Side by side
| Fiber | Skein | Weight | Gauge | Wash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rios | 100% superwash merino, plied | 100 g, 210 yd | Worsted | 18–22 sts/4" on US 6–8 | Machine, cold; dry flat |
| Worsted | 100% merino, single-ply | 100 g, 215 yd | Worsted | 4½ sts/in on US 7–9 | Hand wash; felts |
| Arroyo | 100% superwash merino, plied | 100 g, 335 yd | DK / sport | 20–22 sts/4" on US 4–6 | Machine, cold; dry flat |
| Caprino | 80% merino, 20% cashmere | 50 g, 164 yd | DK | 24 sts/4" on US 4–6 | Hand wash |
| Verano | 100% pima cotton | 100 g, 205 yd | DK | 18–22 sts/4" on US 5–6 | Hand wash, cold |
| Rasta | 100% merino, single-ply | 150 g, 90 yd | Super bulky | 8–10 sts/4" on US 13–19 | Hand wash, cold |
Malabrigo makes more than these — Sock, Mecha, Chunky, Silky Merino, Lace among them — and we stock these six.
Rios and Worsted
The two worsted-weight merinos, and the first question at the shelf. Rios is plied and superwash: it goes through a cold machine wash, holds a cable crisply, and wears longer. Worsted is a soft single-ply, hand wash only, that blooms into a light halo and felts if asked. Same weight, largely the same colorways, two different sweaters; the Rios vs Worsted guide is the long answer.
Arroyo
Rios's lighter sibling: the same plied superwash merino at DK-to-sport weight, 335 yards to the skein. It is the Malabrigo for a year-round sweater, a machine-washable shawl, or a pair of thick socks, and because it is dyed in the same colorways as Rios a DK cardigan and a worsted hat can match. Hand-dyed, so alternate skeins.
Caprino
Merino with cashmere at DK, in a 50 g skein. The softest yarn on the Malabrigo shelf and the one for a cowl, a hat or a pair of mitts that will be worn against the face. Hand wash, and not a yarn for a hard-wearing garment — the cashmere is there for the hand, not the strength.
Verano
Pima cotton at DK, kettle-dyed in Malabrigo's colors, which is rarer than it sounds: hand-dyed cotton with this depth is hard to find. It is the summer Malabrigo — tees, tanks, a baby blanket for a warm climate — and it behaves like cotton: no spring, a little growth, best knit firmly. The summer yarn guide has the rest of that.
Rasta
Super bulky single-ply merino, 90 yards to a 150 g skein, on US 13 to 19 needles. A beanie is one skein, a cowl is one or two, and a scarf is three; it is the fastest knit in the shop and the one with the most color in the least time. Soft, warm, and it pills under a bag strap the way any big single does, so keep it to hats, cowls and the kind of cardigan that is not worn under a coat.
Colorways across lines
Malabrigo dyes most of its colorways on several bases, so Azul Profundo or Teal Feather can be bought in Rios, Arroyo and Worsted. The shade shifts a little between bases — superwash takes dye more brightly, and cotton more softly — but close enough for a worsted body with DK trim, or a hat to match a sweater. The Color Board puts the same colorway from two lines side by side so you can see the shift before buying.
Alternate skeins
Everything Malabrigo makes is kettle-dyed, which means each skein varies within itself and from its neighbors, even inside one dye lot. For a sweater, knit two rows from one skein and two from the next, all the way through, from the start. It costs nothing but a second ball to carry and it is the difference between a hand-dyed sweater and a sweater with a line across it. The dye lot guide covers it in full.
Which to buy
A sweater that goes in the machine: Rios, or Arroyo for a lighter one. The softest sweater, hand washed: Worsted. A felted bag: Worsted. A luxurious small accessory: Caprino. Summer: Verano. A hat this evening: Rasta.