Label basics
How to read a yarn label before you buy
For working out how many balls to buy, the label lines that matter are the yarn name, the shade code and the length per ball in metres. The ball weight in grams is not a measure of length: 100 g can hold 196 m or 295 m depending on the yarn. Here’s a real label read line by line.
A real label: Stylecraft Special DK
Stylecraft lists Special DK as a 100 g ball with 295 m, or 322yds. That length is the number to put in the planner. LoveCrafts lists it as 323yds; 295 m is 322.6 yards, so both are rounding the same length.
The tension is 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm on 4 mm needles. That’s a knitting tension, and the 4 mm hook is a suggestion for crochet. Fibre is 100% premium acrylic. Care is machine washable at 30°C, cool tumble dry, may dry clean, cool iron.
Shade code and dye lot are different numbers
The shade code names the colour. In Special DK, Cornish Blue is 1841 and Black is 1002. Any shop selling Cornish Blue sells 1841, so copy that number onto your list.
The dye lot number identifies the batch the ball was dyed in. Wool Warehouse describes dye lots as ‘batches of yarn that are dyed in the same vat at the same time’, and two lots of the same shade can differ slightly. Buy each colour in one order and check the lot numbers match.
UK weight names and Craft Yarn Council numbers
UK labels say 4 ply, DK, aran or chunky. US labels often show a number from 0 to 7 from the Craft Yarn Council. Roughly: 4 ply is 1, DK is 3, aran is 4, chunky is 5 and super chunky is 6.
We put 4 ply in 1, with fingering and sock yarn, because UK 4 ply is usually about 400 m per 100 g, though Wool Warehouse’s chart pairs it with US sport, which is 2. Our UK yarn weights guide has the metres per 100 g for 40 UK-sold yarns across the weights.
Length per ball, not per pack
If the shop sells three balls of one shade together, keep the length at one ball’s worth and enter 3 as balls per pack. Entering 600 m per ball and 3 per pack would count the pack twice and give you too few packs.
Working the label into a shopping list
Take a label that says 100 g / 200 m, sold in packs of three of one shade for £6. Your pattern needs 650 m and you have 50 m of the same yarn already. (650 − 50) ÷ 200 = 3 exactly, so you need 3 balls. That’s one pack, £6 before delivery.
If the stash were only 40 m, you’d need 610 ÷ 200 = 3.05, so 4 balls and two packs. A few metres can change the order, so measure the stash honestly.
Keep the band
Photograph the band or keep it with the leftover ball. You’ll need the metres per gram to estimate what’s left, and the shade code and lot number if you top up later.
| On the label or listing | Planner entry |
|---|---|
| 100 g / 200 m per ball | Metres per ball: 200 |
| Three balls of one shade per pack | Balls per pack: 3 |
| £6 for the whole pack | Price for one pack: £6 |
| Pattern needs 650 m | Pattern length: 650, units m |
| 50 m of the same yarn and shade at home | Already owned: 50 |
| Result: (650 − 50) ÷ 200 = 3 | 3 balls, 1 pack, £6 |
Download this table (CSV) · free to reuse with a link to HazelLoop
Check before you move on
- Yarn name and shade code copied exactly
- Dye lot noted, and matched across balls of one colour
- Metres per single ball taken from the label
- Pack size entered separately
- Pattern and stash in the same unit
- Band or photo kept for later top-ups
Try it with your own numbers.
Calculate whole balls or packs for every colour. Subtract your stash and add UK delivery.
Build my list ↗Common questions
Does 100 g always contain the same length?
No. Stylecraft Special DK has 295 m in 100 g and Special Aran has 196 m. Always use the length on the label.
Where is the dye lot on a yarn label?
Usually printed near the shade code, often marked ‘lot’. The shade code is the colour; the lot number is the batch.
What number is DK yarn?
3 in the Craft Yarn Council system, listed as ‘DK, light worsted’. Aran is 4 and chunky is 5.
Sources and scope
- www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/yarns/special-dk
- www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/yarns/special-aran
- www.lovecrafts.com/en-gb/products/stylecraft-special-dk
- blog.woolwarehouse.co.uk/2024/09/09/a-yarn-lovers-guide-to-dye-lots/
- www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/yarn-weight-system
- www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/needle-size-yarn-weight-information
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yard
Sources checked 1 October 2026. Label facts come from the linked references; worked purchase examples and arithmetic are our own illustrations. Original pattern and product names retain their source spelling.
How much yarn do I need? All UK wool quantity guides
Keep planning
- UK yarn weights explained: 4 ply, DK, aran and chunky
- How many balls of wool do I need? Metres to balls
- Yarn packs vs single balls: compare the whole order
- Knitting needle sizes UK: mm, old UK and US chart
- Knitting tension by UK yarn weight: 31 ball bands
- Stylecraft Special DK: metres, quantities and planner
- Find the right hook: The hook UK ball bands recommend for your yarn weight or yarn, in mm, US letters and old UK numbers.
These are planning estimates, not claims of projects we have made. Read our method and editorial approach.