A Knitter’s Journey: Shopping for Yarn by Meterage

Shopping for Yarn by Meterage: where do you begin with if you always do it in DK-Aran-Lace terms?

You settle into your favorite chair, laptop open, ready to find the perfect yarn for your next project. Your sweater pattern calls for DK weight, a nice wool blend, and something in the 200–280m per 100g range.

You type in your go-to online yarn shop, expecting to filter by DK, Aran, or Lace like you always do. But when the page loads, you freeze.

There’s no “DK,” no “Aran,” no “Fingering.”

Instead, every yarn had an attribute such as meters per 100 grams (m/100g).

400m/100g? 250m/100g? Your usual knitting instincts don’t apply here.

For a moment, you consider closing the tab and looking elsewhere, but then you remind yourself: Yarn weight is just a number! You can figure this out.

Beyond Hand-Knitting: Ultra-Fine Machine Knitting Yarns (800m – 3000m/100g)

Before you even get to the yarns suited for hand knitting, you notice some incredibly fine options with 800m to 3000m per 100g. These are mainly machine knitting yarns—so fine that a single strand would be impractical for most hand-knit projects.

• 1500m – 3000m/100g → Extremely fine, almost like sewing thread. Used in industrial knitting or as a base for combining multiple strands.

• 800m – 1500m/100g → Still very thin, but some adventurous hand knitters use it doubled, tripled, or even mixed with other yarns for custom effects.

You could, in theory, hold multiple strands together to create a thicker yarn, mixing fibers and colors for unique textures. But that’s an entirely different story—one for another day. Right now, you’re here for something more practical.

Decoding the Numbers: What Meterage Means for Yarn Weight

You start scrolling, determined to crack the code.

Fine & Lightweight Yarns (Over 400m/100g)

These are the delicate, airy yarns—beautiful for lace shawls and lightweight garments.

• 600m – 800m/100g → Lace weight (Ethereal mohair, silk blends, and fine shawls.)

• 500m – 600m/100g → Light Fingering (Still fine, but easier to knit—perfect for baby garments.)

• 350m – 450m/100g → Fingering / Sock weight (Versatile for socks, fine-gauge sweaters, and intricate colorwork.)

You click on a 450m/100g skein of merino-silk. Gorgeous, but too fine for your sweater. You keep scrolling.

The Middle Weights (200m–350m/100g): Your Comfort Zone

These are the workhorse yarns—good for garments, accessories, and everyday projects.

• 280m – 350m/100g → Sport weight (Slightly lighter than DK, great for fine sweaters.)

• 200m – 280m/100g → DK weight (Perfect for cozy-yet-light sweaters and accessories.)

You filter your search to 200m-280m/100g, and instantly, familiar-looking yarns pop up.

“There we go—250m/100g merino-alpaca blend. That’s my DK!”

You add it to your cart with a satisfied click.

Chunky & Fast-Knitting Yarns (Under 200m/100g)

You scroll further into the bulkier, cozy yarns.

• 140m – 200m/100g → Aran/Worsted weight (Warm and structured—great for sweaters and blankets.)

• 100m – 140m/100g → Chunky weight (For quick, snuggly projects like scarves and thick jumpers.)

• 50m – 100m/100g → Super Chunky (Oversized stitches, instant gratification.)

You pause on a 120m/100g skein of a wool-alpaca blend. That might make a great oversized scarf for winter…

A New Way to Shop for Yarn

Now that you understand meterage as weight, navigating the online shop becomes second nature.

• If you want a fine, delicate project? Look for 400m+ per 100g.

• A versatile sweater yarn? 200m-280m per 100g is your range.

• A thick, cozy knit? Under 150m per 100g is ideal.

With your cart full of carefully chosen yarns, you check out feeling more confident than ever. Sure, you came in looking for “DK,” but now you understand yarn weight in a way that helps you make better choices—no matter how the shop labels it.

Meterage isn’t just numbers—it’s a knitter’s secret weapon for finding the perfect yarn.