Cardigans use 5–10% more yarn than equivalent pullovers — the button band alone adds 50–100 m, and any steek allowance adds more.
The main difference between a cardigan and a pullover is the front opening. A knitted button band — worked either as a picked-up border or a separate strip — adds real yardage: a 60 cm long double-layer ribbed band can consume 80–120 m on its own. In crochet the foundation chain for the front edges is lighter but still counts. Buttonholes themselves use negligible yarn. If you're cutting a steeked cardigan, add at least 10% of the body yardage as a steek allowance, since those stitches are cut away but still knitted. Pocket linings, if knitted in, easily add another 50–80 m.
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 | 2 | 1472 m | ~184 g |
| Fingering | 350–550 m / 100g | 4 | 1662 m | ~386 g |
| Sport | 250–350 m / 100g | 5 | 1490 m | ~497 g |
| DK | 200–300 m / 100g | 7 | 1564 m | ~626 g |
| Worsted / Aran | 150–220 m / 100g | 8 | 1328 m | ~718 g |
| Bulky | 80–140 m / 100g | 10 | 1052 m | ~957 g |
| Super Bulky | 40–80 m / 100g | 13 | 729 m | ~1214 g |
| Jumbo | < 40 m / 100g | 15 | 442 m | ~1472 g |
| Yarn weight | Meters per 100 g | Balls needed | Total meters | Approx grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lace | 600–1200+ m / 100g | 3 | 1766 m | ~221 g |
| Fingering | 350–550 m / 100g | 5 | 1994 m | ~464 g |
| Sport | 250–350 m / 100g | 6 | 1788 m | ~596 g |
| DK | 200–300 m / 100g | 8 | 1877 m | ~751 g |
| Worsted / Aran | 150–220 m / 100g | 9 | 1593 m | ~861 g |
| Bulky | 80–140 m / 100g | 12 | 1263 m | ~1148 g |
| Super Bulky | 40–80 m / 100g | 15 | 874 m | ~1457 g |
| Jumbo | < 40 m / 100g | 18 | 530 m | ~1766 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%) | 1.25 m² |
| S | ×0.88(-12%) | 1.41 m² |
| M | ×1.00(baseline) | 1.60 m² |
| L | ×1.14(+14%) | 1.82 m² |
| XL | ×1.28(+28%) | 2.05 m² |
| 2XL | ×1.42(+42%) | 2.27 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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