DROPS Belle vs Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK

Technical verdict: DROPS Belle vs Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

DROPS Belle and Paintbox Yarns Cotton 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.

Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK is the longer yarn per gram, with 250 m per 100 g against 240 m per 100 g for DROPS Belle, a difference of 4 %. For the same 1,000 m of yarn, the project weighs about 417 g in DROPS Belle and 400 g in Paintbox Yarns Cotton 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, DROPS Belle holds 120 m in 50 g and Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK holds 125 m in 50 g. Five balls of DROPS Belle (600 m) are replaced by 5 balls of Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK, and five balls of Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK (625 m) by 6 balls of DROPS Belle. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Both yarns share the same fibre family: DROPS Belle is 53 % cotton, 33 % viscose, 14 % linen and Paintbox Yarns Cotton 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, DROPS Belle and Paintbox Yarns Cotton 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

Both ball bands recommend the same hook, 4 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?

Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK is a strong substitute for DROPS Belle, with a Match Score of 83 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

Paintbox Yarns Cotton 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 DROPS Belle data sheet → Full Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →