Craft & Making
Skein Requirement Calculator
Enter total yarn needed and metres per skein to see how many skeins to buy.
How many skeins do I need?
Yarn projects are specified in metres (or yards) of a given weight. Divide the metres you need by metres per skein, after applying a buffer for tension differences, swatching and dye-lot continuity — often around 10%. Always round up to whole skeins and prefer one dye lot. Weight-to-length conversion depends on the yarn; this tool works in length only. When a pattern quotes balls instead of metres, use the ball band metreage. For general yarn planning see the yarn tools, and for woven yardage the fabric meterage calculator.
Worked example
1,200 m needed with a 10% buffer → 1,320 m. At 210 m per skein: ceil(1,320/210) = 7 skeins. At £6.50 each ≈ £45.50.
Limits and assumptions
Length-based only. Changing needle size, fibre or colourwork density can move real usage outside the buffer.
Frequently asked questions
Why buy an extra skein?
Running short mid-project often means a mismatched dye lot. An unused skein can usually be returned or saved for repairs.
Metres or yards on the band?
Stay consistent — convert yards to metres (×0.9144) before entering if the pattern uses metres.
Does the buffer replace a gauge swatch?
No — swatch for size; the buffer covers leftover risk after you trust the metreage.
What if I substitute yarn?
Recheck metres per skein and WPI (wraps per inch) / weight category; do not assume ball counts transfer.