Worsted Count (Nw)

The worsted count is the number of 560-yard hanks in one pound of yarn. It is an indirect count used for worsted (combed wool) and acrylic yarns; it is 1.5 times the cotton count for the same yarn.

Symbol: Nw

Quantity: yarn count (linear density of yarns and fibres)

SI relation: Nw = number of 560-yard hanks per pound, so tex = 885.8119 ÷ Nw

Derivation: Nw = number of 560-yard hanks per pound, so tex = 885.8119 ÷ Nw

Exact: yes, by definition

Typical uses

Worsted wool and acrylic yarns
Hand-knitting and weaving yarns in the UK and US
Converting older wool specifications to tex

Convert worsted count to other units

1 Nw in other yarn count units
Conversion	1 Nw equals	Reverse
Nw to tex	885.8118712 tex	tex to Nw
Nw to denier	7972.306841 den	denier to Nw
Nw to Ne	0.6666666667 Ne	Ne to Nw
Nw to decitex	8858.118712 dtex	decitex to Nw
Nw to Nm	1.128907878 Nm	Nm to Nw
Nw to kilotex	0.8858118712 ktex	kilotex to Nw
Nw to woollen count	2.1875 NY	woollen count to Nw
Nw to linen lea	1.866666667 NeL	linen lea to Nw
Nw to kilogram per metre	0.0008858118712 kg/m	kilogram per metre to Nw

Open the Yarn Count Converter to convert any value between all units.

Sources

ASTM D2260, Standard Tables of Conversion Factors and Equivalent Yarn Numbers Measured in Various Numbering Systems, ASTM International , Worsted count.
Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), NIST Special Publication 811, 2008 Edition, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Appendix B.8, "yard" and "pound".

Last reviewed: 2026-10-15. Factors are stored exactly and computed with 50-digit decimal arithmetic. See how we verify conversion factors.

Cite this page

APA

Scientific Converters. (2026, October 15). Worsted Count (Nw). Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://scientificconverters.com/units/worsted-count/

IEEE

Scientific Converters, "Worsted Count (Nw)," scientificconverters.com. Accessed: Oct. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://scientificconverters.com/units/worsted-count/