Looking for a Lion Brand Homespun Alternative? Try Loops & Threads Charisma
Lion Brand Homespun built a loyal following for its thick-and-thin texture and cozy drape, but it's been discontinued for years — and even when it was available, crafters wrestled with splitting plies and inconsistent yardage. If you're hunting for a Lion Brand Homespun alternative that delivers the same plush feel without the frustration, Loops & Threads Charisma hits every mark.
Charisma shares Homespun's bulky weight and variegated colorways, but the fiber construction solves the biggest complaints: it doesn't split mid-stitch, the yardage per skein is predictable, and the price per yard runs about 20% lower. We'll walk through what made Homespun so popular, why it vanished, and how Charisma steps in as the go-to replacement.
Why Lion Brand Homespun Disappeared and What Crafters Missed Most
Lion Brand quietly discontinued Homespun around 2020, citing production challenges with the chenille-style twist that gave it that signature texture. The yarn’s thick-and-thin construction — where skinny sections alternated with plush loops — created a fabric that looked hand-spun and felt like a hug, but the same structure made it prone to splitting when worked with anything smaller than a size 11 needle.
Crafters who stocked up before the discontinuation still post in forums asking where to find the last skeins, particularly in retired colorways like ‘Baroque’ and ‘Deco.’ What they’re really after isn’t the brand name — it’s the specific combination of bulky weight, variegated color shifts every few yards, and that soft drape that made afghans and scarves feel store-bought luxurious. Those three traits are exactly where Loops & Threads Charisma lines up as the closest match on the market today.
How Charisma's Fiber Construction Compares to Homespun's Chenille Twist
Homespun used a chenille-style core wrapped with loose plies, which gave it that fuzzy halo but also meant the plies could catch and separate mid-row if your tension varied. Charisma takes a different approach: it’s a tightly spun acrylic with a brushed finish that mimics the same soft hand without the structural fragility.
Both yarns fall into the #5 bulky weight category according to the Ravelry database, and both recommend the same 5.5–6.5mm (US 9–10.5) needle range for most projects. The gauge difference is negligible — Charisma runs about 3.5 stitches per inch on a size 10 needle, while Homespun clocked in at 3.25–3.75 depending on the colorway. Where Charisma pulls ahead is consistency: every skein delivers 109 yards, versus Homespun’s listed 185 yards that often measured closer to 170 in practice.
Weight and Yardage
Charisma skeins weigh 3.5 ounces and provide 109 yards, which works out to about 31 yards per ounce. Homespun’s 6-ounce skeins advertised 185 yards but frequently fell short, landing closer to 28 yards per ounce once you accounted for the thick sections. For a throw blanket that calls for 1,200 yards, you’ll need eleven Charisma skeins versus seven Homespun skeins — but the predictable yardage means fewer mid-project store runs.
Color Matching and Variegation Between the Two Lines
Homespun’s most-loved colorways — ‘Painted Desert,’ ‘Shaker,’ ‘Montana Sky’ — featured long color repeats that shifted every 8–12 yards, creating subtle stripes in larger projects without requiring color changes. Charisma replicates that variegation pattern with its own palette: ‘Stormy,’ ‘Cappuccino,’ and ‘Teal’ all transition through three to four tones per skein with similar repeat lengths.
The color families don’t overlap exactly, so direct one-to-one substitutions aren’t possible for every Homespun shade. If you’re trying to match an existing project started in Homespun ‘Baroque’ (wine/plum/mauve), Charisma’s ‘Wine Country’ leans more burgundy than mauve but hits the same jewel-tone range. For cooler palettes, Charisma’s ‘Blue’ sits where Homespun ‘Deco’ (blue/teal/aqua) used to live — both shift through ocean tones without ever landing on a true navy.
One practical note: some Charisma colorways shed slightly more than others during the first wash, particularly the darker variegated options. If that’s a concern for your project, our fix for Charisma shedding after washing walks through a pre-soak method that locks the fibers before you start stitching.
Project Conversion: Adjusting Patterns Written for Homespun
Most patterns written for Homespun translate directly to Charisma with no math required, since both yarns work to the same gauge and drape. The only adjustment you’ll need is skein count: multiply the original Homespun yardage requirement by 1.7 to account for Charisma’s smaller skeins, then round up.
For example, a pattern calling for four Homespun skeins (740 yards) needs seven Charisma skeins (763 yards). Stitch patterns that relied on Homespun’s texture — seed stitch, basket weave, anything with a lot of purl definition — carry over unchanged, because Charisma’s brushed finish still creates that same plush surface that hides minor tension inconsistencies.
Hook and Needle Recommendations
If your original Homespun pattern specified a size 10 needle, start with the same for Charisma and swatch. The yarn behaves almost identically in stockinette and garter, but ribbing tends to pull in slightly tighter with Charisma because the fiber doesn’t have Homespun’s loose plies to expand. If your ribbed cuffs or collars look too snug, bump up half a size to a 10.5 needle for those sections only.
Why Charisma Works as Your Homespun Replacement
Loops & Threads Charisma doesn’t just fill the gap Homespun left — it improves on the formula. You get the same bulky weight, the same variegated color shifts, and the same plush drape, but without the splitting plies, inconsistent yardage, or mid-project pilling that frustrated crafters for years.
Whether you’re starting a new blanket, finishing a years-old UFO, or converting a vintage Homespun pattern, Charisma handles the work with fewer headaches and predictable results. The color range won’t match every retired Homespun shade exactly, but the fiber performance and price point make it the go-to choice for anyone who loved what Homespun did and wished it had been built to last.
Common Questions About Switching from Homespun to Charisma
You can, but the texture difference will show if you're alternating skeins within the same color block. Charisma's tighter spin creates a slightly smoother surface than Homespun's chenille twist, so the transition line between old and new yarn will be visible in solid-color sections.
Your best approach is to use Charisma for an entirely new section — a border, a contrasting panel, or additional rows that start fresh. If you're adding length to an existing blanket, work the new Charisma rows as a deliberate design element rather than trying to blend it invisibly into the Homespun body.
Charisma sheds slightly during the first wash, particularly in darker variegated colors, but it doesn't pill with normal wear the way Homespun's loose plies did after a few months. The tighter fiber construction means there are fewer loose ends to work free and form those little fiber balls on high-friction areas like sleeve cuffs or the center of a blanket.
One wash cycle with a mesh laundry bag takes care of the initial shedding, and after that the fabric stays stable through dozens of washes. Homespun, by contrast, would continue to shed and pill throughout its lifespan because the chenille core kept releasing new fibers.
Charisma feels softer out of the skein than Homespun did, with less of the squeaky acrylic texture that some Homespun colorways had before washing. Both yarns soften further after the first wash, but Charisma starts from a higher baseline — you can wear it against bare skin immediately without the initial stiffness Homespun sometimes had.
The brushed finish on Charisma creates a similar halo to Homespun's chenille fuzz, so the finished fabric looks and feels plush in the same way. If you loved Homespun specifically for that cozy, slightly fuzzy hand, Charisma delivers the same tactile experience without requiring a break-in period.
Charisma is a Michaels house brand, so in-store and online through Michaels are the primary channels. Stock rotates frequently, and some colorways sell out faster than others — if your local store is out, check the Michaels website for ship-to-home options or use the store locator to see which nearby locations have your color in stock.
Occasionally small quantities appear on resale platforms like Mercari or eBay, usually from destash sales, but prices there often run higher than retail. For consistent availability, ordering directly through Michaels during one of their frequent 30–40% off yarn sales is your best bet.
If you're chasing a specific Homespun colorway that Charisma doesn't replicate, Bernat Blanket is the next closest option — it's slightly thicker at a true #6 super bulky weight, but the variegated colorways like 'Plum Fields' and 'Oceanside' hit similar color families to retired Homespun shades. The downside is that Bernat Blanket works up much faster and at a looser gauge, so you'll need to recalculate yardage and possibly size down your needles.
For projects where exact color matching matters less than texture and drape, Charisma remains the better functional replacement because it doesn't require pattern adjustments. But if the color is non-negotiable and you're willing to adapt the pattern, Bernat Blanket's range covers more of the jewel-tone and earth-tone spectrum Homespun was known for.