Hand Dyed Yarn for Jumpers: DK or Aran?

There's nothing quite like pulling on a jumper you've made yourself. It's also the biggest commitment most of us make as knitters/crocheters, in time, in yarn and in hope that it'll fit and feel just right. Choosing the right hand dyed yarn for jumpers is a big part of getting there, and for most makers it comes down to one question: DK or Aran?
Both weights make beautiful jumpers and sweaters, but they make very different ones. Here's how we'd choose yarn for jumpers here in the UK, whether you knit or crochet.

DK vs Aran at a glance

DK (double knit) and Aran sit next to each other on the yarn weight scale, with Aran the thicker of the two. In the US you'll often see Aran called worsted, or something close to it.
On our bases, the difference looks like this:

• DK: 225m per 100g, usually knitted on around 3.75mm needles.
• Aran: 166m per 100g, usually knitted on around 4.5mm needles.
  That difference in thickness changes almost everything about the finished jumper: how warm it is, how it hangs, how heavy it feels and how long it takes to make. You'll find the full details for each base on our Yarn Bases page.

When DK yarn for jumpers makes sense

DK is a wonderful all-rounder for garments, and it's the weight many knitters reach for when they want a jumper they'll wear for most of the year.
Lighter and easier to layer. A DK jumper makes a finer, lighter fabric that sits comfortably under a coat or over a shirt without feeling bulky.
Better drape and fit. The thinner fabric falls more softly, which suits fitted shapes, relaxed drop-shoulder styles and anything you want to move with you rather than stand away from you.
Plenty of stitch detail. Colourwork, fine textures and neat ribbing all show up crisply in DK.
The trade-off is time. More stitches and more rows mean a DK jumper takes longer to knit, so it's a slower, steadier project. If that sounds like your kind of knitting, have a look through our hand dyed DK yarn.

When Aran yarn for jumpers makes sense

Aran is the classic choice for a proper winter jumper, the kind you reach for on a cold, bright morning.
Warm and cosy. The thicker yarn makes a denser, more substantial fabric, ideal for jumpers worn as an outer layer through autumn and winter.
Quicker to knit. Bigger needles and fewer stitches mean you'll see your jumper grow much faster. That's good news if you want something finished this season.
Made for cables and texture. Aran weight gives cables, bobbles and textured stitches real depth and definition. There's a reason so many traditional cabled jumpers are knitted in it.
The trade-off is weight. An Aran jumper is heavier and has a more structured feel, so it's less suited to layering under other clothes. If a cosy winter knit is what you're after, our hand dyed Aran yarn is a lovely place to start.

Choosing between them

If you're still torn, these questions usually settle it:

• When will you wear it? For year-round wear and layering, choose DK. For a warm winter outer layer, choose Aran.
• How quickly do you want it finished? Aran is the faster knit. DK is the longer, steadier project.
• What stitches are you using? DK suits colourwork and fine detail. Aran suits bold cables and texture.
• How do you like a jumper to feel? DK is lighter with more drape. Aran is heavier with more structure.
  Whichever you choose, follow your pattern's recommended weight and always knit a gauge swatch. Swapping between DK and Aran changes the size of every stitch, so it's not something to do without adjusting the pattern. For a broader look at choosing a base, our guide on how to choose the right yarn base for your project is a good next read, and if you're curious how a lighter weight behaves, our post on hand dyed yarn for shawls covers 4ply.

Merino yarn for jumpers

Most of our yarn is 100% superwash merino, a lovely fibre to wear close to the skin. It's soft around the neck and wrists, where scratchier wools can bother people, and it takes colour beautifully. The superwash treatment also makes a finished jumper easier to look after, which matters when you've put this much work into it. You can read more about what that means in practice in our guide to superwash vs non-superwash yarn.

How much yarn for a jumper?

There's no single answer here. The amount you need depends on your pattern, your size, the length and fit you're after and the weight of yarn you choose. Aran has less meterage per skein than DK, so the same design in Aran will usually need more skeins.
The best approach is to:

• Find the total meterage or yardage for your size in your pattern.
• Divide it by the meterage per skein of your chosen yarn, and round up.
• Add a little extra if you plan to lengthen the body or sleeves.
• Buy everything you need at the same time, from the same batch.
  That last point is especially important for a jumper. Running short halfway up a sleeve and finding the next batch looks slightly different is a feeling no knitter wants.

Colour across a whole jumper

A jumper has large, wide panels of fabric, so the colour style of a hand dyed yarn really shows.
Tonal yarns give gentle depth across a big area and let cables and textures stay clear. They're often the easiest choice for a first hand dyed jumper.
Speckled yarns add lively flecks of colour and look lovely in plain stocking stitch and simple shapes.
Variegated yarns can pool or stripe on wide body panels, where row lengths differ from the sleeves. Some knitters love that effect. If you'd rather keep things even, pair them with a simple stitch pattern.
Our guide to speckled vs tonal vs variegated yarn goes into this in much more detail.

A quick note on alternating skeins

Because every hand dyed skein is a little different, a jumper is where alternating skeins really pays off. Working two rows from one skein and then two from the next blends any small differences, so you won't see a line where one skein ends and another begins. We'll be covering alternating skeins and dye lots properly in a dedicated guide next month.

Finding your jumper yarn

To sum up:

• Choose DK for a lighter, drapier jumper you can layer and wear for most of the year.
• Choose Aran for a warm, cosy winter jumper that's quicker to knit and perfect for cables.
• Check your pattern's meterage for your size, buy enough from the same batch and alternate skeins as you go.
  When you're ready, browse our DK collection or our Aran collection to find a colour you'll want to wear all winter. And if you'd like to hear when our next batch of hand dyed yarn lands, you can join our newsletter at the bottom of this page for batch alerts and new guides like this one.