Malabrigo is a family owned yarn company located in Uruguay. Their products are made out of the softest fibres available and are inspired by nature, as well as landscapes, places, art and day-to-day life. They say, "We produce yarn because we are passionate about it. We believe in the pleasure of knitting with good-quality, carefully designed, subtly dyed yarns and in the joy of wearing whatever is made out of them."
"Our wish is to continue developing yarns and colours to inspire people all over the world, and in return be inspired by them."
Malabrigo started small, when two brothers-in-law started dyeing wool in a kitchen pot back in 2005. After achieving good results, they started selling a few skeins to the US and before they knew they had quickly grown to other countries in Europe and the rest of the world. To keep up with this growth, they needed to relocate to larger facilities and hire more employees. This resulted in Malabrigo’s mill in Montevideo, Uruguay, where yarns are dyed and packed in large rooms with lots of natural light. More recently the company added a new mill in Perú.
Malabrigo employs mostly women of all ages, and always tries to give job opportunities to people that have fewer opportunities than the average.
Fibres Most of Malabrigo yarns are made with Uruguayan Merino wool. Uruguay has one of the biggest wool supplies in the world, and for a good reason as it is of an extremely high quality, especially in regards to softness. The wool is 100% produced by Uruguayan farms that allow their free-range sheep through the hills and are herded by actual old-style shepherds. The controversial practice of mulesing does not exist in Uruguay.
We always ensure that our materials come from the best suppliers available here in Uruguay and around the world.
Malabrigo flock Malabrigo is the proud owner of a flock of Merino and Corriedale sheep, who live on a ranch near their headquarters in Montevideo. "Taking this step has been very important," they say. "We strive for sustainability and quality in all aspects of our business and now we are able to have a direct hand in wool production from the very first step, and to ensure the humane, high-quality care of our happy little sheep. True, this flock isn't enough to produce all of our yarn by a long sho t- but they're awfully cute. Welcome to the family, little guys!"
To see beautiful Piedras de Afilar, take a look at this video and see the process by which they shear the sheep and harvest the beautiful fleece that becomes Malabrigo yarn. "We strive to use sustainable and humane farming practices with our ranch and flock – a happy sheep makes the best wool!"
It is not only their own sheep that they worry about, but all of the sheep that produce their wools. The entire Uruguayan wool industry has committed itself to achieving the highest standards of sheep husbandry. In Uruguay the sheep graze mainly on native grasslands and lamb in the spring when conditions are best for success. All of the wool produced in Uruguay is mulesing-free and shearing occurs pre-lambing.
Commitment to Sustainability As part of their ongoing effort to build a greener business, their Superwash manufacturing process now meets Oeko-Tex standards. This means Malabrigo yarn is free from a range of harmful substances often found in manufacturing (such as formaldehyde, pesticides, heavy metals, and a variety of other toxins and carcinogens.) Their superwash process uses a very thin, very diluted coating of resin (which covers only .00002mm around the wool fibers.) This resin is the same material used in the manufacture of facial tissues and kitchen paper.
