DROPS Alpaca vs DROPS Baby Merino

Technical verdict: DROPS Alpaca vs DROPS Baby Merino

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

DROPS Alpaca and DROPS Baby Merino are both Super Fine (CYC 1) 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.

DROPS Baby Merino is the longer yarn per gram, with 350 m per 100 g against 334 m per 100 g for DROPS Alpaca, a difference of 5 %. For the same 1,000 m of yarn, the project weighs about 299 g in DROPS Alpaca and 286 g in DROPS Baby Merino. 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, DROPS Alpaca holds 167 m in 50 g and DROPS Baby Merino holds 175 m in 50 g. Five balls of DROPS Alpaca (835 m) are replaced by 5 balls of DROPS Baby Merino, and five balls of DROPS Baby Merino (875 m) by 6 balls of DROPS Alpaca. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

DROPS Alpaca is 100 % alpaca. Alpaca is warmer than wool and has a beautiful drape and halo; it has little memory, so fitted pieces can grow with wear and are best blocked flat.

DROPS Baby Merino, 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, DROPS Alpaca and DROPS Baby Merino 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

Both ball bands recommend the same hook, 3 mm, so you can start your swatch with the hook size the pattern already calls for.

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?

DROPS Baby Merino is a strong substitute for DROPS Alpaca, with a Match Score of 85 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

DROPS Baby Merino 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 DROPS Alpaca data sheet → Full DROPS Baby Merino data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →