Malabrigo Torzal – 100% Superwash Merino Wool, DK/Sport Weight

$16.00
Color
Van Gogh

Malabrigo Torzal puts a completely different spin on the colorways Malabrigo is known for. This two-ply DK / Sport yarn is made from 100% Superwash Merino wool, with multiple shades twisting together throughout each strand to create depth, movement, and beautiful color variation.

Rather than dyeing the finished yarn, Malabrigo dyes the fiber before spinning. Two individually dyed plies are then twisted together, allowing the colors to shift and interact along the length of the yarn. The effect has some of the organic character of handspun while maintaining the consistency and softness you expect from Malabrigo.

Torzal's construction makes even simple stitches visually interesting while giving cables, ribbing, and other textured patterns added dimension. With 160 yards in each 50-gram skein, it works beautifully for lightweight sweaters, cardigans, hats, cowls, shawls, and accessories.

As with Malabrigo's other hand-dyed yarns, variation between skeins is part of its character. For larger projects, purchasing enough yarn at once and alternating skeins can help distribute those variations throughout your finished fabric.

Technical Specifications

• Fiber: 100% Superwash Merino Wool
• Weight: DK / Sport
• Construction: 2-Ply
• Yardage: 160 Yards / 146 Meters
• Skein Weight: 50 g / 1.76 oz
• Recommended Knitting Gauge: 23–26 stitches = 4 inches / 10 cm
• Recommended Needles: US 3–7 / 3.25–4.5 mm
• Recommended Hook: US E-4–G-6 / 3.5–4.25 mm
• Care: Machine Wash Cold; Dry Flat

Why We Love It at A Show of Hands

Torzal takes the incredible color Malabrigo is known for and makes the yarn's construction part of the story. We especially love how the two plies interact—you get little shifts and surprises in the color without needing a complicated stitch pattern to make the fabric interesting.

It's also a great choice when you want a handspun-inspired look with the predictability and softness of a commercially spun Merino. We think it's particularly beautiful for simple sweaters where the yarn itself gets to do the work.

Perfect For

• Lightweight sweaters and cardigans
• Hats and cowls
• Shawls and wraps
• Textured stitch patterns
• Cables and ribbing
• Simple stockinette that showcases the color
• Projects where the yarn takes center stage
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Pay with Apple Pay We offer Apple Pay as a swift and secure way to make a payment at checkout.
Order online, collect in-store Choose in-store collection at checkout to pick up your order at select Fresh locations.
Gather and craft Join us in our store for crafting, to ask questions, or dream up new projects!

We’re here for the love of it and the fun of it. For the craft that connects us to something older than any of us.

Fiber Information

Yarn Weight + WPI

Yarn weight refers to the thickness of a yarn. Thickness determines appropriate needle or hook size, finished fabric density, and yardage requirements. Standard weight categories from thinnest to thickest: lace, fingering, sport, DK, worsted, bulky, super bulky.


Weight labels on yarn are approximate. Wraps per inch (WPI) gives a more precise measurement. To measure WPI: wrap yarn snugly around a ruler for one inch, without overlapping strands or stretching. Count the wraps.


WPI reference:

  • 30+ WPI: lace
  • 20–28 WPI: fingering
  • 14–18 WPI: sport
  • 11–14 WPI: DK
  • 9–11 WPI: worsted
  • 7–8 WPI: bulky
  • Fewer than 7 WPI: super bulky

WPI is most useful when a label is missing, when substituting yarns, or when working with handspun yarn.

Gauge and Sett

Gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch in a knitted or crocheted fabric. It is determined by yarn weight, needle or hook size, and individual tension. A pattern’s gauge is the measurement the designer used to calculate sizing. If your gauge does not match the pattern, your finished dimensions will differ. A small difference over many inches makes a big difference in fit.

To adjust gauge: a smaller needle or hook produces more stitches per inch; a larger needle or hook produces fewer. The goal is to match the pattern’s gauge, not its suggested needle size.


Sett is the weaving equivalent of wraps per inch (WPI). Sett controls how open or dense the finished woven cloth will be. A standard starting point for sett is half the WPI for a balanced plain weave. Twill structures generally require a slightly closer sett; lace structures a more open one.


Both gauge and sett are starting points that need to be confirmed by sampling. Calculate first, then verify with a swatch. Record what you find; your future self will thank you.

Wet Blocking

Blocking is the process of wetting a finished piece, shaping it, and allowing it to dry. It evens out stitches, sets the final dimensions, and for lace, opens the pattern fully.


For protein fibers (wool, alpaca, cashmere): soak in cool water with a small amount of wool wash until fully saturated, typically 15 to 20 minutes. Gently press out water without wringing. Roll in a towel to remove excess moisture. Lay flat, shape to finished measurements, and pin if needed. Allow to dry completely before moving.


For lace pieces, blocking wires threaded through edge stitches produces cleaner lines than pins alone.


Fiber-specific notes:

  • Wool holds its blocked shape well once dry.
  • Silk and silk blends block well and dry quickly.
  • Linen and cotton do not respond to blocking the same way protein fibers do, but wet finishing still softens and settles the fiber.
    Steam blocking is appropriate for fibers that should not be fully saturated. Hold the iron several inches above the surface. Do not press down on wool -- direct pressure and heat flatten the fiber's loft.

    Block to finished measurements, not to the dimensions of the piece as it came off the needles or loom.