Yarns to Love
Joji + Milo: A Perfect Match of Pattern and Yarn
Here’s how things go sometimes.
You see a pattern you like. You keep thinking about it, then you really can’t stop thinking about it. You go find out about the yarn and decide that you pretty much can’t get along without making that sweater.
This is that sweater.
It’s called Granito. It was a huge crowd favorite in our MDK March Mayhem pattern championship. And this is Joji Locatelli, the designer of the sweater, wearing the sweater.
While we freely acknowledge that we are not as cute as Joji Locatelli, we do feel that her Granito pullover is one that we want to have in our rotation of go-to sweaters. It has so much to admire:
Top-down construction. A relaxed silhouette.
That dreamy gauge of 23 stitches to 4 inches. We call this the Gauge of Constant Wearing, because it is never too hot, never too heavy, always flattering.
Granito also features a pocket at each side, ever ready to either a) contain a small thing you need or b) give you the confidence that you could successfully harvest a few acorns and get them home in good order.
The second component of this pattern that so beguiles us is this yarn.
This is Milo by Manos del Uruguay. It is 65% merino wool and 35% linen.
Merino: soft. Linen: the great fiber of the gods, sturdy and pliable and eternal. Remember: if they can make the Shroud of Turin out of linen, well, it’s good enough for this sweater.
Let’s take a look at what this Milo yarn looks like. Up close ’n’ personal.
Natural. Creamy. The classic shade for summer.
Tundra. A warm brown with a bit of barn red to it.
Venezia. A red that doesn’t scream “RED.”
Potosi. Pale gray. Silver.
Baltico. Just a gorgeous blue with some fine, almost imperceptible color shifting in there.
Manchester. AKA The Color Joji Is Wearing.
Bizance. A pink of the sort we love: vibrant and rich. A pink even for the pink-shy amongst us. Is it fuschia? We don’t know, but we do know that there are summer flowers exactly this shade—petunias, impatiens—and we crave the colors of nature in our knitting.
So. We have brought in a glorious pile of this lovely yarn in hopes of encouraging you to take on your own Milo as a summer project that will be a worthy companion for your air-conditioned moments, for that moment when you think, Hey, there’s a nip in the air. For that moment right now when you realize that there’s never been a better time to take on a pattern by Joji Locatelli, in a yarn dyed in Uruguay by women in villages, whose names are handwritten on the tag of every skein of this yarn.
Joji + Milo. A designer in Argentina working with yarn from the country next door, Uruguay. We are bursting with pride to share this pairing with you. You can obtain Joji’s pattern straight from her, right here. And we have plenty of Milo for you, right here.
My Bizance Milo is on its way!!! Is that the most gorgeous color of pink, or what? I have a hard time believing I’ll ever be able to knit something that does it justice, but I’m darn sure going to have a blast trying!!! I had already begun to swatch another Joji sweater – Trevor – so I’ll have to decide whether to set it aside and start Granito with MDK or continue with Trevor. Decisions, decisions, decisions …..
This is the first combination of pattern and yarn that has tempted me to break my “only knit from stash” resolution this year. Trying … to… stay … strong …
You and me, Carol.
Oh me too Carol C, everything for the past couple of years has been from stash. Just this weekend I was looking at that pattern on Rav and trying to decide if stash would yield any thing. Oh this yarn is so pretty……………nothing in stash………………………………….
OK, here’s my dilemma: The pattern specs fingering, this Manos Milo is sport, and I have the perfect wool/cotton DK in stash. Welcome thoughts from other commenters – doable? My yarn is Cestari Ash Lawn Collection 75%wool, 25% cotton … so I’m cognizant there would be a drape difference, but I did buy this yarn with Joji’s Boxy in mind …
Go with the gauge you need for your yarn by finding the bust measurement stitch count that yields your needed measurement. Keep on track with length etc., as you go. Presto chango. I did Granito out of a Malabrigo DK yarn. Looks great. Just finishing second that is a mash-up of this and a similar pattern with a different way of working the tip short rows. Yum.
Thanks! So I think you mean choose my size based on the gauge I like in a swatch. I’ve seen a few DK versions on Ravelry … First I should finish the Joji MKAL shawl in progress!
Maggi,
Don’t want to rain on your parade but my Boxy experience gives me some hesitation in endorsing your plan. I used sportweight instead of fingering and even though (a) I knit the smallest size and (b) I like a very roomy garment, it was not wearable due to swamping me. It was beautiful on my friend, though. She dip dyed it in indigo and wants a dozen more. Not sure where I’m going with this…
This yarn – does she pill?
I am failing miserably on my yarn diet this year. I do love a linen blend and “features a pocket at each side, ever ready to…give you the confidence that you could successfully harvest a few acorns and get them home in good order.” How am I supposed to resist the implied squirrel power?
Lol implied squirrel power! I am a strong believer that all pockets should be functional. No fake pockets! Maybe it’s a sign of age but I am thinking the pockets will be handy for single Kleenex storage.
I have additionally been long anti-epaulet as I have no ropes to hang from my shoulder …
This sweater looks like the one that is an immediate Old Friend. And the yarn looks gorgeous – I look forward to hearing what folks think of the merino-linen combo. Such colors…
Hey Ann. Had to find this post after we talked at TNNA. After reading it, I want to not only knit the sweater — but in the same yarn . . . .that’s not mine. 🙂
Love this sweater except for the crew neck. I’m a top-down newbie — can you do a v-neck or scoop neck on a top-down?