A standard pullover at size M takes roughly 1,400–1,800 m of worsted-weight yarn — cables or stranded colourwork can push that 30–40% higher.
Sweater yardage surprises knitters because sleeves account for roughly 35–40% of the total — they're easy to undercount. Construction method matters too: a top-down raglan knit in the round often uses slightly less yarn than a set-in-sleeve seamed sweater, because seam allowances are absent. Ribbed hems and cuffs are about 20% denser than stockinette for the same area, so a long sweater with a deep ribbed hem can need an extra 100 m or more. Always swatch in the round if you plan to knit in the round; your flat gauge can differ by a full stitch per 10 cm.
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 | 1334 m | ~167 g |
| Fingering | 350–550 m / 100g | 4 | 1506 m | ~350 g |
| Sport | 250–350 m / 100g | 5 | 1351 m | ~450 g |
| DK | 200–300 m / 100g | 6 | 1417 m | ~567 g |
| Worsted / Aran | 150–220 m / 100g | 7 | 1203 m | ~650 g |
| Bulky | 80–140 m / 100g | 9 | 954 m | ~867 g |
| Super Bulky | 40–80 m / 100g | 12 | 660 m | ~1101 g |
| Jumbo | < 40 m / 100g | 14 | 400 m | ~1334 g |
| Yarn weight | Meters per 100 g | Balls needed | Total meters | Approx grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lace | 600–1200+ m / 100g | 3 | 1601 m | ~200 g |
| Fingering | 350–550 m / 100g | 5 | 1807 m | ~420 g |
| Sport | 250–350 m / 100g | 6 | 1621 m | ~540 g |
| DK | 200–300 m / 100g | 7 | 1701 m | ~680 g |
| Worsted / Aran | 150–220 m / 100g | 8 | 1444 m | ~780 g |
| Bulky | 80–140 m / 100g | 11 | 1145 m | ~1041 g |
| Super Bulky | 40–80 m / 100g | 14 | 792 m | ~1321 g |
| Jumbo | < 40 m / 100g | 17 | 480 m | ~1601 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%) | 1.13 m² |
| S | ×0.88(-12%) | 1.28 m² |
| M | ×1.00(baseline) | 1.45 m² |
| L | ×1.14(+14%) | 1.65 m² |
| XL | ×1.28(+28%) | 1.86 m² |
| 2XL | ×1.42(+42%) | 2.06 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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