A few weeks ago I was contacted by the folks over at Stitchcraft Marketing to see if I would be interested in knitting something from the Louet Spring 2016 Collection featuring their Euroflax yarn. I browsed the collection and requested to knit either Zambra by Susanna IC or Tallahassee by Kristen TenDyke.
Louet generously sent me the Zambra pattern and my choice of Euroflax colors to knit the pattern. I selected Crabapple, Soft Coral and Champagne.
Zambra is actually two shawl patterns by Susanna IC. The first is a crescent shawl that is knit using three colors/three skeins. The second is a rectangular stole knit using similar pattern stitches and two skeins of one color. I opted to knit the crescent version.
The pattern is impeccably written including written instructions and charts. The format took a bit of getting used to as the patterns of stitches needed for both the crescent and the stole are in the middle of the instructions, but once I figured it out it was clear sailing. The crescent shawl makes use of a number of needle sizes, starting with smaller needles, and switching to larger needles as you move to the lace sections. This means that the outer edges of the shawl are nice and open and airy.
The Euroflax itself was very nice to work with. Although it isn’t super soft, it is well spun and not too splitty. I was most intrigued by the finishing directions: the labels instruct that once you finish your garment you should put it in the washer, and if you so desire, the dryer to soften the linen. I do know that linen gets softer with each wash and wear over time. After running a test swatch through the washer and dryer, I went ahead and ran my shawl through the whole cycle twice and the shawl is indeed much softer and has more drape after the treatment. I finished with a spray block to open the lacework.
I couldn’t be more pleased with this item and look forward to shopping for Tallahassee for a summer knit. The only question is, with so many great colors, how will I choose which to use?
A special thank you to Stitchcraft Marketing and the folks at Louet who sent me the pattern and accompanying yarn (retail: $85.35) for free. I received no other compensation for this review. All opinions and photos are my own.