Cascade 220: A Complete Guide to the Whole 220 Family

Ask ten knitters for their go-to wool, and most will say Cascade 220 without skipping a beat. For decades, it's been the ultimate choice for sweater quantities, stranded colorwork, felted bags, and guild workshops. But it's also the yarn makers mix up most often—because 'Cascade 220' isn't just a single yarn! It's a family of nine different bases, with half treated for superwash convenience and half left completely non-superwash.   

This guide sorts out which is which, using the actual numbers off each skein, and tells you which one to reach for by project. Every yarn below is in stock at Yarn.com as of writing this blog post.

The 220 family at a glance

Two key details stand out right away. First, the yardage number isn't a fixed rule—'220' is simply the name of the original worsted wool, not a promise that every skein contains 220 yards. 220 Superwash Aran holds 150 yards, while 220 Superwash Sport holds 137, meaning you can't make a simple skein-for-skein swap from one yarn to another. Second, the division that truly impacts your project isn't yarn weight—it's whether the wool is superwash or non-superwash.   

Cascade 220: the untreated original

The original Cascade 220 is 100% Peruvian Highland wool with zero superwash treatment—and that single detail explains everything makers love (and occasionally complain) about it! 

Without superwash processing, you get fantastic grip and springy memory. Stitches stay neatly in place, cables pop, and stranded colorwork blocks out crisp instead of muddy. It's a top pick for precision projects like Fair Isle mittens or master knitting swatches because it holds pattern definition so cleanly and resists splitting—a true blessing when working long colorwork sessions.

Untreated wool also means it felts predictably every single time. That's a huge selling point for felted bags, slippers, and trivets; unlike cheaper wools that shrink unevenly, Cascade 220 felts uniformly across all shades. The trade-off? It's a sturdy, hard-wearing wool, not a cloud-soft luxury fiber. It softens nicely after a good soak and block, but if you're making a close-fitting sweater or cowl for sensitive skin, take time to swatch and test it against your neck first!

The superwash side of the family

Superwash wool is chemically treated so the fiber scales can't lock together during laundering. That makes it machine-washable—and in the case of the 220 line, tumble-dryable on low—which completely changes how it behaves on your needles!

220 Superwash Merino is what most makers mean by 'the washable 220.' Pay close attention to the weight: it's a DK/light worsted (knitting on US 6–7), making it slightly lighter than the original worsted. Thanks to soft merino instead of Highland wool, it's remarkably gentle against the skin—the ideal pick for baby blankets, kids' sweaters, and everyday garments that hit the washing machine weekly.

A quick heads-up on superwash performance: it offers more fluid drape and less elastic memory. Superwash garments tend to relax on the body and expand when wet. Always block your swatch, hang it wet from two clothespins for an hour, and then re-measure! If it stretches, go down a needle size or pick a ribbed stitch pattern to help hold its shape. (This is also why superwash will never felt—no matter how hot the wash cycle is!)

For the heavier gauge, 220 Superwash Aran fills the gap between light worsted and true chunky. It's thick, fast, and machine-washable—perfect for quick mittens and cozy afghans. If you opt for the  Wave and Aran Wave versions, expect long, self-striping color shifts. They look incredible in simple stockinette shawls where the yarn does the work, but avoid them for complex cables, as the changing colors will clash with your stitch definition.

Which 220 for which project

Here's one more smart combo worth keeping in your back pocket: 220 Superwash Hand Paint and solid 220 Superwash Merino share the exact same weight! That means you can use the Hand Paint as a striking contrast—for color-blocked cuffs, a pop on the yoke, or a crisp stripe sequence—against a solid body without having to re-swatch. It's the most affordable trick to make a simple sweater look thoughtfully designed.

Substituting into and out of 220

Because countless patterns call for Cascade 220, yarn substitution is a two-way street. Whether you're swapping a different yarn into a 220 pattern or substituting 220 into another design, here are a few essential rules to ensure accurate gauge and avoid reknitting:

Match weight, then yardage, then fiber. A pattern calling for 220 needs a worsted-weight yarn at roughly 220 yds/100 g. Swapping in a 150-yd aran changes both gauge and skein count.

Never swap superwash for non-superwash in a felting pattern. This is the single most common mistake we hear about. If the pattern says the bag will shrink, the yarn must be untreated.

Going the other way, expect more drape. Substituting 220 Superwash Merino into a pattern written for the original 220 gives you a softer, floppier, slightly thinner fabric. Lovely for a cardigan, wrong for a structured tote.

If you want to browse by weight rather than by brand, the worsted weight, sport weight and wool yarn collections at Yarn.com are the quickest way to see the alternatives side by side.

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