Yarn Substitute

[thecabbageleaf]

I am wanting to substitute 4 worsted form Bulky.

Suggestions please

[Bailey4]

I'm guessing you want to use a worsted 4 instead of bulky 5 yarn?

Well the short answer is your project will come out smaller.  This may not be an issue depending on what you are making.

If size is an issue the work arounds may depend on what you are making.

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!  I'm not exactly sure if you are asking (1)if you can substitute 4 strands of worsted weight for the bulky yarn the pattern called out, or (2) if you want to try to make a pattern written for bulky weight but use US#4 medium/worsted weight instead.

If it's (1), the answer is swatch and see if you hit gauge, it might work for me and not you or vice versa depending on our personal stitch tensions.  Each yarn weight size class is a range of wraps per inch, not an absolute 'only 1 thickness', so might depend on which brands of yarn you chose.

If it's 2 - depends on what you are making.  If you try to make something designed for bulky, and use worsted weight, and use the hook the bulky weight pattern called out, it is going to look super loose and probably be hard to handle with the too-big hook.  If you follow a pattern designed for bulky and use a worsted weight yarn with an appropriate sized hook, it's going to be smaller; might be OK for a toy, but you'd have to re-design your pattern to add stitches to get it the same size, and you will need more yardage than the pattern calls for - there is no 'rule' on how to figure that, you'd have to swatch with both yarns and do the math of 'how many yards did I use for an area of x' and extrapolate it to the size of your project.

edit, I think I hit 'post' at the same time Baily4 did.  In a nutshell, 'it depends, and most situations are going to require resdesign and swatching on your part'.

 

Edited October 2, 2021 by Granny Square

[thecabbageleaf]

Its a vest.

size up is the same number of stitches. 

The gauge is confusing on this one. I may get to re-do

 

[Granny Square]

Interesting that the next size is the same # of stitches, does that carry thru the whole pattern?  Example, if the vest is top down I can see a couple of sizes starting with the same stitch count at the neck line but diverging further down the body.

But with yarn size/gauge 'stuff' - if I don't exactly hit pattern gauge on a wearable, I look at the pattern for the stitch count in a critical spot (like bust) and look at the stitch count in 'my' size at the bust and do the math for my gauge and see if I can live with it being bigger or smaller than it 'should' be.  Then I look at the stitch count for the next size that might be likely (example, my gauge tends to be on the slightly 'tight' side, so if my stitches are too small, I'll look at the larger size) and do that math; often I'll follow the 'large' instructions and end up with a very close to 'medium' that fits nicely.

The trick is to calculate the width of 1 stitch in YOUR swatch, and 1 stitch versus the pattern gauge.  I usually don't pay attention to stitch height unless it matters (like a raglan), because for most wearables you can add or subtract rows for fit.  Example, if the pattern gauge is 16 sts across 4", that's 0.25" per stitch  (4 divided by 16.)  My tighter gauge might be 20 sts over 4", which would be 0.20" per stitch.  Over 100 stitches, that's a difference of 25" versus 20".