This pattern was born when I bought my first skein of Malabrigo Lace from a yarn shop during a trip to Chicago. When I got it home and put it onto my umbrella swift to wind, I found that through some horrible manufacturing snafu, it was cut in about a thousand places. “What can I do with all these tiny strands of Malabrigo Lace?” I thought – and this was the answer.
My favorite thing about these is the textural interplay going on between the two different yarn weights, which stands in contrast to the homogeny of the yarn color – but this could also be an excellent project for those of you with lots of leftover Malabrigo (of differing colors) hanging around from other projects.
I’ll be working up a PDF of this soon so that it’s printable (and as practice for more complicated designs I’m doing in the future), but for now, here it is on the website.
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
14 and a half inches long, 4 and a half inches wide in MC sections, 4 inches wide in CC sections
MATERIALS
[MC] Malabrigo Merino Worsted [100% Merino Wool; 215 yd per 100g skein]; color: Alpine Pearl; 1 skein
[CC] Malabrigo Lace [100% Baby Merino Wool; 470 yd per 50g skein]; color: Alpine Pearl; 1 skein
1 set(s) US #10/6mm double-point needles
1 stitch marker to mark beginning of round
GAUGE
MC: 17 sts/36 rows = 4″ in stockinette stitch
CC: 18 sts/36 rows = 4″ in stockinette stitch
PATTERN NOTES
In this pattern, the individual knitter decides when s/he is ready to change from MC to CC. Most of my sections were at least 1 and a quarter inches long for MC and no more than 1 and three quarters of an inch long for CC, with lengths from three-quarters of an inch to two inches. Keep in mind that larger sections of CC will look a little strange next to short sections of MC because the thinner yarn will scrunch in as you wear the armwarmers. The armwarmers will also look better with shorter sections – I found that two inches in length is about the longest they can get and still “fit” aesthetically with the pattern.
Seed stitch:
Row 1: K1, P1, repeat to end
Row 2: P1, K1, repeat to end
PATTERN
Cast on 37 stitches in MC (I used the long-tail method) and join to work in the round.
Work in seed stitch until section is desired length.
**Switch to CC and work one additional round in seed stitch.
Work in stockinette stitch until section is desired length.
Switch to MC, beginning to work in seed stitch immediately.
Work in seed stitch until section is desired length.
Repeat from ** to end, finishing with a MC section.
Bind off, knitting all stitches (do not bind off in patt).
Repeat for second armwarmer.
FINISHING
Weave in ends and block lightly.
