The picks
Best Worsted Weight Yarn
One category, a four-stitch spread. Two yarns both labeled worsted can give you different sweaters.
By Sawyer V. · Published October 17, 2026
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The short answer
Buy Cascade 220 Superwash Merino if the project is a garment and it has to be washable - 220 yards to a 100g skein at 20 stitches to four inches, which is the gauge most worsted sweater patterns assume. Buy the untreated Cascade 220 if the design has cables or stranded colorwork, because untreated wool blooms and grips when blocked. Buy Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton for bags, toys and anything that should hold a shape, Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling for a child's garment, and Red Heart Super Saver for a blanket. And check the gauge on the band rather than the word on the label: published worsted gauges run from 16 to 20 stitches over four inches, which is a four-stitch spread and enough to change a sweater by several inches.
| # | Product | Best for | Fiber | Knit gauge | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cascade 220 Superwash MerinoMachine-washable merino at 220 yards to a 100g skein - the yarn most worsted sweater patterns assume. | Sweaters, and anything that has to be washable | 100% superwash merino | 20 sts / 4in on US 7 | $19.00 - View on Amazon |
| 2 |  Cascade 220The same 220 yards in untreated Peruvian Highland wool, in more than 150 shades. | Cables, colorwork, anything you want to block | 100% Peruvian Highland | 18-20 sts / 4in on US 7-8 | $11.95 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of October 20, 2026 |
| 3 |  Lion Brand 24/7 CottonMercerized cotton with real stitch definition, and the rare cotton whose care label permits a dryer. | Bags, baskets, amigurumi, summer garments | 100% mercerized cotton | 19 sts / 4in on US 8 | $6.99 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of October 20, 2026 |
| 4 |  Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti-PillingAn acrylic worsted specified against pilling, which is the one complaint that ends most acrylic garments. | Things that get washed constantly | 100% acrylic | 18 sts / 4in on US 8 | $5.99 - View on Amazon |
| 5 |  Red Heart Super Saver364 yards in a 7oz skein with no dye lots - the cheapest worsted yardage on the shelf by a distance. | Blankets, charity knitting, learning | 100% acrylic | 17 sts / 4in on US 8 | $4.18 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of October 20, 2026 |
| 6 |  Caron Simply SoftSoft, shiny and full of drape - which is exactly why a hat knitted in it will not stay on your head. | Drape, and only drape | 100% acrylic | 18 sts / 4in on US 8 | $14.55 - View on Amazon |
Cascade 220 Superwash Merino
Cascade Yarns · Best for sweaters, and anything that has to be washable
Machine-washable merino at 220 yards to the 100g skein - the standard answer when a sweater pattern says worsted and you want to be able to wash it.
- Fiber
- 100% superwash merino wool
- Skein
- 3.5oz / 100g, 220yd / 200m
- Gauge
- 20 sts x 28 rows in stockinette on US 7
- Weight class
- DK to light worsted
- Care
- Superwash treated - machine washable
Who it suits
Anyone knitting a garment from a pattern that just says worsted, and anyone making something for a person who will not hand wash it.
Why it is here
100% superwash merino wool, 3.5oz/100g skeins at 220yd/200m, published gauge 20 sts x 28 rows in stockinette on US 7, machine washable. Two hundred and twenty yards per 100g is a strong yards-per-gram figure in this fiber and this price band, and the superwash treatment is what makes it a gift-safe garment yarn. At 20 sts to 4in it sits at the fine end of worsted, which is where most modern sweater patterns are written.
What you give up
Superwash wool grows when wet and does not spring back the way untreated wool does, so a heavy garment can lengthen over time. It is also the least forgiving yarn here for stranded colorwork, because smoothed fiber scales do not grip.
Specifications from Cascade Yarns product page. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Cascade 220
Cascade Yarns · Best for cables, colorwork, anything you want to block
The untreated version of the 220 everybody knows: 220 yards of Peruvian Highland wool that blocks, holds a colorwork float and does not grow.
- Fiber
- 100% Peruvian Highland Wool
- Weight
- Worsted
- Skein
- 100g (3.5oz), 220yd (200m)
- Knit gauge
- 18-20 sts to 4in on US 7-8 (4.5-5.0mm)
- Crochet gauge
- 13-14 sc to 4in on H-J (5.0-6.0mm)
- Care
- Hand wash cold, lay flat to dry
- Shades
- More than 150, including heathers
Who it suits
Anyone knitting a cable or a Fair Isle yoke, and anyone who will hand wash the finished thing.
Why it is here
100% Peruvian Highland Wool, 100g (3.5oz) at 220yd (200m), published gauge 18-20 sts to 4in on US 7-8 (4.5-5.0mm) and 13-14 sc to 4in on H-J (5.0-6.0mm), hand wash cold and lay flat. Intact fiber scales are the whole argument: the fabric blooms and evens out when blocked, cables stand up crisply, and stranded floats grip each other instead of sitting separately. The published shade count - more than 150 including heathers - is what makes multi-color projects possible in one base.
What you give up
Hand wash only, and it felts if you get that wrong. It is crisper than merino rather than squishy, which is right for structure and less lovely against a bare neck.
Specifications from Cascade Yarns - Cascade 220 specification. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton
Lion Brand · Best for bags, baskets, amigurumi, summer garments
Mercerized cotton with a sheen and a stiff hand. Stitch definition is the best on this page, which is why amigurumi people keep buying it.
- Fiber
- 100% mercerized cotton
- Weight
- Worsted
- Skein
- 3.5oz / 100g, 186yd / 170m
- Gauge
- 19 sts x 26 rows on 5mm (US 8)
- Hook
- 5.5mm (US I/9), 16 sc x 18 rows
- Care
- Machine wash, water not above 105F; medium heat dryer
Who it suits
Anyone whose worsted pattern is a bag, a toy or a market tote rather than a sweater.
Why it is here
100% mercerized cotton, worsted, 3.5oz/100g skeins at 186yd/170m, published gauge 19 sts x 26 rows on 5mm (US 8) and 16 sc x 18 rows on 5.5mm (US I/9), machine wash in water not above 105F and tumble on medium heat. Mercerizing is a caustic treatment that straightens and tightens the fiber, which is what gives this yarn its sheen and its unusually crisp stitch definition - the reason amigurumi knitters and crocheters keep coming back to it.
What you give up
Cotton has no elasticity, so ribbing will not spring back and a garment in it will hang rather than hug. It is also heavier than wool for the same yardage, which you notice in a big project.
Specifications from Lion Brand product page. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling
Lion Brand · Best for things that get washed constantly
An acrylic worsted sold specifically on its pilling behavior, which is the one complaint that ends most acrylic garments.
- Fiber
- 100% acrylic
- Weight
- 4 Medium / worsted
- Skein
- 3.5oz / 100g, 185yd
- Gauge
- 18 sts x 26 rows on US 8 (5mm)
- Hook
- H-8 (5mm), 16 sc x 18 rows
- Care
- Machine wash, machine dry
Who it suits
Anyone knitting for a child, anyone avoiding animal fiber, and anyone whose finished object lives a hard life.
Why it is here
100% acrylic, category 4 worsted, 3.5oz/100g skeins at 185yd, published gauge 18 sts x 26 rows to 4in on US 8 (5mm) and 16 sc x 18 rows on H-8 (5mm), machine wash and machine dry. Eighteen stitches to four inches puts it squarely in the middle of the worsted band, so it substitutes cleanly into most worsted patterns - which is not true of every acrylic. Machine wash and dry is the specification that matters for a child's garment.
What you give up
Acrylic does not block: what comes off the needles is what you have, permanently. It is also warm without breathing, which makes it a poor choice for anything worn indoors for hours.
Specifications from Lion Brand product page. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Red Heart Super Saver
Red Heart · Best for blankets, charity knitting, learning
The 7oz workhorse acrylic. Coarser than the softer acrylics here, and the cheapest yardage on the shelf by a distance.
- Fiber
- 100% acrylic
- Weight
- 4 Medium / worsted
- Skein
- 7oz / 198g, 364yd / 333m (no-dye-lot solids)
- Gauge
- 17 sts x 23 rows on 5mm (US 8)
- Hook
- 5.5mm (US I/9), 12 sc x 15 rows
- Care
- Machine wash warm gentle, tumble dry low, no bleach
Who it suits
Anyone making a blanket, anyone knitting for charity, and anyone who needs to buy a matching skein three months from now.
Why it is here
100% acrylic, category 4 worsted, 7oz/198g skeins at 364yd/333m in no-dye-lot solids, published gauge 17 sts x 23 rows to 4in on 5mm (US 8) and 12 sc x 15 rows on 5.5mm (US I/9), machine wash warm gentle and tumble dry low. The no-dye-lot solids are the underrated specification: a blanket is the project most likely to need another skein halfway through, and this is the yarn you can buy more of without matching a lot number.
What you give up
Coarser than everything else here, and it will pill. At 17 sts to 4in it is also at the thick end of worsted, so substituting it into a pattern written at 20 sts changes the finished size noticeably.
Specifications from Yarnspirations product page. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Caron Simply Soft
Caron · Best for drape, and only drape
A softer, shinier acrylic worsted with noticeable drape - which is exactly why it is a poor choice for anything that needs to hold a shape.
- Fiber
- 100% acrylic
- Weight
- 4 Medium / worsted
- Skein
- 6oz / 170g, 315yd / 288m
- Gauge
- 18 sts x 24 rows on 5mm (US 8)
- Hook
- 5mm (US H/8), 13 sc x 14 rows
- Care
- Machine wash cool, dry flat, no bleach
Who it suits
Nobody knitting something that has to hold a shape, which is most worsted projects.
Why it is here
100% acrylic, category 4 worsted, 6oz/170g skeins at 315yd/288m, published gauge 18 sts x 24 rows to 4in on 5mm (US 8), machine wash cool and dry flat. On paper it is a mid-band worsted. In the hand it has far more drape than its gauge suggests, because the fiber is slick and loosely plied - so ribbing goes limp, brims flop and amigurumi slumps. It is a genuinely nice yarn used for the right thing: shawls, blankets and anything meant to hang.
What you give up
If you want this softness in something structured, hold it double or go down a needle size and accept a denser fabric. [Best acrylic yarn](/yarn-by-project/best-acrylic-yarn) has the full comparison across the acrylic shelf.
Specifications from Yarnspirations product page. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Worsted is a range, not a number
The Craft Yarn Council defines category 4 medium as 16 to 20 stitches over four inches on US 7 to 9 needles. That band is wide enough that two yarns both honestly labeled worsted can be a full needle size apart.
| Yarn | Fiber | Put-up | Published knit gauge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lion Brand Heartland | 100% acrylic | 142g (5oz), 251yd | 16 sts x 22 rows on US 9 |
| Red Heart Super Saver | 100% acrylic | 198g (7oz), 364yd | 17 sts x 23 rows on US 8 |
| Lion Brand Wool-Ease | 80% acrylic, 20% wool | 85g (3oz), 197yd | 18 sts x 24 rows on US 8 |
| Lion Brand Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling | 100% acrylic | 100g (3.5oz), 185yd | 18 sts x 26 rows on US 8 |
| Cascade 220 | 100% Peruvian Highland Wool | 100g, 220yd | 18-20 sts on US 7-8 |
| Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton | 100% mercerized cotton | 100g (3.5oz), 186yd | 19 sts x 26 rows on US 8 |
| Cascade 220 Superwash Merino | 100% superwash merino | 100g, 220yd | 20 sts x 28 rows on US 7 |
| Patons Classic Wool Worsted | 100% wool | 100g, 194yd | 20 sts x 26 rows on 4.5mm |
Sixteen stitches against twenty is four stitches over four inches, or one stitch per inch. On a 40in sweater that is roughly ten stitches a round, which compounds into several inches of finished chest. The lesson is the usual one: swatch, and buy on the band's gauge rather than on the word worsted.
Needles and hooks at this weight
- US 7 (4.5mm) - the fine end of the band, and the size to go to when your swatch comes out loose. Best US size 7 knitting needles.
- US 8 (5mm) - the default. Most worsted patterns name it. Best US size 8 knitting needles.
- US 9 (5.5mm) - the thick end, and the size for a looser, drapier fabric. Best US size 9 knitting needles.
- H-8 (5mm) to I-9 (5.5mm) hooks - what the ball bands name for crochet, though most worsted labels suggest 5mm because it produces a denser fabric than the chart's range. Best crochet hook for worsted weight yarn covers it.
Choosing the fiber for the project
- A sweater you want to keep for years - untreated wool. It blocks into shape and stays there.
- A sweater somebody else will wash - superwash merino. The alternative is a felted gift.
- A child's garment - acrylic, specified against pilling. Machine wash and machine dry is not a luxury here.
- A bag, a basket or a toy - mercerized cotton, for stitch definition and no stretch.
- A blanket - the cheapest acrylic with the most yardage, because a blanket is 1,000 to 4,500 yards and the fiber quality matters less than the quantity.
- A dishcloth - unmercerized cotton, which absorbs where mercerized cotton repels. Best cotton yarn splits the two.
Yards per 100g, which is the real price comparison
Worsted is sold in 85g, 100g, 142g, 170g and 198g put-ups, which makes price per skein close to meaningless. Normalize everything to 100 grams.
| Yarn | Put-up | Yards per 100g |
|---|---|---|
| Red Heart Super Saver | 198g, 364yd | 184yd |
| Lion Brand Heartland | 142g, 251yd | 177yd |
| Caron Simply Soft | 170g, 315yd | 185yd |
| Cascade 220 and 220 Superwash Merino | 100g, 220yd | 220yd |
| Lion Brand Wool-Ease | 85g, 197yd | 232yd |
| Patons Classic Wool Worsted | 100g, 194yd | 194yd |
| Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton | 100g, 186yd | 186yd |
How much yarn do I need has the method for turning a finished size into a yardage, which is the number to shop with.
How we picked
Ranked on four published specifications - fiber content, Craft Yarn Council weight category, the maker's own gauge, and yards per 100g - plus the care label, because that decides who the finished object can be given to. We did not knit these against each other; every figure above comes from the manufacturer and is cited below. Prices come from the live price layer with the date they were checked.
Questions people actually ask
What is the best worsted weight yarn?
Cascade 220 Superwash Merino for garments - 220 yards to a 100g skein, 20 stitches to four inches, machine washable. For cables and colorwork, the untreated Cascade 220 instead, because the intact fiber scales let the fabric bloom and the floats grip when it is blocked.
What gauge is worsted weight yarn?
The Craft Yarn Council puts category 4 medium at 16 to 20 stitches over four inches on US 7 to 9 needles. That is a four-stitch spread, which is why two yarns both labeled worsted can need different needles - always check the band rather than the category.
What needle size do you use for worsted weight yarn?
US 8 (5mm) is the default and the size most worsted patterns name. Go down to US 7 (4.5mm) if your swatch is looser than the pattern calls for, and up to US 9 (5.5mm) for a drapier fabric or a yarn at the thick end of the band.
What hook size do you use for worsted weight yarn?
The ball bands mostly name H-8 (5mm) to I-9 (5.5mm). The crochet hook size chart's range for worsted runs a little larger, 5.5 to 6.5mm, because labels tend to specify a denser fabric than the chart does - which is usually what you want for a bag or a blanket.
Is aran the same as worsted?
Close but not identical. Aran is slightly heavier than American worsted, sitting nearer the 16-stitch end of the category 4 band. Substituting a fine 20-stitch worsted into an aran pattern gives a smaller, denser garment unless you rework the numbers.
What is the cheapest worsted weight yarn?
Red Heart Super Saver, by yardage - 364 yards in a 7oz (198g) skein, which works out around 184 yards per 100g at the lowest price per yard on most shelves. It also comes in no-dye-lot solids, so a replacement skein bought months later will match.
Can I substitute one worsted yarn for another?
Only after swatching. The category covers a four-stitch spread, and fiber changes the result as much as gauge does - a cotton worsted has no stretch, an acrylic worsted cannot be blocked, and a superwash wool grows when wet. Match the gauge first, then think about what the fiber will do.
What is the best worsted yarn for a blanket?
The cheapest acrylic with the most yardage, usually Red Heart Super Saver or Lion Brand Heartland. A blanket is 1,000 to 4,500 yards depending on size, so quantity and washability matter far more than fiber quality - and nobody wants to hand wash a throw.
Sources
- Craft Yarn Council - Standard Yarn Weight System
- Cascade Yarns - 220 Superwash Merino specification
- Cascade Yarns - Cascade 220 specification
- Lion Brand - 24/7 Cotton specification
- Lion Brand - Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling specification
- Yarnspirations - Red Heart Super Saver specification
- Yarnspirations - Caron Simply Soft specification
- Yarnspirations - Patons Classic Wool specification
- Lion Brand - Heartland specification