How to Read a Yarn Label
Ever picked up a skein of yarn and wondered wtf all the numbers and symbols mean on the label?
Do you need to use the recommended hook size on the band? What are the stitch and row numbers about? What even is gauge?
Well, we’re going to break it all down and teach you how to read a yarn label.
Brand and Materials
The first thing that you’ll notice on the front of the ball band is the Brand and Name of the yarn.
For our example, we’ll be looking at Lion Brand Color Theory by Two of Wands.
This is one of our favourite yarns!
The front often also shows the composition of the yarn materials – e.g. acrylic, wool, bamboo, cotton, etc.
Weight, Length, Gauge, & Hook Size
From the band, we can see that the yarn weight (thickness) is 4 / Medium. In other countries (like Australia), we use ply. A 4 weight yarn is equivalent to 10 ply or worsted weight. You can search for yarns on Ravelry if you aren’t sure of the weight.
Since this is Crochet 101, let’s look a the hook size. The little hook symbol has I-9 (5.5mm) above it. This is the recommended hook size to achieve the gauge measurement. The gauge for a 5.5mm hook is 14 S (14 Stitches) and 20 R (20 Rows). If you make a swatch and measure in the middle, a 4in x 4in square (or 10cm x 10cm) should be 14 stitches wide and 20 rows. There’s no stitch given, which isn’t very helpful, but it’s most likely US single crochet given the rows. In reality, it doesn’t really matter because the most important thing is to match the gauge of the pattern you’re making (if there is one).
It’s important to note that this is only the recommended hook size to achieve their gauge. The actual hook size you use you will depend on your project and tension. For example, we would use a 3mm or 3.5mm hook for amigurumi.
We can also see that the ball contains 100g of yarn / 225m. You can use this information to calculate how much yarn you’ll need for a project.
Washing Instructions
Unless you work as a dry cleaner, you probably won’t be familiar with all of the laundry care symbols.
Click here for a full list of symbols and their meanings.
For Lion Brand Color Theory we have:
Tub with a dot: Machine Washable with a normal cycle
Triangle and X: Do not bleach
Square with a Circle and Dot: Tumble Dry on Low
Iron with X: Do not iron
P in a Circle: Dry Cleaning with any chemical except trichloroethylene
Colour and Lot Number
On this ball, we can see that the Colour is Provenence (in English and French). The colour number of 152AI (this is mostly important to the manufacturer).
The Lot Number may also be called a Dye Lot. This is the number given by the manufacturer for the batch of yarn that was dyed together.
If you’re making a bigger project like a garment or blanket, it’s important to check the Lot Number on each ball of yarn.
Even if you buy the same yarn and the same colour, it can vary noticeably over different dye lots.
If possible, buy all the yarn you’ll need for a big project at the same time and check that each ball has the same Lot Number.
Hopefully, you find this information helpful and have more confidence when purchasing yarn in the future!
Just remember to check those dye lots and follow the washing instructions for your beautiful projects.