What Is Super Fine Weight Yarn? – Yarn Number 1 – An Easy Guide

Super fine weight yarn is a thin yarn weight perfect for intricate designs, socks and shawls. Read my guide to weight number one.

Frustrated Teacher Quits In Disgust, Sells The Farm, Moves The Family Halfway Across The World And… Starts Knitting

This post is part of my series of articles explaining everything about the topic of yarn weights and yarn weight chart.

Table Of Contents

• What Is It?
• Why Use It?
• Project Ideas
• Needle Sizes
• Substitutions
• FAQS

What Is Super Fine Weight Yarn?

It’s a popular yarn, especially with independent hand dyers, and it’s lightweight and thin.

• AKA – Sock yarn, baby yarn, fingering weight yarn
• Weight Category – Super Fine
• Weight Number – 1
• Wraps Per Inch (WPI) – 14-30⁽²⁾
• Knitting Gauge Range Equaling 4” – 21 – 22 stitches
• It’s thicker than lace weight yarn
• It’s thinner than yarn weights like sport yarn, fine weight yarn, worsted weight yarn, Aran, and bulky yarn

Super Fine Weight Key Facts

What Weight Number Is Super Fine Weight Yarn?

It’s weight number 1.⁽¹⁾

Yarns In This Category

• Fingering Weight Yarn – This is the most common type of super fine weight yarn
• Light Fingering Yarn – thinner than regular fingering weight yarn
• Sock Weight Yarn – Designed specifically for socks

What’s It Made From?

Usually the fiber content contains (merino) wool, acrylic, cotton, silk, or bamboo. It’s rare to find this knit yarn in polyester or nylon.

Why Use It?

It’s perfect for socks and other projects you want to last. The knitted fabric has a luxurious feel, making for gorgeous shawls and wraps.

What If It’s Held Double?

If you’re using a pattern that calls for this yarn held double, hold two strands together, which creates a fine weight yarn. If you knit with more than one strand, using another color creates an interesting effect! Good for crochet too.

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Uses For This Yarn

Socks, gloves, other accessories, sweaters, garments, scarves, and lacework items. It’s also ideal to create crocheted items with. In the early 20th century, it was often used for baby’s wear and trims or edging for larger creations.⁽³⁾

Super Fine Weight Yarn Patterns To Try

Here are great free patterns for knitters using super fine yarn. They’re divided by skill level to make it easier for you. Hope you find some inspiration for a wonderful project to do next!

Beginner

• +SSS Scarf
• “Nicht-Nachdenken” Shawl
• “Sock-ret” Scarf
• 1-2-Loop! Cowl
• A-B-C Cowl

Intermediate

• ‘brainless’ socks
• *Gothix* Socks
• 7 of Hearts Bookmark
• A Day at the Circus

Advanced

• Čarape Socks
• Wanderer Socks
• Brioche Leaves Stole
• Sanity Check Socks
• Bat-shawl

What Knitting Needles To Use

• US Needle Size – US 1 – 3
• For those of you in Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand – 2.25 – 3.25mm

Note: The above are guidelines only. Always swatch before starting a project.

Substitutions

Run out of this or can’t find it? Use lace weight yarn or sock weight yarn instead.

My previous article is lace weight yarn, and next up in this series is what is fingering weight yarn.

FAQS About Super Fine Weight Yarn

How Do You Spot Super Fine Yarn At Craft Stores?

Fingering yarn is usually hand-dyed by small businesses. It’s rare to find it in a big box store or chain craft shop.

• It’s usually labeled “fingering weight” or “sock weight”
• It’s usually sold in small skeins, 3.5 ounce balls/50 grams
• It’s pricey
• The yarn weight symbol on the label is 1

How Popular Is Super Fine Yarn?

It’s one of the most popular type, and many knitwear designers use it.

How Much Super Fine Yarn For A Blanket?

This depends on the size of your blanket.

• For a small blanket, about 800 yards
• For a large afghan, around 1500 yards

How Much Super Fine Yarn For A Sweater?

This depends on the size of your sweater.

• 400-500 yards for woman’s size small
• 600-700 yards for a woman’s size medium
• A woman’s size large is 800-900 yards

How Much Super Fine Yarn For A Scarf?

A scarf uses about 200 yards of yarn.

What Ply Is Super Fine Yarn?

It’s usually 3 or 4 ply.

Hope this guide helped you. Have questions? Leave a comment below, or on social media and I’ll do my best to answer. (Your email address is never published.)

References

1. “How to Measure Wraps per Inch (WPI).” n.d. Craftyarncouncil.com. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/how-measure-wraps-inch-wpi.
2. “Standard Yarn Weight System.” n.d. Craftyarncouncil.com. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/yarn-weight-system.
3. “Ball of Fleisher’s ‘Superfine Angora’ Yarn; 1918.” n.d. National Museum of American History. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_641355.