Not exactly: fingering describes thickness, while sock yarn describes a purpose. Most sock yarns are fingering weight (Craft Yarn Council 1, called 4 ply in the UK), but they add polyamide for strength, as in YarnArt Forza Solid (75% superwash wool, 25% polyamide). Plain fingering yarns such as YarnArt Rosegarden (100% cotton) are better suited to shawls and tops than to hard-wearing socks.

The Craft Yarn Council range for fingering (super fine, weight 1) is 2.25–3.25 mm needles and 2.25–3.5 mm hooks, giving 27–32 stitches per 10 cm in stocking stitch. Socks sit at the small end for a firm fabric; shawls and lacy tops go larger. Nako Boho suggests 2.5–3.5 mm needles and Himalaya Socks 2–2.75 mm. Your own tension matters more than the band, so swatch first.

Yes, two strands of fingering held together usually knit up close to DK weight, which is handy for using stash or blending two colours. Gauge depends on the yarns, so knit a swatch and compare it with the pattern. Remember that doubling halves your usable length: 100 g of Alize Angora Gold (80% acrylic, 20% wool, 550 m) gives about 275 m of double-stranded yarn.

Cotton and cotton-blend fingering yarns are the usual choice for summer tops and shawls, because they breathe and drape without bulk. At VILRITA, YarnArt Rosegarden is 100% cotton with 1000 m per 250 g ball, and YarnArt Cotton Soft is 55% cotton and 45% acrylic with 600 m per 100 g. Cotton has little stretch, so knit ribbing on a smaller needle and check gauge after washing your swatch.

Yes, fingering weight is widely used in crochet for shawls, lightweight tops and lacy motifs, usually with a 2.25–3.5 mm hook. The fabric is thin and drapey, so it suits openwork stitches better than dense pieces. YarnArt Flowers and YarnArt Flowers Moonlight list a 3 mm hook and hold 1000 m per ball, which goes a long way on a crocheted shawl or summer top.

Yes, fingering is a classic weight for stranded colourwork and Fair Isle, because carrying two colours per row still gives a light, flexible fabric. Wool and wool-blend yarns grip each other, which keeps floats in place, and blocking evens out the stitches. YarnArt Forza Solid, with 46 solid colours, works well for mittens, hats and yokes. Buy each colour from one dye lot so the shades stay consistent across the project.