Belesama

I've been working on a design these past few months and bursting at the seams (not just from all the stress-eating, but with excitement) to announce it.  And today's the day!  Presenting Belesama, a collaboration with MillaMia Yarns.  I went to TNNA this past June in the hopes of putting some names to faces, and to make some new friends.  As luck would have it, I was introduced to Max and Helena of MillaMia and I immediately felt a kinship.  I plopped myself down, hypnotized by their British accents, and started talking shop.  I gushed about their beautiful childrenswear patterns and they were kind enough to tell me about themselves and their business.

The next day I popped over to their booth and I made a beeline to their limited colorways.  Lime is what caught my eye.  I'm not very good at networking or putting myself out there, but Max could sense my excitement and while I stumbled to get the words out, she offered to try to get some to me for a design.  It was still being produced, but she promised to keep in touch after the show.  My fingers were crossed tightly.

Long story short, here we are.  A long-sleeved pullover with a honeycomb textured center panel flanked by 1x1 ribbing.   

I had originally planned for something with more cables, an ode to a traditional aran-type sweater.  But the more I swatched, the more it felt like I was taking away from the real star - the color and the yarn itself.  So, I toned down the stitch patterns leaving just the simple honeycomb and ribbing, and let them speak for themselves. 

The yarn label proclaims their merino to be naturally soft, and truer words have never been printed.  When I come across very soft yarn, I can be skeptical.  Soft can sometimes mean no body, or will pill easily.  But because of the twist in this yarn, the stitch definitely is incredible and after tugging this sweater on and off a dress form and a model numerous times, not a pill in sight.  It is truly magnificient.