A pinch of Malabrigo

Twice I have worn the Elongated Diamond Scarf that I just finished. As soft as Malabrigo is, it still feels irritating on my neck and upper chest.

The last time I washed a Malabrigo scarf, the knitted pattern flattened out on me. I may as well have knitted the whole thing in garter stitch. That scarf was a gift and has since left the premises. Anyway, I wasn’t looking forward to knitting a scarf in Malabrigo again.

But I had this ONE HANK of Malabrigo, and you know I couldn’t just let Malabrigo sit there unknitted in my basket. And I wanted to try the Barbara Walker pattern.

So I have this second scarf completed now, and it needs to be a little softer. And I’m afraid to wash it because I don’t want to lose the depth of the pattern.

Another knitter said she washed hers and it turned out fine. So what am I doing wrong? I’m going to try to soak it in cold water for a while, roll it in a towel, and see what happens.

What Happens:

The stitches flattened out again after washing. But this time I lay the whole scarf out on my kitchen counter and pinched up the parts of the stitching, sort of like you’d pinch up a pie crust. The damp scarf is resting on the counter now in all its 3-D glory, drying.

Pinching the Malabrigo into drying mode:

Here is the damp scarf, fully pinched up and drying:

And I’m trying to keep the cat off it.