DMC Happy Cotton vs Rico Design Ricorumi DK

Technical verdict: DMC Happy Cotton vs Rico Design Ricorumi DK

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

DMC Happy Cotton and Rico Design Ricorumi DK are both Light (CYC 3) 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.

Rico Design Ricorumi DK is the longer yarn per gram, with 232 m per 100 g against 215 m per 100 g for DMC Happy Cotton, a difference of 8 %. For the same 1,000 m of yarn, the project weighs about 465 g in DMC Happy Cotton and 431 g in Rico Design Ricorumi DK. 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, DMC Happy Cotton holds 43 m in 20 g and Rico Design Ricorumi DK holds 58 m in 25 g. Five balls of DMC Happy Cotton (215 m) are replaced by 4 balls of Rico Design Ricorumi DK, and five balls of Rico Design Ricorumi DK (290 m) by 7 balls of DMC Happy Cotton. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Both yarns share the same fibre family: DMC Happy Cotton is 100 % cotton and Rico Design Ricorumi DK is 100 % cotton, so they wash, block and wear in a similar way. Cotton is inelastic and absorbent: stitches look crisp and defined, the fabric holds its shape in amigurumi, bags and dishcloths, but garments can feel heavy and stretch downwards when wet.

With such similar density, DMC Happy Cotton and Rico Design Ricorumi DK 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 3 mm for DMC Happy Cotton and 3–3.5 mm for Rico Design Ricorumi DK. The ranges overlap at 3 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?

Rico Design Ricorumi DK is a strong substitute for DMC Happy Cotton, with a Match Score of 82 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

Rico Design Ricorumi DK 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 DMC Happy Cotton data sheet → Full Rico Design Ricorumi DK data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →