- How do I calculate how many yards are in a partial skein?
- Weigh your remaining yarn in grams, then multiply by the yarn's yards-per-gram ratio: remaining yards = remaining_g × (label_yards ÷ label_weight_g). For example, if the label says 220 yd / 100 g and you have 60 g left, you have 60 × 2.2 = 132 yards remaining. This calculator does that math automatically when you enter a partial-skein weight in the "Add Yarn" form.
- How does yarn gauge substitution work — and why do I need more yards for a finer yarn?
- Gauge measures how many stitches fit in 4 inches (or 10 cm). A finer yarn has a higher stitch count per inch, so each stitch uses less width but you need more stitches to cover the same area — which means more total yarn length. The formula is: substitute yards = pattern yards × (pattern gauge² ÷ substitute gauge²). If your pattern calls for 880 yards at 20 sts/4 in and your substitute gauges at 18 sts/4 in, you need 880 × (400 ÷ 324) ≈ 1,086 yards. Add 10–15% buffer for swatch waste and dye-lot safety.
- Can I use metres instead of yards?
- Yes. Both the Project Check and Substitution tabs let you toggle between yards and metres. The tool converts internally (1 yard = 0.9144 m), so you can enter metres and get your result in yards, or vice versa. The stash stores yardage in yards internally; metre values are shown as a second line where relevant.
- What does "combine multiple skeins" mean in the project check?
- If no single skein in your stash has enough yardage for the pattern, the tool shows which combinations of the same brand and colorway add up to enough. Mixing dye lots from different brands or colorways risks visible color differences row-to-row, so the matcher groups by brand+color. You can still manually combine any skeins — this is just the auto-suggestion.
- How do I export my stash data?
- Click the Export CSV button on the My Stash tab. It downloads a CSV file with all your yarn entries — brand, color, weight category, skein yardage, skein weight, quantity, partial grams, total available yards, and date added. You can open it in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets to back it up or print a physical stash list.
- Is my yarn stash data private and saved between visits?
- Yes on both counts. Your stash is stored in your browser's IndexedDB — a local database that persists across browser sessions, just like a cookie but larger and more structured. The data never leaves your device. If you clear your browser's site data or use a different browser/device, the stash will not be there — use Export CSV regularly as a backup.