Worsted

The most-bought yarn weight in North America and the heart of the Aran tradition. Worsted strikes the ideal balance: thick enough to grow visibly with each row, fine enough to read every stitch.

Typical gauge & needles

Best uses

• Aran-style sweaters
• Hats
• Cabled blankets
• Mittens
• First sweater projects

About this weight

American "worsted" can mean either a yarn weight (about 18 sts / 4 in on 5 mm needles) or a yarn-spinning method (worsted-spun, where fibres are combed parallel before twisting). The two are not the same — "worsted weight" can be either worsted-spun or woollen-spun. For cables, a 3- or 4-ply, worsted-spun, smooth wool produces the crispest stitch definition.

The classic Aran sweater yarn weight. Smooth, tightly plied wool yarns produce the crispest cables.

Swatching at this weight

Cables eat horizontal stitches; swatch the actual cable pattern at the actual gauge.

For Aran cables, swatch the actual cable panel — flat stockinette gauge will not predict cable panel width.

Full gauge swatch guide →

Stitch patterns that wear well in Worsted

The stitches below were curated as flattering at this weight; you can also browse all 480 charted stitches.

Substituting yarn weights

Worsted and Aran are nearly interchangeable in the US (Aran is heavier in the UK). Read the full yarn weight conversion reference before swapping any yarn.