Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash vs Knit Picks Swish Worsted

Technical verdict: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash vs Knit Picks Swish Worsted

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash and Knit Picks Swish 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: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash gives 201 m per 100 g and Knit Picks Swish Worsted gives 202 m per 100 g. A project that uses 1,000 m of yarn weighs about 498 g in the first and 495 g in the second, so the finished piece will feel equally heavy.

Per ball, Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash holds 201 m in 100 g and Knit Picks Swish Worsted holds 101 m in 50 g. Five balls of Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash (1,005 m) are replaced by 10 balls of Knit Picks Swish Worsted, and five balls of Knit Picks Swish Worsted (505 m) by 3 balls of Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash is 100 % wool. Wool is elastic and warm and keeps its shape well; it blocks easily and forgives uneven tension, but non-superwash wool can felt with heat and agitation.

Knit Picks Swish Worsted, on the other hand, is 100 % wool. Merino is soft, warm and elastic: it blocks beautifully and recovers after stretching, which makes it a classic for garments and baby items; non-superwash merino must be washed by hand to avoid felting.

With such similar density, Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash and Knit Picks Swish 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 4.3–5 mm for Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash and 4–5.5 mm for Knit Picks Swish Worsted. The ranges overlap at 4.3–5 mm, which is the safest hook to start a test swatch for either yarn.

At least one manufacturer does not publish a reference gauge, so work a 12 × 12 cm swatch with your usual hook before comparing sizes.

Verdict: can you swap them?

Knit Picks Swish Worsted is a strong substitute for Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash, with a Match Score of 95 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash 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 Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash data sheet → Full Knit Picks Swish Worsted data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →