Tag: crochet

What can be better, once I’m on a crochet roll, than breaking into my stash and pulling out another gorgeous yarn by Malabrigo? Silky Merino, a 50-50 merino and silk blend, will delight every yarn enthusiast. I chose the stunning colorway Mares, which I think goes great with the simple and timeless shell stitch I picked for this quick project.

I used two 50-gr hanks with a little left over (about 75gr total) and a 3mm hook to make a pair of fingerless mitts/handwarmers. I wanted a pair that would leave the fingers free for typing on chilly mornings when my hands crave a little extra warmth.

As usual, I didn’t work off a pattern, but you can easily make these mitts if you know how to make stretchy ribbing and shell stitch. Start with the ribbing, working a rectangle in single crochet in the back loop only. Close the edges when the piece wraps comfortably around your wrist. Crochet shells into the top; I made 7, but you can fit in more or fewer according to the size of your hand. Work your way up. Make a thumb hole by working a chain instead of a shell in one row. Keep working up until you reach the desired length.

I LOVED working with Silky Merino. It’s the perfect answer to “Why would people still choose single-ply yarns when plied ones are so much more durable and less prone to pilling?” Well, this one is simple: because it’s irresistibly gorgeous.

Even when my head knows that a 3-ply or 4-ply yarn is the more practical choice, my heart still tugs in the direction of lofty, fluffy, squishy single-plies. However, Silky Merino is, in my opinion, sturdier than the average single-ply yarn thanks to its high silk content. Silk is an amazing fiber, both strong and soft – and, of course, it adds a superb luster.

The result is a stunning yarn: buttery soft, both in the hank and when it works up, warm, with a luscious shine that compliments its vivid colors beautifully. It’s a rather light DK, with 150 yards/137m per a 50-gr hank, or 300 yards per 100 grams.

As you’d expect from premium yarn with 50% silk, Silky Merino is pricey. A sweater made with this yarn, while dreamy to the touch, would be outrageously expensive. But if you’re on a budget, two hanks should be plenty for a hat, a cowl, a pair of mitts or gloves, or a scarf. Garments worked with Silky Merino feel absolutely delightful against the skin and are 100% non-irritating. Of course, care would involve hand-wash only.

A word of caution: before you start working with this yarn, make sure you’ve made up your mind about the stitch and pattern. I wasn’t sure what stitch I wanted to use, so I had to rip a few rows out, and it was an absolute pain. Since it’s a single-ply, the micro-fibers of its fine halo stick against each when you’re frogging, and the strand can break, which is a pity when you’re working with such expensive yarn.

Final verdict: This might be my favorite yarn by Malabrigo so far! Dreamy softness, luster, texture, and stitch definition.

Don’t miss out on my other Malabrigo yarn reviews: Worsted, Rios, Silkpaca, Mora, and Sock.

In case you’ve wondered where I’ve been, I’ve fallen victim to the most violent, nastiest, knock-you-off-your-feet ear infection you may imagine. But on the up side, I’ve had the time to finish this little beauty – a scarf in Malabrigo Mora, one of the finest and priciest yarns in the Malabrigo line.

I’ve been wanting to crochet with 100% mulberry silk for a while. Yes, I know silk is controversial: it involves killing thousands of Bombyx mori and there are many sustainability issues. But it’s a traditional and fully biodegradable fiber, so I thought that, upon the whole, I may try it just once (my budget likely won’t allow for massive silk yarn purchases).

Working with Malabrigo Mora, 100% mulberry silk in fingering weight, drove home the whole point of silk: its luxurious, soft feeling against the skin, its suitability for warm weather, its zero irritation factor (superior even to the finest merino and alpaca yarns), its gorgeous shimmer and just the sheer delight of it.

As a yarn, Malabrigo Mora is beautiful to work with. It’s a 4-ply fingering-weight yarn that comes in a range of stunning Malabrigo colors, slightly muted compared to their merino/alpaca offerings because silk takes dye a little differently. This yarn is very even in thickness and doesn’t tend to snag or split. I expected a very slippery texture to this yarn, but Mora was just perfect: it had just the right grip to feel comfortable on a metal hook.

Mora comes in 50-gram, 225-yard hanks. It took me exactly two hanks to make a scarf using a mesh stitch which was a great yarn-saver (openwork stitches are fantastic when you’re trying to make an expensive yarn go a long way). This scarf has a gorgeous drape and will be a joy to wear.

Watch this video for a nice summary of Malabrigo Mora – I know I dug all around the web for info about this yarn before splurging. It was totally worth it.

I thought this hat would take me a few days at most to put together. Worsted weight yarn with a super simple pattern – what could possibly take too long? But, given my recent disproportionate workload and a couple of kids with temporary health issues, I spent a couple of weeks working on this little piece. I pulled it out to crochet a couple of rows on any errand that stalled and on any occasional bus ride.

Here’s a view of the hat before I attached the pom my daughter selected.

Crochet hook: 3.5 mm for the brim, 4 mm for the body.

Pattern: None to speak of. Done from the bottom up, like my other hats, starting with a stretchy ribbing brim (single crochet in back loop only). Body: three front post double crochets and one back post double crochet all the way. Freehand decrease.

I used exactly one hank of Malabrigo Worsted, another dreamlike yarn by Malabrigo, for this project. Let me just say a few words about this amazing yarn.

First, working with Worsted is probably the closest you can get to crocheting off a real live sheep. This yarn is 100% lush merino, not superwash (if you want a superwash variety, try Malabrigo Washted or another type of superwash merino), from sustainably and humanely raised, pastured Uruguayan sheep. It delights the crafter with a beautiful halo and delicious softness. It has a gorgeous stitch definition and is perfect for showing off stitchwork, cables, and textures.

Now for the downside. With all my weakness for super soft single-ply yarns, I’ll be the first to admit Worsted probably won’t stand up to hard wear, which is why I’d use it for something that may expect gentle use, like a hat or cowl, but definitely not a sweater.

Second, the uniformity of thickness was really off. Sometimes it would come closer to super bulky, while at others it resembled more of a sport weight yarn.

Malabrigo Worsted comes in a range of stunning colors. I used Damask Rose, a would-be solid muted pink that offers delightful, subtle variation.

Do I plan to buy more of this yarn? Yes, definitely yes!

If you are an improvising crocheter like me, you may easily figure out how to construct this simple crochet top, based on two circles in the front and back and attached with triangular panels on the sides. I had something a little different in mind when I started making it, but overall I’m pleased with the result – perfect to wear over a tight-fitting black or white tee.

This is the second top I’ve made with Camilla Cotton Magic by Ice Yarns, and it won’t be the last. I just love this yarn – 100% mercerized cotton with the tiniest bit of shine. It doesn’t tend to split, glides so nicely on the hook but still gives a good grip, and comes in a range of gorgeous variegated colorways. I used the colorway Blue Shades.

This is fingering weight yarn, my favorite – delicate enough for a lacy top but not too thin to work with comfortably.

Now on to the next project!

It’s summer! Time for lemonade, popsicles, and crochet with warm-weather yarns like cotton and silk.

My latest creation, this spider stitch crochet bolero, was made following the charts here, but with a simple shell border. The beauty in crochet charts is that, if you read them, you can totally transcend all language barriers for so many gorgeous patterns.

This was my first time making a clothing item that isn’t worked top-down. This pattern calls for making the individual pieces (back, front, sleeves) and sewing them together. It was intimidating for me at first, but I was so pleased with the fit that now I want to make another one! It’s perfect for wearing over summer tops and dresses, and the pattern works up super quick.

I used Elegant Metallic Cotton by Ice Yarns, in light blue. My daughter chose this yarn for its pretty metallic sheen, but let me tell you, many times throughout the project, I was ready to throw down my hook in frustration. This yarn has a unique texture, almost braided-looking, and the individual threads kept snagging and pulling. It also has practically zero stretch and works up pretty stiff.

If I had to do it again, I’d recommend this yarn for projects like bags and totes, and use another type of cotton yarn for this pattern, like Camilla Cotton Magic.