Knitting quantities

How much yarn to knit a jumper? Sizes S to XL

In Stylecraft’s knitting patterns, an adult jumper in size M takes a median of about 1,450 metres of DK, 1,320 metres of aran or 1,008 metres of chunky yarn. That’s 5 balls of Stylecraft Special DK, 7 of Special Aran or 7 of Special Chunky. The figures come from 104 one-colour jumper versions in 73 Stylecraft knitting leaflets that list a quantity for every size, so they show one brand’s patterns, not knitting in general. Two things stand out in this sample: a chunky jumper weighs more than a DK one, and each size up costs almost exactly one more ball.

HazelLoop planning guide · Reviewed 4 October 2026 · Figures from cited sources

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The quick answer, by size

Find your chest measurement in the second column, then read across. The S to XL labels are ours: Stylecraft sizes its patterns by chest measurement only, and we matched those ranges to the Craft Yarn Council’s women’s chart. The first number in each cell is the median of every pattern version in our sample for that size. The bracket is the middle half, so a quarter of the jumpers asked for less and a quarter for more. The last number is how many versions the cell rests on.

Ball counts are the median turned into whole 100g balls of Stylecraft Special DK (295m), Special Aran (196m) and Special Chunky (144m), the lengths on Stylecraft’s own yarn pages. If your pattern gives a quantity for your size, buy that instead.

The spread is real. At size M the DK versions run from 1,000m, a long-sleeved jumper in Naturals Bamboo + Cotton, to 2,310m, a cabled crew neck in Naturals Pure Wool DK. Aran runs from 1,100m to 1,760m, and chunky from 725m in Carnival Tweed to 1,360m in Softie.

Metres and 100g balls for a knitted adult jumper by size: median (middle half), then the number of pattern versions. From 104 one-colour versions in 73 Stylecraft knitting leaflets, checked 4 October 2026. Balls are the median and middle-half figures rounded up to whole balls.
Size	To fit chest (cm)	DK metres: median (middle half), n	Special DK balls (295m)	Aran metres: median (middle half), n	Special Aran balls (196m)	Chunky metres: median (middle half), n	Special Chunky balls (144m)
S	81–86	1,240 (1,160–1,358), 39	5 (4–5)	1,176 (1,100–1,320), 15	6 (6–7)	864 (736–980), 40	6 (6–7)
M	91–97	1,450 (1,280–1,604), 43	5 (5–6)	1,320 (1,140–1,372), 19	7 (6–7)	1,008 (870–1,020), 42	7 (7–8)
L	102–107	1,650 (1,475–1,868), 43	6 (5–7)	1,330 (1,320–1,554), 19	7 (7–8)	1,120 (1,015–1,190), 42	8 (8–9)
XL	112–117	1,860 (1,632–1,953), 43	7 (6–7)	1,540 (1,450–1,720), 19	8 (8–9)	1,260 (1,065–1,360), 42	9 (8–10)

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Where the numbers come from

Every figure is from a Stylecraft pattern page. Each one has a ‘What you’ll need’ list with the balls for every size of every version, so a leaflet with a round neck and a polo neck gives two sets of figures. We took 73 leaflets for knitted adult jumpers in one colour, 109 versions in all and 104 of them in the size table, and multiplied the balls by the metres Stylecraft gives for that yarn on the same page. Some leaflets are paid patterns, but the yarn list is free to read.

We left out crochet designs, versions in more than one colour, children’s sizes, tunics and tank tops, and yarns sold in 200g or 400g balls, where one ball covers several sizes. We also left out Special XL and other super chunky yarns, the mohair blend Grace, and chunky yarns well outside the 140 to 170m per 100g that most here have: That Colour Vibe at 80m, and Dream Cloud and Fusion at 200m. Short, cropped and hooded versions are in the pattern table but not the size table.

That makes this one brand’s house style. We wanted Drops, King Cole, West Yorkshire Spinners and Paintbox Yarns in the sample too, but Drops’ website refused our requests, and the King Cole, West Yorkshire Spinners and LoveCrafts Paintbox pattern pages we opened don’t print quantities per size. The figures are balls to buy, rounded up by the designer, not yarn anyone weighed.

We haven’t knitted these jumpers. The quantities are Stylecraft’s own, checked on 4 October 2026, and every pattern is linked at the bottom of this page.

The 73 Stylecraft leaflets behind the figures: balls per size as listed on each pattern page, smallest size first, and metres at size M worked out by HazelLoop for each version in the same order. Version names are our short labels for Stylecraft’s headings, and ‘(cable)’ is our marker for leaflets whose Stylecraft description mentions cables (‘faux cables’ where it says so). Some leaflets have no description on the page, so a cabled design could be unmarked. Checked 4 October 2026.
Pattern	Yarn	To fit chest (cm)	Versions: balls per size	Metres at M
9547, Sweater and Tunic	DK: Life DK, 298m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater (cable): 6, 6, 7, 8, 8	1,788
9584, Sweaters	DK: Bellissima, 268m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 4, 4, 5, 5, 5	1,072
9587, Sweater and Cardigan	DK: Bellissima, 268m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 4, 5, 5, 5, 6	1,340
9640, Sweaters	DK: Special DK, 295m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Boat neck: 3, 4, 4, 5, 5; V neck: 4, 4, 5, 5, 5	1,180 / 1,180
9641, Sweater and Jacket	DK: Special DK, 295m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 4, 5, 5, 6, 6	1,475
9642, Sweaters	DK: Special DK, 295m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Hooded (cable, not in size table): 5, 5, 6, 6, 7; Sweater (cable): 4, 4, 5, 5, 5	1,475 / 1,180
9644, Cardigan and Sweater	DK: Special DK, 295m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 4, 5, 5, 6, 6	1,475
9652, Sweaters	DK: Life DK, 298m per 100g	91–97 to 122–127	Patterned sleeves: 5, 6, 6, 7; Stocking stitch sleeves: 5, 6, 6, 7	1,490 / 1,490
9653, Sweaters	DK: Life DK, 298m per 100g	91–97 to 122–127	Buttoned neck: 5, 6, 6, 7; Crew neck: 5, 5, 6, 6	1,490 / 1,490
9654, Sweaters	DK: Life DK, 298m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6	1,192
9793, Sweaters	DK: Highland Heathers DK, 272m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 4, 5, 5, 6, 6	1,360
9924, Sweaters	DK: Colour Twist, 275m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Button neck: 5, 5, 6, 6, 7; Collar: 5, 5, 6, 7, 7	1,375 / 1,375
10037, Sweater & Tank Top	DK: Knit Me, Crochet Me, 290m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Sweater: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10	1,450
10039, Sweaters	DK: Knit Me, Crochet Me, 290m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Long: 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; Short (not in size table): 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 8	1,160 / 1,160
10041, Sweater & Cardigan	DK: Knit Me, Crochet Me, 290m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Sweater: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10	1,450
10054, Sweater & Top	DK: Batik Elements Swirl, 275m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Sweater (faux cables): 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10	1,375
10056, Sweaters	DK: Batik Elements Swirl, 275m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Long (faux cables): 5, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10; Short (faux cables, not in size table): 4, 5, 5, 7, 8, 9	1,375 / 1,375
10058, Sweaters	DK: ReCreate DK, 350m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Polo neck (cable): 5, 5, 6, 7, 7; Collar (cable): 4, 5, 6, 6, 7	1,750 / 1,750
10117, Sweaters	DK: Chromatic, 310m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Cowl neck: 5, 5, 6, 6, 7; Round neck: 4, 5, 6, 6, 7	1,550 / 1,550
10121, Sweaters	DK: Chromatic, 310m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 4, 4, 5, 6, 6; Turtle neck: 4, 5, 5, 6, 6	1,240 / 1,550
10131, Sweater & Tank Top	DK: Colour Burst, 320m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6	1,280
10132, Sweaters	DK: Colour Burst, 320m per 100g	71–76 to 112–117	Cropped (not in size table): 3, 3, 4, 4, 4; Round neck: 3, 3, 4, 4, 5	1,280 / 1,280
10142, Sweaters & Cardigan	DK: Special DK, 295m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Wide deep neck: 3, 4, 5, 5, 6	1,180
10219, Sweaters	DK: Naturals Bamboo + Cotton, 250m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Long sleeve: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6	1,000
10230, Cardigan and Sweater	DK: Bambino DK, 268m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Sweater: 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9	1,608
10231, Sweaters	DK: Bambino DK, 268m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Round neck: 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8	1,608
10232, Sweaters	DK: Highland Heathers DK, 272m per 100g; Bambino DK, 268m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Round neck (cable): 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7; Irish moss sleeves (cable): 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8	1,360 / 1,608
10233, Sweaters	DK: Bambino DK, 268m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Round neck: 5, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9; Placket: 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9	1,876 / 1,608
10260, Sweaters	DK: Colour Burst, 320m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Balloon sleeves: 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12	1,920
10261, Sweaters	DK: ReCreate DK, 350m per 100g; Colour Burst, 320m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Balloon sleeves: 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11; Straight sleeves: 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8	2,100 / 1,280
10262, Cardigan and Sweater	DK: Colour Burst, 320m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Sweater (cable): 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	1,600
10282, Textured Sweater, Top & Scarf	DK: Naturals Pure Wool DK, 110m per 50g	81–86 to 132–137	V neck, diamond texture: 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 22	1,430
10284, Cable & Texture Sweater & Tank	DK: Naturals Pure Wool DK, 110m per 50g	81–86 to 132–137	Crew neck (cable): 18, 21, 24, 26, 28, 32	2,310
9768, Ladies Sweater	Aran: Special Aran, 196m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck (cable): 6, 7, 8, 8, 9; Stand-up neck (cable): 6, 7, 7, 8, 9	1,372 / 1,372
9875, Sweaters	Aran: Highland Heathers Aran, 190m per 100g	91–97 to 122–127	Placket (cable): 7, 7, 8, 9; Round neck (cable): 7, 7, 8, 9	1,330 / 1,330
9877, Sweaters	Aran: Highland Heathers Aran, 190m per 100g	91–97 to 122–127	Round neck: 6, 6, 7, 8; V neck: 6, 7, 7, 8	1,140 / 1,140
10008, Sweater & Cardigan	Aran: Impressions, 220m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 6, 6, 7, 8, 9	1,320
10009, Sweaters	Aran: Impressions, 220m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Stocking stitch: 5, 5, 6, 6, 7; Textured: 5, 5, 6, 6, 7	1,100 / 1,100
10073, Sweaters	Aran: Easy Fair Isle Effect, 240m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Cowl neck: 5, 6, 7, 7, 8; Collar: 5, 5, 6, 7, 7	1,440 / 1,200
10088, Sweater & Tank Top	Aran: Impressions, 220m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 7, 8, 9, 9, 10	1,760
10089, Sweaters	Aran: Impressions, 220m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	V neck: 5, 6, 6, 7, 8	1,320
10091, Sweater & Cardigan	Aran: Impressions, 220m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 6, 6, 7, 8, 8	1,320
10113, Sweaters	Aran: ReLove, 220m per 100g	71–76 to 122–127	Long: 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; Short (not in size table): 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7	1,100 / 1,100
10116, Sweater & Tank Top	Aran: ReLove, 220m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Sweater: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10	1,100
10158, Sweaters	Aran: Soft Pastels, 245m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Boat neck: 6, 7, 8, 8, 9; Deep round neck: 6, 7, 8, 8, 9	1,715 / 1,715
10174, Sweaters	Aran: Serene, 230m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 4, 5, 5, 6, 6	1,150
9445, Sweaters	Chunky: Life Chunky, 148m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Cowl neck: 6, 6, 7, 7, 8; Round neck: 5, 6, 6, 7, 7	888 / 888
9692, Sweater, Hat and Scarf	Chunky: Bellissima Chunky, 145m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 5, 6, 6, 7, 7	870
9693, Sweater and Cardigan	Chunky: Bellissima Chunky, 145m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 6, 6, 7, 7, 8	870
9694, Sweater and Poncho	Chunky: Bellissima Chunky, 145m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 7, 7, 8, 9, 9	1,015
9716, Sweater and Jacket	Chunky: Carnival Tweed, 145m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 6, 7, 7, 8, 8	1,015
9717, Cardigan and Sweater	Chunky: Carnival Tweed, 145m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater (cable): 5, 5, 6, 6, 7	725
9718, Jacket and Sweater	Chunky: Carnival Tweed, 145m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater (cable): 5, 6, 6, 7, 7	870
9773, Ladies Sweater	Chunky: Special Chunky, 144m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Polo neck (cable): 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; Round neck (cable): 7, 8, 9, 10, 11	1,152 / 1,152
9812, Ladies Cardigan and Sweater	Chunky: Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater (cable): 4, 5, 5, 6, 6	850
9813, Waistcoat and Sweater	Chunky: Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 5, 5, 6, 6, 7	850
9814, Sweater and Jacket	Chunky: Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater (cable): 6, 7, 7, 8, 8	1,190
9815, Sweaters	Chunky: Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 5, 6, 6, 7, 7	1,020
9816, Sweater and Cardigan	Chunky: Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 7, 8, 9, 10, 10	1,360
9817, Sweater and Cardigan	Chunky: Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Sweater: 5, 6, 6, 7, 7	1,020
9947, Sweaters	Chunky: ReCreate Chunky, 140m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; V neck: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11	1,120 / 1,120
9949, Sweaters	Chunky: ReCreate Chunky, 140m per 100g	91–97 to 122–127	Textured: 7, 8, 9, 10; Textured, stocking stitch sleeves: 7, 8, 9, 10	980 / 980
9950, Sweaters	Chunky: ReCreate Chunky, 140m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 7, 8, 9, 9, 10; Stand-up neck: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11	1,120 / 1,120
10093, Poncho and Sweater	Chunky: For the Love of Stripes, 144m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Sweater: 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14	1,008
10094, Sweaters	Chunky: For the Love of Stripes, 144m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Cowl neck: 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13; Round neck: 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13	1,008 / 1,008
10095, Sweaters	Chunky: For the Love of Stripes, 144m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Double moss sleeves: 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12; Stocking stitch sleeves: 5, 6, 7, 7, 10, 12	864 / 864
10096, Sweaters	Chunky: For the Love of Stripes, 144m per 100g	81–86 to 132–137	Rib, collar, balloon sleeves: 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15; Rib, round neck, straight sleeves: 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12; Textured, collar, straight sleeves: 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13; Textured, round neck, balloon sleeves: 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14	1,008 / 864 / 1,008 / 1,008
10101, Sweaters	Chunky: Bella Bella, 145m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 6, 7, 7, 8, 9; Turtle neck: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10	1,015 / 1,015
10103, Sweaters	Chunky: Bella Bella, 145m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Cowl neck: 6, 6, 7, 8, 9; Round neck: 5, 6, 7, 8, 8	870 / 870
10105, Sweaters	Chunky: Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 5, 5, 6, 7, 7; Turtle neck: 4, 5, 6, 6, 7	850 / 850
10106, Sweaters	Chunky: Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Polo neck: 6, 6, 7, 8, 8	1,020
10180, Sweaters	Chunky: Moorland, 165m per 100g; Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Funnel neck: 5, 6, 7, 8, 8; Round neck: 4, 5, 6, 6, 7	990 / 850
10181, Sweaters	Chunky: Moorland, 165m per 100g; Softie, 170m per 100g	81–86 to 122–127	Round neck: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; V neck: 5, 6, 7, 7, 8	1,155 / 1,020

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DK, aran or chunky: fewer metres, heavier jumper

Thicker yarn needs fewer metres. At size M the medians fall from 1,450m in DK to 1,320m in aran and 1,008m in chunky. The ball count goes the other way, 5, 7 and 7 balls of the Special range, and so does the weight. The median DK jumper at M takes 500g of yarn, aran 600g and chunky 650g.

The ball band shows why. Special DK knits to 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10cm on 4mm needles, Special Aran to 18 and 24 on 5mm, and Special Chunky to 14 and 20 on 6mm. That’s the tension, which US patterns call gauge. Most DK leaflets here list a pair of 4mm needles (UK 8, US 6) and a pair of 3.25mm (UK 10, US 3). The aran ones list 5mm (UK 6, US 8) or 4.5mm (UK 7, US 7) as the larger pair, and most chunky ones 6mm (UK 4, US 10) with 5mm. The old UK and US numbers are the ones Stylecraft prints beside each metric size.

One weight label covers a lot of yarns. The DK yarns here run from 250m per 100g (Naturals Bamboo + Cotton) to 350m (ReCreate DK), and Naturals Pure Wool DK has 110m in a 50g ball, so 220m per 100g. When you swap yarn, compare metres, not balls. The yarn substitution calculator does that sum.

These knitted medians are in the same range as the ones in our crochet jumper guide at size M: 1,450m against 1,650m in DK, 1,320m against 1,360m in aran, and 1,008m against 970m in chunky. The two samples come from different designers, so don’t read the differences as the effect of knitting against crochet. When we compared Lion Brand designs published in both crafts, the crochet version asked for a median of 7% more.

Going up a size costs about one ball

Ease is the gap between your chest and the jumper’s finished chest. Stylecraft’s pages give only the chest each size is meant to fit; the finished measurements are in the leaflet. If you want a roomier fit than the design gives, the usual way is to knit the next size, and the data puts a price on that.

Going up one size adds a median of 268 to 290m in DK, 190 to 220m in aran and 144m in chunky, depending on which two sizes. That’s almost exactly one ball of Special DK, Special Aran or Special Chunky. Rounding blurs it: in 89 of the 302 steps between neighbouring sizes from S to XL, the pattern lists the same number of balls for both.

A size up adds very little sleeve length. The Craft Yarn Council’s women’s chart puts arm length to the underarm at 43cm for S and M and 44.5cm for L and XL, while the upper arm grows from 26cm at S to 34.5cm at XL.

Sleeves, length and necklines

Three leaflets come in a long and a short version in the same yarn: Knit Me, Crochet Me (10039), Batik Elements Swirl (10056) and ReLove (10113). Across their 18 sizes, the short version asks for one ball fewer in 12 and the same number in the other 6.

In these leaflets, sleeve shape mattered more than sleeve stitch. In For the Love of Stripes leaflet 10096, the ribbed jumper with balloon sleeves and a collar asks for 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 and 15 balls. The ribbed one with straight sleeves and a round neck asks for 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12. That’s up to three extra balls, though the collar plays a part. The textured pair in the same leaflet is much closer, with one extra ball in two of six sizes. Short sleeves save less than you might hope: in Naturals Bamboo + Cotton leaflet 10219 they save one ball in three of five sizes.

Swapping stocking stitch (US stockinette) sleeves for patterned ones made no difference in two leaflets, 9652 and 9949, and a two-ball difference at one size in a third, 10095. Necklines barely register. The polo and round neck versions of Special Chunky leaflet 9773 list the same 7 to 11 balls, and Bella Bella’s turtle neck (10101) adds one ball in three of five sizes. A hood is a different matter: Special DK leaflet 9642 asks for one more ball in four sizes and two more at the largest.

Cables and a second colour

The biggest gap is in Naturals Pure Wool DK, Stylecraft’s 100% wool yarn in 50g balls. The diamond-textured V neck in leaflet 10282 asks for 13 balls at size M, 1,430m. The crew neck in 10284, with cable panels framed by double moss stitch, asks for 21 balls, 2,310m, which is 62% more. Across the six sizes the gap runs from 40% to 64%. These are two different designs, with different necklines and stitch patterns, so not all of that is down to the cables.

Across the rest of the sample, cables don’t predict much. We marked every leaflet whose description on the Stylecraft page mentions cables; the ‘(cable)’ labels in the pattern table are ours, not Stylecraft’s. In DK the eight cabled versions have a median of 1,679m at size M, against 1,430m for the other 35, and Life DK’s all-over cable jumper (9547) needs 1,788m, 23% above the DK median. In aran the four cabled versions, from two leaflets, need 1,330m and 1,372m, just above the 1,320m median. In chunky there’s no gap: the six cabled versions have a median of 1,011m against 1,008m for the rest, and they include the leanest chunky jumper in the sample, Carnival Tweed leaflet 9717 at 725m, which has a cable panel across the body. Trust your pattern’s own figure over ours.

A second colour adds yarn through rounding alone, because each colour is bought in whole balls. Life DK leaflet 9654 has a one-colour round neck at 4, 4, 5, 5 and 6 balls. Its cowl neck version lists the same main-colour counts plus one ball of a contrast colour in every size. None of the one-colour designs here uses stranded colourwork, so this sample can’t put a figure on Fair Isle. Follow the pattern’s quantity for each colour and round each one up.

Spare ball, dye lots and cost

A Stylecraft quantity is already a whole number of balls, so the slack in the last ball is your margin. A spare matters more when you start from metres. Take the DK median at M, 1,450m: that’s 4.92 balls of Special DK, so 5 balls leave only 25m over. Our extra-yarn guide suggests a spare when less than a quarter of a ball is left, so buy a sixth. The aran median, 1,320m, is 6.73 balls of Special Aran, and 7 balls leave 52m, more than a quarter of a ball.

Buy the main colour in one order. Wool Warehouse describes a dye lot as yarn ‘dyed in the same vat at the same time’, and says lots can vary with the amount of dye, the water temperature and the fibre. It also notes the difference shows most in large blocks of colour, which is what a one-colour jumper is. Check the lot number on each band when the parcel arrives. On 4 October 2026 Wool Warehouse accepted unused, unopened balls back up to 60 days after receipt.

At the median quantities, a size M jumper costs £11.75 in Special DK, £16.45 in Special Aran or Special Chunky at Wool Warehouse’s £2.35 a ball, and £18.45 in Life DK, all checked on 4 October 2026. LoveCrafts had Special Aran at £1.88 and Special Chunky at £2.00 on sale that day, but only 6 of 50 aran shades and 10 of 50 chunky shades were in stock. Pure wool changes the sum: the cabled crew neck in Naturals Pure Wool DK comes to £92.19 at size M, at £4.39 a 50g ball from LoveCrafts. Put your own pattern’s figures into the yarn budget calculator to round up and total the cost.

Yarn cost of a one-colour knitted jumper by size: whole balls and price. Median metres from the size table, except the two wool rows, which use those patterns’ own ball counts. Single-ball prices checked 4 October 2026, before delivery and multi-buys.
Yarn	Price per ball	S	M	L	XL
Stylecraft Special DK, 295m	£2.35, Wool Warehouse (LoveCrafts also £2.35)	5, £11.75	5, £11.75	6, £14.10	7, £16.45
Stylecraft Life DK, 298m	£3.69, Wool Warehouse	5, £18.45	5, £18.45	6, £22.14	7, £25.83
Stylecraft Special Aran, 196m	£2.35, Wool Warehouse	6, £14.10	7, £16.45	7, £16.45	8, £18.80
Stylecraft Special Aran, 196m	£1.88 sale, LoveCrafts (6 of 50 shades in stock)	6, £11.28	7, £13.16	7, £13.16	8, £15.04
Stylecraft Special Chunky, 144m	£2.35, Wool Warehouse	6, £14.10	7, £16.45	8, £18.80	9, £21.15
Stylecraft Special Chunky, 144m	£2.00 sale, LoveCrafts (10 of 50 shades in stock)	6, £12.00	7, £14.00	8, £16.00	9, £18.00
Stylecraft Softie (chunky), 170m	£3.99, Wool Warehouse	6, £23.94	6, £23.94	7, £27.93	8, £31.92
Naturals Pure Wool DK, 110m per 50g: textured V neck, pattern 10282	£4.39, LoveCrafts	11, £48.29	13, £57.07	16, £70.24	18, £79.02
Naturals Pure Wool DK, 110m per 50g: cable crew neck, pattern 10284	£4.39, LoveCrafts	18, £79.02	21, £92.19	24, £105.36	26, £114.14

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Check before you move on

Chest measured and matched to the pattern’s to-fit size
Next size’s quantity budgeted if you want more ease
Pattern quantity turned into metres before you swap yarn
One spare ball of the main colour if rounding leaves less than a quarter of a ball
Each colour rounded up to whole balls on its own
All balls of each colour bought in one order, with dye lots checked on arrival

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For knitting your jumper

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Our pick

Four of the nine blankets in our blanket guide use Stylecraft Special DK, so our tables convert straight to its 295m balls.

Stylecraft Special DK, Charcoal (1128)

One 100g / 295m ball, 100% acrylic, sold by The Great British Yarn Company.

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Stylecraft Special Aran, Cream (1005)

One 100g / 196m ball, 100% acrylic, sold by The Great British Yarn Company.

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Flexible dual-sided sewing tape measure

150cm on one side, 60 inches on the other; soft tape for measuring squares and fabric.

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Calculate whole balls or packs for every colour. Subtract your stash and add UK delivery.

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Common questions

How many balls of wool do I need to knit a jumper?

At size M the Stylecraft patterns we checked work out at a median of 5 balls of Special DK, 7 of Special Aran or 7 of Special Chunky, all 100g balls. Size S needs the same or one ball fewer, and XL one or two more. A cabled design in pure wool can need far more: one Stylecraft crew neck asks for 21 balls of 50g at M.

How much DK yarn do I need for a jumper?

About 1,450m at size M, the median of 43 knitted DK versions, with the middle half between 1,280m and 1,604m. The median is 1,240m at S and 1,860m at XL. Divide by the metres on your own yarn’s band and round up.

Does a chunky jumper use less yarn than a DK one?

Fewer metres, but not fewer balls or less weight. At size M the chunky median is 1,008m against 1,450m for DK. That’s 7 balls of Special Chunky against 5 of Special DK, and about 650g of yarn against 500g.

How much more yarn for the next size up?

Roughly one ball. Between neighbouring sizes the median increase was 268 to 290m in DK, 190 to 220m in aran and 144m in chunky. In 89 of 302 size steps the pattern listed no extra ball at all, because of rounding.

Should I buy an extra ball of yarn for a jumper?

If your pattern lists whole balls, its figure already has some slack. If you’ve turned metres into balls yourself and rounding leaves less than a quarter of a ball over, buy one more of the main colour in the same dye lot. Wool Warehouse took unopened balls back within 60 days when we checked on 4 October 2026.

Sources and scope

Sources checked 4 October 2026. Label facts come from the linked references; worked purchase examples and arithmetic are our own illustrations.

Keep planning

These are planning methods, not physically tested crochet patterns. Read our method and editorial approach.