Malabrigo March in Full Swing

If you haven't hit up the Malabrigo Junkies group on Ravelry, this would be the time to go! With another annual Malabrigo March in full swing, the Junkies are ready to knit up a storm of super-soft goodies in the chance to win some major prizes.

This year's contests include a Badge and Banner Design contest, Be Scrappy (knitting with scraps), Best Duet (two Malabrigo yarns together), Best Use of Color, Most Cast On, Most Creative Photo, Most Interesting Project, Most Junkie Designs Finished, Re-Up (re-up your stash with winnings based on how much yarn you use), Show Your Devotion (last year this resulted in an awesome Malabrigo theme song), and Yummy Stash Photos.

Knit-A-Longs include many popular patterns on Ravelry, and the standard General Sweater, Accessory, Crochet, and Baby/Child KALs. You can join in on these at any time and if you are a member of the Malabrigo Junkies group, you might even win a random prize!

Festivities continue into the end of the month, and I will be showing you some of my favorite works in April from the Malabrigo March project pool!

-- Hannah

Visits from Israel

[caption id="attachment_850" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Stav, Bat and Rebeca"][/caption]

Mother and daughters meet in Uruguay and stop by malabrigo

Melinda with Comfy Junkie!

We had a visit from Canada, and she took a test of Comfy Junkie color. The winner color from Colorway Contest at malabrigo Junkies.

49 in a day!!

[gallery orderby="ID"]

We are honored to have received 49 visitors  at the mill from the Great Balls of Yarn store -- Robin from Great  Balls of Yarn organized this amazing trip. They visited the mill, took "some" wool and even dyed their own skeins.

It was an incredible experience. Thanks for being here! Well-known knitter Nicky Epstein was among our visitors;  as you can see, she visited our "swimming wool". We had a wonderful time dyeing and sharing with you all!

More pictures at the Malabrigo  Yarns Facebook page!

Sock Contest Winners!

It's finally time to announce the winners of our Sock Design Contest. We got close to 20 really fantastic, beautiful entries, from so many talented designers -- it was so hard to pick a winner or even a favorite! Luckily, first, second, and third prize winners all get something really fantastic for their efforts!

First Prize Winner -- Sea Wreaths by Sarah Griffiths

Sarah Griffith's Sea Wreaths includes not only one, but two patterns -- inspired by a poem about mermaids by T.S. Eliot, in combination with one of our favorite colorways, Indiecita. The hat and fingerless mittens set are both adorned with a mix of interesting basketweave and cable patterns, broken up with stockinette.

We chose Sarah's pattern not only because it was beautiful and well-written, but also because of how easily it highlights and works with one of our complicated, multi-color colorways. Since colorways like Indiecita, Archangel, Primavera and Candombe are some of our most popular, we felt that Sarah's pattern was a wonderful addition to any knitter's pattern library. It provides enough complexity for an advanced knitter to find it enjoyable, but is not outside the reaches of an ambitious beginner.

Congratulations, Sarah -- thank you for submitting such a lovely pattern to our contest!

Sarah wins a full bag of any available Malabrigo Yarn, as well as a bag of Malabrigo Dos (an unreleased test yarn) in a colorway of the factory's choosing. A few paper copies of her pattern will also be given away at a future Stitches Event with test skeins of Malabrigo Yarn, and be linked on the Patterns section of our website.

Second Prize Winner -- Heart of the Mesa by Grace Schnebly

Grace's Hear of the Mesa was an easy choice for a finalist pattern. The mittens themselves are stunning -- the incredible contrast of an excellent color choice, the clear photographs and interesting geometric pattern -- all these contribute to a real 'wow' factor for a simple colorwork mitten. Grace's inspiration comes from the woven designs of the Navajo, and pteroglyphs of the Anasazi Native American tribes.

In addition to being pretty on the outside, the pattern is clear, beautifully laid out, and well-written. It would be an excellent choice for someone starting to feel confident in colorwork, and in our buttery-soft Sock, as pleasurable to wear as they are to look at and knit. Grace's conversational tone creates a pattern that is easy to follow and understand.

Grace wins a full bag of any available Malabrigo Yarn of her choosing, in any colorway. Her pattern will be featured here on the blog and also linked on the Patterns section of our website.

Third Prize Winner -- Damask by Kitman Figueroa

Kitman's pattern Damask might look complicated, but the designer assures us that this lovely, lacy shawl is not as difficult as we might think. After looking over the pattern, which comes complete with written instructions, charts, and step-by-step instruction, even the most timid lace knitter (namely, me) would be willing to attempt this.

Of course, the beading and structure of the actual shawl would be enough to tempt anyone into knitting it -- in Malabrigo Sock, you would be creating something really wonderful to wrap around your neck! We especially loved the beautiful edging, and it's obvious that Kitman really cares about the quality of her patterns, making her an easy choice for a finalist designer in our contest!

Kitman wins a mixed bag of skeins direct from the factory, hand-picked by Antonio. They could be test yarns, test colors, or single skeins of well-known favorites. Her pattern will also be linked in the Patterns section of our website.

We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who entered our contest -- there were so many quality submissions, and you can see many of them on our Facebook page!

Malabrigo + Woolgirl

Woolgirl, a yarn store that specializes in hand-dyed yarns, has recently invited Malabrigo's Head Dyer, Antonio, to be a part of a very exciting project! Antonio will be designing a colorway exclusively for the August 2011 edition of Woolgirl's new 'Victorian Writers' themed Knitting Club.



Antonio is going to be dyeing to a garden theme, inspired by Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway," a short story that is full of delightfully colorful visual imagery. Who knows what part of the story Antonio will draw his colorway from? I pulled out a few samples from an online, public-domain edition that I felt would be especially inspirational:

"... wrapped in the soft mesh of the grey-blue morning air, which, as the day wore on, would unwind them, and set down on their lawns and pitches the bouncing ponies, whose forefeet just struck the ground and up they sprung, the whirling young men, and laughing girls in their transparent muslins who, even now, after dancing all night, were taking their absurd woolly dogs for a run... and the shopkeepers were fidgeting in their windows with their paste and diamonds, their lovely old sea-green brooches in eighteenth-century settings to tempt Americans ...and she, too, loving it as she did with an absurd and faithful passion..."

"There were flowers: delphiniums, sweet peas, bunches of lilac; and carnations, masses of carnations. There were roses; there were irises... And then, opening her eyes, how fresh like frilled linen clean from a laundry laid in wicker trays the roses looked; and dark and prim the red carnations, holding their heads up; and all the sweet peas spreading in their bowls, tinged violet, snow white, pale — as if it were the evening and girls in muslin frocks came out to pick sweet peas and roses after the superb summer’s day, with its almost blue-black sky, its delphiniums, its carnations, its arum lilies was over; and it was the moment between six and seven when every flower — roses, carnations, irises, lilac — glows; white, violet, red, deep orange; every flower seems to burn by itself, softly, purely in the misty beds; and how she loved the grey-white moths spinning in and out, over the cherry pie, over the evening primroses!"

Antonio's month, August 2011, can be purchased for $70 on the Woolgirl website. This includes not only the yarn and pattern to make a very lovely pair of themed socks, but each month also comes with several other goodies -- a themed stitch marker and an assortment of knitting notions, from project bags to vintage and boutique items. Each kit will also come with a little information on how Antonio chose the colorway, and you can participate in an official Woolgirl Club KAL, too!

This is such a fun way to get an inside look at a great writer -- and a great dyer's interpretation of her work!

Chau, Hannah

malabrigo Junkies at Stitches East

The ladies from the Malabrigo Junkies group on Ravelry say Hello!



we miss you!!

Thank you for the lovely picture

Tobias and Antonio

Junkies Preparing for October Stockpile

If you're looking for a little push starting your holiday knitting, please join many Malabrigo lovers over on Ravelry, where the Malabrigo Junkies Group will be picking up their yarn and needles and casting on this October for "Stockpile", an event designed to help knitters focus on the upcoming holiday season and the inevitable need for hand-knitted gifts!

The Junkies provide not only plenty of hand-holding and friendly support, but they get a little competitive too, with contests and fabulous prizes provided by none other than their favorite yarn company.

Contests this year include:

"You Can Do It" - Tackle a new technique or knit something that is a challenge to you, stretch your skills and post your progress along the way.

"One Skein Design" - Design a pattern using a single skein of a Malabrigo yarn, writing it up into a pattern that can be sold or downloaded for free on Ravelry.

"Most Junkie Designs Completed" - Members compete against each other to see who can cast on and complete the most patterns designed by Malabrigo Junkies members.

"WOW" - Impress the judges by making something at least 70% from Malabrigo yarns to show off your skills, personal style or knitting prowess.

"Most Generous Member" - The heart of Stockpile, this contest is all about who can finish the most one-skein presents for family, friends, or favorite charity.

All the Stockpile contests mentioned here can only be officially entered by Malabrigo Junkie Group members (membership is free, of course), and have rules that should be carefully read over before jumping in.

If competing isn't your style, there are also an abundance of Knit-A-Longs this October for the different parts of the body, so that whatever you're knitting, you can find someplace to hang out and post your progress. As always, there are random drawings from people who participate, so make sure that if you're playing along, you post something somewhere!

It is so much fun to participate in this Junkie annual event, and I hope to see you over on Ravelry myself (my username is Hannahbelle)!

Chau, Hannah

Malabrigo for Kids!

Munecos, a brand-new Etsy shop, is open for business! The three-woman Uruguayan team, headed up by Monica Bacardaz, has set up an Etsy store to sell their high-quality stuffed animals. Each animal is made from Malabrigo yarns and stuffed with Corriedale, making them 100% natural wool materials. The animals are made in pieces using crochet, knitting, embroidery and sewing techniques, and assembled by hand too! Here's a picture of Monica working at home:



If you have a friend or know someone who really appreciates stuffed animals, you should certainly check out Munecos!

Chau, Hannah

Pattern Roundup!

Wow! I did a pattern search and there is a HUGE new grouping of fall patterns designed for Malabrigo Yarns of all weights. I put together a mosaic to share them with you below -- it's a big one! Click on the links with the names of the patterns to find your favorites.

1. Petal Beret, 2. Blackberry Beret, 3. Henry, 4. A Slice of Autumn/Spring, 5. Twice Around Circular Scarf, 6. Bracken Shawlette, 7. The Orchid Thief Shawlette, 8. Fisherman's Net Cowl, 9. Wyatt, 10. Lenina, 11. Chillout, 12. Madeline Earflap Hat, 13. Indian Summer, 14. Lemniscates Cowl, 15. Whippoorwill, 16. Baby Heart Hat

Chau, Hannah

Designs for Malabrigo -- Lorraine Hearn

Lorraine alerted us that she has an entire page of Malabrigo Yarn patterns on her website! We thought it'd be great to link you to it, since she not only offers them on Ravelry on her design page, but you can get them through her website as well (just scroll down to the bottom of the page), if you aren't a Ravelry.com member! Most of her patterns are made by using Rasta in creative ways. If you've got a skein at home and aren't sure what to do with it, this might be a good place to start looking.

[caption id="attachment_635" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Loopy Necktie pattern and photo by Lorraine Hearn"][/caption]

Chau, Hannah

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

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

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

Sheep Week - Giveaway Winner!

Goodbye, Los Manantiales -- it was good to explore your grassy pastures, stone steps and walkways, and fruit trees! We had a wonderful time!

[caption id="attachment_533" align="aligncenter" width="456" caption="photo by Ignacio Abella"][/caption]

And now, the two great rams will choose the giveaway winner! The winner will receive, by mail:

1 skein of Silky Merino in Celeste

1 skein of Silky Merino in Helechos

2 skeins of Silky Merino in Tatami

1 skein of Worsted Merino in Natural

2 skeins of Rios in Coco

1 skein of Gruesa in Natural (Gruesa is Corriedale! We felt we needed to represent the other sheep here in Uruguay a little, too!)

Congratulations to Glockeroo for winning this great prize! Thank you for your sweet comments, everyone -- it has been a great Sheep Week! Glockeroo, we'll contact you for your mailing address.

Chau, Hannah

Knitting with Heart - The Pink Lemonade Shawl

[caption id="attachment_474" align="aligncenter" width="402" caption="The Pink Lemonade Shawl, designed by Tricia Lewis"][/caption]

We wanted to highlight a pattern very close to our hearts, the Pink Lemonade Shawl recently released by designer Tricia Lewis. This shawl is not only lovely, but has a lovely message behind it -- Tricia designed the pattern to celebrate how many members of the Malabrigo Junkies have won personal battles with breast cancer in the last few years. In an effort to assist with cancer research and eradication, Tricia has announced that she'll be donating 100% of the profits from each shawl's purchase to Susan G. Komen for the cure. The shawl is knit in Malabrigo sock.

[caption id="attachment_476" align="aligncenter" width="333" caption="Pink Lemonade Shawl, by Tricia Lewis"][/caption]

Interview with Kathryn & Grace of KathrynIvy

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="373" caption="Yellow Harvest Mittens"][/caption]

We really love to see our yarns knit up -- it is always amazing when someone chooses one of our colors or yarns for any project. After all, knitting isn't just about instant gratification. The garments that people knit, crochet, create, are heirloom pieces. They'll be used again and again, and seen by many people as an example of your hard work and craft.

Recently, we've decided to feature some of our favorite Malabrigo bloggers - folks who regularly make lovely projects out of our yarns and help introduce them in the most beautiful of ways to friends, family, and other crafters. One of our favorite blogs is written by the sister team Alice and Grace, of KathrynIvy. And they even agreed to let me interview them!

What was your first project using Malabrigo? What yarn did you use, and in what colorway? Do you remember what drew you to the skein?



[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="166" caption="Tomten Jacket"][/caption]

Alice: My first project with Malabrigo was a Tomten Jacket for my daughter using worsted in Purple Mystery and Orchid. The colors were perfect for a toddler!  Camdyn got so much use out of that jacket because it was so soft and cuddly. She wore it until it was way too small for her.

Grace: I didn't try working with Malabrigo until Alice had already used it for a few projects and she told me I absolutely had to give it a try. I broke down and got my first skein of Malabrigo when I saw a skein of Worsted Glazed Carrot being destashed on Ravelry. I used it to knit myself a Koolhaas cap and it is still one of the softest things I've ever knit.

Is there a color you like most?

Alice: I think my all time fave is Polar Morn, with Glazed Carrot and Natural close

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="172" caption="Revolution Baby Blanket"][/caption]

behind.

Grace: In my book nothing beats Frank Ochre!

What is your favorite Malabrigo Yarn line?

Alice: What a toughie!  I recently used Twist for the first time and it was even dreamier than I expected.  I don't know if anything can compete with my love for good ol' Worsted though.

Grace: I have to agree with Alice. Worsted is my go to yarn! It's so versatile, soft, and the color selection is just unbeatable. I think Silky Merino and Sock are very close runners up.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="139" caption="Purple Pachyderm Vest"][/caption]

Why do you use Malabrigo for so many projects?

Alice: There is a Malabrigo yarn that is perfect for every type of project.  The quality and beauty of the yarn really elevates my knitting as a whole.  Plus, the yardage and range of colors can't be beat!

Grace: Once I started using Malabrigo, most of the other yarns I had just seemed so rough! Each skein of Malabrigo, no matter the type, always feels so luxurious as you knit with it and I usually don't want to set my project down until I've finished.

What is your favorite project to date made out of our yarn?

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="136" caption="Yoked Cardigan"][/caption]

Alice: It seems like I love each thing I knit with Malabrigo more than the one before... though I do have a major affinity towards the sweaters I've knit my daughter. I especially love the Yoked Cardigan I knit her in Glazed Carrot during Malabrigo March earlier this year.

Grace: My favorite project would have to be the the Robot Mittens I designed in Worsted. Malabrigo yarns look amazing in colorwork and the fabric is soft and squishy.

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="152" caption="Pile-Up Pups in Worsted"][/caption]

Alice: I enjoy browsing around Ravelry, especially the FOs thread on the Mal Junkies board, which always has quality knitting to drool over.  I also enjoy the outdoors and gather a lot of inspiration from the colors and textures you can find in nature.

Grace: I love looking at antique textiles, samplers, needle points, and Native American weavings. A lot of the designs can be translated into modern knits. Ravelry is also a great resource of information and browsing all of the different projects can be overwhelmingly inspirational. However I probably get most of my inspiration from my sister, Alice. We have a great time bouncing ideas off each other!

Alice and Grace released a pattern this year in Malabrigo Worsted -- colorwork mittens with a robot love theme (click the picture below to go to the Ravelry pattern page). Their projects are always lovely examples of creativity and application - the right yarn and colors for ever knit! You can check out their blog at http://www.kathrynivy.com and read up on all their awesome work!

Chau, Hannah

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="312" caption="Love Bytes Mittens -- click to go to the pattern page on Ravelry!"][/caption]

Highlight -- Knitter's Review of Twist

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="264" caption="Photo Property of Knitter's Review.com"][/caption]

If you're as avid a knitter as I am, you'll be well aware of Knitters Review, the website that reviews products, yarns, and lots of knitting notions to see how they fare in different situations so that you can always read before you buy. They have a lot of wonderful reviews for all brands of yarn -- including many for Malabrigo, but recently I checked to see that they've added a review for Malabrigo Twist!

It was wonderful to see that the review was so favorable, and it's a real honor for us to have a yarn so well-loved in any knitter's opinion. But no need for me to wax poetic here - read it yourself! Knitter's Review, Malabrigo Twist.

Chau, Hannah

Proof That No Matter How Bad It Is, Knitting Makes It Better

[caption id="attachment_434" align="aligncenter" width="396" caption="Comic courtesy of The Panopticon -- follow the link for more!"][/caption]

The Panopticon has recently released a really hilarious Malabrigo and Twilight themed mash up! If you feel like a laugh this afternoon (at the loving expense of Twilight fans everywhere), check it out here!

Your Favorites, Our Thanks!

I always think it's really interesting to hop on Ravelry and see what the yarn rankings are. Did you know that if you do a search of all Malabrigo yarns, and then sort by most projects, you can find out what most Ravelers are stashing? It's just another cool feature, but it was fun to see what your favorite Malabrigo yarns were!

1. Malabrigo Worsted

2. Malabrigo Lace

3. Malabrigo Sock

4. Malabrigo Silky

5. Malabrigo Twist

6. Malabrigo Aquarella

7. Malabrigo Gruesa

8. Malabrigo Seleccion Privada

9. Malabrigo Organic Cotton

10. Malabrigo Rasta

Where do you forsee Rios ending up on the list? I think it'll quickly skyrocket up in the ratings!

Chau, Hannah