Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran vs Lion Brand Wool-Ease

Technical verdict: Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran vs Lion Brand Wool-Ease

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran and Lion Brand Wool-Ease 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.

Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran is the longer yarn per gram, with 220 m per 100 g against 212 m per 100 g for Lion Brand Wool-Ease, a difference of 4 %. For the same 1,000 m of yarn, the project weighs about 455 g in Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran and 472 g in Lion Brand Wool-Ease. A lower m/100 g figure means a thicker or denser strand, so the heavier yarn will also make a slightly thicker, warmer fabric.

Per ball, Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran holds 220 m in 100 g and Lion Brand Wool-Ease holds 180 m in 85 g. Five balls of Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran (1,100 m) are replaced by 7 balls of Lion Brand Wool-Ease, and five balls of Lion Brand Wool-Ease (900 m) by 5 balls of Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran is 55 % nylon, 45 % acrylic. The nylon content adds strength and abrasion resistance, so the yarn holds up to washing and wear in socks, toys and hard-wearing pieces.

Lion Brand Wool-Ease, on the other hand, is 80 % acrylic, 20 % wool. 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 Cherub Aran and Lion Brand Wool-Ease 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 5–6 mm for Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran and 5.5 mm for Lion Brand Wool-Ease. The ranges overlap at 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?

Lion Brand Wool-Ease is a strong substitute for Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran, with a Match Score of 87 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

Cascade Yarns Cherub Aran 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 Cherub Aran data sheet → Full Lion Brand Wool-Ease data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →