FREE Yardage Calculator Tool
Hello!
This one is for the pattern writers out there!
I’ve been designing and writing amigurumi patterns for a while, but I have to admit…I’ve never been very good at working out the specifics of calculating how much yarn I used in the process.
I decided to up my game and take my patterns to the next level by putting the effort and calculating exactly how much yarn will be needed based on the weight used. Now, this practice is absolutely crucial when it comes to writing clothing or large scale patterns but for me personally, it has never been that important when it came to Amigurumi. That said – it’s an important factor for a lot of makers and probably a good habit to get into when writing a pattern regardless!
Unfortunately, when it comes to calculating yardage, working out all that maths each time is not my idea of fun, so, I put my (and my Dad’s when I got stuck) excel skills to good use and created a downloadable FREE YARDAGE CALCULATOR for you all! It makes the calculation process automated and gives you instant results, converting your used yarn weight into both metres and yards.
Scroll down for the ‘How To Guide’, then download the Excel file here:
PREPARATION: Here are the things you need to write down before using the calculator.
- The total ‘unused’ weight of the ball of yarn (i.e. as it is sold in the shop, for example, 50g or 100g)
- The total ‘unused’ yarn ball length (EITHER in metres OR in yards – not both)
- The actual starting weight of the ball of yarn before you crochet.
- The actual finishing weight of the ball of yarn after you crochet.
- The total weight of yarn used (calculate by subtracting the finishing weight from the starting weight).
RECOMMENDATION:
Every time you start writing a new pattern, draw up a simple table like this and fill it in as you go (I have filled it out with random examples):
You can find the total ‘unused’ yarn ball weight and ‘unused’ yarn ball length on your yarn label:
HOW TO USE THE CALCULATOR:
STEP 1:
Open up the calculator spreadsheet and fill in the first two boxes – you can ignore everything else for now…
STEP 2:
Fill in the total yarn ball length (according to the yarn label) in EITHER metres OR yards. Please don’t try and put both into the calculator or you will receive an error!
STEP 3:
Once your information is entered correctly into the 4 boxes at the top, the table at the bottom should auto-calculate the meterage and yardage for you…
STEP 4: Repeat this process for each ball of yarn used – if you used more than one ball of a colour, add the total resulting meterage or yardage for that colour together. Done!
You can now add this info to your pattern – happy makers all round!
Download the Excel spreadsheet below!
This resource is completely, entirely free and always will be. If you have found this tool useful and would like to support me I do have a Ko-Fi page, and any contribution will always be appreciated!
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