Lion Brand Heartland vs Premier Yarns Basix Worsted

Technical verdict: Lion Brand Heartland vs Premier Yarns Basix Worsted

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Lion Brand Heartland and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted 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: Lion Brand Heartland gives 162 m per 100 g and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted gives 164 m per 100 g. A project that uses 1,000 m of yarn weighs about 617 g in the first and 610 g in the second, so the finished piece will feel equally heavy.

Per ball, Lion Brand Heartland holds 230 m in 142 g and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted holds 328 m in 200 g. Five balls of Lion Brand Heartland (1,150 m) are replaced by 4 balls of Premier Yarns Basix Worsted, and five balls of Premier Yarns Basix Worsted (1,640 m) by 8 balls of Lion Brand Heartland. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Both yarns share the same fibre family: Lion Brand Heartland is 100 % acrylic and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted 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, Lion Brand Heartland and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted will give fabrics of comparable weight and drape at the same gauge; any difference in hand will come mainly from the fibre.

Their construction differs: Lion Brand Heartland (Smooth) versus Premier Yarns Basix Worsted (Plied). This changes stitch definition and how easy it is to see your stitches, so expect a different look even at the same gauge.

Hook size and gauge

The ball bands recommend 6 mm for Lion Brand Heartland and 5.5 mm for Premier Yarns Basix Worsted, 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.

Their reference gauges differ: Lion Brand Heartland gives 16 stitches and Premier Yarns Basix Worsted gives 17 stitches in 10 cm. Over 100 stitches that is about 62.5 cm versus 58.8 cm, so check your gauge and adjust the hook before starting a fitted piece.

Verdict: can you swap them?

Premier Yarns Basix Worsted is a strong substitute for Lion Brand Heartland, with a Match Score of 81 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

Premier Yarns Basix Worsted 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 Lion Brand Heartland data sheet → Full Premier Yarns Basix Worsted data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →