Meet the Woman Behind Knitcraft and Her Passion for Malabrigo

Welcome to Fiber Lore: The Director’s Cut. 🧶🎤

Lori at Knitcraft talks about their best selling yarn – Malabrigo

Before we jump into the interview, a quick introduction to the new owner of Knitcraft Inc.

Lori Bandlow Goodpaster became the 3rd generation owner following the passing of her father, Robert Bandlow, in March 2026. Knitcraft was originally founded by Robert’s mother, Marjorie Bandlow, and over the years Robert expanded the company into a well-known source for Silver Reed Knitting Machines, DesignaKnit software, creating the United States reseller network.

While Lori may be stepping into the official owner role now, many customers already know her voice. If you have called Knitcraft over the past five years, there is a very good chance Lori was the person helping you on the other end of the phone.

Now let's talk Malabrigo!

A yarn line powered by merino and one-of-a-kind color saturation.

Interviewer:  When did you first start carrying Malabrigo, and which base pulled you into the vortex first?

Lori: When I started 5 years ago, my Father was already stocking the Rios and Sock Lines.  They were already a big seller.

Interviewer: Malabrigo has fierce customer loyalty! Which line has the greatest customer loyalty?

Lori: That would be Rios. Rios devotees tend to speak about it with a level of loyalty that says this yarn has earned a permanent place in their project bags.  Knitters, machine knitters and crocheters just gush over Rios.  The endless supply of amazing colors, how it wears, its softness and the way it works up is what makes my Rios customers my best salespeople.

Interviewer:  Which colorway is popular right now, and seems to disappear the second it hits the shelf?

Lori: Indiecita 416 is the hot item that everyone is craving, followed by Aniversario 05 with its appealing bright deep jewel tones. Gris 212 is a neutral color that everyone is using to create spectacular color pops, with Natural 63 right on its’ heals. Stitches such as fair isle or mosaic knitting is popular right now, so these neutrals are the backdrop to make other colors stand out.

Interviewer: Malabrigo has so many wonderful lines or bases. Which base do you personally think deserves more attention than it gets.

Lori: I think Rios Solidos deserves more attention. It has the same wonderful Rios base, but in rich solid shades instead of the hand-painted colorways people usually gravitate toward. I also think Dos Tierras is one of the more underrated yarns in the Malabrigo line. The blend of merino and baby alpaca gives it a beautiful softness and a visual texture that really comes alive once it is knit or crocheted. Since it is a DK weight, it feels lighter and a bit more refined than Rios, while still carrying those deep, signature Malabrigo colors.

Interviewer: Have you noticed that certain bases attract different crafters?

Lori: Rasta tends to appeal to people who want a project they can finish in a reasonable amount of time. The bulky weight works up fast, and they are already planning their next project. Malabrigo Sock appeals to those who love the slow process with delicate and colorful stitches. They know that whoever these are gifted to will be loved! Rios is used by my customers who enjoy full size sweaters but are happy that this weight will work at a reasonable clip. It’s the perfect weight for beginners too.

Interviewer: What’s the most common thing customers say the first time they touch Malabrigo yarn?

Lori: First touch comment is usually about softness blended in with the color saturation. They eyes are entranced and the touch is divine.

Interviewer: Which base has the biggest “photos do not fully prepare you” effect on your customers.

Lori: That is a tough one to answer. Every line has that shock and awe when you see it in person. Especially the expansive line of colors Malabrigo has to offer. My favorite is staring down into the never-ending aisle of Rios and realizing I need to either come up with 12 more projects to use all the colors I am pulled to or spending the next 3 lifetimes narrowing down the one perfect color. 

Interviewer: If you had to introduce a brand new knitter to only ONE Malabrigo yarn, which would it be and why?

Lori: Oh absolutely it would be Rios It is the most versatile yarn without being a wimpy worsted. It has great body!  It works for sweaters, hats, scarves, even macho men who are too cool for knitted/crochet-ware can find a color option that will make their partner happy to create for them.

Interviewer: Which Malabrigo colorway names sound like:

1. • An indie band
   • An expensive dessert
   • A mysterious forest
   • An Eye opening curse

Lori: For the Indie Band, I’d say Tormenta. Tormenta describes the tormented souls of those talented musicians playing at a dive bar at 1am just wanting their music heard. (LOL) 
Apple Green reminds me of Mom’s homemade pie sitting on the windowsill to cool. 
Poción which means potion. Makes me think of evil cauldrons in a mysterious forest, which leads right into the last one, a curse. 
Zarzamora is certainly a curse word. While it means blackberry in Spanish, in English it sounds like a forest dwelling troll chanting a one word sealing curse.

 Interviewer: Have you ever opened a shipment and immediately gone: “Well. I guess I live here now.”

Lori: Yes, every time we open a box from Malabrigo. I always say I am going to use a new yarn for my next project and end up right back down a Malabrigo aisle. 

Interviewer: Which Malabrigo yarn works up the fastest in your experience, and which one becomes an accidental emotional support project?

Lori: Malabrigo Rasta is the fastest yarn to work up, with a thickness only enviable to a fat housecat that’s been secretly stealing everyone’s dinner. Rasta also makes a great emotional support yarn as it is soft, chunky, and finished before your next minor life crisis hits.

Interviewer: What’s the most unexpectedly beautiful project you’ve seen made in Malabrigo?

Lori: Customers can't help but "Oooh and Awwwe" over our crocheted Mindfulness shawl in the store. With neutral subtlety and dash of color overload it further proves me correct on point 3 of Gris and Natural being top selling colors with Aniversario added for the "gotcha". (Note: the Mindfulness Crochet Shawl was written for Mechita and fingering weight [1] yarn. Malabrigo Sock would be a great substitution, particularly due to its large color selection.)

 Interviewer: Are there colorways customers hunt for like rare cryptids?

Lori: There are certainly a lot of favorites, but customers do hunt for Diana (which we offer all our Malabrigo lines). in many like rare cryptids. It has been rumored that Big Foot was last spotted in a knitted cowl made of Diana.

Interviewer:  Which Malabrigo yarn creates the most dangerous sentence in knitting:

“I’ll just get one skein.”

Lori: Well that would have to be Rios. Rios always makes the customers say "I'll just get one skein." Like "No girl, we know you're going to wander back down that aisle and add another skein to your basket."

Interviewer:  If Malabrigo as a whole had a personality, what would it be?

Lori: Honestly --  Elegant artist or Color-sorcerer, or maybe a friendly yarn goblin living in a candlelit studio with twelve unfinished shawls and very strong opinions about texture and color. No doubt, Malabrigo has a personality and it is a fun saucy temptress calling out to you to take a few (or more) skeins home.

Interviewer: Thank you for reading along with us. If you have ever talked with Lori in person or on the phone, you can probably picture her answering these questions with that familiar sparkle in her eye, the kind that seems to brighten even more when the conversation turns to yarn. Even while talking about yarns you get the sense her mind is already moving on to the next project she wants to cast on with Malabrigo.