Yarn Help

[nemi.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm hoping there's some knitters out there who can help me.

I have a project that calls for a ball of "Schachenmayr Speed". I know a decent equivalent would probably bee a number 5 "bulky" yarn, but I don't know how *much* is in one ball of "Schachenmayr Speed". Does anyone know the weight or yardage? Is there somewhere I can find out?

This is the pattern I'd like to use:
http://www.moonarts.com/blog/free_patterns/pages/kitty-cozy-print.htm

But, I need cheaper, easier to find, and easy to wash yarn, since I intend to do a number of them for our area shelter.