We're always excited for another Shibui trunk show! This time we've received garments made from Shibui Linen and Kavo - Shibui's new unique silk wrapped cotton-core yarn!  Almost all of the patterns in the show are available on Ravelry! A few are even free with the purchase of the yarn!



The Linen collection shows off Shibui's crisp, airy, chainette constructed yarn that just keeps getting softer as you work with it and every time you wear it.  Which is sure to be often!


  L.1 is a gorgeous striped stockinette scarf, and what makes it even better is that it's a free pattern on Ravelry!





















L.2 is a lovely looped back top, so we just had to show you both beautiful sides!  This one is available for purchase on Ravelry.



Shibui Kavo's silk and cotton combo make for a perfect drape, keeping it airy, but structured.  The silk wrap also gives it a smooth feel and lovely sheen.
K.1 is a colorblock tee that's been getting lots of love on Ravelry ... go ahead queue it up and buy the pattern!




K.2 is a free pattern when you purchase Shibui Kavo yarn!  Terry fell in love with this diagonally striped scarf in fun colors!
K.3 has a two color version, or you can choose five colors of the Kavo, and while we love this combo, it's fun to see all the other possibilities on Ravelry! Or play with your own scheme to make new color stories!  This vertically striped scarf pattern is also free with the purchase of Kavo, or you can buy the pattern on Ravelry!

If you're in the area, stop by to see these elegant tops and scarves while they are here! We send the back on November 2nd! If you can't stop by please give us a call and ask us to answer any questions you have about the garments, yarns or patterns.

The Retail Team - Gus, JenA, Jill, Matt, & Terry

 
 

Memorial Day, along with it's honoring of our country's lost soldiers, for many represents a transition into the summer season with it's outdoor activities, BBQ's, travel, and other fun warm-weather activities. It's hard to believe that summer is almost here!

I don't know about most of you, but when this warm weather hits, the last thing I want to be knitting on is a heavy woolen sweater or blanket, which is why I thought it might be nice to put together a list of items that would be warm weather appropriate and/or easy to travel with!

First up, garments. I'm refraining from knitting any of these lovelies until after I have this baby in July (hah, as if I'll actually have time to knit after that!), but I love each and every one of them. :)

This Togue Pond Tank by Pam Allen was originally knit in Quince and Co's Kestral, but since we aren't able to carry their yarn, I've got a great substitute! Berroco just came out with a similar linen-blend yarn called Linus, which would be perfect for this simple tank. I love the easy fit combined with the dropped back hem which makes the shape that much more modern. So pretty! 



The Gemini top by Jane Richmond (free on Knitty) is a great summer-weight tee! Knit in a DK weight cotton linen blend, this one can be knit in a number of different yarns! My picks would be either the Juniper Moon Farm Zooey, which would lend the pattern a little bit of texture, or the Rowan Creative Linen for a smooth and simple linen cotton blend. Either one would be lovely for this easy yet lovely tee.



I stumbled across this Shibui "Tank" on Ravelry and I couldn't help but love the simple shape and of course the pockets. Knit in Shibui Linen, this top is lightweight, simple, and perfect for wearing all summer long. Not only that, the light weight yarn won't weigh you down in the summer heat.




One item I don't often consider knitting is a skirt. I'm not really sure why, but I think I'm more worried about ruining a skirt than any other garment, so I don't think about putting the work into that large of a project. That said, the Amaranthus Skirt knit in Juniper Moon Farm Findley and Findley Dappled makes me want to change my tune. Isn't this thing stunning!?!? Two gauzy layers of lace, one solid and one variegated with a lace pattern, and this thing really swings.  



Last up in the garments category is Janna's Tunic by Grace Akhrem. This feminine tank features some cute neckline pleating and button details at the hip that make it truly unique. Classic Elite's Firefly or Bella Lino yarns would be perfect for this design which calls for a sport weight linen blend yarn. If you want a solid color, the Firefly is a good bet, whereas the Bella Lino provides some gentle self-striping throughout.



Now onto some smaller projects, perfect for weekend getaways, longer travel, camping trips, and just about anything else you can think of! 

If you are anything like me, you've got about a thousand single skeins of fingering weight yarn just lying around in your knitting stash. (Ok, well maybe not a thousand, but certainly a lot.) The Multnomah Shawlette, free on Ravelry, is the perfect one-skein shawl project that can help to knock out some of those single skeins. It takes about 412 yds, and is a simple project that you can easily do while hanging with friends or doing any other activity that doesn't require a lot of concentration. It also makes a great gift...just in case you are so inclined to begin working on some holiday knitting.

Don't have a lot of fingering weight in your stash? Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Manos del Urugury Alegria, Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock, and Cascade Heritage Silk Paints are all great options for this shawl!



Prefer knitting socks, but find your normal wool socks are too much for your summer shoes? Then these cute little knit peds - or called Skimmer Socks are perfect for wearing with all of your summer shoes! (Sandals more your thing? Check out this designer's other sock patterns. She's got plenty of toeless options to choose from too!) There is no project more portable than socks, and these are quick and easy. Plus, since you need less yarn, you can get away with just about 50 grams of sock yarn like 1 skein of Koigu KPPPM or Spud & Chloe Fine!




Lastly, a blanket project that can be knit square by square is another great summertime travel project. Since one little square doesn't weigh you down, you can knit them throughout the season and then sew the whole thing together when the weather gets cool again. I just love the Vivid Blanket from Tin Can Knits. The pattern is in the Handmade in the UK book, but it's also available for single PDF download on Ravelry as well. What is great about this blanket (aside from how stunning it is), is that the pattern includes yardage requirements and measurements for 3 different weights of yarn so you can configure your blanket based on a weight you like to work with (or what you might have plenty of in your stash.) Personally, I like DK weights for summer knitting and also as a nice lighter weight for a throw. The HiKoo Simplicity is perfect for this design because it's just the right amount of yardage per skein to one square in the pattern, is machine washable, and comes in TONS of gorgeous colors. 


I hope these projects provide you with a little summertime knitting inspiration! I know I've got my work cut out for me. :) In the meantime, enjoy your holiday weekend and happy knitting, crocheting, or crafting of your choice!

-Kristen

Silk is the fiber I'll be talking about today.  I've chosen silk because it is a unique fiber that bridges the gap between plant and animal fibers and this is where I find myself in these brief descriptions of fibers.

Silk has been used to produce fabrics for thousands of years. China was one of the earliest commercial producers and the fabrics they produced were in great demand throughout the known world.  Most of you will be familiar with the ancient trade routes that connected China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Indian subcontinent, called the "Silk Road."  If you ever get the chance to watch some of the history documentaries about the silk road you will be amazed at how much this fiber has played a role in world politics and trade!  There are still many incredible archeological discoveries being made along the ancient route.

Silks are naturally occurring protein polymers that are produced by many different kinds of insects and spiders. I found a great plain language article about Natural Polymers if you want to read more. Each species of silk producing creatures makes a silk with slightly different characteristics. The silks most commonly used by humans to produce fabrics come from only a couple of kinds of moth caterpillars known as silkworms.  Silkworms eat plants and during the course of their short lives produce and accumulate two natural polymers called fibrion, which forms the core of the silk and sericin which coats the fibrion and makes it sticky.  When the time comes they secrete these stored fluids which harden upon exposure to the air, forming cocoons in which to pupate.  I enjoyed this Youtube video: Sericulture -Life Cycle of  Silkworm.

Cultivated silk, called bombyx silk, comes from the Mulberry Silkworm, Bombyx mori.  It is especially bred to have the whitest and finest silk without the mineral accumulations that wild silkworm silks have. This species feeds only on mulberry leaves which contain no tannins that could ting the silk brown.



The other commonly seen silk is Tussah Silk which comes from wild or simicultivated varieties of silkworms which feed on different plants.  Many of the other plants contain tannins which can give the silk colors ranging from ivory to honey brown.

Silk is incredibly strong "pound for pound silk is stronger and less brittle than steel" says an article in ScienceDaily.  Several other sources concur, although it does lose up to 20% of it's strength when wet.  Silk is also not very elastic so when stretched it may not return to its original un-stretched shape. It is susceptible to damaged from too much sunlight and can be attacked by insects, especially when left dirty.  What this means for handcrafters is, be gentle when laundering silk, dry clean when possible, and don't leave in the sun to dry. Silk can absorb and release moisture making it comfortable on the skin and feels warm against the skin.  This makes it very nice for cold weather garments when wool is undesirable.

The physical structure of silk is such that there are many flat micro structures that reflect light in many different directions, giving silk it's brilliant shine.

There are two different kinds of silk that come from the same cocoon, the outer silk which is rougher and darker, which we know as raw silk. Shibui Heichi is a lovely example of raw silk yarn.  Then there is the fine silk from the inner cocoon.

Of the finer silk there are three grades;

Reeled silk is obtained by unwinding the silk in one long filament from the cocoon after it is boiled to remove the sericin.  (Yes, silkworms are killed in this process, which some take a dim view of. In most major silk producing countries these worms are used as a food source for humans. I'll leave the ethics of silk production aside for this discussion.)

Spun silk is made from either the waste from the reeling process, the inner casing, and/or from cocoons that were pierced by the moth as it was allowed to emerge naturally. One source said that 20% of the moths are allowed to emerge to lay eggs for the next generation.  This silk is cut into standard lengths then carded in preparation for spinning into yarn.

Noil silk is the left over and waste from carding & combing spun silk.  Silk noils are used to add textures and when dyed to add flecks of color to yarns, such as Rowan Summer Tweed & Plymouth Mushishi.  They can also be added to tweeds.

Knitting with silk is a little different from other fibers because of it's smooth, slippery, and fluid quality.  It can get away from you quickly.  If you usually knit on slick needles you may want to try less slippery needles or a size or two smaller than called for to keep your silk well managed. When laundering your silk, follow the yarn label instructions carefully.  If the label says to dry clean only do as it says.  Washing some silks in water can dull the sheen and cause the dye to fade or blotch.  Most hand knitting silk yarns can be hand washed though.  Do be careful as silk will felt so follow the same procedures as wool.

Choose silk when you want lots of drape in your project, it's not the best choice when you need a lot of bounce.  If you need more elasticity/stretch then choose your silk blended with a more resilient fiber like wool.  Some people find that silks catch on every little flaw in their skin, making it unpleasant to touch. If this is a problem for you, a trick that hand spinners use is to rub fresh lemon juice on your fingers while you working with it.  If that still doesn't help try sticking with Tussah silk as it's not as fine and may not catch.  Regularly using your Bar Maids Lo Lo bars will help too.  Be sure to apply while your hands are damp to seal in the most moisture then reapply as needed.

We have a few 100% silk yarns at the moment.  One of the most luscious is Debbie Bliss Luxury Silk DK and Luxury Silk Print then there are Artyarns Beaded Pearl, Beaded Pearl & Sequins, Beaded Silk Light, Silk Pearl, and Regal Silk. We also have many silk blends so check out our Advanced Yarn Search for silk and find some of my favorites like Rowan Kidsilk Haze, Cascade Heritage Silk, Noro Taiyo Sock, Shibui Staccato, Hand Maiden Sea Silk, Shibui Silk Cloud and many others! Silk Search.

I hope I didn't put you to sleep again!  As alway I hope you find this helpful and if you have further questions drop me an email at askTerry at jimmybeanswool dot com.

Terry