How to Calculate the Quantity of Cashmere for a Knitting Project - Part IV: Gloves, Hats, Socks

Lately, I've written a few posts on how to calculate the amount of yarn needed for a knitting project: Part I: General information with a practical example Part II: Scarves and stoles Part III: Sweaters Today I want to conclude this topic by talking about gloves, hats, and socks. I'm sure that everyone who knits or crochets experiences the same thing: after a while, our homes are full of different yarns in quantities not sufficient to make a complete garment. We'd like to use them, but often we don't know how. A nice ball of cashmere might be enough to make a hat... but what if you start and it's not enough? If you bought it from the Hircus Filati website, you'll know that it's not possible to buy another one exactly the same, and what's more, from the same dye lot. These are yarns that come from stock, produced by the best Italian spinning mills, in small quantities, and constantly changing. These are real opportunities: high quality at a low price. Returning to today's post: how do you assess if the small amount of yarn you have is enough to make some accessories? First of all, I want to give you a tip: immediately after purchasing the yarn, write down its count, the approximately calculated yardage, and the recommended needle size (which you can find on the Hircus Filati website). Add a few meters of the yarn to this information or, better yet, a small swatch. This small database will be very useful when you want to use your leftovers. Just weigh the ball of yarn and calculate the yarn's yardage. Here's a practical example: The yarn I bought weighed 500g and measured 1750m. There's a ball left weighing 95g. The calculation I need to do is this: (1750 m x 95 gr) : 500 = 332.5 m Now, knowing how many meters the yarn measures, I can choose an accessory to make. If you bought the yarn on cones, remember that it is yarn to be treated. Below you'll find tables with information regarding the yarn yardage needed to make gloves, hats, and socks. I remind you that, as I've already explained in previous posts, this is an approximate calculation for stockinette stitch. If you have "tight hands" or want to make fancy stitches, you need to increase the amount of yarn.

Gloves

Approximate number of stitches in 10 cm

(stockinette stitch)

hand circumference: 18 cm

hand circumference: 19 cm

hand circumference: 20.5 cm

hand circumference: 21.5 cm

hand circumference: 23 cm

20

101 m

120 m

141 m

161 m

181 m

24

143 m

169 m

199 m

227 m

256 m

28

158 m

186 m

219 m

250 m

282 m

31

173 m

205 m

241 m

275 m

310 m

35

190 m

225 m

264 m

302 m

340 m

Hats

Approximate number of stitches in 10 cm

(stockinette stitch)

circumference 42 cm

(0-6 months)

circumference 47 cm

(6-18 months)

circumference 51 cm

18 months-4 years

circumference 53.5 cm

adults S

circumference 58.5 cm

adults M-L

16

61 m

88 m

114 m

139 m

170 m

20

77 m

112 m

144 m

175 m

214 m

24

109 m

158 m

203 m

248 m

303 m

28

120 m

174 m

224 m

273 m

334 m

31

132 m

191 m

246 m

300 m

367 m

35

145 m

210 m

270 m

330 m

403 m

Socks

Approximate number of stitches in 10 cm

(stockinette stitch)

Child

2 – 8 years

Size S

women

Size M - L

women

Size S

men

Size M - L

men

20

88 – 126 m

172 m

205 – 231 m

255 m

284 – 318 m

24

124 – 179 m

243 m

290 – 327 m

361 m

401 – 450 m

28

137 – 197 m

268 m

319 – 360 m

397 m

442 – 495 m

31

150 – 216 m

294 m

351 – 395 m

437 m

486 – 545 m

35

165 – 238 m

323 m

386 - 434 m

480 m

534 – 598 m
I believe this calculation, even if very approximate, is a valid starting point, giving an idea of the amount of yarn needed to create some accessories.

Needle Size

Approximate number of stitches / 10 cm swatch (stockinette stitch)

2.25 – 3.25

31 - 26

3.25 – 3.75

25 – 28

3.75 – 4.5

28 – 20

4.5 – 5.5

20 – 16

5.5 - 8

15 – 12

Hoping that this information will help you use up your cashmere and/or precious yarn remnants purchased from Hircus Filati, I invite you to read my next post, where you'll find some practical tips on how to combine various yarns. See you soon, Alicja Kwartnik for Hircus Filati
Back to blog

Related articles

View all

  • Are you familiar with the steeking technique?

    If you love jacquard, this article is for you. Let's start with the basics: the jacquard technique (named after its inventor M. Jacquard, 1752–1834) consists of alternating threads of different...

    Are you familiar with the steeking technique?

    If you love jacquard, this article is for you. Let's start with the basics: the jacquard technique (named after its inventor M. Jacquard, 1752–1834) consists of alternating threads of different...

  • English rib stitch

    The English rib stitch is one of the softest, most voluminous, and elegant knitting stitches. In English, it is often called English rib or associated with brioche stitch. 👉 It...

    English rib stitch

    The English rib stitch is one of the softest, most voluminous, and elegant knitting stitches. In English, it is often called English rib or associated with brioche stitch. 👉 It...

  • Lambswool: what it is, where it comes from, and...

    When it comes to quality wools, lambswool holds a special place. It's not an exotic fiber like cashmere or alpaca, but it represents one of the purest and most natural...

    Lambswool: what it is, where it comes from, and...

    When it comes to quality wools, lambswool holds a special place. It's not an exotic fiber like cashmere or alpaca, but it represents one of the purest and most natural...

1 3
View all