Hobbii Amigo XL vs Stylecraft Special Aran

Technical verdict: Hobbii Amigo XL vs Stylecraft Special Aran

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Hobbii Amigo XL and Stylecraft Special 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.

Their linear density is practically identical: Hobbii Amigo XL gives 200 m per 100 g and Stylecraft Special Aran gives 196 m per 100 g. A project that uses 1,000 m of yarn weighs about 500 g in the first and 510 g in the second, so the finished piece will feel equally heavy.

Per ball, Hobbii Amigo XL holds 100 m in 50 g and Stylecraft Special Aran holds 196 m in 100 g. Five balls of Hobbii Amigo XL (500 m) are replaced by 3 balls of Stylecraft Special Aran, and five balls of Stylecraft Special Aran (980 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 Stylecraft Special 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.

With such similar density, Hobbii Amigo XL and Stylecraft Special Aran 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

The ball bands recommend 5–5.5 mm for Hobbii Amigo XL and 5 mm for Stylecraft Special 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?

Stylecraft Special Aran is a strong substitute for Hobbii Amigo XL, with a Match Score of 92 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

Stylecraft Special Aran 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 Hobbii Amigo XL data sheet → Full Stylecraft Special Aran data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →