Hello, Shibui Linen.

We’re delighted to announce that we now stock Shibui Linen. Our first six colors are now in, and more are coming!

Shibui Linen is a light fingering weight yarn composed of 100% linen, with a unique chain ply structure and 246 yards on each 50 gram skein. It has that somewhat crunchy texture that many linen yarns have, but like all linen, it will soften with washing and wearing. Shibui Linen is cool to the touch, perfect for spring and summer knitting and crocheting, and makes up into a lightweight, gently draping fabric.

For Linen pattern inspiration, you might begin with the Shibui patterns, though you should not feel limited to them. Consider “Mix No. 27,” a structured two-color tank that you might have seen at last month’s Shibui Trunk Show, or “Mix No. 13,” an oversized mesh pullover knit with two strands of Linen held together throughout–no doubt an excellent layering garment for our warm climate.

Shibui yarns are designed to be used in combination with one another, two or three strands at a time. Shibui Linen definitely plays well with others, bringing its drape and texture to whatever yarn it’s paired with.

I’ve recently started knitting  a v-neck pullover with Shibui Linen and Cima held together–“Mix No. 17.” I’m loving the interplay of these two yarns, one cool and one warm, one stiff and one stretchy, and the resulting fabric is a happy medium between their two extremes. This is definitely an unusual sweater for me; I’m a devoted lover of wool yarns, with their springy elasticity, but the Linen is a nice change of pace. Also, it’s yellow, a bold color choice for this gray enthusiast. I can’t wait to wear this sweater!

Shibui Linen and Pebble are used together in “Mix No. 28,” a vest that was featured in last month’s Shibui Trunk Show. I had so much fun pairing Linen and Pebble colorways, finding colors that are close but not identical.

Pebble offers its lofty hand and tweedy appearance to the fabric, bringing textural interest to a mostly-stockinette garment.

Shibui Linen and Silk Cloud are another winning combination, but what, we often rhetorically wonder, does Silk Cloud not improve? With its fuzzy mohair and shiny silk content, Silk Cloud brings a bit of drama to the humble Linen.

Though “Mix No. 3” calls for Silk Cloud and Staccato, I predict that Shibui Linen will make an excellent Staccato substitute. Though the fiber content is quite different, the gauge is similar, and linen’s natural inclination to stretch out and hang nicely will make for an elegant shawl.

Come by the shop to see Shibui Linen for yourself! We’re so looking forward to seeing the rest of the colors we ordered, which are on backorder for the time being. I’ll be sure to post when they come in, and as usual, if there’s any color you’re looking for in particular, please let us know–we’re happy to do special orders. See you at the shop!