How do you figure out the yarn quantities calculator?

In 2025, designers typically put the exact yardage or metres of yarn on the patterns. This allows people who are substituting or have partial balls to see if they have enough yarn on hand. Let's figure out yarn quantities.

To do this, you need a postage scale to weigh the ball of yarn.

Let's figure it out using this Red Heart Super Saver Bitty Stripes for this baby cardigan.

Here is the Calculation to Figure Out Yarn Quantities

I find using metric units more accurate and easier to manage. Then, I use Google to convert to yards and ounces, but I have provided the calculation below.

Figure Out the Weight of Your Finished Item Using a Real Sample

1. Weigh the finished project on a postage scale.

   • 207 grams.

2. Look at the original ball band to tell you how many grams are on the ball.

   • 283 grams.

Figure Out How Many Metres Per Gram

1. How many metres are in a whole ball of yarn?

   • 471 metres.

2. Take the full ball in metres and divide by the total grams in a ball. This will give you the number of grams per metre.

   • 471 metres / 283 grams = 1.66 metres per gram.

3. To double-check, metres per gram x total ball weight in grams should give you a very close distance to the original metres of the ball.

   • 1.66 metres per gram x 283 grams = 470 metres.

Final Metres For The Finished Jacket

• The weight of the jacket in grams x metres per gram.

  • 207 grams x 1.66 grams per metre = 343.6 metres.

We now know the jacket is 207 grams and uses 344 metres.

To Convert to Ounces and Yards

• 1 metre = 1.09 yards.

  • 344 metres = 376 yards.

• 1 gram = 0.04 ounces.

  • 207 grams = 7.3 ounces.