0 · Lace

Among the oldest yarn styles. Extraordinarily fine yarns were spun for woven lace, embroidery, and eventually knitted lace shawls in places like the Shetland Islands and Estonia.

1 · Fingering

"Fingering" comes from the French fin grain — fine grain. It became associated with socks: thin enough for comfort in a shoe, durable enough to walk in.

2 · Sport

A modern name from the early 1900s, chosen for sweaters worn during outdoor recreation like tennis, golf, hiking, and skiing.

3 · DK (Double Knitting)

In Britain, knitters often held two strands of "knitting weight" yarn together for thicker fabric — this became known as Double Knitting. Another theory ties the name to post-WWII shortages when one yarn served both fine and heavier garments.

4 · Worsted

"Worsted" comes from the English village of Worstead, famous since the 12th century for spinning long-staple wool into smooth, strong yarn. The name came to describe both the spinning method and the yarn.

Aran

Named for the Aran Islands, where fishermen wore thick, durable wool sweaters to withstand wind and cold. The iconic cable patterns became part of knitting heritage.

5 · Bulky

Not historically a formal class. In the mid-1900s, thicker yarns were produced so projects could be completed much faster — knitters loved it.

6 · Super Bulky

Introduced in the 1980s and 90s as knitting's popularity grew. These extra thick yarns let beginners finish projects in just hours or a day.

7 · Jumbo

A 21st-century addition to the standard, created for giant arm-knitting projects and oversized home décor. Often unspun roving rather than plied yarn.

Every fleece tells a story — and so does every yarn weight.