Tradition or Innovation?

I just returned home from a lovely time in France. Lucky me, I know! My sweet husband and I spent a week in the city of Lyon, which is my new favorite spot. Its history is truly ancient, as the oldest version of the city dates to 43 B.C.! And yet---like many beautiful places with very old roots---Lyon manages to be vibrant and fresh and exciting in the midst of complex layers of history.

We have a yarn in the shop that reminds me of Lyon:  both filled with tradition and alive with fresh energy.

The yarn is Vientos from Malabrigo. Its world-wide launch was late last week...so if this is the first you're hearing of it, rest easy.

It's a Bulky yarn spun from two plies of superwash Merino. It comes in a limited (but fabulous) array of classic Malabrigo colors---both tonal and multi-hued. The photo shows their beautiful Indicieta colorway.

Malabrigo Vientos was created to celebrate Malabrigo's 20th anniversary, with the two plies of the yarn symbolizing their two decades in business. The name "Vientos" means "winds" in Spanish, and the yarn was designed to be a thick, cozy, and expressive yarn to "defy the winds". 

But the most important thing to remember about Vientos is this: it's drop-dead gorgeous. Seriously. You would be forgiven for thinking it contained a good portion of silk within its strands. There's a quiet luminescence hovering around every skein. And I can hardly wait to get my hot little hands on it.

Malabrigo, in their infinite wisdom, launched two cowl patterns alongside their new yarn: Starship Cowl and Arcade Cowl, both by Kristel Nieves. Each takes only two skeins and will work up in a jiffy on US 9 and US 10 needles. My mind goes immediately to how gift-able these are...especially since the yarn is superwash. 

The treatment to make yarn superwash also makes it softer, so even those who worry about wearing wool can often wear superwash merino with ease. Also, my fiber-care-challenged family members will be able to put a gift into the wash (hopefully on the gentle cycle) and all will be well.

While I love tradition and rich stories of the past, I am also sometimes drawn to things new and shiny. It's a lovely sweet spot when the two come together and I can satisfy both cravings at the same time.

In the upcoming season, I hope you find ways to hold on to the traditions that you love. And may we all give ourselves permission to replace traditions that have begun to feel stifling. Because it's supposed to be fun, right?

Warmly,

Gaby