Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran vs Stylecraft Special Aran

Technical verdict: Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran vs Stylecraft Special Aran

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran 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.

Stylecraft Special Aran is the longer yarn per gram, with 196 m per 100 g against 184 m per 100 g for Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran, a difference of 7 %. For the same 1,000 m of yarn, the project weighs about 543 g in Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran and 510 g in Stylecraft Special 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, Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran holds 184 m in 100 g and Stylecraft Special Aran holds 196 m in 100 g. Five balls of Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran (920 m) are replaced by 5 balls of Stylecraft Special Aran, and five balls of Stylecraft Special Aran (980 m) by 6 balls of Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran. 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 Simply Aran 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, Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran 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

Both ball bands recommend the same hook, 5 mm, so you can start your swatch with the hook size the pattern already calls for.

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 Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran, with a Match Score of 90 %. 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 Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran data sheet → Full Stylecraft Special Aran data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →