Mil/Thou to Skein Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

A Skein is a traditional unit of length primarily used for measuring yarn or thread. It represents a specific length of yarn coiled into a loop, often then twisted for packaging and sale.

The length of a skein is highly variable and depends significantly on the type of fiber (e.g., cotton, wool, linen), the region, and the specific yarn count system being used. There is no single universal standard.

Common historical or industry-specific standard lengths include:

• Cotton Skein (or Hank): 840 yards (≈ 768.1 meters)
• Worsted Wool Skein (or Hank): 560 yards (≈ 512.1 meters)
• Linen Skein (or Lea): 300 yards (≈ 274.3 meters)

For the purpose of this converter, a Skein is defined as:

• Exactly 120 yards (yd)
• Exactly 109.728 meters (m)
• Exactly 360 feet (ft)

This value (120 yards) corresponds to a Lea, a unit often associated with linen and sometimes used as a subdivision or specific standard in certain yarn count systems.

The practice of winding yarn into standardized lengths like skeins or hanks dates back centuries. It originated as a practical way to manage, measure, dye, trade, and store yarn. Standardizing the length allowed spinners, weavers, and merchants to calculate material quantities and costs more reliably.

Different textile industries and regions developed their own specific standards for skein lengths. These standards became intrinsically linked to yarn count systems (e.g., Cotton Count (Ne), Worsted Count (Nw), Linen Count (NeL)), which define the fineness (thickness) of yarn based on the length per unit weight (e.g., the number of 840-yard hanks per pound for cotton).

While metric units (meters, kilograms) are now standard for trade, the historical skein lengths remain relevant for understanding yarn counts and for crafts like knitting and crochet where yarn is still often sold in skeins or hanks labeled with length and weight.

Historically and currently, the skein (or the concept of a standard yarn length) is used in:

• Textile Industry: Calculating yarn yield, planning weaving or knitting projects, and defining yarn counts.
• Yarn Sales: Yarn for handcrafts (knitting, crochet) is commonly sold in skeins or hanks, usually labeled with weight, length (in yards or meters), and fiber type.
• Dyeing: Skeins are a convenient form for dyeing batches of yarn evenly.
• Historical Context: Understanding older textile production methods, trade practices, and calculations.