Question concerning yarn weights.

[Deaux-Deaux]

I don't think I understand yarn weight correctly... I generally go for a Medium (4) weight, as this is what most patterns I have call for. For reference, I consider Red Heart Super Saver and I Love This Yarn! to be the standard when it comes to this weight. I may be completely wrong, but that's why I'm asking everyone...

 

Anyways, it seems that the Medium (4) weight thickness varies between brands and yarn lines. This became a problem when I started making an afghan with Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable. While the skein says (4), it feels a lot thinner than my other yarns, and consequently my squares were smaller. A pattern that called for 128 squares is now going to take me roughly 195, and that's after I add on another row to my squares... If anyone is curious, I've cranked out 40-something squares so far, and feel like it'd be a waste to stop, buy new yarn, and start all over.

 

I feel a bit crazy. I thought I understood weight, but apparently there is a lot more to it than I orginally thought. Can someone please explain this to me? It's not just Read Heart that I've noticed this with, it just happens to be the example I used. 

[crabby rat]

No - you're right - yarn does that.  I don't know why either.  I'm pretty sure that's part of the reason we all hear "gauge swatch!  gauge swatch!  gauge swatch!" all the time...

 

Now, before you add rows of squares to your afghan, consider completing it with the original 128 squares and then adding a wider border to it... you can get it up to the "right" size by doing that if you want. 

 

I've never worked with the Unforgettable yarn, so I might be way off base here - but would going up in hook size fix the sizing problem?  I don't suggest doing that now, for this pattern, because you've already got 40 squares done and you want them to be uniform in size ~ just for future reference.  If you go up in hook size, would that make the work to "open" for your taste?

 

Good luck!!  I find that using the hook size stated on the yarn wrapper tends to give me the gauge it states, too - just another place to look...

[magiccrochetfan]

the yarn weights are a range, so there can be a fair amount of variation within the range.  

sometimes yarns become a little fuller after they are laundered, so you may want to do that with your squares as they may grow a bit.  

[Bailey4]

As the others have stated there is a range within the weights and if you want a specific size you have to check the gauge.  I have the same issue with some of the lighter weight yarns as well and find if I'm trying to match a weight I have to check the gauge because unless I get the exact brand and crochet with the same tension as the pattern designer I can have an issue. 

[RoseRed]

Oh, yeah - welcome to the joys of yarn sizing.  No, you're not crazy - it's just that the companies have a wide range for each number. 

 

I generally try to stay with the same brand for an entire project but even that can be a headache and a half because the thickness of a #4 is not the same across the entire line.  You'll see that a lot of the Super Saver has a large range of thickness.

 

This is why we swatch. 

 

Most people think that swatch should be considered a 4-letter word but it's a massive time saver if you learn to love it.

 

I've made things (within the same brand and line) and had to use different hooks for the different colors just to get the final measurements to be really close!

 

Say you're going to try using a I and J.  You'll use the J hook (the bigger hook) on the thinner yarn to make the stitches bigger and puffier.  You use the I hook on the thicker yarn to make the stitches tight enough to match the other color.

 

The above example is a great place to start.  Part of loving crochet is getting to know her and this is a wonderful part of swatches.

[Granny Square]

I don't have HL nearby to compare ILTY, but I consider Red Heart Super Saver and Caron Pounders to be pegged at the top of the medium 4 spectrum -- heavier, thicker, very nearly bulky weight compared to most other worsted brands I've used.