International yarn standards have tried to be created in the recent past for
knitting yarns, and most superfine, include fingering/sock as the heaviest in
that category, which is very roughly equivalent to #10 crochet cotton. They
are evidenced by recent publications, the same as your quotes.
Size 3 needles to me, would indicate something roughly half the thickness of
fingering, and that category often stops just short of cobweb weight.
Sometimes it is easiest to look up online, the yarn the designer used, and
then look for similar yardage/weight comps. I would suggest something like
Jaggerspun Zephyr for that pattern. (Incidentally, you could knit the Forest
Path Stole by Faine Letoutchaia in cobweb, as I remember the
width of it
being something like 22", which is more than ample than most
since the
average base of neck to waist measurement is 17", so many
stoles are in that
18-20" range.)
Note also, that wet dressing/blocking the swatch is nearly paramount in
determining outcome, especially with lace knitting. Many knitters for
instance, use Jaggerspun Zephyr with size 4 needles, and aren't tight
knitters.
There are laceweights such as Misti Alpaca, and cousins of it (often blended
with silk) sold by other vendors, but the halo means you need to 'up' the
needle size again.
In the old tradition; fingering doubled was sport, and sport doubled was
worsted, and worsted doubled was Aran. The term 'baby' can be confusing, as
some list it slightly thinner than fingering (now including sock), some had it
slightly thicker, and often baby yarn via cute names from vendors, was
actually sport (or a baby bulky). Most include baby now within the
fingering/sock category, and 4 ply from the UK, is between US fingering and
sport weight.
With knitting's resurgence, the lines have blurred so much with export/import
and popularity, misunderstanding each other's terms, etc., wpi (wraps per
inch) were not a clear determinate, so they went to this newer system. There
are those pushing that yarn be categorized specifically like threads, more
like ypp (yards per pound) and finer determinates (the terminology escapes
me), but most feel that would be overwhelming and off-putting to the average
yarn consumer who crochets and/or knits.
HTH,
Susan Reishus
***
"in Brenda's article on yarns, the "official" numbering system lists
"fingering" under #0 (lace weight), #1 (sock weight), and #3 (DK weight).
I think decades ago (in the US), the main categories of yarn were "worsted"
(4-ply), "sport" (3-ply), and "baby" (2-ply). I also remember the term
"fingering", but don't remember if it was sized with...("Forest Path Stole" by
Faina Letoutchaia, in the book "The Best of Interweave Knits") that has me
confused. It says to use "fingering weight (#1 Super Fine)" and size 3 (3.25
mm) needles..." Robin P
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