DROPS Fabel vs DROPS Flora

Technical verdict: DROPS Fabel vs DROPS Flora

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

DROPS Fabel and DROPS Flora 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.

Their linear density is practically identical: DROPS Fabel gives 410 m per 100 g and DROPS Flora gives 420 m per 100 g. A project that uses 1,000 m of yarn weighs about 244 g in the first and 238 g in the second, so the finished piece will feel equally heavy.

Per ball, DROPS Fabel holds 205 m in 50 g and DROPS Flora holds 210 m in 50 g. Five balls of DROPS Fabel (1,025 m) are replaced by 5 balls of DROPS Flora, and five balls of DROPS Flora (1,050 m) by 6 balls of DROPS Fabel. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

DROPS Fabel is 75 % wool, 25 % nylon. The nylon content adds strength and abrasion resistance, so the yarn holds up to washing and wear in socks, toys and hard-wearing pieces.

DROPS Flora, on the other hand, is 65 % wool, 35 % alpaca. 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.

With such similar density, DROPS Fabel and DROPS Flora 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.

Both labels give the same reference gauge of 24 stitches in 10 cm, a strong sign that a pattern will come out the same size with either yarn.

Verdict: can you swap them?

DROPS Flora is a strong substitute for DROPS Fabel, with a Match Score of 96 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

DROPS Flora 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 Fabel data sheet → Full DROPS Flora data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →