5 things I learned at the Shibui Mix Party

The Shibui Mix Party last night was lots of fun.  We had two full tables of knitters mixing and swatching, and I thing everyone had a great time and learned a lot.

Here are 5 things I learned

1. Everything is better carried with a strand of Silk Cloud - it bumps up the gauge, creates a lovely halo, and protects more delicate fibers. 
2. Maai looks great at almost any gauge - it's native gauge is 22 stitches/4 inches, but a customer swatched in on a US size 10 for a gauge of about 13 stitches/4 inches, and it's amazing.  Still bouncy, but super light and lofty.
3. Linen + Rain would make a perfect grass skirt - an expensive one, but if that's your thing.  Point is that balance is key to blending fibers.  Pairing a crisp yarn with a soft yarn is better than two crisp yarns together.
4. Staccato is fantastic - just the right amount of silk for luster, and a huge color range.  We just ordered every color.  Every. Single. One. 
5. Heritage chocolate nonpareils make the perfect snack for swatching.  I recommend the dark chocolate variety.  For the antioxidants, you know.  

We also tried on the garments from the current Shibui Trunk Show.  The standout projects were Etch, a smart short-sleeved top in Linen and Cima, and Tier, a lightweight scarf worked with 2 skeins of Twig - pattern is free with the yarn.  If you haven't seen this trunk show, stop by First Friday and have a look.  Really nice stuff.  

Here are a few photos from the party.