Cascade Yarns 220 vs Hobbii Amigo XL

Technical verdict: Cascade Yarns 220 vs Hobbii Amigo XL

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Cascade Yarns 220 and Hobbii Amigo XL 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 gives 201 m per 100 g and Hobbii Amigo XL gives 200 m per 100 g. A project that uses 1,000 m of yarn weighs about 498 g in the first and 500 g in the second, so the finished piece will feel equally heavy.

Per ball, Cascade Yarns 220 holds 201 m in 100 g and Hobbii Amigo XL holds 100 m in 50 g. Five balls of Cascade Yarns 220 (1,005 m) are replaced by 11 balls of Hobbii Amigo XL, and five balls of Hobbii Amigo XL (500 m) by 3 balls of Cascade Yarns 220. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Cascade Yarns 220 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.

Hobbii Amigo XL, on the other hand, is 100 % acrylic. 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, Cascade Yarns 220 and Hobbii Amigo XL 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 4.5–5.5 mm for Cascade Yarns 220 and 5–5.5 mm for Hobbii Amigo XL. The ranges overlap at 5–5.5 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?

Hobbii Amigo XL is a strong substitute for Cascade Yarns 220, with a Match Score of 81 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

Cascade Yarns 220 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 data sheet → Full Hobbii Amigo XL data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →