Tag Archives: yardage estimator

Handy, indeed.

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As I mentioned in my recent post on By Hand Lookbook No. 8, we recently restocked Ann Budd’s essential yardage estimator, the Knitter’s Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements.

If you’ve ever walked into the shop, fallen in love with a skein of yarn and asked us, “Is this enough for a scarf?” then you’ve probably seen Anne and I consult one of these.

The Knitter’s Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements is a little pamphlet filled with charts that are filled with numbers, connecting gauge to yardage. Say you know how many stitches per inch your yarn will give you, and you know how big you want your scarf to be. This handy guide will tell you how many yards you need to do it. This makes it easier to estimate yardage in the event that you’re designing your own garment, or substituting yarn for a pattern. It can also be useful to help you get a sense of what you can do with a particular amount of yarn, for example, a lone skein that you fell in love with but made no plans for. Is it enough for a hat? A scarf? A vest? Pick up your handy guide and find out.

Look for the Knitter’s Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements on the teacart here at the shop!

Stashbot.

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Many of you are probably familiar with Ann Budd’s Handy Guides for knitters and crocheters, little pamphlets for estimating how much yarn is necessary for any given project. They work by matching up the gauge of your yarn with the finished dimensions of your garment-to-be. Designer Hannah Fettig has created a similar yardage estimator that she calls Stashbot which answers the important question, how much yarn do I need for my project?

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Stashbot is a small booklet, just the size to tuck into your knitting bag. It begins with a concise and friendly explanation of how to use it, discussing important variables in yardage requirements, like gauge and positive/negative ease.

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Like the Knitter’s Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements, Stashbot is divided up into a series of project types: sweaters, socks, hats, scarves, etc. It certainly overlaps with Budd’s guide, but also offers a wider range of gauges and a wider range of sizes, starting at 3 months where the other starts at 2 years, and going up to 60″ chest circumference.

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I particularly like that Stashbot offers so many more choices in the “sweater” section. Beyond “vests” and “sweaters,” you’ll also find yardage requirements for shrugs and three different sweater lengths: cropped, average, and tunic length. Come by the shop to take a closer at Stashbot and pick up a copy of your own!