After hanging up the phone with Shannon and Jason, more commonly known as the Shibaguyz, I started to realize how lucky I had been to catch a glimpse of their day to day lives. Shannon, the designer and knitter of the two, has quite the repertoire of designs, ranging from almost every knitting magazine to companies like Tahki and Berroco. And Jason, the experienced photographer and finisher of the team, seems to be able to accomplish almost anything. But in their newest endeavor: a pattern booklet, that unexpectedly pairs design and fit, something almost unheard of in this knitwear society. Where sizes often seem added mechanically to expand the size range, patterns seem to neglect to show off the larger sizes. This team has done it again.
Moonstruck, an appropriate name for a uniquely designed and romantic collection. Besides the vast sizing and sized examples, (Most pieces are shown in two different sizes and go up to 5X. Can you believe they knitted the same thing twice!?!) the Shibaguyz paired their endeavor with a company they truly believe in- a yarn company, that not only has yarn they love, but a company that gives back to those in need. Mango Moon, works with a Nepali Women’s Empowerment Group and a spinners’ co-op in Indonesia that create yarns that are colorful and fun, and that help improve the lives of the artisans who spin it. They range from colorful and beaded novelties to lustrous merinos hand dyed using native plant dyes.
Put these two companies together and, of course, something exciting has hit the knitting world. Below are my top three favorite designs. While Deva, is my all time fave, (I can not wait to knit this) there are so many wearable and stylin’ tops to add to your wardrobe.
DEVA(licious)
Elara
Knit in Mango Moon Silk Ribbon
theblackstitch 