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Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Crochet 102: Yarn Substitutions and WPI
Hello, yarn friends! It's time for the second installment in my Crochet 102 series! Today we're going to be talking about the information you'll find on your yarn label, wraps per inch (WPI), and how to use both of these things to substitute ya…
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Hello, yarn friends!
It's time for the second installment in my Crochet 102 series! Today we're going to be talking about the information you'll find on your yarn label, wraps per inch (WPI), and how to use both of these things to substitute yarn for a pattern you're working.
A while ago, I released a series of photo and video tutorials called Crochet 101 for those starting from absolute scratch learning crochet. But as time has gone on, I know that in order to help you become more adept at crochet, we need to go a little farther to better understand how to use our stitch knowledge to make a pattern.
Psst! If you aren't yet familiar with all of the basic stitches, check out my Crochet 101 series here.
Once you learn those basic stitches, you'll want to try your hand at a pattern, and rightly so! To aid you on that journey, I've come up with a series of videos aimed to help you go deeper with your crochet knowledge to ensure that you can confidently make any pattern you put your mind to. It's my goal to help you understand a bit more of the intricacies that make those projects work and how to make them your own. From understanding gauge to changing colors, the videos in this series will help you toward that finished project.
Every tutorial will feature both a photo and a video tutorial, so whether you learn best from photos or watching someone do it in real time, I've got you covered. In each of these tutorials, I take a deep dive into common crochet terms associated with them and the mechanics of the techniques involved. Here are the topics I plan to release and I will update with links in each of the posts when new tutorials are live.
The below terms will be used throughout this tutorial series. As we proceed with each new Crochet 102 tutorial, I will be adding to this list of terms as needed to understand the tutorial being taught. You will see these terms in the video tutorial, the photos that follow, as well as defined for you below.
Tension: how tightly or how loosely you work your stitches Gauge: the measurement of tension, portrayed as the number of stitches and the number of rows in a given measurement of fabric Golden Loop: the first loop on your hook after pulling up a loop through a stitch; controls the height of a stitch
From This Tutorial
Craft Yarn Council (CYC): an independent authority setting standards for yarn crafts; see www.craftyarncouncil.com Yarn Weight Category: also referred to as yarn weight, this refers to the designation given to a particular yarn by the Craft Yarn Council; see further info on their website here. Skein Yardage: the length of yarn included in a single skein of yarn, measured in yards (yds) or meters (m) Skein Weight: how much a single skein of yarn weighs, measured in ounces (oz) or grams (g) Fiber Content: what material is used to make the yarn, ie merino wool, cotton, acrylic, silk, etc. Yardage Ratio: measures the proportion of a skein's length to its weight, calculated by dividing the skein length by skein weight Wraps per Inch (WPI): How many strands of yarn fit side by side around an opject of uniform thickness in an inch's worth of wraps
Yarn Substitutions & WPI
Most patterns will come with a recommended yarn used by the designer to create that pattern. That yarn, combined with the recommended hook size, is going to create a fabric with a specific drape and density to it and if you change the yarn, you may alter these things and the item may turn out differently than desired.
In this tutorial, we are going to look at when you might want to substitute yarn in a pattern and how to do it so that you don't lose the intended drape and density from the pattern in the finished item.
Video Tutorial
Learn better watching and listening in real time? I've recorded a video for this tutorial as well!
Yarn Substitution
Yarn substitution is when you need or want to switch to a different yarn than what is recommended in the pattern you are following. You might consider substitution if:
the recommended yarn is unavailable - if it's been discontinued, not sold locally or easily obtainable
the recommended yarn is too expensive
you want to use up yarn from your stash
you prefer a different fiber due to allergies, ethical reasons, or personal preference
you need to meet gauge
Same Weight Substitution
In this tutorial, we're going to focus on same weight substitution. Once you understand the basics of substituting within the same yarn weight category, you'll be better able to understand how to substitute for categories outside of that which was recommended in your pattern, switching from a pattern-recommended medium weight to a chunky weight, for example.
There can be significant variance within the same yarn weight category due to fiber, texture, thickness, construction, etc. Is it a roving yarn, how tightly is it plied? Sometimes even the way different fibers take different colors of dye can effect your gauge when you work with yarn.
Yup, I said gauge. If you haven't yet, be sure to check out my Gauge and the Golden Loop tutorial because if you're substituting yarn, you're going to be gauge swatching A LOT. No, for real, a LOT.
So what do I mean by "yarn weight category" or, more simply referred to as the "weight" of the yarn? The Craft Yarn Council has standardized yarn by weight, or more accurately by thickness, how robust the strand is. They measure the WPI, wraps per inch, and assign it to a range that is then categorized by number.
You might be familiar with the icons above from seeing them on yarn labels. They aren't always on the label, but most big name yarn manufacturers use them. As the numbers on the icons increase in number, the yarn increases in thickness.
Yarn Weight Category: also referred to as yarn weight, this refers to the designation given to a particular yarn by the Craft Yarn Council For more information about the yarn weight system, visit the CYC website here.
Label Info
Speaking of yarn labels, what type of information is on labels and what does it mean?
In the example below, you can see one of the more detailed yarn labels, common for larger yarn manufacturers. Not all of this information is standard, but at the very least, you'll always find the skein yardage, skein weight, fiber content, and care instructions. Let's break it down using this label so you know what everything means.
The first thing you see is that little yarn weight icon telling us that this is a CYC 5 weight yarn, or a Bulky weight. As I mentioned earlier, labels may not always tell you the yarn weight, so you may not always have this on your label.
Next you see the skein yardage and the skein weight. These are important for determining your yardage ratio, but more on that in a minute. Next is the fiber content, which tells you what material your yarn is made from, ie merino, alpaca, cotton, acrylic, etc.
Skein Yardage: the length of yarn included in a single skein of yarn, measured in yards (yds) or meters (m)
Skein Weight: how much a single skein of yarn weighs, measured in ounces (oz) or grams (g)
Fiber Content: what material is used to make the yarn
After that, you see a couple of square shaped icons, one with knitting needles inside and one with a crochet hook inside. These aren't always shown on labels, but it's very nice when they are! These icons are the recommended knitting and crochet gauges and their respective needle and hook sizes. This is illustrates the manufacturer's intended drape for the yarn.
At the very bottom of this label, you see the care instructions. They are pretty self-explanatory. Care instructions tell you how to properly care for your item when you've finished making it, how to wash and dry and maintain it. They may appear as simple written instructions, as icons, or as seen here, both. These should almost always be on your label, but sometimes artisan yarns by independent dyers don't always have this.
You may have noticed the little scarf icon next to the knitting gauge icon. You may see this icon, or maybe even a sweater or blanket icon as well. This is a rough estimate of how many skeins of yarn you would need to make a basic scarf, sweater, or blanket using the recommended gauge.
A couple other items you'll find on your yarn label that I didn't include here for the purpose of this tutorial pertain to the color of the yarn. Colors are often indicated by a number assigned by the yarn manufacturer (Color #), but that is not always indicated on the label itself. More commonly, only the name of the color is indicated, like Taupe or Mustard, to indicate the shade. Additionally, you'll find the dye lot number (Lot #), which is important when you're working on a large project of a single color. There can be a slight variance in the shade of a color between different dye lots. Ensuring all the skeins purchased for a single color project have matching Lot #s means that your project has the same consistent shade when starting a new skein.
Yardage Ratio
Aside from making sure that the CYC yarn weight for the yarns you're considering are the same as the one you're replacing, the yarn label can also provide you with another tool for making a better substitution: the yardage ratio. The yardage ratio measures the proportion of length to weight in a skein.
Yardage Ratio: measures the proportion of a skein's length to its weight
Using the label above again as an example, we can calculate the yardage ratio. You just need the skein length and the skein weight.
yardage ratio = skein length divided by skein weight = 117 yds / 3.5 oz = 33.43 = 107 m / 100 g = 1.07
Whether you are working in yards or meters, ounces or grams, doesn't matter so long as you stay consistent with your units when you're comparing the ratio from your substitute yarn to the yarn you're looking to replace. As you can see from the example above, measuring yds/oz yields a vastly different number from measuring m/g, even though they are both accurate ratios for this yarn.
Wraps per Inch
Another tool you can use to compare yarn is to compare the wraps per inch, or WPI for short. I've thrown that term around a little here, so what is it exactly?
Wraps per Inch (WPI): How many strands of yarn fit side by side around an opject of uniform thickness in an inch's worth of wraps
Ravelry as a Resource
Have you heard of Ravelry.com? It's a website dedicated to all kinds of yarn crafts. It has a huge database of patterns (free and paid), community forums, a blog, and best of all when you're trying to substitute yarn, a huge database of all the yarn! You can create a free account or view as a guest. I love that I have a digital library of all the patterns I've purchased or downloaded and any updates are automatically done. There are so many cool things about this site!
When comparing yarns, first search their yarn database for your the recommended yarn and the one you're considering substituting. Not only does their website give you the current status of a particular yarn (whether it is available or discontinued), it gives you all the information from the yarn label PLUS the WPI. So without having to measure anything yourself, you can compare your yarns by looking online.
What if your yarn isn't listed in their database? Or what if you've lost your label and don't know what brand or line of yarn it is to even be able to search on Ravelry? You can always measure WPI yourself! It's pretty simple, actually. Here's how!
How to Measure WPI
You will need a few things to do measure your WPI: a ruler, an object of uniform thickness, and your yarn! It's also helpful to reference the WPI breakdown by yarn weight category. For that, we need our friends from the Craft Yarn Council again! Find that here.
So what do I mean by an object of uniform thickness? That means the object you're wrapping around needs to have the same depth and width throughout the entire length of wraps, like a pencil.
Tip: Different items may yield different WPI because we tend to wrap tighter around narrower objects. Be consistent and use the same item for each comparison.
Here I've got two items I found around my house that are of uniform thickness, a tea tin lid and a pencil. Because I tend to wrap more tightly around narrower objects, I prefer to use something that is at least an inch wide to wrap around, so of these two, I'll be using the tea tin lid.
When you wrap your yarn around your object, you want to wrap tautly but not tightly. You want the yarn close around the object without pulling the it and stretching it as you wrap.
Just like when you're working a gauge swatch and make it larger than the size you're measuring for, you will want to wrap for longer than just one inch. I like to wrap between two to three inches worth of wraps so that I can measure in the center where my wraps are more consistent.
Make sure that your wraps are touching but not overlapping. You don't want gaps but you don't want to squish them unnaturally either or you'll get an inaccurate measurement. Use your fingers to shift them as needed.
Grab your ruler and measure in a couple of spots to count how many wraps are in one inch. That's it! That counted number is your WPI!
Let's Substitute!
I'm going to be looking at possible substitutions for a discontinued yarn in my stash, Lion Brand's Color Made Easy. A moment of silence for one of my favorite yarns that is no more. 😦
Color Made Easy is a CYC 5 Bulky weight yarn, so I've pulled two other yarns from my stash that are also CYC 5 Bulky weight yarn, Premier Basix Chunky and Lion Brand Hue + Me. Let's take a look at the yarn labels of each and how they compare to the original Color Made Easy. The things I'm specifically looking at here are the yardage ratio, WPI (from Ravelry), fiber content, and the recommended hook size.
Looking at the first possible substitute, Premier Basix Chunky, you see that it is the same WPI and fiber as Color Made Easy and at a difference of 1.86 from the original yarn, our first possible substitute looks pretty good. However, the difference in the recommended hook size is a bit concerning, 9mm vs 6.5mm. A gauge swatch is required to compare the feel of the fabric once it has been worked up.
When I make my gauge swatches for comparison, I am using the same number of stitches and rows in my swatch as well as the hook size recommended by my pattern. Since for my example, I'm not using a pattern to compare to, I'm using the hook size recommended by the label for the original yarn, 6.5mm. This allows me to control as many variables as possible to get an accurate comparison.
As you can see from the swatch comparison, the gauge of the substitute yarn is much larger than the original yarn. The stitches are wider and taller and the drape of the fabric is very dense since I used a hook size that is much smaller than that which was recommended from the label. If I was going to use this as a substitute for Color Made Easy, I would definitely have to go up in hook size until I had a similar drape then adjust for gauge from there. This could be cumbersome since I'd likely have to go up several hook sizes.
Looking at the second options, Lion Brand Hue + Me, you can see that it has the same WPI and and recommended hook size, but the difference in the yardage ratio is greater and the fiber is different as well. This information alone is not sufficient to determine if it is an appropriate substitution, so once again, a gauge swatch is required.
Comparing a swatch of Hue + Me to Color Made Easy, the first thing you notice is that the gauge is still larger than the original. The stitches are still taller and wider than the swatch of the original yarn, but the drape is a lot closer to the original. The fabric is slightly denser than the original but not as dense and stiff as the Basix Chunky. This is down to the recommended hook size being much smaller. If I were to use this as a substitute for Color Made Easy, I would likely have to go up in hook size to match the drape, but likely not as many as I would need to using Basix Chunky. I will still need to adjust my pattern for gauge due to the larger stitches.
Other Considerations
There are a few other factors to consider when choosing a yarn for substitution. First, look at fiber characteristics. What's the durability of the fiber you're using and what is the finished item going to be used for? For example, cotton is durable but stretches easily. Synthetics aren't suited for anything you'd use with heat like a hot pad. Animal fiber breathes well while also insulating, and silk is very delicate but strong. Things like that can factor into how you substitute as well.
Also look at the care instructions. Is it machine wash or hand wash only? You want to keep those factors the same as the original because it comes down to the final object you're making and how you're going to be able to care for and maintain that object.
Swatching is life!
Like many things, yarn substitution is a game of trial and error. You may never find a perfect match for the yarn recommended in your pattern, and that's okay!
Use the tools from this tutorial to find something that is as close as you can get and then test your gauge to compare to the pattern for consistency and intended fit and drape. The most important thing you can do when looking to substitute yarn in a pattern is SWATCH. I know big the compulsion to dive right in and skip swatching is, but don't skip it! Otherwise, you risk spending all that time making this beautiful project only for it to end up too big/small, or you run out of yarn before you're done.
That's it for yarn subbing!
I hope this post helped you understand more about your yarn and how to determine the best substitute when the need arises. If you have any questions, drop them below and I'll reply ASAP!
Next up in the series I'll be talking about changing colors. Until then, keep practicing and learning!
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