The Papa
yarn substitutes · what to use when you cannot get the one the pattern says

This is a starting point, not a promise.Knit a swatch before you commit the whole sweater.

Substitutes for Fibra Natura Papyrus Cotton/ Silk

weight
dk
thickness
240 m per 100 g
put-up
50 g
fibre
78% Cotton, 22% Silk
in Australia
listed by 1 Australian shop we track

closest first

dk · 240 m/100g · 50g · 78% Cotton, 22% Silk
  • nothing we can measure would feel different
dk · 240 m/100g · 50g · 78% Cotton, 22% Silk
  • nothing we can measure would feel different
dk · 240 m/100g · 50g · 50% Linen, 36% Cotton, 14% Silk
  • nothing we can measure would feel different
dk · 240 m/100g · 50g · 100% Cotton
  • nothing we can measure would feel different
dk · 238 m/100g · 50g · 100% Cotton
  • nothing we can measure would feel different
dk · 250 m/100g · 50g · 100% Cotton
  • nothing we can measure would feel different
dk · 250 m/100g · 50g · 56% Alpaca, 44% Cotton
  • warmer
dk · 250 m/100g · 50g · 50% Linen, 50% Cotton
  • less soft next to skin
dk · 220 m/100g · 50g · 53% Cotton, 33% Viscose, 14% Linen
  • thicker: 220 m/100g against 240 -- expect a 8% difference in yardage needed
dk · 240 m/100g · 50g · 50% Merino, 50% Cotton
  • warmer
  • springier
  • stiffer, holding its shape more
dk · 226 m/100g · 50g · 100% Linen
  • drapier, hanging softer
  • more hard-wearing
  • shinier
  • less soft next to skin
dk · 250 m/100g · 50g · 100% Cotton
  • machine washable, where the original is hand wash only

how this was worked out

Thickness comes from metreage per 100 g, which is a measurement. Fibre behaviour - warmth, halo, springiness, drape - is scored per fibre and blended by proportion, so a merino and a Bluefaced Leicester read as near neighbours while a merino and a cotton do not, even at the same gauge. Where a record is thin, the match is discounted rather than quietly flattered, and the gap is named above.

Yardage is always rounded up. If we ever sell you the yarn and the number is short, the extra skein is on us, from your dye lot.