When it comes to the world of yarn, there's so much to choose from. However, there are a few areas that can cause confusion, and one of the biggest culprits has got to be fingering yarn! It's another classic case of different countries using different names for the same yarn weight.
As a general rule, what our friends in the US call fingering yarns is the same as what we in the UK call 4ply weight yarn. Because this weight is one of the best yarns for socks and baby projects, it may also be referred to as sock yarn or baby yarn too.
Fingering yarns and 4ply yarns
While in the UK we will commonly refer to fingering weight yarn as 4ply yarn, it's worth noting that 4ply can technically also be used to refer to a yarn's construction. Yarns are often made of multiple strands spun (or plied) together – so it's possible that you might have a yarn that is spun with 4 strands, which could technically be described as 4ply, but that is actually not a 4ply weight yarn!
Similarly, a fingering yarn could technically be described as 2ply if it only uses 2 strands. However, this is getting into the real technical details of things – if a yarn is ever describing itself as 4ply (or labelled as such on websites), you can be 99.9% sure that they're talking about the yarn weight and not the construction.
You might also see yarns described as sport weight, which is slightly heavier/thicker than 4ply but lighter/thinner than DK. Most people will generally treat them like a 4ply weight yarn, but as always you'll want to to check your tension to make sure you're obtaining the correct size with your knitting or crochet stitches.
Similarly, you might also come across 'light fingering' weight yarns, which are as you'd guess – thinner/lighter than typical fingering yarns, but not as fine as lace/thread weight yarns.
If you're ever in doubt, you can always check out our guide to choosing the best yarn for more advice. You can also look for the Craft Yarn Council symbols, which for 4ply yarns/fingering yarns will normally be the number 2 yarn weight symbol, although some can verge into the number 1 symbol too.
You can also use the hook or needle size as a guideline – 4ply yarns/fingering yarns will generally use a crochet hook that is between 2.25mm and 3.75mm in size.
If you're looking for more inspiration for your yarny purchases, why not also take a peek at our pick of the best worsted weight yarns, or treat yourself to some fancy fibres from our pick of the best alpaca yarns or the best novelty yarns.
Best fingering yarns for knitting and crochet
1. Patons Fairytale Fab 4ply
If there's a 4ply yarn that's bound to put a smile on your face, it has got to be the Patons Baby Smiles Fairytale Fab 4ply! This incredible 100% acrylic yarn is not only a great all-rounder yarn for your fingering weight projects, but it's also been specifically designed to be kind to baby soft skin (and of course feels great on adult skin too!).
It's saliva resistant and colourfast, so you don't need to worry about baby gumming their new knits, plus it's also certified with the OEKO-TEX Standard, meaning there's no nasty chemicals or substances used in the yarn that could be harmful or cause allergies. Add to that the fact that it's available in a range of fantastic solid shades, and is available at a remarkably affordable price, and we think we might just have found our go-to 4ply yarn!
- Buy Patons Fairytale Fab 4ply on Amazon
2. Sirdar Country Classic 4ply
Sirdar Country Classic is a fantastic 4ply yarn that's lovely and lightweight. It's a beautiful 50/50 blend of pure wool and acrylic, which not only means you can treat yourself to some real wool fibres while staying on a budget, but it also gives you the best of both worlds – a soft natural feel from the wool and strength and consistency from the acrylic.
It's also easy to care for, being machine washable at 40º. It has fantastic stitch definition, meaning you can show off those fancy stitches, or combine the 24 natural shades inspired by the British countryside to make some incredible colourwork designs!
- Buy Sirdar country classic 4ply on Amazon
3. West Yorkshire Spinners Exquisite 4ply yarn
When it comes to real wool fibres with that extra layer of luxury, you can't go wrong with West Yorkshire Spinners! Their Exquisite 4ply range really is something special, with a brilliant blend of 80% Falkland Island Wool and 20% Mulberry Silk.
These super-soft 400m skeins come in 12 rich and deep shades, making them a great choice for special shawls and amazing accessories... it would be fantastic with our free infinity scarf crochet pattern, and in our opinion is one of the best yarns for socks that you want to be super-special!
- Buy West Yorkshire Spinners Exquisite 4ply yarn from LoveCrafts
4. Scheepjes Organicon fingering yarn
If you're after a fingering weight yarn that is also kind to the planet, then you're going to love the Scheepjes Organicon fingering yarn. Scheepjes are well known for producing top-quality yarns, and this range builds on that while having sustainability at its heart!
It's a 100% cotton yarn that has GOTS certification, which guarantees through traceability that the cotton has been grown on organic certified fields that are farmed in a sustainable manner and don't use any chemical fertilisers. It is also made with a 100% biological wastewater treatment approach, ensuring that any water used in the production process is safely recycled and repurposed.
Available in 21 soft pastel shades, it's a yarn we can all get behind!
- Buy Scheepjes Organicon fingering yarn from Wool Warehouse
6. Regia 4ply yarn
Seeing as 4ply yarns/fingering yarns are the perfect yarn weight for socks, it'll probably come as no surprise that you'll find plenty of yarns designed with sock knitting specifically in mind. This Regia 4ply yarn from Schachenmayr is a perfect example of a sock yarn, with 400m on a ball which should be plenty for a pair of socks.
It's also a self-striping yarn, meaning you don't have to mess around with switching colours or fancy colourwork effects – just knit up some simple stitches and watch the magic happen (while it will make some cool effects, self-striping yarns don't work quite as well with crochet).
Available in a whopping 75 colour variations, there's plenty of funky colours to treat those feet with! Why not try it out with our free crochet sock pattern?
- Buy Regia 4ply yarn on Amazon
7. Wool and the Gang Glitterball Sock yarn
Looking for a 4ply yarn that's a bit fancy? Then how about this Glitterball sock yarn from Wool and the Gang.
This fun yarn is sourced and spun in the UK (Yorkshire to be precise), and is made up of 95% Bluefaced Leicester wool, giving you a beautifully soft yarn, with that extra 5% of Lurex to give you that gorgeous glitter effect! Available in 4 different shades, your socks will always be ready to party (even if you aren't).
- Buy Glitterball Sock yarn on WoolandtheGang.com
8. Rico Designs Alpaca Socks 4ply yarn
If you're all about the feeling when it comes to choosing a 4ply yarn for your socks, then we've definitely got the yarn for you! This beautiful Superba yarn from Rico Design features a lovely blend of 62% virgin wool, 23% polyamide, and an extra special 15% of alpaca fibres, which help to give it a super-soft fluffy feel that your feet will absolutely love!
Available in 4 muted tones and with 310m on a 100g ball, this really is a very special yarn! Why not try it out with our free men's socks knitting pattern.
- Buy Rico Designs Alpaca Socks 4ply yarn from Abakhan
9. Scheepjes Whirl yarn
We couldn't possibly write a list of the best 4ply yarns/fingering yarns without including one of our favourite ever yarns – the Scheepjes Whirl cakes! These incredible yarn cakes are made up of a 60% cotton/40% acrylic blend, and as you'd expect from Scheepjes come in a huge range of colours – there's 54 variegated cakes to choose from!
It can also be combined with their Whirlette range – the same yarn but in solid colours, meaning you can make some awesome colourwork designs… and with 1,000 metres on each cake you've got plenty to play with! It's one of our go-to yarns when picking a yarn for our shawl projects.
- Buy Scheepjes Whirl yarn from The Knitting Network
Find your favourite fingering yarn
Now you know all about fingering yarn (aka 4ply, sock and baby yarn), it's time to go shopping for some! We hope you've found the perfect yarn for your next project in our round-up.
Discover DK yarns with Gathered
Want something a bit heavier than fingering yarn? Look no further than DK! Discover all you need to know about double knitting yarn with the Gathered buyer's guide.
