At this year’s big yarn trade show in Chicago, Linda and I walked into the Malabrigo Yarn booth knowing that we were going to bring this awesome Uruguayan & Peruvian brand back into the shop. When we saw their Caracol yarn hanging on display, we were SO excited. I will admit that I am not a big fan of single-ply bulky yarns—while they are amazing for quick makes and gifts, they generally pill a bit more than I would like since there’s nothing holding them together.
HOWEVER
Caracol is made from a single thick-and-thin ply of machine-washable Merino wool, bound with a criss-crossing black (or white) binder thread that keeps the fibres together and gives the yarn a really cool look—we have been lovingly calling it the “bondage yarn”.
So of course, I jumped into a rabbit hole on Ravelry, searching for sweater patterns to make. Retail clothing brands are ALL about bulky sweaters this season, and I know I can make one of my own in a few days with this soft and squishy super-bulky yarn.
Below are the final patterns I settled on with the last, Oli Cardigan, being the one I ultimately made!
Pines Pullover
This is a nice, easy, basic pattern that would be great in Malabrigo Caracol or Rasta—you could even add a strand of lace-weight mohair yarn if you want to get fancy.
Sizes
XS (S) M (L) XL (2XL); finished circumference 37 (38) 40 (42) 43 (44)”.
Yarn
5 (6) 6 (7) 8 (8) skeins Malabrigo Caracol (100% superwash Merino wool; 90 yards/82 meters per 150-gram skein).
Gauge & Suggested Needles
7 stitches & 12 rows = 4” on US#15 (10 mm) needles, in stockinette stitch worked in the round.
Sweater No. 21
Bulky sweaters can be really warm so I like the mesh pattern on this as a versatile layering piece—I think this would look super cool in Caracol‘s crisscross structure.
Sizes
1 (2) 3 (4); finished circumference 41.75 (47) 55 (62)”, suggested positive ease 8-11.75″.
Yarn
8 (9) 11 (12) skeins Malabrigo Caracol (100% superwash Merino wool; 90 yards/82 meters per 150-gram skein).
Gauge & Suggested Needles
12 stitches & 14 rows = 4” on US#13 (9 mm) needles, in mesh pattern worked in the round.
And my final pick:
Oli Cardigan
I made this on US#13 needles for a slightly smaller gauge and worked a size up to get the oversized look I am going for. I swatched on a Thursday evening (during the Steelers’ horrendous loss to Cleveland) and finished the whole thing the following Wednesday!
Sizes
XS, S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X; finished circumference 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68″.
Yarn
5, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10 skeins Malabrigo Caracol (100% superwash Merino wool; 90 yards/82 meters per 150-gram skein).
Gauge & Suggested Needles
8 stitches & 8 rows = 4” on US#15 (10 mm) needles in stockinette stitch, after wet blocking.
