Caron One Pound vs Premier Yarns Basix Worsted

Technical verdict: Caron One Pound vs Premier Yarns Basix Worsted

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Caron One Pound and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted are both Medium (CYC 4) yarns, so on paper they are interchangeable in the same patterns. The weight class only tells half the story, though: the ball band data below shows how much they really differ in thickness, yardage and behaviour once they are on the hook.

Their linear density is practically identical: Caron One Pound gives 164 m per 100 g and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted gives 164 m per 100 g. A project that uses 1,000 m of yarn weighs about 611 g in the first and 610 g in the second, so the finished piece will feel equally heavy.

Per ball, Caron One Pound holds 742 m in 453 g and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted holds 328 m in 200 g. Five balls of Caron One Pound (3,710 m) are replaced by 12 balls of Premier Yarns Basix Worsted, and five balls of Premier Yarns Basix Worsted (1,640 m) by 3 balls of Caron One Pound. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Both yarns share the same fibre family: Caron One Pound is 100 % acrylic and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted is 100 % acrylic, so they wash, block and wear in a similar way. Acrylic is light, affordable and machine-washable; it hides small tension changes and suits blankets and everyday pieces, but heat relaxes it permanently, so it should not be ironed.

With such similar density, Caron One Pound and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted will give fabrics of comparable weight and drape at the same gauge; any difference in hand will come mainly from the fibre.

They also share the same construction (Plied), so stitch definition and the way the yarn behaves on the hook should feel familiar when you switch.

Hook size and gauge

The ball bands recommend 5 mm for Caron One Pound and 5.5 mm for Premier Yarns Basix Worsted, with no hook size in common. Substituting one for the other will change the fabric, so swatch with each yarn's own hook and recalculate your stitch counts.

Their reference gauges differ: Caron One Pound gives 16 stitches and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted gives 17 stitches in 10 cm. Over 100 stitches that is about 62.5 cm versus 58.8 cm, so check your gauge and adjust the hook before starting a fitted piece.

Verdict: can you swap them?

Premier Yarns Basix Worsted is a strong substitute for Caron One Pound, with a Match Score of 90 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

Caron One Pound gives more meters per ball, so you will usually buy fewer balls.

Whichever you choose, buy all the balls for a project from the same dye lot and keep the ball band for its care instructions.

Full Caron One Pound data sheet → Full Premier Yarns Basix Worsted data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →