Malabrigo Greywacke Gloves Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Greywacke Brioche Arm Warmers

What Is Being Made

The Malabrigo Greywacke is a pair of brioche arm warmers designed by Lisa Silverman. These are sophisticated hand and wrist coverings that showcase advanced knitting techniques, suitable for experienced knitters seeking a challenging and visually striking project. The arm warmers feature a distinctive two-color brioche construction that creates dimensional texture and elegant visual interest.

Techniques Used

This project employs several advanced knitting techniques that work together to create the finished piece:

• Seamless construction: The arm warmers are worked in the round using double-pointed needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, professional finish.
• Two-color brioche ribbing: The main fabric uses a two-color brioche rib technique, where two yarn colors alternate in a specific pattern to create raised, dimensional stitches. The brioche technique involves knitting into the yarn overs from the previous round, producing a luxurious, reversible fabric with excellent stretch and recovery.
• Faux cable panels: Integrated within the brioche rib structure, faux cable patterns are created through strategic yarn overs, decreases, and increases that mimic the appearance of traditional cables without the complexity of cable crossing. These panels add visual depth and texture variation.
• Color manipulation: The pattern reverses the role of the two colors between the main fabric and the faux cable sections, with color A serving as the main color in the body and color B as the main color in the cable panels, creating striking contrast.

Stitches Used

The Greywacke pattern incorporates specialized brioche and decorative stitches:

• Sl1p-st with yo (slip one purl stitch with yarn over): A foundational brioche stitch where yarn is brought to the front, the next purl stitch is slipped to the right needle, and the yarn over is laid on top of the slipped stitch. This creates the characteristic brioche texture.
• Sl1k-st with yo (slip one knit stitch with yarn over): The knit stitch variation of the brioche technique.
• Two-color brioche rib: Alternating rounds of A and B colors, with specific instructions for yarn placement and stitch manipulation that create the dimensional brioche effect.
• Yarn overs: Used to create the decorative increases in the faux cable pattern.
• Two-stitch decreases: Used strategically in the faux cable sections to shape and define the cable-like appearance.
• Two-stitch increases: Incorporated into the faux cable pattern to add width and create the raised effect.

Materials

The Malabrigo Greywacke pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended drape, stretch, and appearance:

• Yarn: Malabrigo Faux Cable Sock yarn, a superwash merino wool blend. The pattern requires one 3½ oz/100g hank in each of two colors: #800 Tiziano Red (A) and #850 Archangel (B). Each hank provides approximately 440 yards/402 meters, making this yarn suitable for fine-gauge, detailed colorwork.
• Needles: One set of five size 1 (2.25mm) double-pointed needles (dpn). This needle size works with the yarn to achieve the specified gauge.
• Notions: Stitch markers to track pattern repeats and round beginnings, and scrap yarn for holding stitches if needed during construction.

Gauge and Sizing

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this project. The pattern specifies 24 stitches and 40 rounds equal 4 inches/10 centimeters over two-color brioche rib, slightly stretched, using size 1 (2.25mm) needles. The finished arm warmers measure approximately 6 inches/15 centimeters in hand and wrist circumference (unstretched) and 12½ inches/31.5 centimeters in length. The brioche rib construction provides significant stretch, so the unstretched measurements are important for proper fit.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated for experienced knitters. The two-color brioche technique, faux cable integration, and seamless in-the-round construction require solid found