How To Pick The Right Plush Yarn So Your Plushie Actually Looks Like the Pattern Photo

You grabbed your favorite drink, your new super bulky plush yarn (just like the pattern called for), your hook, and your comfort show is playing in the background. Now you’re ready to let go of the day and dive into that new pattern you just bought.

But somehow, two episodes later, you’re holding a partial plushie that is not looking anything like the pattern photo.

It’s weirdly oblong and much larger than the pattern said it would be.

Suddenly, your cozy self-care craft session has more stress than you bargained for.

If you’ve ever bought a pattern, couldn’t find the yarn the designer used, quickly bought something online that seemed close enough, spent your time making the thing, and then felt deeply disappointed by the finished result, welcome to the club! It’s a plush crocheter's rite of passage. 

Even if you’ve been crocheting for decades, you’ll probably experience this the first time you try to substitute plush chenille yarn. 

Substituting yarn is really challenging when you’ve never even touched the yarn listed in the pattern and your only shopping choice is online. Plus, you may not have access to the exact yarn the designer used. Maybe it doesn’t ship to your country. Maybe it’s out of stock. Maybe the shipping costs are higher than the yarn itself (so rude). So you choose another super bulky yarn and hope for the best.

Totally reasonable thought process.

The problem is that not all plush yarns in the same weight category are created equal in size, density, or texture. 

Two plush chenille yarns can both be in the same weight category and still create very different finished plushies. One may give you the soft, round, squishy shape you expected. Another may make your project bigger, smaller, stiffer, taller, bulkier, or just not how you expected it to turn out.

And let's be real, that is such a bummer. Most of us got into crochet because it felt creative and relaxing. A way to put away our smartphones and do something else with our hands besides doomscrolling. It’s supposed to be the thing we do to unwind, not the thing that makes us stare at a half-finished plushie wondering why we wasted the evening.

And since yarn substitution can feel extra tricky when you’re shopping online, I thought it would be helpful to walk you through a real example from my own yarn-shopping process. I'm not familiar with every yarn brand either. I need to check the specs, compare my options, and make sure I have a good idea of what I’m getting before the yarn ever lands on my doorstep.

Recently, I received a message from We Love Crochet on Instagram. They wanted to send me some yarn to try out, which was very exciting because one of my favorite parts of being a designer is trying new yarn. I have my favorites and go-tos, but when I get the opportunity to try something new, I’m taking it!

Since I wasn't familiar with all of their brands, I did a little investigating and checked out their chenille yarn selection.

In this post, I’m going to show you how to compare yarn specs, calculate yarn density, and estimate how much yarn you’ll need when substituting plush chenille yarn. Then, we’ll look at how my yarn picks worked up with my Mini Rotary Phone Pattern so you can see how those choices worked out for me.

Grab your emotional support beverage of choice and a yarn label if you have one (just for reference!). Let’s get into it.

1. Compare the Yarn Details, Not Just the Weight Category

After the initial message from We Love Crochet, I went to their website, crochet.com. My first step was to filter the fiber to polyester, since that’s what plush chenille yarn is made of, and the yarn weight to bulky 5 (sometimes called chunky), and super bulky 6.

I use super bulky for most of my designs, but there is some overlap with bulky yarn, which I’ll touch on in a moment.

I found two yarns from the brand King Cole that looked very soft and squishy. Based on the texture shown in the photos, I made a few assumptions, but I couldn’t be sure until I looked at the specs. This is the same information that’s listed on a yarn label. But since we’re shopping online, a good yarn seller will put this information somewhere in the listing.

The biggest mistake I see crocheters make is stopping at the yarn weight category. For example, they see that a pattern uses super bulky 6 yarn, so they buy another super bulky 6 yarn and assume everything will work out.

And I get it. That sounds like it should work. But shopping for plush yarn online has a way of keeping us humble 😳.

So what’s the difference between yarn weight categories?

Yarn receives a weight category based on wraps per inch, or WPI, which is how many times the yarn can be wrapped around one inch without overlapping. Every yarn weight category has a general WPI range.

There is some debate around some of those numbers, and that can affect how a yarn seller categorizes a yarn. For this post, I'm using the ranges from Craft Yarn Council. 

Bulky yarn has around 6–9 WPI, and super bulky yarn has around 5–6 WPI. That may not seem like a huge range, but just one wrap can make quite a difference in the final result of your project.

It can mean the yarn varies in thickness, texture, and density. So even two yarns in the same weight category can create very different finished pieces.

You may also notice that both categories include 6 WPI in the range. This overlap can play a role when you’re substituting plush yarn, especially if one yarn is labeled bulky and another is labeled super bulky, but they’re actually very close in thickness. That’s why I recommend looking at both of these yarn weight categories. 

When I received my package, I measured the WPI myself just to see the difference. King Cole Yummy had 6 WPI, making it land right in that bulky/super bulky overlap. Warm & Toastie had 5 WPI, placing it firmly on the thicker end of the super bulky spectrum.

WPI is helpful to understand because it explains how yarn weight categories are decided, but it's not listed in online yarn listings. That means you won't know exact WPI until you can measure it yourself. 

So when you're shopping online, you have to use the specs that are actually available: fiber, yarn weight category, skein weight, and yardage or meterage. 

That's exactly what I did when I compared these yarns to one I already use all the time. 

Time to Compare

I pulled up the yarn information I used for my Mini Rotary Phone:

Premier Parfait Chunky
Super Bulky 6
100% polyester
131 yards / 120 meters per 100g skein
Color: Pale Blue, 45g / 59 yards
Color: Pale Gray, 3g / 4 yards

This is the kind of information I include in my patterns because I know how much easier it makes yarn shopping, even if you don’t have access to the yarn I used. 

Here are the plush variants of King Cole that I found:

King Cole Yummy
Bulky 5
100% polyester
131 yards/ 120 meter per 100g skein

King Cole Warm & Toastie
Super Bulky 6
100% polyester
109 yards/ 100 meters per 200g skein. 

At first glance, both of these look like possible substitutes. But once we look closer, they have pretty big differences. 

King Cole Yummy has specs that are almost identical to Premier Parfait Chunky. When I received it in person, it’s very comparable in texture. Since it's labeled bulky, it does seem just slightly thinner than Parfait Chunky (super bulky), but based on the specs, it is an almost perfect match.

King Cole Warm & Toastie is very different. It is 200g but only 109 yards.

That tells us this yarn is thicker and has a higher density. And when I pulled that big guy out of the box, it was definitely thicker! Density and thickness matter a lot when making amigurumi. 

I picked pink for the main phone color and white for the dial to work up my Mini Rotary Phone pattern. I suspected that King Cole Yummy would work up slightly smaller but comparable to my original design and that Warm & Toastie would work up much larger. 

2. Calculate Yarn Density Before You Pick a Substitute

Once you’ve checked the yarn weight, looking at yardage (or meterage) and grams is the next step. This is one of the most helpful things to understand when substituting plush yarn.

The skein weight tells you how many grams of yarn you’re getting. But that number by itself does not tell you how much usable yarn length you actually have.

For example, a 200g skein sounds like it should be twice as much yarn as a 100g skein.

But that is not always true.

You also need to look at the yardage or meterage.

A 100g skein with 131 yards is very different from a 200g skein with 109 yards. Even though the 200g skein weighs more, it has less length. That means the yarn itself is thicker and denser.

A denser yarn may make your finished plushie larger. And if you use the same hook size from the pattern without considering the density of your substitute yarn, your finished plush can come out misshapen and the stitching experience may even be tougher on your hands. 

And now you're starting to reconsider your cozy craft choices!

You thought you were making a cute little plushie while watching your comfort show. Instead, you’re trying to figure out why your wrist is aching and you don’t even like how your plushie is turning out. 

But the density of yarn is not directly printed on the label or listed anywhere in the yarn listing. So you’ll need to do a tiny bit of math (sorry!). 

How to Calculate Yarn Density

To figure out yarn density, use this simple calculation:

Grams ÷ yards = density 

(You can also use meters instead of yards. Just make sure you use the same measurement when comparing both yarns.)

As long as the designer gives you the yarn brand and type, you can usually search for the yarn online and find the specs. And if you can’t find the information you need, I really recommend reaching out to the designer.

A few extra details before you start can save you from a deeply uncozy crochet experience later.

Comparing the Yarn Density

Let’s look at the original yarn from my Mini Rotary Phone Pattern:

Premier Parfait Chunky
100g ÷ 131 yards = about 0.76 gram per yard

That means every yard weighs 0.76 grams. 

Now let’s compare King Cole Yummy:

King Cole Yummy
100 grams ÷ 131 yards = about 0.76 gram per yard

That is an exact match. Based on density, King Cole Yummy looks like a great substitute option.

Now let’s compare King Cole Warm & Toastie:

King Cole Warm & Toastie
200 grams ÷ 109 yards = about 1.8 gram per yard

That means each yard weighs 1.8 grams. 

That is a much higher density. That also means I’ll need a larger hook. So…higher the number, higher the density. 

Warm & Toastie will use more yarn per stitch. It will also make a larger, thicker, heavier plushie than my original Mini Rotary Phone. 

That might be exactly what you want! Sometimes making a bigger, chunkier version of a plushie is the whole point. And thicker yarn + larger hook is an easy way to increase the size of amigurumi. 

But if your goal is to make something that closely matches the pattern photo and the finished size listed in the pattern, this is the kind of difference you want to know before you start.

Based on my calculations, King Cole Yummy is the closer substitute, even though it's listed as bulky instead of super bulky. 

What Happens When Density Isn't Considered

Here’s an example of what happens when density isn’t considered: 

In 2024 I created a cauldron pattern for Halloween using Premier Parfait Chunky yarn, and before I started listing the exact yarn brand in my patterns, I only put super bulky 6 in the materials list. That was a rookie move on my part and it led to a lot of messages like:

“I used the same yarn and hook, but mine is really tall and not round at all. What did I do wrong?”

And after a couple of weeks, I started to see a very interesting pattern.

I was sent pictures of cauldrons that were very, very tall and the stitches were wildly out of proportion. But the problem was actually me. I didn’t give enough information.

I sell my patterns all over the world and not everyone has the same yarn access. But interestingly enough, thick blanket yarn is more available than the softer chenille version.

And they were ALL using blanket yarn without changing their hook size.

And why would they?

I said super bulky 6 yarn with a 5 mm hook. That’s what they used!

They all used the same general yarn weight category and the same hook size but got very different finished results from my pattern photos.

That’s because blanket yarn is very dense.

For example: Bernat Blanket is super bulky, 100% polyester, and is typically sold in 300 g skeins with 220 yards/ 201 meters

So to calculate the density:

300 grams ÷ 220 yards  = 1.36 grams per yard. 

And remember Premier Parfait Chunky is 0.76 grams per yard! 

I spent a lot of time that fall explaining the difference between Parfait Chunky and blanket-style yarn. And it taught me something important as a designer: crocheters need more than just the yarn weight.

They need the actual yarn information so they can make the right choices.

That’s why I now include the yarn brand, weight category, skein weight, and yardage in my newer patterns. Since 2025, I’ve been adding this information to my patterns and my listings, and I’m revisiting older patterns to update them too.

I want anyone who makes one of my patterns to have an easy time, from making your yarn choices all the way to the end of your project. 

Nothing takes the cozy out of crochet faster than frogging your project, questioning your skills, and wondering if this craft is even for you!

It is!

Your yarn may just be behaving differently than the yarn used in the pattern. 

3. Make Sure You Order Enough Yarn

Once you’ve picked your substitute yarn, the next step is making sure you order enough.

This is especially important when you’re shopping online. Running out of yarn halfway through a project is so frustrating. 

It’s even worse when the yarn is sold out, the dye lot is different, or shipping takes forever.

So before you check out, take a minute to estimate how much yarn you’ll need.

My newer patterns tell you exactly how much yarn I used for each color. If you’re using the same yarn, or a very close substitute, that makes things simple.

For example, my original Mini Rotary Phone Pattern used 45g of the main color with a density of 0.76g per yard. If your substitute yarn has the same density, you can expect to need a similar amount. 

That’s why King Cole Yummy is a good match for this example. Once I finished my Mini Rotary Phone in pink, I determined that I used about 35 grams. That was less than the original, but there are a few reasons that can happen, including tension, hook choice, and the fact that King Cole Yummy is slightly thinner. For this version, I used a resin hook, instead of my typical metal hook. Yep, hook material matters too!

But if you choose a higher-density yarn like King Cole Warm & Toastie, you’ll need to adjust your estimate.

Warm & Toastie has a density of about 1.8g per yard, compared to the original yarn’s 0.76g per yard.

How to Estimate Yarn Amounts with a Different Density

Here’s the calculation:

Amount used in pattern × density of substitute yarn = new number

Then:

New number ÷ density of original yarn = estimated grams needed

Using the rotary phone example:

45g × 1.8 = 81

Then:

81 ÷ 0.76 = about 106.6 grams

So to use King Cole Warm & Toastie, I determined I would need about 107g of that yarn.

Since Warm & Toastie comes in a 200g skein, I knew one skein would be enough for that part of the project.

This was just an estimate. Tension, hook size, and stitching style can all affect how much yarn is used. But it gives you a much better starting point than guessing.

Once I finished my Mini Rotary Phone in Bubblegum, I had used about 100 grams. So my original guess was pretty close!

A little bit of planning before you start means less frustration later. It means fewer surprise yarn shortages. It means fewer plushies that come out shaped like they also need a stress-relieving hobby 😂

Most importantly, it means you can make intentional choices that lead to a finished plushie that you enjoyed making.

Evenings restored!

So…

Want your plushie to look as close to the pattern photo as possible? Choose a yarn with similar specs and density. That may mean looking at a different weight category!

Want a bigger, chunkier version? Choose a thicker or denser yarn and adjust your hook to match.

Once you understand how yarn substitutions work, you get to decide what kind of plushie you’re making instead of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.

You Might Be Wondering: “What About Novelty Yarn?”

Plush chenille yarn can also come with a little extra *pizazz*, like sparkles, flecks of colored fabric, pom-poms, fur, or fuzz.

And these yarns need a little extra consideration.

Novelty yarns are not always just 100% polyester chenille. They may be part glitter, metallic fibers, polyamide or other added textures. Those extra bits can add weight to the yarn, but they do not always add bulk in the same way. 

So while the density calculation is still helpful, it may not give you the full picture.

For example, swapping one sparkle chenille yarn for another sparkle chenille yarn may be pretty straightforward. But swapping a regular chenille yarn for a sparkle chenille yarn can be a little trickier because the sparkle may add weight without changing the thickness enough to make it work up like a denser yarn.

This is where product listing notes can help.

For example, Premier Yarns has two Parfait Chunky variations, Glitz and PomPom, that are technically higher density but can be used interchangeably and alongside original Parfait Chunky. They state this in their listing descriptions, which is very helpful!

That tells me the extra sparkles or pompoms change the specs a bit, but the yarn is still designed to work up closely enough to the original. 

The same idea applies to fur and fuzzy yarns, but with a bit more caution.

Swapping fur yarn for another fur yarn? Usually easier.

Swapping regular chenille yarn for fur yarn? Trickier.

With fur and fuzzy yarns, you’ll want to pay close attention to the yarn weight category, the recommended hook size, and any notes in the listing. The fluff around the strand can affect your hook choice, your stitch visibility, and the final size and shape of your plushie. 

And it may not be possible to swap in a fur yarn and keep the original size of the plush.

So when you’re working with novelty yarn, do a little extra digging in the product listing. Look for notes like “works up like,” “can be used with,” or “pairs well with.” Those details can tell you whether the yarn is meant to substitute easily with another yarn in the same family.

One last cozy-project-saving note: novelty yarns often come in smaller skeins than regular chenille yarn. So before you get too excited and check out, double-check the yardage and make sure you’re ordering enough for the whole project!

A Helpful Tool for Finding Yarn Substitutes

If you don’t want to compare every single spec by hand, YarnSub.com can be a helpful starting point. You enter the yarn used in the pattern, and it suggests similar yarns based on things like fiber, weight, gauge, texture, and yardage.

It’s especially helpful if the pattern uses a yarn you can’t get where you live, or if you’re trying to compare options from larger yarn brands.

But it won’t have every yarn, especially smaller, newer, or less common brands. And I still like knowing how to read the specs myself so I can double-check the suggestion before I order. Think of it as a helpful shortcut but not a replacement for checking the listing before your buy. 

Take the Guesswork Out of Plush Yarn Substitution

Crochet should feel good.

Yes, we all have moments where we miscount, have to frog a round, or realize we attached something upside down. Those easy-to-fix moments are part of the craft. And yes, I have these moments too, even when I’m following my own patterns!

But spending time and money making a plushie, only to end up with something that looks nothing like the pattern photo? That’s the kind of disappointment that might make you not want to pick up your hook again.

And I don’t want that!

Most of the time, you didn’t do anything wrong. You just needed a little more yarn information before starting.

So when you’re substituting yarn for a plush crochet pattern, remember these three steps:

Start with the specs. Match the fiber and yarn weight category to the yarn in the pattern, then look at the skein weight and yardage.

Compare the density. Use grams divided by yards to see how close your substitute yarn is to the original yarn.

Order enough yarn. If your substitute has a different density, estimate how much you’ll need before you buy.

Then you can settle in with your yarn, your hook, your favorite show, and that lovely little feeling of, “I know what I’m doing here.”

That’s the cozy energy we want.

Want Plush Patterns That Make Yarn Shopping Easier?

If you’re ready to make plush projects with clearer yarn guidance from the start, check out my crochet patterns.

I typically use Premier Parfait Chunky or similar plush chenille for my designs, and in my newer patterns, I include the specific yarn information you need so you can shop and substitute with a little more confidence. I'm in the process of adding this information to my older patterns too. 

Because your crochet time should feel relaxing, not confusing. And your finished plushie should make you say, “Oh my gosh, cute. I’m making another!” not “Wait, what happened?”