Malabrigo Yarn

In 2005 two brothers-in-law started dyeing wool in a kitchen pot in Uruguay. It went well enough that they sold a few skeins to the United States, then to Europe, and then had to find somewhere considerably larger to work.

The name comes from Mal Abrigo, a small village in Uruguay. It translates roughly to 'bad shelter' – a curious name for a yarn company, as they cheerfully admit themselves.

Most Malabrigo is still 100% Uruguayan merino, from a country where mulesing isn't practised; the alpaca comes from Peru and the silk from Italy. Spinning and dyeing now happen in Peru, with the development lab still in Montevideo. They employ mostly women, of all ages, and go out of their way to hire people with fewer opportunities than average. Over 400 colours, and because it's dyed by hand, no two lots are ever quite alike.