Knitting Machine Yarn Guide: 
Which Yarn Works with Which Machine?

One of the most common questions I hear is:

“What yarn can I use on this knitting machine?”

Hand knitters often approach the question from the other direction:

“I already have a lot of yarn. Which knitting machine will knit the yarns I like to use?”

Either way, yarn weight is one of the most important considerations when choosing a knitting machine.

Just as you wouldn't use the same size hand knitting needle for lace weight and bulky yarn, knitting machines have different needle spacing, or gauges, designed for different ranges of yarn.

For the current Silver Reed knitting machines, there are three primary gauges:

  • 4.5mm Standard Gauge: SK280 and SK840
  • 6.5mm Mid-Gauge: LK150
  • 9mm Bulky Gauge: SK155

Together, these machines cover yarns ranging from very fine lace and fingering yarns through bulky yarns.

Quick Guide: Yarn Weight by Knitting Machine

Yarn WeightSK280 / SK840 4.5mm StandardLK150 6.5mm Mid-GaugeSK155 9mm Bulky
Lace✓
Light Fingering✓
Fingering✓
Sport✓*✓
DK✓✓*
Worsted✓✓
Bulky✓
Super BulkyLimited

*These are overlapping yarn ranges. Yarn weight classifications aren't exact, and two yarns labeled the same weight can behave quite differently on a knitting machine.

The chart is a starting point. Always swatch before beginning a project.

Why Yarn Weight Matters on a Knitting Machine

A knitting machine's needles are permanently spaced a specific distance apart.

That spacing determines the range of yarn the machine can comfortably knit.

Trying to knit yarn that is too heavy for a machine can result in extremely tight knitting, a jammed carriage and potentially damage to the machine.

I learned this lesson with my first knitting machine in 1984, a standard gauge Studio punch card machine. One of my first mistakes was trying worsted weight yarn on it. The fabric was incredibly tight and unusable, and I was fortunate I didn't damage the machine.

The lesson stuck.

Choose the knitting machine according to the yarn weights you want to use, not according to the type of garment you want to make.

All of these machines can knit sweaters, cardigans, scarves, blankets and many other projects. What changes is the weight and character of the resulting fabric.

Lace Weight Yarn

Best machine: SK280 or SK840 Standard Gauge

Needle spacing: 4.5mm

Suggested starting machine tension: approximately 3–4

Typical hand knitting information:

  • US needles 0000–3
  • 2–3.25mm
  • Approximately 9 or more stitches per inch

Very fine lace yarn can be challenging to knit as a single strand because there may not be enough bulk for the stitches to knit off the needles cleanly.

On a standard gauge machine, the fine knit bar can help when working with extremely fine yarn.

Fine yarns are also useful for double-bed and multicolor fabrics, lightweight shawls and other very fine fabrics. Two or three strands can also be combined to create a heavier yarn.

Recommended machines: Silver Reed SK280 and SK840

Light Fingering Weight Yarn

Best machine: SK280 or SK840 Standard Gauge

Needle spacing: 4.5mm

Suggested starting machine tension: approximately 5–6

Typical hand knitting information:

  • US needles 1–3
  • 2.25–3.25mm
  • Approximately 8–9 stitches per inch
  • Approximately 16–18 wraps per inch

Light fingering yarn produces a fine, lightweight fabric particularly well suited to lightweight garments, skirts, shells, fine sweaters and multicolor work.

It is also an excellent weight for Fair Isle because the finished fabric doesn't become excessively heavy when two colors are used.

Recommended machines: Silver Reed SK280 and SK840

Fingering Weight Yarn

Best machine: SK280 or SK840 Standard Gauge

Needle spacing: 4.5mm

Suggested starting machine tension: approximately 7–8

Typical hand knitting information:

  • US needles 1–3
  • 2.25–3.25mm
  • Approximately 7–8 stitches per inch
  • Approximately 14 wraps per inch

Fingering weight is one of the most useful yarn ranges for a standard gauge knitting machine.

It works beautifully for lightweight sweaters, socks, baby garments, summer garments, shawls and men's sweaters and cardigans.

It is also a useful yarn for machine knitters who like combining strands. Two strands of fingering can roughly approach a DK weight, while three strands may approach worsted weight, although the exact result depends on the individual yarns.

Recommended machines: Silver Reed SK280 and SK840

Sport Weight Yarn

Best machines: LK150 Mid-Gauge and, depending upon the yarn, SK280 or SK840 Standard Gauge

Suggested starting tensions:

  • SK280/SK840: approximately 9–10
  • LK150: approximately 2–4

Typical hand knitting information:

  • US needles 4–5
  • 3.25–3.75mm
  • Approximately 6 stitches per inch
  • Approximately 12 wraps per inch

Sport weight sits in an interesting area because it can overlap two knitting machine gauges.

Some sport yarns will knit very nicely at the upper end of the standard gauge machine's tension range. Others are simply too heavy or don't feed comfortably through the machine.

Sport yarn is very comfortable territory for the LK150.

It is an excellent weight for sweaters, cardigans and afghans, and works particularly well for cables and other hand-manipulated stitches on the LK150.

This is also a good example of why the yarn label alone cannot tell you exactly how a yarn will behave on a knitting machine.

DK Weight Yarn

Best machine: LK150 Mid-Gauge

Also possible: SK155 Bulky Gauge for some DK yarns

Suggested starting tensions:

  • LK150: approximately 5–7
  • SK155: approximately 0–1

Typical hand knitting information:

  • US needles 5–6
  • 3.75–4mm
  • Approximately 5.5–6 stitches per inch
  • Approximately 11 wraps per inch

DK is one of the most popular yarn weights among hand knitters, and it is right in the sweet spot for the LK150.

It produces a fabric that is familiar to hand knitters and is particularly attractive for cables, textured stitches and hand-manipulated designs.

DK works well for sweaters, cardigans, children's clothing, pillows, afghans and many other projects.

Some lighter DK yarns overlap with sport, while heavier DK yarns may be labeled light worsted. Again, swatching tells you far more than the name on the label.

Recommended machine: Silver Reed LK150

Worsted Weight Yarn

Best machines: LK150 Mid-Gauge and SK155 Bulky Gauge

Suggested starting tensions:

  • LK150: approximately 8–10
  • SK155: approximately 5

Typical hand knitting information:

  • US needles 7–9
  • 4.5–5.5mm
  • Approximately 4.5–5 stitches per inch
  • Approximately 9 wraps per inch

Worsted weight yarn is considerably heavier than fingering and produces a more substantial fabric.

The LK150 handles many worsted weight yarns very well and is a particularly good choice for hand knitters who already have a stash containing DK and worsted yarns.

Worsted yarn can also be knitted on the SK155. Because the SK155 has 9mm needle spacing, the resulting fabric will generally be more open than the same yarn knitted on an LK150.

This gives the knitter another variable to work with. The machine affects not only which yarn you can use, but also the fabric that yarn produces.

Bulky Weight Yarn

Best machine: SK155 Bulky Gauge

Needle spacing: 9mm

Suggested starting machine tension: approximately 7–9

Typical hand knitting information:

  • US needles 10–11
  • 5–6mm
  • Approximately 3–3.5 stitches per inch
  • Approximately 7–8 wraps per inch

Bulky yarn belongs on a bulky gauge knitting machine.

The SK155's 9mm needle spacing allows it to accommodate substantially heavier yarns than either the standard gauge machines or the LK150.

Bulky yarn works particularly well for heavier sweaters, jackets, blankets and cold-weather garments.

Yarns with a halo, including some mohair yarns, may need a looser tension than a smooth yarn of approximately the same thickness. The extra room allows the fibers to move through the machine and gives the finished fabric room to bloom.

Recommended machine: Silver Reed SK155

What About Super Bulky Yarn?

Super bulky yarn requires some caution.

Not every super bulky yarn will knit on the SK155.

Some are simply too thick for a 9mm knitting machine, even when using every other needle. Yarn construction also makes a considerable difference.

This is one area where I would never purchase a knitting machine based simply on the words “Super Bulky” printed on a yarn label.

If super bulky yarn is your primary interest, test the specific type of yarn you intend to use before assuming it will work on the machine.

Yarn Weight Is a Range, Not an Exact Measurement

One of the most important things to understand about machine knitting is that yarn weight classifications are guidelines.

One company's sport weight can be very close to another company's DK. A light worsted yarn may behave beautifully on an LK150 while another worsted yarn may be much happier on the SK155.

Fiber content and yarn construction matter too.

A fuzzy yarn may need a looser tension. Cotton and other yarns with very little elasticity can sometimes require a larger stitch size to knit smoothly.

That's why the tension numbers in this guide are starting points, not rules.

Always Swatch a New Yarn

When trying an unfamiliar yarn, cast on and knit approximately 20 rows at the suggested tension.

Look at the fabric.

Does the carriage move comfortably? Are the stitches knitting cleanly? Is the fabric too tight, too loose or exactly what you want?

Adjust the tension and knit another section.

And if you're knitting something that needs to come out to a particular size, swatch and measure. Don't depend upon blocking to fix the gauge afterward.

That was lesson number two from my first knitting machine, and it is every bit as important as lesson number one.

Choosing a Knitting Machine for the Yarn You Already Own

If you're a hand knitter considering your first knitting machine, take a look at your yarn stash.

What yarn weights do you actually buy and use?

If your stash is primarily lace and fingering, look closely at the SK280 or SK840 standard gauge machines.

If you gravitate toward sport, DK and worsted yarn, the LK150 mid-gauge machine will probably cover more of the yarns you already enjoy.

If you prefer worsted and bulky yarn, consider the SK155 bulky gauge machine.

There isn't one knitting machine that is best for every knitter because there isn't one machine that knits every yarn.

Start with the yarn you want to use. That will quickly narrow down which knitting machine makes sense for you.