Me & Milo Together Again: My New Collaboration With Manos Del Uruguay

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This may be one of my favorite collaboration projects ever and I am honestly having a hard time containing my excitement enough to even type this up. Let me start here: I LOVE MANOS DEL URUGUAY Fibers. Period. This is my second design collaboration with Manos Del Uruguay Milo and it is still mind blowing that I get to work with them. So let me take some time to tell you why and then you too can fall in love.

Manos Del Uruguay has been a creative fair trade leader for over 40 years. Started by a cooperative of women, who became the first to fully fund a local kindergarten in their town, Manos is more than just great yarn. The brand and company represent the very ethos this blog is about: feeding and seeding back into the community.

On top of that awesome mission, their yarns are simply drool worthy. I have not tried them all yet, but I plan to. Currently continuing my love affair with Milo which is an incredible merino wool & linen blend. The fiber is so interesting because it works up creating a textile that is soft and comfortable and luxurious and just a delight to wear. Milo creates a drape that is luxurious and perfect for any garment.

This design is inspired by the history of Manos Yarns. I wanted to create a piece that has texture and shape but  can be for every woman. A piece that can celebrate the journey. I named it the Montevideo Pullover simply as a tribute to how Manos del Uruguay began in 1968 at a local market in the city of Montevideo. I knew what I wanted to create and feel I have achieved it.

In the beginning I was torn about whether to crochet or knit to create my vision. But after a few swatches I knew crochet was the ticket.

I wanted to create something where the maker and wearer could have fit options. Some may wear it as a snug fitted dress. Some a loose winter dress with boots. Some as a pullover poncho. I wanted to crate something that could be as diverse as those who would create and wear it. Crochet allowed me to have that flexibility exactly as I had envisioned.

The textile and fabric came together like a dream. I added in a few details to give it that little something special. I had recently been experimenting with random pops of stitch changes and this was the perfect project to put that into action. I love how it came out.

This design came together over a few months and of course took on a path of its own. It is quite a gift that I had some personal travel planned during the same time I was working on this project because it inspired the stitches along the way. So yes, this design has some miles on it. I worked on it in New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago and many places in between.

I could not be more pleased with how this design came out. It is more than I envisioned. It is more than I hoped. It is truly a design for every woman and I think that celebrates what the Manos Del Uruguay mission is all about: making something for ALL!

Thank you again to the Manos Del Uruguay team for allowing me the honor of this collaboration.

And because I love it so much and I know you will too I am offering up the Free Pattern on the blog. Want me to make you one? OK - order it here!