So you want to have a skien of yarn... Part 3

First off, I would like to create a link to my website, www.emeraldmist01.50megs.com. Jolly good.
Next: Imagine the following.
You have a beautiful skien of yarn that was given to you/just pulled out of your stash. However, it has NO tag. No papers, either, saying how to properly care for it and what size needles to use. If you were a weaver, it wouldn't bother you, but you are a [knitter/crochter/giver of yarn to people who do the aforementioned] and you need to know. You want to make it into a beautiful [insert handmade item here], but it HAS NO TAG. What are you going to do? What are you going to DO??!!!!! The world spins around you, echoing What are you going to do?
That's easy. Simply go to this website [http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~ebozak/knit/esb-patterns/yarn-size.html], where I myself got the information, or read a simplified version below.

Knit a swatch (sorry all who crochet out there). Now, measure.
If it is....stitches to 4 inches, you should use...size needles (US) and it is called...
8+ 00-2 Ultrafine (lace or baby)
6-8 2-4 Fine (fingering wieght)
5.5-6 4-6 Light (sport wieght)
5.5 5-7 Medium (DK wieght)
4-5 This is my favorite type 7-9 Heavy (worsted wieght)
3-4 10-11 Bulky
2-3 13-15 Very Bulky

This will help you figure out what type of breed you have. My favorite is purebreed or 3/4+ acrylic worsted. However, I may be biased, seeing as how I learned to knit on this fabulous blue yarn with ever-changing shades, from dark mountain lake blue to pale silver-white blue. It was gorgeous.

Coming up next: color variations and combining them for a pleasing affect, a.k.a. manipulating color BWA HA HA HA HA!