The Yarnistas are not basic. We like big oversized sweaters. We obsess over bright hand dyed colors. And we’re always looking for ways to elevate our knitting. Pascuali Manada is the perfect upgrade to your hand-knit wardrobe. Made of 45% super kid mohair, 25% silk, 15% merino, and 15% yak, Manada is the definition of luxurious. But, as a lace weight yarn it can be challenging to know how to make the most of this fantastic yarn. Worry not! We’ve done the hard work for you – we’ve paired, we’ve swatched, and we’ve even pulled a little pattern inspo for you. Show yourself a little love this Valentine’s week – and add a little luxury to your next knit!

Yarn details:

• 45% Mohair, 25% Silk, 15% Yak, and 15% Wool
• 219 yards / 200 meters per 25 gram cake
• Lace Weight
• Needle size: 2.5 – 4 mm | 1-6 US | 8-12 UK
• Gauge: 18-22 stitches, 28-32 rows to 4″ (10 cm)
• Handwash

Here are our pairings:

Manada X Wooldreamers Dehesa de Barrera DK

First up, we’ve held Manada together with Wooldreamers Dehesa de Barrera DK. This combination garnered a gauge of 15 sts over 4 inches on US#9, a luscious fabric between Aran and Chunky.  Holding Manada together with wool will help create a drapy, soft fabric perfect for the Nouri pullover by Carol Feller.

Nouri

For this next swatch, we held Manada together with Handspun Hope Ethiopian Cotton (a sport weight yarn) to create a multi-season fabric that will be less insulating than pairing with wool, but with additional lovely drape. We achieved a gauge of 17 sts over 4 inches on US#8. This fabric inspired us to look at warm weather knits, and we’ve paired it with Togue Pond by Pam Allen.

Togue Pond

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

• 33 (36, 39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54)” [84 (91.5, 99, 106.5, 114.5, 122, 129.5, 137) cm] bust circumference

YARN

• Manada: 456 (456, 532, 532, 608, 608, 684, 760) yards
• Handspun Hope Ethiopian Cotton 456 (456, 532, 532, 608, 608, 684, 760) yards

Manada X Knitting for Olive Pure Silk

Next, for an anything but basic fabric, we’ve held Manada together with Knitting for Olive Pure Silk. This gave us a sturdy fabric that has plenty of drape. On US#8 we knit a gauge of 18 sts over 4 inches in garter stitch. The lovely texture inspired us to pair this with an old favorite, the Flax sweater by tincanknits. This pullover is an every day staple upgraded by a simple elevation of fabric – and would be extra fun in the new cropped length.

Flax

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

• 18 (19.5, 20.5, 22, 24, 26, 28, 31, 33.5, 35, 37, 39, 43, 47, 51, 55, 58, 62, 66) inches at the bust

YARN

• For Cropped Length
  • Manada: 220 (240, 270, 320, 380, 450, 500, 620, 710, 750, 780, 850, 950, 1100, 1150, 1350, 1450, 1600, 1750) yards
  • Pure Silk: 220 (240, 270, 320, 380, 450, 500, 620, 710, 750, 780, 850, 950, 1100, 1150, 1350, 1450, 1600, 1750) yards
• For Full Length
  • Manada: 270 (300, 310, 440, 500, 680, 700, 800, 850, 1000, 1050, 1100, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 2000, 2100) yards
  • Pure Silk: 270 (300, 310, 440, 500, 680, 700, 800, 850, 1000, 1050, 1100, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 2000, 2100) yards

Manada X Manos del Uruguay Alegria

For this swatch, we held Manada together with Manos del Uruguay Alegria, which resulted in a soft, smooth fabric. We knit the swatch on US#7 and achieved a gauge of 20 sts over 4 inches, which is fairly typical for holding a lace yarn together with fingering. This pairing is in vogue right now, as mohair continues to dominate the knitting scene. For our pairing we picked Pink Fizz by Andrea Mowry – an oversized drop shoulder made delicate with panels of cables and lace.

Pink Fizz

And last but not least – as lovely as Manada is paired with others, it’s also equally lovely all on its own! We worked up this swatch on a US#6 and achieved a gauge of 18 sts over 4 inches.  Manada creates a lovely even fabric that will swath you in soft warmth. We’ve picked two pairings for this swatch, the No Frills Sweater by PetiteKnits and the Waffle Sweater by Pernille Larsen.

No Frills Sweater

Waffle Sweater