Yarn weight #3

Light weight yarn (#3)

Light yarn is category 3 in the Craft Yarn Council system, commonly sold as DK, double knitting or light worsted. Crocheters use a 4.5–5.5 mm hook, US 7 to I-9, for 12–17 single crochet per 4 inches. Light yarn is a versatile choice for garments, baby items and amigurumi.

By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Reviewed September 13, 2026 · Editorial policy

Light yarn at a glance
Detail	Value
CYC number	#3
Also called	DK, Double knitting, Light worsted, 8-ply (AU/NZ)
Crochet gauge	12–17 sc per 4 in / 10 cm
Hook size (mm)	4.5–5.5 mm
Hook size (US)	7 to I-9
Yards per 100 g	about 200–280 yd
Best for	Garments, Baby items, Amigurumi, Lightweight blankets

What is light weight yarn called in the US and UK?

Light yarn is category 3 in the Craft Yarn Council system. You will also see it sold as dk, double knitting, light worsted, 8-ply (au/nz). It typically runs about 200–280 yd per 100 g, though the exact length depends on the fibre.

How does light yarn compare with the weights either side?

Fine (#2) is one step finer and works up at 16–20 sc per 4 in / 10 cm. Medium (#4) is one step thicker at 11–14 sc per 4 in / 10 cm. Moving one weight up usually means going up about one to two hook sizes.

Light yarn and neighbouring weights
Weight	Crochet gauge (4 in)	Hook (mm)	Hook (US)	Yards per 100 g
#2 Fine	16–20 sc per 4 in / 10 cm	3.5–4.5 mm	E-4 to 7	about 250–350 yd
#3 Light	12–17 sc per 4 in / 10 cm	4.5–5.5 mm	7 to I-9	about 200–280 yd
#4 Medium	11–14 sc per 4 in / 10 cm	5.5–6.5 mm	I-9 to K-10½	about 150–220 yd

What hook size should you use for light yarn?

Start with a hook between 4.5–5.5 mm (7 to I-9). Standard hooks in that range are 4.5 mm (US 7), 5 mm (US H-8), 5.5 mm (US I-9). Go down a size for tighter fabric such as amigurumi, and up a size for drape.

What is light yarn best for?

Light yarn is a good choice for garments, baby items, amigurumi, lightweight blankets. Our library has 5 patterns in this weight, such as ruffled crochet scrunchie over a hair elastic, tiny crochet whale keychain, textured moss stitch crochet baby blanket, soft v-stitch crochet baby blanket, walking & talking man's zippered jacket sweater.