Malabrigo Rios

We just received a big restock or Malabrigo Rios (and are expecting more to come in in a couple of weeks). There have been so many constraints over the last year, finally being able to get a decent re-stock feels so good!

Should not already be familiar with this wonderful yarn, Malabrigo Rios is a super-duper soft, machine washable yarn made from 100% merino wool. It’s hand dyed for subtle variations, and is great for anyone and any project except felting (it will not felt). Rios is specially suitable for babies, kids (it makes great hats, sweaters, blankets, etc). The dyeing tends to have a watercolour effect and it always seems to knit up even more beautiful than in the skein. The base yarn is silky soft and springy with lots of body. Whenever I can I like to use it for projects I make for my niece and nephew (sometimes the colours don’t fit their very specific requests).

• 100% Machine Washable Merino Wool (superwash)
• 100g/192m (200 yds)
• Aran weight
• 18 sts & 24 rows = 4″/10cm
• 5mm/US8 needles
• Made in Uruguay
• Pattern Ideas

A Note on Working with Hand-Dyes

Because this yarn is hand-dyed no two skeins are alike (for the multi-colours different skeins within the same bag can look different). We always try to match the skeins as closely as possible when we send them out. To get the most consistent colour distribution possible, it is always suggested with hand-dyed yarns that you work with two balls and alternate them every couple of rows. Here’s a Video to help you with this.

Flax

Make. All. The Sweaters. Malabrigo Rios has been used 889 times on Ravelry to make Tin Can Knit’s FREE pattern, Flax. Flax is an all-size design (but it’s limited exclusively to humans; canine, feline, avian, and reptilian sizes are note included) and will fit babies to the largest primate (you may need to make modifications if you’re knitting for one of our cousins on the evolutionary tree … and good luck getting a sweater on a gorilla outside of Photoshop).

Your needle sizes and yardage amount will vary based on the size you’re making, so I won’t list them here, but they’re basically:

• 4mm/US6 circular needles in different sizes
• 5mm/US8 circular needles in different sizes
• Stitch Markers
• Tapestry/Darning Needle
• Scrap yarn
• FREE Pattern

Rye

Malabrigo Rios has been use 539 times to make this particular pair of socks, Rye. Rye is a great pattern for new sock knitters, it includes how-to instructions, and a full size range from baby to Adult L. Whether you’ve retreats the the cottage, your back-yard or the public park, socks are a great small project that travels extremely well and makes for a very impressive holiday gift.

BTW – getting your winter gifts done over the summer is the absolutely most satisfying feeling you’ll ever experience. It involves a little delayed satisfaction, but come October you’ll be extremely pleased with yourself, especially when you get the itch to make something nice for yourself and you find that you can!

Size

• Baby (Toddler, Child, Adult S, M, L)
• Finished Cuff (unstretched): 5 (5.75, 6.5, 7.25, 8, 8.75)” around
• Finished Leg (adjustable): 2.5 (4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8)”
• Finished Foot (adjustable): 4 (6, 7.5, 9, 10, 11.25)

Materials

• Malabrigo Rios: 1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2) skeins …. a pair of Women’s socks should use 1 skein, for men’s you’ll need a second
• 3.75mm/US5 double pointed needles (or 9″ circulars, 12″ for men’s socks)
• 3.25mm/US3 double pointed needles (or 9″ circulars, 12″ for men’s socks)
• Stitch Markers
• Tapestry/Darning Needle
• FREE Pattern

Moss on the Old Oak

Moss on the Old Oak is the kind of warp I yearn for on cool says and nights from the spring to fall. It’ll knit up beautifully in either the multicoloured or semi-solid colourways of Malabrigo Rios, and the pattern is offered in three sizes. It’s an advanced-beginner skill level, which is a nice niche for the spring.

Size

• Small, Medium, Large

Materials

• Malabrigo Rios: 3(5, 6) skeins
• 5mm/US8 – 36″ + circular needles
• 5mm/US8 double pointed needles (for cast-on)
• Stitch Markers
• Tapestry/Darning Needle
• Pattern