Cosa significa il titolo di un filato (Nm) e come si determina lo spessore

What does a yarn count (Nm) mean and how is its thickness determined?

When it comes to yarn, one of the most common questions is:
"How thick is this yarn?"

In the textile world, however, thickness is not indicated like an electrical wire or a rope.
Instead, a system called yarn count is used, and one of the most common in Europe is Nm.

Let's look at what it is, how it works, and why a higher number indicates a thinner yarn (yes, it's the opposite of what many people think!).

What is yarn count

The count is a numerical value used to indirectly measure the thickness of the yarn, relating length and weight.

In simple terms:

it doesn't measure "how wide" the yarn is
but how much yarn length is contained in a certain weight

This method is much more precise and reliable, especially for fine yarns such as wool, cashmere, silk, or cotton.

What Nm means

Nm stands for Metric Number.

👉 It indicates how many meters of yarn there are in 1 gram of weight.

Nm 1 → 1 meter weighs 1 gram
Nm 2 → 2 meters weigh 1 gram
Nm 10 → 10 meters weigh 1 gram
Nm 28 → 28 meters weigh 1 gram

🔑 The higher the Nm number, the finer the yarn.
🔑 The lower the Nm number, the thicker the yarn.

Why isn't thickness measured "with a ruler"?

Because:

yarns are never perfectly cylindrical
softness, twist, and fiber change the visual perception
two yarns can look similar but have completely different yields

The Nm count, however, allows you to:

compare different yarns objectively
predict yield, consumption, and fabric gauge
choose the right machine or needles to work with

What Nm 2/28, Nm 2/15, etc. mean

Here's another important detail.

Nm 2/28 means:

28 Nm = single yarn count (very fine)
2 ply = two strands joined together (plied)

👉 The final result will be thicker than a single 28, but more regular and resistant.

Some common examples

Nm 2/28 → very fine yarn (knitwear gauge 12–14)
Nm 2/15 → medium (gauge 7–8)
Nm 2/7 → thick (gauge 5–6)

Imagine roads:

a country lane → thick yarn (low Nm)
a state road → medium yarn
a very thin single-lane highway → very fine yarn (high Nm)

Now imagine weighing 1 gram of road:

on the country lane, you cover little distance
on the very thin highway, you cover many kilometers

👉 This is exactly the concept of Nm.

Why yarn count is essential for knitters or machine knitters

Knowing the yarn count helps to:

choose needles, hooks, or machine gauge
calculate actual consumption
avoid production errors
understand if a yarn is suitable for:
- scarves
- fine knitwear
- heavy winter garments
- light or compact fabrics