Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli vs Schachenmayr Bravo

Technical verdict: Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli vs Schachenmayr Bravo

Weight category, yardage and value per ball

Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli and Schachenmayr Bravo are both Light (CYC 3) 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: Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli gives 260 m per 100 g and Schachenmayr Bravo gives 266 m per 100 g. A project that uses 1,000 m of yarn weighs about 385 g in the first and 376 g in the second, so the finished piece will feel equally heavy.

Per ball, Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli holds 65 m in 25 g and Schachenmayr Bravo holds 133 m in 50 g. Five balls of Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli (325 m) are replaced by 3 balls of Schachenmayr Bravo, and five balls of Schachenmayr Bravo (665 m) by 11 balls of Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli. Always convert by length, never by weight or by number of balls.

Drape, fibre and texture

Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli is 100 % polyester. Polyester is light, strong and machine-washable; it keeps its colour and shape but does not breathe like natural fibres and must not be ironed.

Schachenmayr Bravo, on the other hand, is 100 % acrylic. 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, Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli and Schachenmayr Bravo 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: Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli (Smooth) 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 3 mm for Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli 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?

Schachenmayr Bravo can replace Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli with some adjustments (Match Score 72 %). Expect small differences in gauge or drape: swatch first and be ready to change the hook by half a size.

Schachenmayr Bravo 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 Rico Design Ricorumi Nilli Nilli data sheet → Full Schachenmayr Bravo data sheet → Calculate yarn for a whole project →