A bag typically needs 300–600 m of cotton or jute yarn — and if you're felting it, buy 30% more to account for shrinkage.
Bags are one of the few projects where fabric structure matters for function, not just aesthetics: a loose, airy fabric won't hold its shape or support weight. Crochet patterns usually specify tight single crochet on a smaller hook than usual; knitted bags lean on a small needle with a dense stitch like garter or slipped-stitch fabric. Cotton and jute yarns — the standard bag materials — have shorter meterage per 100 g than wool, so check your label carefully. Felted bags require significantly more yarn because the wool shrinks by 25–35% in hot water; all that extra fabric has to come from somewhere. Handles are structural and benefit from reinforcement (extra layers in crochet, or doubled/corded fabric in knitting), which adds hidden yardage.
Calculated with 8 yarn weights, size M, 15% reserve. Pattern: Knitting → Stockinette · Crochet → Double crochet.
| Yarn weight | Meters per 100 g | Balls needed | Total meters | Approx grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lace | 600–1200+ m / 100g | 1 | 414 m | ~52 g |
| Fingering | 350–550 m / 100g | 2 | 467 m | ~109 g |
| Sport | 250–350 m / 100g | 2 | 419 m | ~140 g |
| DK | 200–300 m / 100g | 2 | 440 m | ~176 g |
| Worsted / Aran | 150–220 m / 100g | 3 | 373 m | ~202 g |
| Bulky | 80–140 m / 100g | 3 | 296 m | ~269 g |
| Super Bulky | 40–80 m / 100g | 4 | 205 m | ~342 g |
| Jumbo | < 40 m / 100g | 5 | 124 m | ~414 g |
| Yarn weight | Meters per 100 g | Balls needed | Total meters | Approx grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lace | 600–1200+ m / 100g | 1 | 497 m | ~62 g |
| Fingering | 350–550 m / 100g | 2 | 561 m | ~130 g |
| Sport | 250–350 m / 100g | 2 | 503 m | ~168 g |
| DK | 200–300 m / 100g | 3 | 528 m | ~211 g |
| Worsted / Aran | 150–220 m / 100g | 3 | 448 m | ~242 g |
| Bulky | 80–140 m / 100g | 4 | 355 m | ~323 g |
| Super Bulky | 40–80 m / 100g | 5 | 246 m | ~410 g |
| Jumbo | < 40 m / 100g | 5 | 149 m | ~497 g |
The yardage multiplier (×) shows how much more yarn each stitch uses relative to stockinette / double crochet baseline. Sorted by yarn efficiency.
Open mesh saves yarn
Baseline—minimum yardage
Bulkier, +20%
Crossings eat +35%
Two-yarn floats
Minimum draw
Open motifs
Pieced motifs
Airier, lighter
Between sc and dc
Tightest fabric
Fabric area scales from XS to 2XL. Use this to understand why larger sizes need significantly more yarn.
| Size | Area multiplier | Fabric area (m²) |
|---|---|---|
| XS | ×0.78(-22%) | 0.35 m² |
| S | ×0.88(-12%) | 0.40 m² |
| M | ×1.00(baseline) | 0.45 m² |
| L | ×1.14(+14%) | 0.51 m² |
| XL | ×1.28(+28%) | 0.58 m² |
| 2XL | ×1.42(+42%) | 0.64 m² |
They're empirical multipliers measured against stockinette (1.0). Cables and stranded colourwork eat more yarn because of the extra bulk; lace and filet use less. The numbers are averages — if your tension is unusual, drop in a real swatch in advanced mode and we'll override them.
Simple mode falls back to typical gauges for the yarn weight you picked. For wearables we still recommend a 10×10 cm swatch — once you have one, switch to advanced mode and the maths gets sharper.
The base calc is area-based. Tricky shapes (raglan, A-line, hooded) are absorbed by the 10–20% buffer; for full-body cabled sweaters or steeked cardigans we suggest pushing it to 25%.
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