Paintbox Yarns Chenille vs Premier Yarns Just Chenille

Technical verdict: Paintbox Yarns Chenille vs Premier Yarns Just Chenille

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Paintbox Yarns Chenille and Premier Yarns Just Chenille are both Bulky (CYC 5) 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: Paintbox Yarns Chenille gives 120 m per 100 g and Premier Yarns Just Chenille gives 118 m per 100 g. A project that uses 1,000 m of yarn weighs about 833 g in the first and 847 g in the second, so the finished piece will feel equally heavy.

Per ball, Paintbox Yarns Chenille holds 120 m in 100 g and Premier Yarns Just Chenille holds 59 m in 50 g. Five balls of Paintbox Yarns Chenille (600 m) are replaced by 11 balls of Premier Yarns Just Chenille, and five balls of Premier Yarns Just Chenille (295 m) by 3 balls of Paintbox Yarns Chenille. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Both yarns share the same fibre family: Paintbox Yarns Chenille is 100 % polyester and Premier Yarns Just Chenille is 100 % polyester, so they wash, block and wear in a similar way. Polyester chenille has a soft pile that makes very plush blankets and toys, but stitches are hard to see, so stitch markers help; avoid pulling back too often, as the pile can shed.

With such similar density, Paintbox Yarns Chenille and Premier Yarns Just Chenille 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 (Chenille), 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 6–7 mm for Paintbox Yarns Chenille and 8 mm for Premier Yarns Just Chenille, 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?

Premier Yarns Just Chenille is a strong substitute for Paintbox Yarns Chenille, with a Match Score of 87 %. Convert by length with the calculator above, work a quick swatch, and most patterns will need no other changes.

Paintbox Yarns Chenille 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 Paintbox Yarns Chenille data sheet → Full Premier Yarns Just Chenille data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →