What Weight is your Yarn?

Brrrrrrr, we are almost to spring and its still so cold out, even the birds aren't coming out to play.  

This is one of my vacant blue bird houses a week ago!  In a few days the leaves will be emerging, and the birds active, grasses growing, allergies and then what becomes of knitting!    The yarn has no captured audience as we are held captive in our warm houses.

Lots of new things happening at the knitting circle and because so many of us are doing different projects that call for a specific yarn it makes me ask myself over and over - what exactly is the yarn this pattern calls for!   I found myself asking this again today and ran across this fantastic chart.  You need to print it out and put it in your yarn bag for reference.   The ply is a bit confusing because its for UK, NZ and AU but I believe these must all be the same for us because our worsted is 10 ply, so use this chart to help you navigate your yarn and your pattern, needles and gauges.  If you dont' have a gauge, you can do wraps per inch by wrapping your yarn around your needle and measuring the wraps within an inch on a ruler. Probably not as great as a knitted gauge but it is another way for you to have some control of information.

Standard Yarn Weight System	Nm (length per mass, SI (International System of Units))	Yarn Type (US)	Ply (UK, NZ, AU)[3]	m/100g	Wraps Per Inch (WPI)[3]	needles / circulars recommended, mm
0 or Lace	6 - 8	Thread, Cobweb and Lace	1 - 3 ply	600-800	18+ wpi	1.5 - 2.5
1 or Superfine	4 - 6	Fingering, Sock	4 ply	400-480	14 wpi	2 - 3
2 or Fine	3 - 4	Sport	5 ply	300-400	12 wpi	3 - 4
3 or Light	2.4 - 3	DK	8 ply	240-300	11 wpi	4 - 4.5
4 or Medium	1.2 - 2.4	Worsted	10 ply	120-240	9 wpi	4.5 - 5.5
5 or Bulky	1 - 1.3	Bulky	12 ply	100-130	7 wpi	5.5 - 8
6 or Super Bulky	>1	Super Bulky		Less than 100	5-6 wpi	>8