DROPS Karisma vs Knit Picks Swish DK

Technical verdict: DROPS Karisma vs Knit Picks Swish DK

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

DROPS Karisma and Knit Picks Swish 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.

Knit Picks Swish DK is the longer yarn per gram, with 224 m per 100 g against 200 m per 100 g for DROPS Karisma, a difference of 12 %. For the same 1,000 m of yarn, the project weighs about 500 g in DROPS Karisma and 446 g in Knit Picks Swish 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 Karisma holds 100 m in 50 g and Knit Picks Swish DK holds 112 m in 50 g. Five balls of DROPS Karisma (500 m) are replaced by 5 balls of Knit Picks Swish DK, and five balls of Knit Picks Swish DK (560 m) by 6 balls of DROPS Karisma. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

DROPS Karisma is 100 % wool. 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.

Knit Picks Swish DK, 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.

Within the same weight class, Knit Picks Swish DK has noticeably more meters per gram, so its fabric will be lighter and drape more softly, while DROPS Karisma will feel denser and more structured. Choose the lighter one for shawls, tops and baby items, and the denser one for bags, amigurumi and pieces that must hold their shape.

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 4 mm for DROPS Karisma and 4.5–5.5 mm for Knit Picks Swish DK, with no hook size in common. Substituting one for the other will change the fabric, so swatch with each yarn's own hook and recalculate your stitch counts.

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?

Knit Picks Swish DK can replace DROPS Karisma with some adjustments (Match Score 71 %). Expect small differences in gauge or drape: swatch first and be ready to change the hook by half a size.

Knit Picks Swish DK gives more meters per ball, so you will usually buy fewer balls. Knit Picks Swish DK makes the lighter fabric; DROPS Karisma makes the denser one.

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 Karisma data sheet → Full Knit Picks Swish DK data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →