Get this show on the road

Here in Portland, Oregon, the weather has taken a decided turn to the autumnal mode. While we’d all love to take a road trip to sunnier climes, we’re also happy to stay here and pack up the beautiful boxes of Shibui that get to see other parts of the country...and the world.

After a very successful stint at Knit Purl, downtown Portland’s favorite LYS, our Luxury, Sock, Argyle, and Baby trunk shows are hitting the road. While at Knit Purl, the sumptuous samples helped book and yarn sales soar; over 50 Socks booklets left, usually accompanied by a few skeins of Staccato or Sock; and nearly 100 Luxury booklets were sold. Needless to say, Silk Cloud, Baby Alpaca, and Staccato sales were off the chart! 

To help avoid the dreaded same-as-sample-itis (you know what we mean; when everyone who comes in MUST make the pattern in the exact same colourway as the sample garment.....), we’ve had our army of knitting elves swatch a variety of combinations of fiber and colour. We’ve put these together in a neat little booklet that will accompany the Luxury trunk show, and will help customers visualize different opportunities to make a garment that is uniquely their own.  Here are some of the many samples made blocking before they joined the show:

To schedule a trunk show for your shop, contact Lindsay at lindsay(at)shibuiknits(dot)com. She’ll let you know what slots are available for a two week showing. As the holidays approach, all three of these packages highlight items that make perfect holiday gifts or just provide a bit of a treat for the knitter during the cooler months to come.

- Kristin F.

Sock On This

It may seem arbitrary, looking in from the outside, but we do have a plan at work here.  In fact, the release of our upcoming booklets Shibui Luxury and Shibui Socks is so organized that we have spreadsheets with dates, locations, and all sorts of other serious information.

But that isn't half as interesting as a lot of other topics like, oh, pretty pictures and my own brand of introspective color theory.  I was browsing ravelry (looking for new Shibui projects to admire) and found quite a few that are worth fav'ing:

• Murf's TINY Tea Leaves Cardi, knit with Shibui Sock in 'Mulberry'
• Knittimo's Wisp, knit with Shibui Silk Cloud in 'Mulberry'
• Nonsie's Girasole, knit with Shibui Sock in 'Wasabi'
• Erron's Swallowtail Shawl, knit with Shibui Silk Cloud in 'Mulberry'
• Annika72's Friedas Decke, knit with Shibui Sock in 'Orchid', 'Peony', and 'Wasabi'

Which tells me one of two things, either: a) 'Mulberry' and 'Wasabi' are the bestest colors ever as far as our loyal knitters on ravelry are concerned; or, b) I only noticed the projects knit in red-violet or green yarn.  Let's hope it's (a).

But even if you're not tickled pink by 'Mulberry' and 'Wasabi', you should try browsing the Projects pages (all 458 of them!) for Shibui yarns on ravelry.  It's amazing to see what people have been making with our yarns.  And quite inspiring, too.  I've found many new patterns to try that way.

Speaking of inspiring patterns on ravelry, did you know that Shibui Luxury and Shibui Socks are now in the ravelry database as sources?  Not all the patterns have been added (see first paragraph re: schedule), but expect to see a new pattern every couple of days or so.

You'd better believe I went and clicked that little heart button the moment Eustacia was up (shown above).   I just love this pattern.  It's so sensual looking.  And the way the fabric feels?  Oh... my.  I helped Kristin block the sample shown in the booklet and that was an decadent experience I won't forget soon.  Staccato and Silk Cloud really do make for a dynamic duo.

And not just for enveloping wraps, either.  See Isabella:

A pair of bedsocks worthy of the Medici.  Silk?  Check.  Merino?  Also check.  And add the softest kid mohair available to give the pair a subtle halo and super-fuzzy feel.  Now, Isabella isn't on ravelry... yet.  But I have it on good authority (thank you, again, schedule) that the pattern will be up soon.

We do, however, have two more patterns from Shibui Socks that are on ravelry.  The first, Willamette:

Were knit with Sock in 'Marine' and they feature a modified half-linen stitch pattern that does really cool things with hand-painted yarn.  The socks are mirrored because the designer is ever so slightly OCD.  (Ahem.)  Then we have Alameda:

Knit with Staccato in 'Green Apple'.  This pattern has three sizes (Child, Woman's Man's) and is shown in both adult sizes in the booklet.  You can see more pictures on ravelry.  The design features seed rib, making it perfect for almost anyone.  Men, women, children, you name it.  It's a great simple sock that won't bore you to tears while knitting it and that the recipient will actually wear when it's done.

As of 4:30pm PDT, six of the ten patterns from Shibui Socks are on ravelry.  But you can only get a sneak peek at what's coming next here...

Waterfront.  Just don't tell anyone I told you.  And be sure to act surprised when it pops up.

But now I must away.  Until next time, stay cool!
~ Sara M.

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.

Baby Knits

My nephew, Tim, and his wife, Michelle, are expecting their first child in October. When Michelle emailed me that they were expecting, I was thrilled. This is the first child in the family that lives somewhere where hand-knits are needed for more than a couple days a year, i.e. when you throw the kids in the car for a day in the snow. The rest of the family lives in the central valley of California, where Tule fog can settle in for months of cat-paw gray, not with the bone chilling cold that rain and snow bring to Maryland and Oregon. For years I have had pent-up baby knitting energy (especially little girl baby knitting) so, even though we don't know if a girl or boy is coming, I am defiantly leaning my knitting choices towards a baby girl.

The joys of baby knitting are many... small projects, fast knitting, fun colors and, as long as you don't make something too tiny, projects guaranteed to fit the child eventually. First on the list is a Vintage Baby Cardigan in Zinnia Sock. With just a touch of pink in the midst of yellow, orange, green and red, it will work for either a boy or a girl as long as you choose your buttons carefully.

Add frogs, not flowers, or maybe an i-cord inchworm crawling along the bottom edge, and you have a boy-friendly knit. You can make it simple, or even embellish it with all sorts of ribbons and buttons. Since I am closing in on finishing my Vintage Baby Cardigan before I see Michelle and Tim on Sunday, it time to run over to the Button Emporium for a treasure hunt. I will be sewing in the ends on my red-eye flight tonight. (You might just see me at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival!)

After all these years of admiring baby patterns wistfully, I have a whole list of projects for TMB (Tim+Michelle= Baby). Jared Flood's Girasole in Butter Staccato for a Christening blanket, our Baby Leggings, the pullover from Shibui Baby, and maybe even the Shibui Baby Romper in Cranberry Sock for Christmas. I shall leave booties to other knitters, since they drive me to distraction, and wait to see about the little girl dresses until we have confirmation.

But that must wait until later.  I have to run and catch my flight now, in order to see all y'all at the MS&WF this weekend!  Until next time, ponder those baby knits.