Yarn Swap is a free yarn substitute finder that finds a stand-in yarn for any pattern and tells you exactly how many skeins to buy. You can use it free right here on the blog, or free in the Briana K Stitch app, any time. Pick one of my patterns, type in the yarn you want to replace, or measure a yarn that lost its label, and it shows you the closest matches with the skein math already done for you.
Use Yarn Swap free right here
Yarn Swap is free to use right here on the blog. It’s ready to go just below.
Before You Swap: Show Some Love
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Courtney on my team wanted to make my Petal Loop Crochet Beanie and didn’t have the Premier Anti-Pilling Select I used. She picked the beanie in Yarn Swap, tapped Adult Medium and Blush, and it returned Caron Simply Soft in Victorian Rose, a 98% match, with one skein to buy. That’s exactly what it’s for. Maybe the yarn’s discontinued, sold out in your color, out of your budget, or it’s wool and you can’t wear wool. Yarn Swap compares weight, gauge, thickness, and fiber, then ranks the swaps so the best one is right at the top.
Where to find Yarn Swap
Yarn Swap is free in two places: right here on this post, and in the Briana K Stitch app. Use whichever one’s easier. The app is handy when you’re standing in the yarn aisle with your phone.
It works on your phone, tablet, and computer.
Yarn Swap is a free tool in the app, so you just need a free account with your email and a password.
- Open the Briana K Stitch app and sign in (or create your free account).
- Tap Tools.
- Find Yarn Swap under Free Tools and tap it to open it.
Three ways to start
When you open Yarn Swap, it asks how you want to start. Pick whichever one fits what you’ve got in front of you.
- I’m making a pattern: pick one of my patterns and your size, and it does the skein math for you.
- I have a yarn in mind: type in any yarn and find its closest swaps.
- I have a mystery yarn: no label? Measure it, and it’ll figure out what it is.
Up top, you’ll also see How to use, a quick seven-step walkthrough, and My list, where your saved yarns end up.
How to swap the yarn in one of my patterns
Step 1: Search for your pattern
Tap I’m making a pattern, then start typing the pattern name in the search box. Tap your pattern when it pops up. You’ll see how many sizes it comes in right under the name.
Step 2: Pick your size
Tap the size you’re making. For the Petal Loop Crochet Beanie, that’s anything from Newborn to Adult Large. Yarn Swap tells you how many yards that size needs, and it uses that number for every skein count further down. Change your mind? Tap a different size and everything updates.
Right below that, you’ll see the yarn the pattern calls for, with its weight, fiber, and yardage.
If a pattern’s yarn isn’t in the yarn library yet, the tool says so and asks you to search for that yarn, or one like it. It still does the skein math for your size.
Step 3: Tap your color (optional)
Tap the color you planned to use. Yarn Swap finds the closest color for every swap it shows. Tap See all colors to see the whole color card. Skip this step, and it matches only the yarn, not the color.
Step 4: Read your swaps
Your best swaps are listed from best match to worst. Here’s what each card tells you:
- The match score: the higher the number, the closer the swap.
- Green dots: everything that matches, like the same weight, a close gauge, the same thickness, and the same kind of fiber.
- Your closest color: the color you picked, next to the closest color in that yarn.
- Skeins for your size: how many skeins you need. It’s already done the math, even when skein sizes differ.
- Dye lot tip: if you want to play it safe, grab one extra skein.
- Shop buttons: tap to buy. If more than one shop carries it, the others are listed under Also at.
Step 5: Check the yellow notes
A yellow dot means something’s different, like the fiber. If it’s something you’ll want to know about, you’ll get a Heads up box that explains it. For example, it’ll warn you when a swap contains wool or when a cotton yarn might make a garment grow longer as you wear it.
Want to see more options? Tap Show more swaps at the bottom of the list.
How to find a swap for any yarn
Not making one of my patterns? Tap I have a yarn in mind and type the name of the yarn you want to replace. Pick it from the list.
Next, tell it how much yarn your pattern needs. You can fill in the number of skeins and the yards per skein, or type the total yards. Either way, every swap shows you how many skeins to buy.
Have a yarn in your stash you’re hoping to use? Tap I have a yarn in mind and start typing its name, even just the brand. A list of matching yarns pops up, each with its weight and fiber, so you can find yours fast. Tap it to see its yardage and its closest swaps.
Swapping a whole color palette
Using more than one color? Tap every color in your palette. Each one gets a check mark, and Yarn Swap lists them all under Matching.
Each swap card then shows the closest match for each color, so you can grab the whole palette in one yarn. The skein count is the total for the whole project, split across your colors the way your pattern says.
Save your swaps to a shopping list
Found one you like? Tap Save to list on the card. The number on My list goes up, and when you tap it you’ll see every yarn you saved, the color, which pattern and size it’s for, how many skeins, and where to buy it.
Tap Copy my list to copy the whole thing, so you can paste it into your notes or send it to yourself before you head to the store. One more tip: buy all your skeins at once so they come from the same dye lot.
How to Substitute Yarn: The 5 Things That Matter
The yarn label tells you almost everything you need. When I’m swapping a yarn, these are the five things I check, in this order.
1. Yarn weight
Start with the weight category on the label (the little yarn ball symbol numbered 0 to 7). A worsted (4) pattern wants a worsted (4) yarn. Jumping a whole weight up or down changes the size of your project, so stay in the same category whenever you can.
2. Gauge
Two yarns can both say “worsted” and still knit or crochet up differently. Compare the gauge on both labels. If they’re within one stitch over 4 inches, you’re in great shape.
3. Yards per gram
This is my favorite trick. Divide the yards by the grams on each label. If the numbers are close, the yarns are about the same thickness. If one is way higher, it’s a thinner yarn, even if the label calls it the same weight.
4. Fiber
Fiber changes how your project feels, drapes, and washes. Cotton is heavier and has very little stretch. Wool has bounce and memory. Acrylic is easy care. A cotton swap for a wool sweater will grow and hang differently, so think about what the finished piece needs to do.
5. Texture
Smooth, chenille, boucle, and fuzzy yarns all behave differently. Chenille and velvet yarns hide stitch detail, so a textured stitch pattern can get lost. Try to match texture as closely as you match weight.
Always swatch first
Luna will remind you right there in the tool, but it’s worth saying again. A new yarn can change your gauge, even when it’s a great match on paper. Make a swatch with your swap before you start, and change your hook size if you need to.
Swapping by Fiber: No Wool, No Acrylic, or All Cotton
Sometimes the reason you need a substitute isn’t the store. It’s the fiber.
- No wool: If you’re sensitive to wool or want a vegan project, look at acrylic, cotton, bamboo blends, or acrylic and nylon blends. Acrylic is the closest match for bounce and stitch definition.
- No acrylic: For a natural-fiber swap, merino and wool blends are the easiest acrylic replacement for garments. For home items, cotton and cotton blends work well.
- Cotton only: Great for dishcloths, market bags, and summer tops. Cotton has very little stretch, so ribbing and fitted pieces will feel firmer.
- Superwash or machine washable: For baby items and gifts, choose superwash wool or acrylic so you can wash the finished piece.
Filter and sort your swaps
Use the Yarn menu to only see the swaps that work for you:
- Any fiber
- No wool
- No acrylic
- Cotton or plant
- Vegan
- Washable
Use the Sort menu to switch to My stash first, and yarns you’ve logged in the Yarn Stash Inventory show up at the top.
How Much Yarn to Buy When You Substitute
Never buy by skein count. Buy by yardage. One brand’s skein might be 200 yards, and another’s might be 364, so “6 skeins” can mean two very different amounts.
Here’s the quick math:
- Find the total yards your pattern calls for in your size. (Pattern yards per skein x number of skeins.)
- Divide that by the yards per skein of your new yarn.
- Round up, then add one more skein for swatching and peace of mind.
Example: Your pattern uses 5 skeins of a 220-yard yarn. That’s 1,100 yards. Your new yarn has 180 yards per skein. 1,100 / 180 = 6.1, so round up to 7 and grab 8 to be safe.
Yarn Swap does this math for you. Pick your size, and it tells you how many skeins of the new yarn to buy.
What to Do When Your Yarn Is Discontinued
It happens to all of us. You fall in love with a pattern from a few years ago, and the yarn is gone.
Here’s how I find a replacement:
- Look up the old yarn’s label info. Note the weight, yards, grams, fiber, and gauge. The pattern usually lists some of it, and Ravelry often has the rest.
- Match weight and yards per gram first. That gets you a yarn that works up the same size.
- Then match fiber and texture. That gets you a project that looks and feels like the original.
- Check your stash. You might already own a yarn that fits.
Yarn Swap has many discontinued yarns built in. Search the old name, and it shows yarns you can still buy today, with the best match first.
No Label? How to Find Your Yarn’s Weight
We all have that ball of yarn in the stash with no label. You can still figure out its weight with a trick called wraps per inch (WPI). All you need is a ruler.
How to count wraps per inch
- Grab a ruler, or a pencil and a ruler.
- Wrap the yarn around it, each wrap right next to the last one. No gaps, no overlapping, and don’t pull it tight.
- Keep wrapping until you’ve covered 1 inch.
- Count the wraps in that inch. That’s your WPI.
Tip: wrap 2 inches and divide by 2 for a more exact number.
Wraps per inch chart
| Wraps per inch | Yarn weight |
|---|---|
| 18 or more | Lace (0) |
| 14 to 17 | Super Fine (1), fingering or sock |
| 12 to 13 | Fine (2), sport |
| 11 | Light (3), DK |
| 8 to 10 | Medium (4), worsted |
| 7 | Bulky (5), chunky |
| 5 to 6 | Super Bulky (6) |
| 4 or fewer | Jumbo (7) |
Charts vary a little from source to source, so think of it as a close guess. Then swatch with your pattern’s hook to be sure.
Use Yarn Swap to identify a mystery yarn
Got a ball of yarn with no label? Tap I have a mystery yarn. The only thing you need is its wraps per inch. If you’ve never counted wraps, tap How do I count wraps? and it walks you through it, with a chart of which wraps per inch go with which yarn weight.
Fill in what you know. Wraps per inch is the only must. The rest is optional, but it helps:
- Wraps per inch
- Part of the label, if you still have it (yards and grams)
- What it feels like: soft and synthetic, warm and springy, or smooth with no stretch
- How much you have, weighed on a kitchen scale
Tap Find out what it is. Yarn Swap tells you what weight your yarn probably is, about how many yards it has per 100 grams, and roughly how many yards you’ve got. Then it shows store yarns that match it, in case you need more to finish your project.
Popular Yarn Swaps to Try
These are some of the swaps I get asked about most. Always run them through Yarn Swap for your exact pattern, since colors and dye lots vary.
| If your pattern uses | Try |
|---|---|
| Red Heart Super Saver | Caron One Pound, Lion Brand Pound of Love |
| Lily Sugar’n Cream | Peaches & Creme, Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton |
| Cascade 220 | Wool of the Andes Worsted, Patons Classic Wool Worsted |
| Bernat Blanket | Premier Parfait Chunky, other super bulky chenille yarns |
| Lion Brand Wool-Ease | Patons Classic Wool Worsted, Caron Simply Soft (no wool) |
Want one that’s not on the list? Type it into Yarn Swap above.
Are you a designer?
You’re welcome to link to Yarn Swap from your own patterns so your makers can find a swap, too. Pick your pattern’s yarn first, then tap Copy link at the bottom of the tool. The link opens right to that yarn.
Yarn Swap FAQ
Is Yarn Swap free?
Yes, completely free. Use it right here on the blog, or in the Briana K Stitch app, where it’s one of the free tools. In the app, you just need a free account.
Do I have to be making one of your patterns?
Nope. Tap I have a yarn in mind to find a swap for any yarn from any pattern.
Why do I need a different number of skeins than the pattern says?
Every yarn has a different yardage per skein. Yarn Swap uses the yardage for your size and calculates how many skeins of the new yarn add up to that yardage.
Will my project come out exactly the same?
A high match gets you really close, but always make a swatch first. A new yarn can change your gauge, and fibers like cotton behave differently than acrylic or wool.
Can I substitute a different yarn weight?
You can, but your project will come out a different size. If you go up a weight, use a bigger hook or needle and expect a larger, denser piece. For anything that needs to fit, stay in the same weight.
Can I use two strands of a thinner yarn instead?
Often, yes. Two strands of a lighter yarn held together can work up close to the next weight up. Swatch first, because the result depends on the yarns.
Does yarn substitution change the gauge?
It can. That’s why you check gauge on the labels and make a swatch. Adjust your hook or needle size until your swatch matches the pattern.
Is a yarn substitute the same as a yarn sub?
Yep. Yarn sub, yarn substitute, and yarn substitution all mean the same thing: using a different yarn than the one your pattern calls for.
The rest of the free tools
Yarn Swap is one of the free tools in the Briana K app, and they’re built to work together.
- Yarn Amount Calculator works out how much yarn a project needs.
- Yarn Stash Inventory keeps track of every yarn you own, down to the dye lot.
- Blanket Size Calculator gives you blanket sizes and stitch counts for any gauge.
- Crochet Time Estimator tells you how long a project will really take.
- WIP Tracker keeps all your works in progress in one place.
- Stitch Keeper counts your rows and stitches and saves your place.
Need a quick break? play Tangled, Yarn Shuffle, Just One More Row, Loose Ends, and Wind Up free right here on the blog.
New to the app? Here’s how to put it on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Find your swap
Whether the yarn’s sold out, out of budget, or just not the right fiber for you, Yarn Swap finds a yarn that’ll work and tells you how much to buy. Use it free right here on the blog, or grab it free in the Briana K Stitch app for your next trip to the yarn store.
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