Malabrigo March Week 3: Arroyo and Rios

If you’re looking for buttery soft, squishy superwash merino wool yarn in beautifully variegated colors, Malabrigo Arroyo Yarn and Malabrigo Rios Superwash Merino Wool Yarn are the yarns for you. My favorite thing about them? You don’t have to sacrifice the quality of the wool just to be able to wash it. In fact, I’ve always tended to shy away from superwash yarns – not any more. I’m officially converted.

Quite a few of Malabrigo’s yarns are superwash, actually. From the heavyweight Malabrigo Caracol Yarn down to Malabrigo Sock Yarn; I’m sometimes surprised to learn that some of these yarns are machine washable because they’re so darn squishy and soft. Just as soft as the rest of the family, Rios, and its little brother Arroyo, are perfect go-to yarns for any project. Whether you’re making something for a mischievously messy child, a gift for a friend that you don’t want to accidentally shrink, or a sweater that you want to wear every single day, these two yarns can handle it.

For me, half the fun of working with Malabrigo comes from seeing how it looks as it knits up. Choose complimenting colorways for amazing colorwork effects, or pick one shade and watch how the colors ebb and flow. But my personal favorite way of using this yarn is to pair it with a solid neutral, like in my new Telephone Line Set - Hat and Cowl Pattern. The neutral Jo Sharp Classic DK Wool Yarn really shows off the changing colors of the Malabrigo Rios Superwash Merino Wool Yarn when you alternate the two in a simple Linen stitch pattern.

If you’re looking for a simple, quick to knit sweater, Top Down Trapeze Pullover by Pure and Simple does a great job showing off Rios’ kettle-dyed colors.

For other project ideas, you can check out Malabrigo’s many books. Malabrigo Book 5 - In Soho has the wonderfully centered Angelika shawl; the variegation of Malabrigo Rios Superwash Merino Wool Yarn does very cool things to the texture of this design.

Then there’s Malabrigo Book 9 - Niños, which is full of projects using Rios and Arroyo. For those of you who are fans of a certain popular TV show, there’s the adorable Downton vest that’s knit up in Malabrigo Arroyo Yarn:

Last but not least, Malabrigo Book 10 - Rios. This book has quite a few cool projects. Some of my favorites are the High Line Asymmetrical scarf and the Cushman raglan pullover with pockets. Check them out below: