With a Trace

I can't believe TNNA was only about a month ago.  So much has happened, and it's all good stuff.  One of our prime mission objectives was to take the plunge into the fabulous world of Shibui, which we did.  As I said in the last newsletter, I've spent a fair amount of time in the past kind of drooling over this line. It's such a beautiful aesthetic, with its clean lines and luxurious fibers, and now that we've committed, I couldn't be happier.  Shibui is about forever sweaters.  There is a very modern edge to their designs, but they remain timeless and elegant.  Everyone who has seen the trunk show has commented on this aspect.

Mary and Ginni and I each fell for a different design from the fall line - Mary is in love with Truss, a flattering turtleneck tunic,

and Ginni picked Inscribe, an easy-fitting v-neck pullover.

I was all about Trace, this beautiful oversized pullover with ribbed trim at the sides and hem.  Of course, this model is tiny tiny tiny, so there's a lot more ease in the garment on her than there will be on me, but I'm super excited about it anyway.

The original yarn for this design was a baby alpaca that has since been discontinued, and they've reworked the pattern for Maai.  the original yarn was nice, but to be truthful, I'm really glad for the change. While Maai is also primarily baby alpaca, it's spun to have lots more bounce than the original yarn.  That spin also makes Maai much lighter and easier to wear.  It's a joy to knit, and my Addi Turbos glide through the stitches with no problem at all.  

I've been working on Trace for a little over a month now, and am on the home stretch.  I can honestly say that I'm even more in love with it than when I started.  Although it's a large sweater, and I'm making the second size, it's going really fast.   Just one last sleeve to knit.

Saturday I gave it a good steam blocking which flattened out the edges and accentuate the softness of the Maai against the crispness of the Pebble/Cima trim.  Everything about this sweater is just lovely, and I can hardly wait to wear it.  I may just turn the air conditioning down to 65 degrees or so, just so I can.  Who could blame me?  

The Shibui Trunk Show is here through the August 13th.  Stop in and see it.