yarn for each colour.
Read the guide ↗45 / Baby hat sizesCrochet baby hat sizes: newborn measurements & wool
A 0–3 month crochet hat takes about 55–100 metres in the patterns checked. Compare newborn head measurements, hat sizes and wool quantities by age.
Read the guide ↗46 / Blanket sizesCrochet blanket sizes UK: a chart from real patterns
Crochet blanket sizes UK: baby, lap, throw and single-bed sizes from 32 published patterns, set against UK mattress sizes from Which?, IKEA and John Lewis.
Read the guide ↗47 / Garment quantitiesHow much wool for a crochet jumper? XS to 3XL
A size M crochet jumper takes about 6 balls of Special DK or 7 of Special Aran. Compare wool by size from 24 patterns, with fit and sleeve notes.
Read the guide ↗48 / Blanket timeHow long does it take to crochet a blanket?
How long does it take to crochet a blanket? Published times for 30 blankets and 10 granny squares, turned into hours by size, with the DK spread shown.
Read the guide ↗49 / Colour palettesHalloween colours in Stylecraft Special DK: 6 palettes
Halloween colours in Stylecraft Special DK, counted from 16 published patterns and packs: the shades used most and six palettes with codes to paste.
Read the guide ↗50 / HalloweenHalloween crochet: yarn per project and a 4-weekend plan
Halloween crochet from 21 free patterns: metres per pumpkin, bat or witch hat, how many from one ball, yarn cost at UK prices and a four-weekend plan.
Read the guide ↗51 / Pumpkin quantitiesHow much yarn for a crochet pumpkin? Metres by size
How much yarn for a crochet pumpkin, from 19 published patterns: metres and grams by size in DK, aran, chunky and chenille, plus stems and stuffing.
Read the guide ↗52 / Crochet historyHistory of crochet in Britain: a dated timeline
The history of crochet in Britain, from an 1812 Highland nightcap to Attic24: a sourced timeline, Irish crochet, and how UK and US terms split.
Read the guide ↗53 / Yarn historyWhere yarn weight names come from: ply, DK and aran
Why is it called double knitting? A sourced history of UK yarn names, from 4 ply and DK to aran and chunky, with a dated timeline and today’s metres.
Read the guide ↗54 / Crochet historyHistory of the granny square: what the archives show
The history of the granny square from the archives: an 1877 London shawl, 1930s Granny afghans, wartime blanket squares and the 2020 cardigan craze.
Read the guide ↗55 / Knitting tensionKnitting tension by UK yarn weight: 31 ball bands
Knitting tension for each UK yarn weight from 31 ball bands: stitches and rows per 10 cm, needle size and metres per 100 g, 4 ply to super chunky.
Read the guide ↗56 / Needle sizesKnitting needle sizes UK: mm, old UK and US chart
Knitting needle sizes UK: mm, old UK numbers and US sizes in one sourced chart, why the old numbers run backwards, and what real ball bands ask for.
Read the guide ↗57 / Knitting quantitiesHow much wool to knit a jumper? Balls by size (UK chart)
A size M knitted jumper takes about 5 × 100 g balls of DK or 7 of aran. Balls and metres for sizes S to XL, from 73 Stylecraft knitting patterns.
Read the guide ↗58 / Knitting quantitiesHow much wool to knit a blanket? UK sizes & balls
A knitted pram blanket takes about 3–4 balls of Special DK; a single-bed blanket 10–13. Compare wool quantities from 48 published knitting patterns.
Read the guide ↗59 / Baby makesHow much wool for a baby cardigan? Crochet balls & grams
A 0–3 month DK crochet cardigan takes about 366–406 metres in two published designs: 2 × 100 g balls of Special DK. Compare baby sizes and wool quantities.
Read the guide ↗60 / Wool planningHow much yarn do I need? UK wool & ball guides
Find wool quantities by project: baby blankets, cardigans, scarves, hats and home makes. Compare metres, grams and UK balls, then plan each colour.
Read the guide ↗61 / Baby makesHow much wool to knit a baby cardigan? Balls by size
Two knitted baby-cardigan designs need 350 m, or 2 × 50 g Baby Merino balls, for their smallest baby sizes. Compare dimensions, colours and substitutes.
Read the guide ↗62 / Baby makesHow much wool for baby booties? Crochet balls & grams
One DK bootie design lists 37–44 m for newborn to 3–6 months: about 12–15 g in Special DK. Compare sole lengths, hooks and whole balls.
Read the guide ↗63 / Wearable quantitiesHow much wool for a poncho? Crochet sizes & balls
A small/medium DK poncho example needs 4–5 balls of Special DK across two colours; a wider design needs 6. Compare dimensions and separate colour rounding.
Read the guide ↗64 / Sock quantitiesHow much wool for socks? Knitted sizes & balls
Two knitted sock designs allocate 205–615 m. Compare foot lengths, 50 g and 100 g ball counts, and why one ball is not a universal rule.
Read the guide ↗65 / Sock quantitiesHow much yarn for crochet socks? Sizes & wool balls
Two crochet sock patterns allocate 615 m per pair: 3 × 50 g Fabel or 2 × 100 g replacement balls. Compare foot lengths, cuffs and tension.
Read the guide ↗66 / Baby makesHow much wool to knit a baby blanket? DK balls
Small knitted lace baby blankets in our sample need 420 m, or 2 Special DK balls; larger versions 3. Compare actual sizes and a denser cabled example.
Read the guide ↗67 / Hat quantitiesHow much wool to knit a hat? Baby to adult balls
Baby hat examples need 105 m; the adult pompom design 210–315 m. Compare head measurements and whole DK balls from three knitting patterns.
Read the guide ↗68 / Scarf quantitiesHow much wool to knit a scarf? DK metres & balls
Two knitted DK scarf designs allocate 400–630 m. Compare 20–23 cm widths, 160–180 cm lengths and 2–3 whole 100 g UK balls.
Read the guide ↗69 / Yarn swapsKing Cole Cottonsoft DK substitute: UK yarns & balls
Replace 210 m of Cottonsoft DK with 2 × 50 g Paintbox Cotton DK or 2 × 50 g Cotton Light. Compare fibre, tension, care and colour choices.
Read the guide ↗70 / Baby yarn choicesYarn for baby crochet UK: washable wool & cotton
Compare Bambino DK, Special DK, Paintbox Cotton DK and Baby Merino by fibre, metres, care and pattern fit. Washable does not mean identical care.
Read the guide ↗71 / Baby makesHow much wool for baby mittens? Crochet & knitting
One chunky crochet design lists 27–46 m; two knitted designs allocate one or two 50 g balls. Compare sizes, colours and actual yarn before buying.
Read the guide ↗72 / Selling crochetHow to price and sell your crochet in the UK
Yarn, your hours and the fees where you sell: Etsy UK, card reader and Shopify fees from their own pages, HMRC’s £1,000 allowance and pattern terms.
Read the guide ↗73 / Craft fairsSelling crochet at a Christmas craft fair (UK)
Pitch fees at six UK Christmas fairs in 2026, stock planned from per-item yarn, card reader fees and prices for six quick crochet makes at a stated rate.
Read the guide ↗74 / Baby makesIs it safe to knit or crochet for a baby? UK checklist
Yes, with care: tuck cot blankets no higher than the shoulders, take hats off indoors, skip cot bumpers and check toys for small parts and long cords.
Read the guide ↗75 / Baby makesHow much wool for a baby jumper? Knitted sizes & balls
Two free age-sized DK baby jumper patterns list 285–495 m up to 9 months, so two 100 g balls of a 276 m DK. Aran/worsted designs list 330–800 m.
Read the guide ↗76 / Measured projectsHow much yarn per granny square? Weigh, then multiply
Metres per granny square from eight published blankets, plus the weighing method that gives you your own figure, with joining and border yarn kept separate.
Read the guide ↗77 / Buying decisionsYarn packs vs single balls: compare the whole order
Compare yarn by cost per 100 m, then by the whole order with whole balls, packs, volume discounts and UK delivery, using real LoveCrafts prices.
Read the guide ↗78 / Label basicsHow to read a yarn label before you buy
A real Stylecraft Special DK label worked through: weight, metres and yards, tension, hook, care, shade code and dye lot, plus UK weight names against Craft Yarn Council numbers.
Read the guide ↗79 / Ready to orderOrdering yarn online in the UK: delivery, returns, checklist
UK yarn shops’ standard delivery charges, free-delivery thresholds and returns windows, checked 1 October 2026, plus a short checklist before you pay.
Read the guide ↗80 / Buying guideA small kit for a clearer plan
What to check in a scale, tape measure, markers and hooks. Start with what you already own.
Check the planning kit ↗