ins ▁( h anks ), ▁although ▁it ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁w ound ▁on ▁sp ools ▁or ▁con es . ▁ ▁S ke ins ▁and ▁balls ▁are ▁generally ▁sold ▁with ▁a ▁y arn - band , ▁a ▁label ▁that ▁describes ▁the ▁y arn ' s ▁weight , ▁length , ▁d ye ▁lot , ▁fi ber ▁content , ▁was hing ▁instructions , ▁suggested ▁need le ▁size , ▁likely ▁gauge , ▁etc . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁common ▁practice ▁to ▁save ▁the ▁y arn ▁band ▁for ▁future ▁reference , ▁especially ▁if ▁additional ▁ske ins ▁must ▁be ▁purchased . ▁ ▁Kn it ters ▁generally ▁ensure ▁that ▁the ▁y arn ▁for ▁a ▁project ▁comes ▁from ▁a ▁single ▁d ye ▁lot . ▁ ▁The ▁d ye ▁lot ▁spec ifies ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁ske ins ▁that ▁were ▁dy ed ▁together ▁and ▁thus ▁have ▁precisely ▁the ▁same ▁color ; ▁ske ins ▁from ▁different ▁d ye - l ots , ▁even ▁if ▁very ▁similar ▁in ▁color , ▁are ▁usually ▁slightly ▁different ▁and ▁may ▁produce ▁a ▁visible ▁stri pe ▁when ▁kn itted ▁into ▁the ▁same ▁project . ▁ ▁If ▁a ▁kn itter ▁bu ys ▁ins u fficient ▁y arn ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁d ye ▁lot ▁to ▁complete ▁a ▁project , ▁additional ▁ske ins ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁d ye ▁lot ▁can ▁sometimes ▁be ▁obtained ▁from ▁other ▁y arn ▁stores ▁or ▁online . ▁ ▁The ▁thick ness ▁of ▁the ▁y arn ▁is ▁a ▁significant ▁factor ▁in ▁determ ining ▁the ▁gauge , ▁i . e ., ▁how ▁many ▁st itch es ▁and ▁rows ▁are ▁required ▁to ▁cover