Red Heart Unforgettable vs Schachenmayr Bravo

Technical verdict: Red Heart Unforgettable vs Schachenmayr Bravo

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Red Heart Unforgettable is a Medium (CYC 4) yarn while Schachenmayr Bravo is a Light (CYC 3) yarn. Because they sit in different weight categories, a pattern written for one will not give the same size, gauge or drape with the other unless you change the hook and rework the stitch counts after a swatch.

Schachenmayr Bravo is the longer yarn per gram, with 266 m per 100 g against 247 m per 100 g for Red Heart Unforgettable, a difference of 8 %. For the same 1,000 m of yarn, the project weighs about 405 g in Red Heart Unforgettable and 376 g in Schachenmayr Bravo. 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, Red Heart Unforgettable holds 247 m in 100 g and Schachenmayr Bravo holds 133 m in 50 g. Five balls of Red Heart Unforgettable (1,235 m) are replaced by 10 balls of Schachenmayr Bravo, and five balls of Schachenmayr Bravo (665 m) by 3 balls of Red Heart Unforgettable. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Both yarns share the same fibre family: Red Heart Unforgettable is 100 % acrylic and Schachenmayr Bravo 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.

Their construction differs: Red Heart Unforgettable (Roving) versus Schachenmayr Bravo (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 Red Heart Unforgettable and 3.5–4.5 mm for Schachenmayr Bravo, 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?

Red Heart Unforgettable and Schachenmayr Bravo are not direct substitutes for each other. They can still work in forgiving projects such as blankets or scarves, but for garments and amigurumi choose a yarn with a closer Match Score.

Red Heart Unforgettable 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 Red Heart Unforgettable data sheet → Full Schachenmayr Bravo data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →