Fingering / Light Yarn

Fingering weight (also called 4-ply or sock weight) knits at 7–8 stitches to the inch on US 1–3 needles. It is the weight for socks, lightweight sweaters and most shawls, and a 100 g skein carries 400 yards or so — enough for a pair of adult socks.

For socks, look for a nylon content or a tight-twist superwash merino, which wear far better than a soft single-ply. Self-striping and gradient balls knit the pattern for you.

Read first: Yarn for shawls, and how much a shawl takes · How to choose sock yarn · Aran vs worsted, and what "8 ply" means