Real yarn from Cascade Yarns, Lion Brand, Red Heart, Rowan and more — with verified yardage, gauge and needle size for each weight category.
The same yarn is often labeled differently on the two sides of the Atlantic. What the US calls "worsted weight" is close to what the UK calls "Aran" (though UK Aran runs very slightly heavier), and the US "DK" and UK "double knitting" are the same thing. When in doubt, ignore the printed weight name and compare yardage and gauge on the ball band instead — that's the only reliable way to tell if two yarns really match.
Yes. Cascade Yarns is headquartered in Tukwila, Washington, and is one of the largest yarn suppliers in North America. Like many US and UK yarn brands, though, the wool itself is often spun and dyed abroad — Cascade 220, for example, is made from Peruvian Highland Wool.
Traditional Fair Isle patterns use fine, springy Shetland wool, most famously from Jamieson's of Shetland and Jamieson & Smith. Its slight halo and give make stranded colorwork easier to block flat, which is why it's still the first choice for authentic Fair Isle yoke sweaters.
All three are 100% Peruvian Highland Wool from the same family, just spun to different thicknesses. 220 Sport is the finest (150m/50g), standard 220 is worsted weight (200m/100g), and 220 Grande is the thickest (200m/200g) for fast, bulky projects. You can substitute between them by matching yardage rather than skein count.