Hobbii Amigo XL vs Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran

Technical verdict: Hobbii Amigo XL vs Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Hobbii Amigo XL and Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran are both Medium (CYC 4) 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.

Hobbii Amigo XL is the longer yarn per gram, with 200 m per 100 g against 184 m per 100 g for Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran, a difference of 9 %. For the same 1,000 m of yarn, the project weighs about 500 g in Hobbii Amigo XL and 543 g in Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran. 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, Hobbii Amigo XL holds 100 m in 50 g and Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran holds 184 m in 100 g. Five balls of Hobbii Amigo XL (500 m) are replaced by 3 balls of Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran, and five balls of Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran (920 m) by 10 balls of Hobbii Amigo XL. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Both yarns share the same fibre family: Hobbii Amigo XL is 100 % acrylic and Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran is 100 % acrylic, so they wash, block and wear in a similar way. Acrylic is light, affordable and machine-washable; it hides small tension changes and suits blankets and everyday pieces, but heat relaxes it permanently, so it should not be ironed.

Within the same weight class, Hobbii Amigo XL has noticeably more meters per gram, so its fabric will be lighter and drape more softly, while Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran 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 5–5.5 mm for Hobbii Amigo XL and 5 mm for Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran. The ranges overlap at 5 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?

Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran is a strong substitute for Hobbii Amigo XL, 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.

Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran gives more meters per ball, so you will usually buy fewer balls. Hobbii Amigo XL makes the lighter fabric; Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran 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 Hobbii Amigo XL data sheet → Full Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →