What Is Fingering Yarn?

Fingering yarn often known as superfine weight yarn is a bit heavier than lace weight yarn and creates a slightly heavier fabric.

It has a fine gauge and is perfect for any openwork patterns.

This yarn is also known as fingering, sock, and baby yarn.

What Is Super Fine Weight Yarn?

You may be more familiar with the term fingering weight rather than superfine, but they are the same thing.

This yarn is commonly used for socks and shawls.

It has a yarn weight symbol of 1 and a gauge of around 6.75-8 stitches per 1 inch on US 1-3 (2.25-3.25mm) needles. 

Shawl Yarn – Summer Nights from Lion Brand

Socks

Socks have a particular type of yarn that is used to make sure that they are durable.

There are many different types of sock yarns out there, with all different types of fibers.

Always read the yarn label and make sure that it is what you want before you start.

Lion Brand Mani Pedi Sock Yarn

Baby

Baby yarns can have many different types of fibers and thicknesses, for example, cotton, superwash wool, and more.

They are normally really soft and available in many colors and always hypoallergenic.

Baby yarn is preferred for baby projects over other popular yarn weights like bulky weight yarn, Aran, worsted weight yarns, and medium weight yarn.

Sirdar Snuggly Baby Yarn

What Ply Is Fingering Yarn?

This is 3ply or 4ply yarn.

The ply doesn’t always mean that the weight of the yarn is heavier or thicker. 

There are different yarn weight categories numbered from 0-7, going from lace to jumbo.

These yarns should produce a certain amount of stitches when using a needle size that has been recommended.

For more information and to see a yarn weight chart please read this post – Yarn Weights | A Beginners Guide.

Know your yarn weights

Yarn weights (decided by the Craft Yarn Council) can be confusing at times, but knowing about different yarn weights will help you to customize your patterns.

Choosing yarn types that speak to you rather than only using the yarns suggested by the pattern.

Once you know more about specific yarn weights you can change the look of your knitting project by substituting yarn.

But before you start getting too excited with your new yarn, make a gauge swatch following the pattern to see how the stitches will look in a different weight of yarn.

This will help you to see if the sizing will be different – an important detail if you are making garments.

Knitting Pattern Round-Up

The type of projects that you will see using super fine yarn is socks, baby garments, shawls, scarves, and lightweight sweaters.

This yarn sometimes comes in skeins or hanks where you need to wind them into cakes yourself.

Plus there are many hand-dyed/hand-painted options from many indie dyers, in lots of different fibers like superwash merino wool, silk, alpaca, and nylon blends.

Take a look at some of the patterns that use this weight of yarn below:

1. Rye Light Sock Knitting Pattern From Tin Can Knits

Make a pair of socks for you and your family with this free download available on Ravelry.

2. Little Moons Lace Wrap Knitting Pattern From Purl Soho

This wrap uses fingering weight yarn and has a beautiful design.

3. Tiny Tassels Shawl Knitting Pattern From Loop London

Make a triangle shawl with tassels in superfine weight yarn.  

4. Love Pecan Top Knitting Pattern from Karen Broz

This is a lovely knitted top made with light fingering yarn.

Available as a free download on Ravelry.

5. Forest Spirit Baby Blanket Knitting Pattern From Lilla Bjorn Crochet

Make a colorful striped baby blanket using fingering yarn with this free pattern.