Wouldn’t it be nice if every yarn manufacturer offered their skeins in 200-yard and 1000-yard put-ups, regardless of weight? Sure it would. It’s a pain in the a–ahem, neck, to have to sit and work out how many grams equal how many yards, etc., when you’re substituting yarns. I don’t know a single person who uses the recommended yarn for a pattern. So substitutions would be easier. And it would be FABULOUS to be able to buy superbulky yarns in a 1000-yard put-up (whether cone or skein). I just finished knitting a cape with superbulky wool, and had to use six 120-yard skeins, so there were a lot of ends to weave in, even though it was knit all in one piece. And I’m now working on a shawl with skeins that are only 54 yards each! Every hour I have to get up and wind a skein into a ball. Grr.
I know there was some revolution in yarn put-ups right around the time I started knitting (in 1999), where the “standard” became a 50g skein, regardless of yardage (and also, regardless of where in the world you live, because nobody in the US uses grams). But…seriously, who ever needs to know the gram weight of a project? Nobody. You just need to know how many yards are required. Ack, I’m getting all frenetic just thinking about this. I hate the current yarn measuring system and wish it could change, but that’s unlikely.
The US Picks 