Malabrigo Rios Yarn Review

Malabrigo Rios is absolutely my favorite yarn. You can read more about them on their website. In my opinion, they are one of the most interesting yarn companies.

The Specs:

• 210 yards/100 grams
• Worsted weight
• Superwash according to Ravelry (meaning it can be machine washed and dried (I do not machine wash!)
• Suggested Gauge: 18 – 22 stitches on 4 – 5 mm needles
• Content: 100% Merino Wool

My Experiences:

First and foremost for me when knitting is whether I enjoy knitting with the yarn. Rios is my favorite yarn to use. The stitch definition is great. It has a slightly felted feel.

As far as gauge, I can easily get gauge but I usually have to go down a needle size but that’s true with all my knitting.

Rios (and all Malabrigo yarns) is one of the most affordable of the better quality yarns. It sells for about $10/skein less than the yarn I feel is most comparable to it. When you’re making a sweater that takes 8 – 10 skeins of yarn, that’s a huge difference.

I’ve never had Malabrigo yarn fade. Even the English Rose I used in the above sweater did not fade one bit. Deep pinks and reds are notorious for fading but not this one.

The yarn will pill a bit with wear but what 100% wool yarn doesn’t. A quick swipe with the lint remover/sweater shaver and it’s good as new.

Cons:

Personally, I don’t have any cons with this yarn but here are some I’ve heard from others:

• Dye Lots – This is an indie (of sorts) type yarn and, from what I understand, they dye in small lots and dye lots often do not match. The Remedy: Buy all you think you’ll need at once. Most good yarn companies will tell you if the skeins are mismatched and will not send out skeins that do not match without checking first.
• Variation in Color – Even within the same dye lot, or with well matched skeins, there can be a lot of variation, so much so that when completing one skein and starting a new skein, it can appear to be striped. The Remedy: When switching skeins, do a bit of alternating. Ex: You’re finishing Skein A. Knit a row of Skein B, then switch back and knit a couple of rows of Skein A. Do this a couple of things. Then knit two rows of Skein B, then switch back to Skein A and knit 2 or 3 rows of Skein A. Then, knit 3 rows of Skein B, and 1 row of Skein A, then switch completely to Skein B.
• Hard to Wind – Some of Malabrigo’s yarns have given me trouble but Rios has not.
• Hard to Get! – Malabrigo is a small company and seems to be in great demand. I think most yarn shops have a hard time getting and keeping Malabrigo. The Remedy: Buy it when you can find it!

Overall, Rios is truly the only worsted weight yarn I’m buying these days unless I need something for colorwork . . something that definitely is not superwash.