An Interview with Tobias

Recently, Tobias was interviewed at the Icelandic Gardening, Knitting, Gradstudent, Mom blog! Not only was he interviewed, but Ólöf, the author of the blog, also reviewed one of Malabrigo's newest colorways - Garden Gate - in our Merino Worsted. Please head over and take a look at her blog, read the review and the interview, and enter her (limited time only) giveaway to try and win a skein of Malabrigo for yourself!

[caption id="attachment_608" align="aligncenter" width="324" caption="Garden Gate in Merino Worsted"][/caption]

Chau, Hannah

Malabrigo Silky Voted "Best Yarn"

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="390" caption="Silky in Indecita, photo by Hannah Thiessen"][/caption]

Bestcovery, the website that helps you discover "the best of everything", recently announced their top picks for 'Best Yarn', and Malabrigo Silky was right at the top at #2! So why is Silky their favorite?

"Why it's a best pick:
This yarn is half silk and half baby merino wool, sold in 50 gram skeins.  It comes in a rainbow of colors, including solid and variegated colors.  The "Pradera" colorway is a beautiful blend of blues and greens that is reminiscent of an underwater scene or a cool garden.  The baby merino wool provides softness and warmth, while the silk provides a slight shimmer.  It is a beautiful single ply yarn that is perfect for shawls or elegant sweaters.  These colors vary significantly from one dye lot to another, so make sure that you buy enough for your project."

words of Bestcovery.com writer, Bronwyn Harris

So grab a skein of Silky, if you haven't already, and see what all the fuss is about!

Chau, Hannah

Rasta in Interweave Weekend 2010

Interweave Knits featured our Rasta yarn in their special edition Weekend Knits 2010! One of the staff knits -- projects designed by Interweave staff members -- included a triangular carry-case for your smaller sock or mitten projects! This would be the perfect project to take with you on a train or subway, or even to carry around with you at the local wool festival this fall!

Interweave Knits' Weekend Knits 2010 will be available on newsstands on September 23, 2010.

[caption id="attachment_603" align="aligncenter" width="403" caption="Anita Osterhaug, for Interweave Knits - Photo by Kathryn Martin"][/caption]

Chau, Hannah

Interview with Nina Machlin Dayton

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="393" caption="Warwick Hat by Nina Machlin Dayton"][/caption]

Nina Machlin Dayton loves Malabrigo -- if you look at her design profile on Ravelry, you'll see that most of her design work has been done in at least one of our yarns. Some of her designs, like the Dean Street Hat, which has been designed for both Chunky and Worsted, are well into the hundreds of projects (499 for the Worsted version, with a whopping 171 of these knit from Malabrigo Worsted.) Nina is always willing to give advice for everything from designing to lace-knitting (one of her favorite past-times), and is active in introducing new knitters to the world of yarn and fiber.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="184" caption="Dean Street Hats by Nina Machlin Dayton"][/caption]

Nina talks knitting and yarn in lots of places - on Ravelry, she's Ninaknits, and she can also be found on her blog of the same name. Her latest design is the Cardinal Neck Warmer, an introduction to cables with buttons and seed stitch. We were lucky enough to track down this knowledgeable, talented, designer for an interview here on the blog!

What was your first experience with Malabrigo?

Nina: My local yarn store is WEBS, and around six years ago, when Malabrigo first started making it to the American markets, they called me and told me that they'd gotten in this amazing new yarn -- super soft, super luxurious -- they said I should come check it out.  So I went over too see it and just fell madly in love with a skein of Merino Worsted in Vaa. The softness, the complexity of color, the versatility at all gauges -- it was the perfect yarn for me, and still is.

What was your first Malabrigo design?

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="193" caption="Faberge Hat by Nina Machlin Dayton"][/caption]



Nina: I released two designs at roughly the same time - the Dean Street Hat and the Haymarket Mittens. The Dean Street Hat really took off -- I think it's been downloaded thousands of times.

Why Malabrigo for so many of your designs?

Nina: Well, for me, it's all about the color, at least at first. Malabrigo is my basic palette -- any color I could possibly want is available in at least one base. But Malabrigo just has such great versatility: there's a yarn for everything. Worsted especially gives great stitches at almost any gauge. I use it to teach new knitters because it makes them feel like they made something beautiful every time - it's hard to make the yarn look bad, and it's so soft and wonderful that it makes people feel confident about using wool yarns.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="411" caption="Shetland Triangle in Indecita, by Nina Machlin Dayton"][/caption]

What is your favorite project in Malabrigo to date?

Nina: My favorite personal project would definitely be one of my shawls in Silky - it makes such lovely lacework. But my favorite designs right now are in worsted - the Orvietto Hat and the Medici Hat. I just love the softness of Worsted combined with an ultra-drapey shape.

Do you have a favorite colorway?

Nina: I couldn't possibly pick a favorite! There are too many I love. I always feel drawn to the classics, like Sunset and Lettuce, or Polar Morn, in worsted, but lately I've really fallen for the more intricate Sock colorways, like Persia and Aguas. I can't forget Cape Cod Gray in Silky, either -- my favorites really change every day!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="Dean Street Mitts by Nina Machlin Dayton"][/caption]

Chau, Hannah

New Colors for 2010/2011

Some of our favorite yarns got new colorways this year! Take a look at them and keep an eye out at your LYS for some of these great additions to our palette.

Worsted:

[caption id="attachment_591" align="aligncenter" width="301" caption="Worsted in Malambo, Navidad, Uva, Garden Gate, Polvoriento, Milonga"][/caption]

Chunky:

[caption id="attachment_592" align="aligncenter" width="396" caption="Chunky in Uva, Polvoriento, Deja Vu, Milonga"][/caption]

Silky Merino:

[caption id="attachment_590" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="Silky Merino in Pradera, Cumparsita, Piedras, Arco Iris and Mazanilla Olive"][/caption]

Sock:

[caption id="attachment_593" align="aligncenter" width="199" caption="Sock in Playa and Candombe"][/caption]

Twist:

[caption id="attachment_594" align="aligncenter" width="292" caption="Twist in Piedras, Belgian Chocolate and Manzanilla Olive"][/caption]

Chau, Hannah

Weekly Color Feature: Misty Rambla

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="414" caption="photo by Chindogudotcom via Flickr.com"][/caption]

I love this picture by Flickr user chindogudotcom -- it really captures the feeling as the fog rolls into the Rambla in the evenings. The Rambla is the road that wraps around Montevideo, Uruguay's river edge, and during the day, this place is abuzz with people of all ages. At night, though, it takes on a quieter identity. You can see people in this picture sitting and drinking mate on the lookout steps.

Feeling inspired? Try these Malabrigo colorways:

[caption id="attachment_587" align="aligncenter" width="385" caption="Worsted in Malambo, Indigo, Pink Frost and Frank Ochre; Silky in Rupestre; Rasta in Azules; Silky in Nocturnal; Rios in Paris Nights"][/caption]

Chau, Hannah

Sustainable Hot Water

At the factory, we're doing our best to decrease our environmental footprint! Our most recent addition to the mill? A flat-plate thermal heating system has been installed at the mill. Using the power of the sun, we can heat our water tanks for the various processes to make your favorite yarns. The panels are being installed on the roof of the mill, as shown below.

[caption id="attachment_583" align="aligncenter" width="426" caption="Thermal plate installation on the roof of our building!"][/caption]

Yarn Profile: Rios

[caption id="attachment_574" align="aligncenter" width="402" caption="photo by Polly of Little Country Wools"][/caption]

After perusing some of our older posts (and preparing some work for the newsletter this month), I realized that we never did a full introductory post on our new Rios superwash worsted yarn! We talked about a few of the colors and dropped hints here and there, but for all things Rios, you really need a full post!

Rios is a superwash, 4-ply, worsted-weight yarn. It knits up really well on needle sizes US 6 - 8 (4 - 5 mm). Superwash means that you can put your knitted object through the wash and dry cycles on your at-home washing machine, making Rios really easy to care for, and ideal for knitting things like baby blankets, clothing, and housewares (afghan, anyone?)

Rios comes in a gorgeous range of colors, too! Some of your favorites - Lettuce, Purple Mystery, Indecita and Glazed Carrot - and some new colors, too, like Cumparsita and Candombe! You should always be able to find the perfect Rios to match your project.

Rios was introduced at TNNA in June, and is already showing up in stores that pre-ordered. Be sure to keep an eye out for Rios at a store near you this fall!

Chau, Hannah

Lovely Lacy Things

[caption id="attachment_569" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Olivia Palermo, shot by Stockholm Streetstyle (click for redirect)"][/caption]

Style.com recently did an article called "Dress to Frill" that centers around the increasing popularity of lace on this season's runways. Lace looks like it's going to be very popular this year -- the perfect opportunity for designers, crocheters, and knitters to shine alike, especially in some of the colorways that our Lace-weight yarn comes in. Whether you like your lace dramatic, delicate, feminine or full of dropped stitches, you're sure to find some inspiration on the runways (and our colorcard) this fall.

[caption id="attachment_570" align="alignleft" width="231" caption="Givenchy, photo from Style.com"][/caption]

I am especially in love with the gorgeous blouses paired with trousers, pencil skirts or over dresses as tunic wear. I can see this translating really well into knitted stitches and stockinette panels!

Colors on the runways were mostly nudes and blacks, but with the endless palette that knitters have available to them, why not add a little pop into a drab winter wardrobe instead? Lace can be daring without disastrous, especially since you can always put something simple (like brown or beige) beneath it!

Chau, Hannah

Interweave Crochet, Fall 2010

Photo: Kathryn Martin

Malabrigo Silky Wool, #433 acorn - Birch Vest by Kristin Omdahl

Check out this gorgeous vest crocheted in Silky! It will appear in the Fall 2010 issue of Interweave Crochet magazine!

Weekly Color Feature - Rich Earthen Tones

1. Christ Church Dragon, 2. Orzechy., 3. The North wall, 4. Those Eyes, 5. Kind of Crazy with a Spooky Little Weed Like You (#918), 6. Sacrea - la nascita del vento ... ... ... / the birth of the wind, 7. I invented this., 8. Granny Square Blanket

Feeling inspired? Try these colorways:

[caption id="attachment_556" align="aligncenter" width="419" caption="Worsted in Coco and Praline, Lace in Rich Chocolate and Marron Oscuro, Sock in Chocolate Amargo and Cordovan, Twist in Sotobosques, Silky in Acorn"][/caption]

Chau, Hannah

Sock Design Contest!

Malabrigo Yarns is throwing a contest!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="Design something for Sock and win big prizes!"][/caption]

We want to give some of you budding -- and experienced -- designers a chance to show off your stuff and win great prizes!

Designers will have until November 1st to design a pattern in Malabrigo Sock. The pattern must be fully written up as a pdf, test knitted and photographed, and cannot have been previously published on your blog or Ravelry. You may submit patterns that you have been working on privately.

First Prize is a full bag of any currently-available yarn, in any colorway you choose, and a bag (10 skeins) of the test yarn Dos in a colorway of our choosing! Your pattern will also be promoted on the Malabrigo Blog (here!) and featured in the patterns section of our website, and copies may be given away at Stitches with test skeins!

Second Prize is a full bag of any currently-available yarn, in any colorway you choose. That's ONE whole bag of Malabrigo yarn! Your pattern will also be promoted on the Malabrigo Blog (here!) and featured in the patterns section of our website.

Third Prize is a 'grab bag' of 5 skeins of Malabrigo yarn from the factory -- this might include test skeins or any currently released yarns! Your pattern will also be promoted on the Malabrigo Blog (here!) and featured in the patterns section of our website.

Submissions should be sent to hannah.thiessen@gmail.com, and titled 'Malabrigo Sock Contest'. I expect to receive all submissions by November 1st, and they will be forwarded to the company, where Tobias and Antonio will choose a winner and send the prizes!

RULES re-cap:

-- All designs must use Malabrigo Sock and the only recommended yarn should be Malabrigo Sock

-- All designs should be new and not seen on Ravelry as a released pattern, or on your blog as a released pattern.

-- All designs should be test-knit and set up as a pdf file before submission. Tech editing is strongly encouraged, but not required. Schematics, charts and well-written directions are also encouraged.

-- Patterns will be chosen based on three categories: general appearance (how the yarn's color is integrated into the pattern), pattern clarity (a well-designed layout), and creativity!

Other Details:

Designers will retain the rights to these patterns outside the stipulations of the contest (i.e., if you win first prize, we might give copies of your pattern for free at Stitches but will not sell them or give them away to yarn stores). Designers may offer their patterns up for free or for sale on their blogs or Ravelry.com after November 1, 2010.

If you have questions, email Hannah Thiessen at hannah.thiessen@gmail.com

Chau, Hannah

New Patterns in Malabrigo!

Some great new patterns designed for Malabrigo's yarns -- check them out!

1. Hannelore by Amy Duncan 2. Rosmerta by Amy Duncan 3. Bus Stop Bandit by Kristy Childress 4. It's My Party by Champagne Maker 5. Celery Cardigan by Veera Valimaki 6. Heart of Wales Shawl by Judy Marples7. Be.Leaf Shawl by Kitman Figueroa 8. Seeds of Change Shawl by Wendy Neal

Chau, Hannah

Uruguay Knit in Public + Malabrigo, Making a Difference

[caption id="attachment_541" align="alignleft" width="252" caption="IKiP Donations"][/caption]

Awhile back, we had a post about Uruguay's International Knit in Public Day, a great event for knitters to show off their skills are raise awareness about knitting to the general public. While many knitters all over the globe get together on IKiP to knit, chat, and just be friendly, the knitters in Uruguay like to knit with a purpose. Together, they managed to knit 900 garments for the orphanages in Uruguay! Many of these garments were out of Malabrigo, which was donated both for knitting with at the IKiP event, and as prizes for participants.

[caption id="attachment_542" align="alignleft" width="251" caption="Children Recieving Donations"][/caption]

The end result was fantastic -- these 900 garments went to suit the needs of charities Guillermina and Nuevo Amancer, to be worn by children who truly need them. Yet again, another example of wool keeping not only our bodies, but our hearts warm.

We can only hope that IKiP will be just as successful next year as last year -- and hopefully it won't have to be moved inside because of rain again!

Chau, Hannah