I found a pattern that I really want to make for my mom.
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns2/bamboozle-cropcardi.html
The yarn is a sport/aran weight yarn (I think), but I really want to do it in Lion Brand Cotton Ease. If I am wrong about the weight, please let me know.
How would I go about using cotton ease instead of the specified yarn?
Thanks for any help offered 
It is wayyyyyyy appreciated.
Cheers
I think it’s actually an aran/worsted weight. It says 4.5 st per in and according to the standard yarn weight system that puts it in that category.
Cotton-ease is 17 st per 4 in so that puts it in the same category so you might be fine. I suggest doing a gauge swatch to be sure though.
I almost never use the specified yarn. Just make a gauge swatch and play around with needle size until you get the right gauge. It does sound like the 2 yarns are of similar weight so I don’t think you’ll have any problem.
Good luck!
Thank you, that really helps.
I will do a gauge swatch. I am guilty of not doing swatches, but I usually use the yarn that is specified. I am glad that I can use the Cotton Ease
maybe you can help me… I have a baby blanket pattern that calls for 50gram and I am in LURVE with a peruvian baby cashmere that’s only 25gram - can I make that work?
you need a bit more information than the grams. Yardage? Gauge? Weight? Compare those.
Unfortunately, grams only tell you how heavy the ball of yarn is, not how it will knit up. So, you could have a 25g ball of worsted weight yarn, or a 50g ball of worsted weight yarn - and they’d knit up about the same. A 50g ball of laceweight yarn would knit up quite differently than a 50g ball of superbulky weight yarn. (When I get stuck on figuring out the yarn thickness, I look at Yarndex.com - they tell you whether the yarn is considered worsted, DK, etc.)
the pattern calls for 100% pure wool (Shepherd Baby Wool by Classic Elite Yarns) 50g ball 184 yds 28sts and 36 rows = 4 inch gauge
the yarn I want is Peruvian Baby Cashmere - 60% baby alpaca 30 % merino wool and 10% cashmere…25g 109 yds 28sts = 4 inch gauge
If I simply go by gauge - it looks right… I’m thinking I just need to buy up since the yardage is different… am I on the right track here?
If the gauge is similar on the same size needles, looks like you can sub it going by yardage.
sue
but you will need more balls of it to complete your project - the first option has 180 yards and the one you would like to use only has 109.
I know that I have certainly found from experience the value of that swatch. You can use just about any yarn if you are willing to take the time to knit up swatches until you get the right needle size. I rarely use the yarn called for and substitute all the time, but I do that gauge swatch for sure!
but you will need more balls of it to complete your project - the first option has 180 yards and the one you would like to use only has 109.
Of course; take the total yardage needed and divide it by 109 to get the correct number of skeins in the other yarn.
sue