knitting gauges, weaving setts and other properties of our yarns

Richard Lawn 14 02 2007 3:16 pm

All of our yarns are listed with their NM number to describe their yardage. This number states how many metres of yarn will come from 1 gram weight, so for example a single ply 1/28 yarn will give 28 metres per gram whilst 2/28s we will give half that (because it is twice as thick). The table below gives the yardage, needle sizes and stitches per inch. All this info came from customers (thanks to them!) and obviously there is a range depending on personal preference.

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ColourMart Weight	NM (or Tex)	Yards per 150g cone (approx)	Needle size, stocking stitch	Needle size, lace	US Crochet hook size	Gauge (4"/10cm)	Similar yarn suggestion
lace	1/14 or 2/28 (or 70 Tex )	2,300	Many people use several strands of this together for hand knitting	US 2-5, 2.5-3.75mm, old UK 12-9	8 or 9	32 - 36	-
heavy lace	3/28	1,550	Many people use 2 or 3 strands of this together for hand knitting	US 4-6, 2.75-3.25mm, old UK 10-8		30 - 34	-
4 ply	2/14 (or 140 Tex )	1,150	US 0-1, 2-2.75mm, old UK 14-12	US 5-7, 3.75-4.5mm, old UK 9-7	B/1	28 - 32	-
fingering	3/14 (or 50/140 Tex)	770	US 3-5, 3-3.75mm, old UK 11-9	US 8-9, 5.5-6mm, old UK 6-4	C/2	24 - 28	-
doubleknit (dk)	4/14 (or 140/140 Tex)	570	US 5-6, 3.75-4mm, old UK 9-8	-	D/3	20 - 24	-
aran	8/14	285	US 7-8, 4.5-5mm, old UK 7-6	-	-	-	-
chunky	12/14	190	US 8-10, 5-6mm, old UK 6-4	-	-	-	-

Roughly, 300-350g of the laceweight or 4ply should make a pullover and 700g should be enough for a twinset - thicker yarns will need extra weight for the same garment so for example a dk weight pullover might need 500g. Amounts below 200g are better for scarves, gloves, baby clothes etc.

We would always suggest experimenting with a swatch first. In particular this yarn is made up for industrial knitting, which means it is still lightly oiled as sold so it fluffs up considerably after a gentle hand or machien wash. Normally you would wash the garment after completion but the difference this makes means it is also a good idea to wash your test swatch in the same manner you plan for the garment to see the final effect. Another reason for trying a swatch is if you are knitting the singles yarns (eg 1/14 Nm as opposed to 2/28Nm, same thickness but first is a singles yarn) you should expect some bias effects from the unbalanced twist. These yarns are produced for knitting, even the singles, so the effect is mild but should be checked.

Most customers use the 1/14s or 2/28s for machine knitting, hand-knitters either buy the thicker yarns or wind strands of 2/28s together themselves.

This yarn is stronger than most cashmere and does not have a great deal of elasticity, so it is recommended that all ribs are knitted tightly or they will stretch in wear.

COLOURMART CASHMERE EPI SETT CHART

						x.5 x.67 Maximum		UPHOLSTRY		CLOTHING				WOOLENS		SHAWLS/SCARVES				PRODUCTION
					x.9			x.90		x.60	X.70	X.60	x.70	X.65		x.50	X.60	X.50	x.60	X.80
N	M		ypp	sqrt	wpi	Tabby	Twill	Tabby	Twill	Tabby	Tabby	Twill	Twill	Tabby	Twill	Tabby	Tabby	Twill	Twill	Tabby	Twill
1	4	4	2000	45	40	20	27	18	24	12	14	16	26	13	18	10	12	13	16	16	22
1	5	5	2500	50	45	23	30	20	27	14	16	18	29	15	20	11	14	15	18	18	24
1	6	6	3000	55	49	25	33	22	30	15	17	20	32	16	21	12	15	17	20	20	26
1	7	7	3500	59	53	27	36	24	32	16	19	21	35	17	23	13	16	18	21	21	29
1	8	8	4000	63	57	28	38	26	34	17	20	23	37	18	25	14	17	19	23	23	31
1	10	10	5000	71	64	32	43	29	38	19	22	26	42	21	28	16	19	21	26	25	34
1	11	11	5500	74	67	33	45	30	40	20	23	27	44	22	29	17	20	22	27	27	36
1	13	13	6500	81	73	36	49	33	44	22	25	29	48	24	32	18	22	24	29	29	39
1	14	14	7000	84	75	38	50	34	45	23	26	30	50	24	33	19	23	25	30	30	40
1	17	17	8500	92	83	41	56	37	50	25	29	33	55	27	36	21	25	28	33	33	44
1	28	28	14000	118	106	53	71	48	64	32	37	43	71	35	46	27	32	36	43	43	57
2	7	4	1750	42	38	19	25	17	23	11	13	15	25	12	16	9	11	13	15	15	20
2	8	4	2000	45	40	20	27	18	24	12	14	16	26	13	18	10	12	13	16	16	22
2	12	6	3000	55	49	25	33	22	30	15	17	20	32	16	21	12	15	17	20	20	26
2	13	7	3250	57	51	26	34	23	31	15	18	21	34	17	22	13	15	17	21	21	28
2	14	7	3500	59	53	27	36	24	32	16	19	21	35	17	23	13	16	18	21	21	29
2	15	8	3750	61	55	28	37	25	33	17	19	22	36	18	24	14	17	18	22	22	30
2	18	9	4500	67	60	30	40	27	36	18	21	24	40	20	26	15	18	20	24	24	32
2	20	10	5000	71	64	32	43	29	38	19	22	26	42	21	28	16	19	21	26	25	34
2	28	14	7000	84	75	38	50	34	45	23	26	30	50	24	33	19	23	25	30	30	40
2	36	18	9000	95	85	43	57	38	51	26	30	34	57	28	37	21	26	29	34	34	46
2	42	21	10500	102	92	46	62	42	56	28	32	37	61	30	40	23	28	31	37	37	49
2	45	23	11250	106	95	48	64	43	58	29	33	38	63	31	42	24	29	32	38	38	51
2	46	23	11500	107	97	48	65	43	58	29	34	39	64	31	42	24	29	32	39	39	52
2	52	26	13000	114	103	51	69	46	62	31	36	41	68	33	45	26	31	34	41	41	55
2	60	30	15000	122	110	55	74	50	66	33	39	44	73	36	48	28	33	37	44	44	59
2	72	36	18000	134	121	60	81	54	73	36	42	49	80	39	53	30	36	40	49	48	65
3	13	4	2167	47	42	21	28	19	25	13	15	17	27	14	18	10	13	14	17	17	22
3	15	5	2500	50	45	23	30	20	27	14	16	18	29	15	20	11	14	15	18	18	24
3	20	7	3333	58	52	26	35	23	31	16	18	21	34	17	23	13	16	17	21	21	28
3	26	9	4333	66	59	30	40	27	36	18	21	24	39	19	26	15	18	20	24	24	32
3	28	9	4667	68	61	31	41	28	37	18	22	25	40	20	27	15	18	21	25	25	33
3	36	12	6000	77	70	35	47	31	42	21	24	28	46	23	30	17	21	23	28	28	37