A practical guide to substituting yarns

Knitting know-how from the Knight Kraft Studio

Sometimes you may wish to use an alternative yarn to the one specified by a pattern. The yarn may be discontinued, or you may have something in your stash that you prefer but are not quite sure of its weight because it has lost its ball band, or you may wish to use a treasured artisanal yarn that didn’t come with a label.

If you decide to use an alternative yarn, use a substituted yarn that is as close as possible to the original in thickness, weight and texture so that it will work with the pattern instructions.

There are several factors to consider when substituting a yarn.