Malabrigo Part Two: Cardigans to Love

In my last post, I discussed some of the ups and downs of Malabrigo. But now that I'm ready to make some suggestions, I want to focus on the positives. We want sweater patterns that will make this yarn sing. Take advantage of that stitch definition! Accentuate the coziness! Embrace the POP!

1) Hannah Fettig's Rocky Coast Cardigan: I am a fan of both Hannah Fettig and Alana Dakos, so it didn't take me long to snap up Coastal Knits not long after its release. Many of the designs are charming, but this is a favorite. I love the idea of the allover cables for Mal Worsted. It just looks like the perfect thing to curl up in all winter long. It's top down and seamless, so minimal finishing required.

2) Going in a different direction, we have Amy Herzog's Oscillate. You may have heard of Amy from her very informative Fit 2 Flatter series. There's definitely more stockinette here, but lovely cables front and back, and an interesting sleeve detail. Where Rocky Coast is more cozy, I would say Oscillate is more tailored and polished. It's knit in pieces and seamed at the end, so there are pros and cons with that. On the bright side, rows would be shorter and pieces more portable. I think this sweater fits nicely into Tonya's vintage aesthetic.

3) Next, Olga Buraya-Kefelian designs a really interesting yoke in the Ayase Cardigan. There's a fair amount of stockinette at this one too, but I think the cool tiered construction of the yoke makes up for it. Despite the tears, the knitting doesn't look overly complicated. This one made it to the hot patterns today. Side note: I really want to see the detail in the yoke better. Maybe one or two of the pictures of the whole sweater could have been swapped out for some closer shots? Just a thought, designers!

4) Terri Kruse was a designer unknown to me until today, but she’s quite prolific. (Off topic, I am absolutely smitten with her Pigwidgeon sweater. I want one in my size!) For Tonya’s yarn, I really like her newest design, the Hyde Park Cardigan. It has many design elements I am a big sucker for – garter stitch yokes, cables, buttons on the top instead of all the way down, A-line shape. It actually calls for Malabrigo Rios, but I think Merino Worsted would be a fine choice. One major plus to consider is gauge. This sweater is knit at 5 st/inch, which is somewhat more tightly knit than the other patterns I have recommended. Knitting a soft yarn at a firmer gauge is one way to make a more durable fabric and combat the pilling menace. I like that it is reminiscent of the February Lady Sweater, without being too similar.

What do you think? What would you pick? I'm kind of glad I don't have to decide. Good luck, Tonya!