Yardage and grams

Hi everyone, 
I find very nice patterns here. My only problem is the size. 
The patterns usually only state the yardage and whether it’s 3-ply or 4-ply... but I miss the information in grams. E.g. 280 m yardage/50 g
I crocheted an owl shawl, which also turned out well, dimensions 48 x 30 cm. 
Nice as decoration, but as a wrap it’s more for a doll
Best regards, Thilde

That’s true—I always have to do the math first, too. I also prefer the weight in grams.

I think this has a bit to do with the different countries. Americans always specify only the yardage or the yarn type. For projects with yarn cakes (mostly for shawls), it’s often a combination of yardage and yarn weight.
In German-speaking countries, it’s the yardage per 50 g.

The “3-strand” or “4-strand” likely refers to yarn cakes, usually made of 50% cotton and 50% acrylic, where the strands are held together but not twisted.
These are often sold by length, which is why many patterns don’t include the weight in grams.

I crocheted my “Blätterzauber” shawl in a granny pattern using a 750 m, 3-strand yarn cake, and it turned out to be a good size. The yarn cake weighed 150 g.
The same shawl made with 1,000 m (weighing 200 g) would have about 12 more rows, making it slightly larger.
That’s also a nice size.
Any more yardage would have made it too big for me. Less than 750 m would probably have been too tiny.

Otherwise, a gauge swatch can also help you.
That way, you can see in advance whether your hook size, your tension, and the yarn you’ve chosen will result in a size roughly matching the one in the pattern. Switching to a smaller or larger hook size might give you the desired result.
This also applies to knitting patterns.

I hope I was able to help.

Best regards, Mona
 

I crocheted this owl shawl with fine yarn
50 g - 265 m
Now I’ll use slightly thicker yarn.
Thank you very much for the suggestions
Thilde

The recommended yarn length for the owl shawl is
50 g – 115 m.

A different yarn length will change the result!
The little red owl would definitely look
great as a kitchen curtain or simply as wall decor.

I wish you continued success....🍀
And I look forward to seeing the finished result if you’d like
to share it. Best regards, Petra Perle


 

Is it really sooo difficult to include both the weight in grams and the yardage per 50 g (or per 100 g, if the yarn is sold that way) in a pattern? I’d also like the fiber composition to be listed in percentages. In magazine patterns, these three details are almost always included. With patterns in books, you often have to consult a search engine first to get more precise details.

Why am I so fixated on this information?
Sometimes you want to—or have to—substitute a “recommended” yarn with another, for example, because the intended one isn’t available, is too expensive, or you’d like to use up yarn you already have. In those cases, you’re grateful for any information that helps you find a suitable alternative.
I’d be reluctant, for example, to replace pure wool with cotton because the two fibers have very different properties. Wool keeps you warm, while cotton doesn’t do nearly as good a job. Wool is usually light, while cotton can feel quite heavy hanging off you. For example, I find summer sweaters made of cotton and/or novelty yarn that weigh 750 g or more simply unbearable. Just wearing them makes you break a sweat. And once cotton is soaked with sweat, you’ll end up freezing in it. Winter sweaters made of wool sometimes weigh less than 500 g and still keep you warm even when they feel a little “clammy” on the outside.

I’m happy when the information about the materials is just as comprehensive and precise as the pattern itself. It not only makes it easier for me to make the project, but also helps me decide whether I want to make it or whether I’d rather steer clear of it because, based on my experience, the yarn isn’t very well suited for the purpose. 

In most cases, I include the weight in grams, the yardage, and the material.
Unless I no longer have the label, since the yarn is quite old.

Back when I used to knit or crochet from patterns, I often substituted a different yarn for the one suggested.