🧶 YARN TRANSLATION GUIDE 

This sheet helps you find yarn fiber substitutes and translates between:

• Real-world thickness using WPI (Wraps Per Inch)
• Modern Craft Yarn Council yarn weights (0–6 system)
• UK/AU/NZ “ply” naming
• Machine knitting cone yarn systems (like 5/2, 2/28) and machine compatibility

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🔑 KEY NOTES

✔ Yarn labels are NOT universal
✔ WPI is the most reliable real-world test
✔ Swatching is the only way to be 100% accurate

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⚖️ FIBER CHARACTERISTIC

Fiber	Warmth	Breathability	Elasticity –Memory	Stretch – Growth	Drape – Flow	Weight	Halo – Fuzz	Best For
Wool	🔥🔥🔥	🪭🪭	↩️↩️↩️	📏	🪶🪶	⚖️	Low to High	Sweaters, hats
Alpaca	🔥🔥🔥🔥	🪭🪭	↩️	📏📏	🪶🪶🪶	⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️	High (especially brushed or Suri alpaca)	Shawls, cozy layers
Cotton	🔥	🪭🪭🪭	↩️	📏📏📏	🪶	⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️	None (Smooth)	Summer tops, bags
Linen	🔥	🪭🪭🪭🪭	↩️	📏📏	🪶🪶	⚖️⚖️⚖️	None (Smooth)	Hot-weather garments
Bamboo / Rayon	🔥	🪭🪭🪭	↩️	📏📏📏📏	🪶🪶🪶🪶	⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️	None (Shiny)	Flowy tops, shawls
Acrylic	🔥🔥	🪭	↩️↩️	📏	🪶🪶	⚖️⚖️	Low to High	Blankets, budget wear
Wool Blends	🔥🔥🔥	🪭🪭	↩️↩️	📏	🪶🪶	⚖️⚖️	Low to High	Everyday garments
Cotton Blends	🔥🔥	🪭🪭🪭	↩️↩️	📏📏	🪶🪶	⚖️⚖️⚖️	Usually low if Cotton is high percentage	Structured summer wear

🧵 CYC YARN WEIGHT SYSTEM (0–6)

Category	Name	WPI Range	Needle Size (Metric)	Crochet Hook Size (Metric/US)
0	Lace	30–40+	1.5–2.25 mm	1.6–2.25 mm (Steel Hooks / B-1)
1	Fingering	14–30	2.25–3.25 mm	2.25–3.5 mm (B-1 to E-4)
2	Sport	12–18	3.25–3.75 mm	3.5–4.5 mm (E-4 to 7)
3	DK (Light)	11–15	3.75–4.5 mm	4.5–5.5 mm (7 to I-9)
4	Worsted	9–12	4.5–5.5 mm	5.5–6.5 mm (I-9 to K-10.5)
5	Bulky	6–9	5.5–8 mm	6.5–9 mm (K-10.5 to M/N-13)
6	Super Bulky	5–6	8–12+ mm	9–15+ mm (M/N-13 to Q/P)

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🇬🇧 UK / AU / NZ PLY SYSTEM

⚠️ IMPORTANT: “Ply” can mean TWO different things depending on context:

• Strand count (actual construction)
• Yarn weight category (traditional naming system)

Common Conversions:

• 2-ply → Lace / very fine yarn
• 3-ply → Light fingering
• 4-ply → Fingering / sock weight
• 5-ply → Sport weight
• 8-ply → DK weight
• 10-ply → Worsted / Aran weight
• 12-ply+ → Bulky yarn

💡 NOTE: A yarn labeled “4-ply” does NOT always mean 4 strands.

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🏭 MACHINE KNITTING CONE YARN SYSTEM

Two systems you will see:

A. Metric System (2/28 style)

Format:  Ply / Size

Example: 2/28
→ 2 strands of yarn, size 28 (very fine)

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B. Cotton System (5/2 style)

Format:  Size / Ply

Example: 5/2
→ Size 5 yarn, 2 strands

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Quick Interpretation Guide:

• More plies = thicker fabric
• Higher size number (like 28, 32) = finer yarn
• To compare two yarns – divide the large number by the small number (size➗ply).  The yarn with the higher answer is generally the thinner yarn (weight of yarn fiber can impact answer)

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CONE YARN CONVERSIONS

Format	Meaning	Typical Thickness	Approx. WPI	CYC Category
2/48	2-ply of 48 count	Very fine	26–34 WPI	Lace (0)
2/30	2-ply of 30 count	Fine lace	22–28 WPI	Lace (0) / Super Fine (1)
2/28	2 ply of 28 count	Very fine	20–26 WPI	Super Fine (1)
2/24	2-ply of 24 count	Fine	18–24 WPI	Super Fine (1)
2/18	2 ply of 18 count	Fine	15–18 WPI	Fine (2)
2/12	2-ply of 12 count	DK/light worsted	12–15 WPI	Light (3)
2/8	2-ply of 8 count	Worsted	10–12 WPI	Medium (4)
3/8	3-ply of 8 count	Heavy worsted	9–11 WPI	Medium (4)
5/2	size 5, 2 ply	Medium cotton	10–12 WPI	Medium (4)
10/2	size 10, 2 ply	Light-medium	16–20 WPI	Fine (2)
8/2	size 8, 2 ply	Slightly thicker than 10/2	14–18 WPI	Fine (2)
3/2	size 3, 2 ply	Thick cotton	8–12 WPI	Medium (4)

🧶 MACHINE COMPATIBILITY GUIDE

CYC #	Category	WPI	Common Formats (Examples)	UK/AU Ply	Hand Needle Size	Best Machine
0	Lace	30–40+	2/48, 2/30	1–2 ply	1.5 – 2.25 mm	Standard (4.5 mm)
1	Fingering / Super Fine	20–30	2/32, 2/30, 2/28, 2/24	3–4 ply	2.25 – 3.25 mm	Standard (4.5 mm)
2	Sport / Fine	14–20	2/18, 10/2, 8/2	4–5 ply	3.0 – 3.75 mm	Standard / Mid-Gauge
3	DK / Light	11–15	2/12, 3/5, 4/6	8 ply	3.75 – 4.5 mm	Mid-Gauge (6.5 mm)
4	Worsted / Medium	9–12	2/8, 3/8, 5/2	10 ply	4.5 – 5.5 mm	Bulky (9 mm)
5	Bulky	6–9	3/2 (heavier cottons, thick wool)	12 ply	5.5 – 8.0 mm	Bulky (9 mm)
6	Super Bulky	5–6	Roving / jumbo yarns	14+ ply	8.0 – 12.0 mm+	Hand only

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Standard Gauge (4.5 mm machines)

• Lace weight
• Fingering weight
• Very fine cone yarn (like 2/28)
• Approx. WPI: 14–24 WPI
• Notes:
  • Around 18–22 WPI is the sweet spot
  • Thicker yarn (closer to 14 WPI) may need looser tension or every-other-needle knitting

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Mid Gauge (6.5 mm machines)

• Sport weight
• DK weight (sometimes light worsted)
• Medium cone yarn (like 5/2, 8/4 equivalents)
• Approx. WPI: 11–16 WPI
• Notes:
  • 12–14 WPI works very comfortably
  • Can sometimes handle slightly thicker yarn with adjustments

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Bulky Gauge (9 mm machines)

• Worsted weight
• Bulky yarn
• Heavy cone yarn
• Approx. WPI: 6–12 WPI
• Notes:
  • 8–10 WPI is ideal
  • Anything thicker than ~6 WPI can be tricky unless the machine is very robust

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⚠️ Important caveats

• Fiber content and elasticity matter (wool behaves better than cotton or acrylic on machines)
• Yarn construction (single ply vs multi-ply) can change how it feeds
• You can “cheat” by:
  • Using multiple strands of thinner yarn
  • Skipping needles
  • Adjusting tension dials

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