As some of you know, I am a bit obsessed with Paris. In particular, the patisseries of Paris. Due to the fact that I have a wonderful friend who rents her apartment to me for a song, my family who are both European and American tend to meet there as a halfway point once a year. If I am lucky, when I get off the plane, I go directly to Laduree Tearoom on the Champs Elysees to have lunch before my family starts our Paris adventures.
Patisseries in Paris are palaces of beautiful confectionery. Once the doors close around me, I breathe in scents of butter, chocolate and coffee. Tartlets, cakes and meringues are displayed like jewels in delicate pastels. Walls painted in pistachio, cherry and cream with gold moldings enfold me. Is it any wonder I have longed to make a shawl inspired by the colors of French pastries?
My opportunity came at Vogue Knitting Live in New York last month. La Bien Aimée yarn was on sale at the yarn market, and I dove into the throng of fans reaching for skeins before the supply ran out. I chose four colors that reminded me of my favorite flavors: pistachio, chocolate, raspberry and apricot:
La Bien Aimee Merino Singles
What do you think of the color match?
For the design of my Laduree shawl, I chose Marya, by Ambah O’Brian. I feel the choice of pattern is vital when knitting with a single ply yarn like La Bien Aimee Merino Single, because without another ply to balance it, single ply makes a fabric that slants on a bias in simple stockinette. Also, you can see from the blurry halo surrounding the ball below that the fiber is quite fragile.
So I stayed away from stockinette shawl patterns and instead chose one with a base of garter stitch to keep that single ply contained and disciplined. The slip stitch panels in the shawl are particularly gorgeous with the luminous single-ply yarn which conveys color rather like a stained-glass window with the light behind it. Those little slip stitch “windows” are breathtaking when you see them up close.
The delicate lace between each garter section lightens it and mirrors the slip stitch. Now that is true harmony of design.
I find wraps far more wearable than triangular shawls, because you can wear them open as a shawl over a dress, or bundle them into a scarf shape for a cold, rainy day. I am really in love with my Marya shawl and plan to wear it whenever I am missing Paris!