Incoming!

Wow, a very large shipment of yarn surprised us today (we weren't expecting it until Friday or later...) and so we (mostly Marj) have been scurrying around, trying to get it unloaded and divvied up for our customers with back orders.  But, rest assured, that we now have quite a back stock of Merino Worsted (our 2nd most popular yarn, after Sock):

As well as EVERY SINGLE COLOR of Staccato.  For you knitters who, like myself, have been mourning the recent paucity of Staccato, rejoice in our new overstock!

And since we're kind of overwhelmed by so much yarn, so very early, we're going to distract you from our lack of content today with some more beautiful sneak peeks from our upcoming booklets, Shibui LUXURY and Shibui SOCKS:

Shown above is Elizabeth (the pattern, not the model) from Shibui LUXURY.

Which, incidentally, will be available at Sample It (TNNA Columbus) in THREE colors!

Shown above are the Ainsworth Socks from Shibui SOCKS

Which also will be available at Sample It (in three colors, as well)!

Both photos were taken last week at our super-secret photoshoot location, which we mentioned in April.  Coming next week, we'll post the winners of the Caption This Image contest we posted, again, in April.  Look for it (and some more sneak peeks!) next Wednesday.  Until then, stay shibui!

~ Sara M.

Step Gingerly

The big boy yarn companies have whole departments that figure out what each new book is going to look like and what patterns are going into it but here at Shibui we have a much more organic approach to creating. Every Tuesday we have our “Shibui Meeting” at our IKEA table with tea and lattes. It is a very small we: Darcy,(the owner), myself, Kristin,(our designer editor), Jenny,(our graphic/design anything person) and Sara, (web and marketing). We start out civilized by taking turns around the table, each telling what we are working on, but we soon errupt into “what about this idea”.

A few weeks ago we were talking about locations for the photo shoot for our to new pattern books, Shibui Luxury and Shibui Sock, that will be released at TNNA in June. Throwing out ideas like Jamison Park, Downtown, Park Blocks etc and each was greeted with some kind of “that won't work,” “thats been done”or “can we do that” when finally the clouds parted as Kristin's farm was suggested. Juxapostion is a big idea here at Shibui, and Kristin's farm sits right next to the Colombia and across the channel from Portland's industial port area. We wanted to move away from the sometimes sterile feel of studio shoots, so this was perfect. We have several Kristin's in the Shibui universe and Kristin of the farm works upstairs at Shibui's retail cousin, Knit Purl. In her spare time, she grows cider apples and raises gorgous long-curly haired cattle on Sauvie's Island about 30 min from Portland on the Columbia. No papers to sign, no cost and green rolling hills too.

So last week our meeting moved from the IKEA table to the cow pasture, because we had to see the new baby calf, check out the barn for location, and admire the espalier apples that were just starting to bud. I'm happy to say that everyone remained standing in the juicy cow pasture that is de riguer during spring in the northwest. Most of us are city girls or our farm days are a distant memory from our youth so we were all a little out of our element as we gingerly stepped around the cows and their deposits. I know I was giggling to myself about our rag-tag group and the cows though we were very interesting to look at too. I can hardly wait to see their curiosity piqued when we start shooting in early May. I'm sure there will be some great behind-the-scene shots to be shared that day too.

We would like to invite you to caption the photo of our little outing and the winnes will receive a gift of
Shibui yarn in one of our new colors arriving in June. Self deprecation is an art, so make us laugh.



Marjorie