Norah Gaughan, vol. 14.

Posted by Julia on February 3, 2014

The latest collection of patterns from designer Norah Gaughan is now here! Take a peek inside volume 14.

For modern shapes and styles and unique garment-construction techniques, we turn to Norah Gaughan. This latest group is knit all in pale neutrals, many of them decorated in angular eyelet patterns. The shawl on the cover was knit in Berroco Maya, a lightweight blend of cotton and alpaca.

Gaughan designs for Berroco, and while we may not carry every yarn she suggests, we have many Berroco yarns and even more substitutes. Come by the shop to see the latest Norah Gaughan, and check out volumes 1-13 if you haven’t yet!

New colors in Berroco Maya.

Posted by Julia on February 1, 2014

Last April, we ordered our first bundle of Berroco Maya, a worsted weight blend of cotton and alpaca spun up into a stretchy, lofty chainette. We were delighted to learn that Maya now comes in a wider range of colors, and ordered another bundle twice the size of last year’s.

There are many pleasant qualities that set Maya apart. The combination of cotton and alpaca is soft and light, thanks in part to its chainette construction. A chainette yarn is basically a knitted tube, and the inherent stretchiness of knitted fabric transforms that mostly-cotton fiber into smooth and stretchy yarn. It also creates a loftier yarn than plant fibers usually offer, much lighter in weight than we might normally expect from a worsted weight cotton yarn. And have I mentioned: Maya is machine-washable, which makes it ideal for baby and children’s things, especially for those who live in warm climates or may be sensitive to wool.

Our big bundle of Maya also included a hand-knit sample of a lacy, cropped sweater from the latest Maya booklet.

We’re always delighted to have generous, garment-sized samples like these, because they give the best sense of how a yarn behaves in knitted fabric. Come on in and try it on for size, study the stitch definition, feel the weight and texture of the thing with your own hands.

While you’re at it, peruse the Maya booklets for pattern inspiration.

When you’re thinking warm-weather knitting, remember Berroco Maya. See you at the shop!

New colors from Shibui.

Posted by Julia on January 30, 2014

Our yarn tastings often result in mammoth orders from whatever yarn company we’ve just sampled. In part this is because we take special orders from yarn tasting attendees, but it’s also because Anne and I have a hard time resisting the urge to get a few new colors in these lovable yarns. It was no different with our recent Shibui Mix Party, and the result is new colors in all three Shibui yarns we currently carry–springy Cima, fuzzy Silk Cloud, and tweedy Pebble.

Shibui yarns are designed to be held two or three strands at a time to create unique fiber blends, and because of that, they dye all their yarn bases in matching colorways for easy mixing. There’s not an exact match for every single color in every single yarn, but they get pretty close. The use of two similar-but-not-identical colors held together also makes for an interesting effect, as I’ve learned in my recently-completed Carpino sweater.

I held Shibui Silk Cloud and Isager Highland together in the colors “Bordeaux” and “Wine,” respectively. A good match in name and in hue. When you look at the finished fabric up close, you can see the difference between the two yarns, but from a distance, they blend into a cohesive burgundy shade.

These two new colorways of Pebble give knitters a few more options when choosing colors for the Cliff Hat. We now carry 12 shades of this tweedy cashmere/silk/wool blend.

Amy is teaching an upcoming class on the Cliff hat, a nice small project for learning colorwork; read more about it and sign up on our Classes page!

We’re so pleased to see our selection of Shibui colorways growing like this. Come by the shop to see them for yourself, and to plan a project using Shibui yarns!

Mountain Colors boot-topper kits.

Posted by Julia on January 28, 2014

Another collection of knitting kits has arrived from Mountain Colors!

Based in Montana, Mountain Colors is a small yarn company that has been hand-dyeing yarn for almost twenty years. In the past couple of months, we’ve gotten Mountain Colors kits for headbands and colorwork mittens. This latest kit is for fair isle boot toppers.

Come by the shop to see all our kits from Mountain Colors and others!

Berroco Touche: now on sale!

Posted by Julia on January 26, 2014

UPDATE: As of 11/19/2014, we are totally sold out of Berroco Touche!

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It’s always bittersweet news when yarns are discontinued. On the one hand, we’re sad to see good yarns go. On the other, we’re happy to announce that said yarn is now on sale. We’re now offering Berroco Touche at over 30% off!

Touche is a worsted weight blend of cotton and rayon, which come together to make a soft, machine-washable yarn that is far from stiff–a complaint we sometimes hear about mercerized cottons. Touche is perfect for the wool-averse among us, as well as for baby and children’s things. I’ve also seen it made up into a lightweight summer top. Check out Berroco’s large collection of free knit and crochet patterns for Touche ideas; their website allows you to sort patterns by gauge, making it easy to substitute Touche for other worsted weight yarns.

Last year, I made this baby hat using one skein of Berroco Touche, with guidance from the Super Simple Hat Calculator. It’s a simple thing, just a roll brim hat knit in stockinette and finished with a little i-cord knot at the top. A quick knit, and a sample that gives a good sense of how Touche behaves in knitted fabric. Come by the shop to snag some Touche at this great price while it’s still in stock!

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted yarn. There can be no returns or exchanges, nor special orders–the discount applies only to what we currently have in stock. Thanks!

Show and tell.

Posted by Julia on January 23, 2014

The amazing finished objects just keep coming. What have knitters been making with yarns from the Hillsborough Yarn Shop lately?

Cecilia came in wearing her “Nehalem Hat” knit in Mirasol Hacho. The variegated dk weight merino softened nicely with a Eucalan soak, making a perfect fabric for a slouchy hat like this one. Note the beaded tassel!

Molly has been knitting marled cowls like these all winter, working with two strands of worsted or aran weight yarn on US #15 needles. The machine-washable aran weight Jarbo Garn Raggi has been one of the yarns in all four cowls; Molly loves the stuff.

Esther came in last weekend wearing this sunny aran pullover knit in Malabrigo Rios. Just like Rosi, she designed and knit this stunning cabled sweater with the guidance of Janet Szabo’s “Follow-the-Leader Aran Knit-along Workshop.” I am so impressed by this carefully constructed garment; Esther’s attention to detail shows in every stitch.

Here’s a work in progress: Amy’s “Sonetto Shawl” knit with Fibre Company Meadow. Amy is teaching an upcoming class on Beginning Lace, where students will work this shawl in one or two colors, learning the basics of lace knitting all the while. You can see some of those basics in action on this work-in-progress, namely, plentiful stitch markers and a lifeline. Read more about this class on our website, and sign up soon if you’d like to join–there are only a couple of spaces left!

Thanks to all you incredible knitters and crocheters who share your projects with us every day! We always love to see what you’re making.

Barbara Walker’s treasuries.

Posted by Julia on January 21, 2014

Speaking of classic knitterly tomes published by Schoolhouse Press: we recently reordered Barbara Walker’s stitch dictionaries, something we do every now and then to be sure that all four volumes are on our shelves at all times, if possible.

Barbara Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns is a treasure, indeed, a collection of stitch patterns ready to be plugged into whatever you can dream up: scarves, sweaters, blankets, socks–any and all of the things you can knit. Walker gives written instructions (and in some cases, charts) for ribbings, texture patterns, cables, lace, slip- and twisted-stitch patterns, and two-color mosaic patterns, to name a few.

A small black and white photo accompanies each stitch pattern, and Walker lists how many stitches it is to be worked over (e.g. “Multiple of 4 sts,” “Multiple of 17 sts plus 1,” or “Any number of sts”). Most also come with a short description that says how best to use said pattern, and what qualities the resulting fabric will have.

Early on in my knitting career, I recognized that these books would take me a long way, and made sure to add them all to my own little library of knitting resources. Although I was not yet skilled enough to work every pattern from these volumes, I figured that I might be, one day, and that trying a few of them here and there would be challenging and exciting, and teach me new techniques.

I pull out my Barbara Walker treasuries often, thumbing through the pages, marking those that look promising for decorating the leg of a sock, the body of a sweater, a cowl or pair of mitts. They are truly inspiring books, and I’m always happy to have them on my shelf, reminding me of the limitless possibilities of this craft. Come by the shop to add them to your own library; you’ll find them on the top shelf among the reference books.

See you at the shop!

Knitting Workshop: Updated Edition.

Posted by Julia on January 18, 2014

I’m excited to announce that Schoolhouse Press has updated and rereleased Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop, a book that is very dear to me, as are all things Zimmermann.

This new edition of her classic novice-to-master workshop has been lovingly updated by her daughter, Meg Swansen, and her grandson, Cully Swansen. Zimmermann’s original text and illustrations are intact, but the old black and white photos have been replaced by crisp color photos, and there are more of them. Editors’ notes are sprinkled throughout, chiming in just when clarification is needed, or extra information could help. Perhaps most importantly, some of Zimmermann’s patterns, tacked on in an appendix in the original book, have been updated, with additional sizes and information about gauge and materials used.

So what does Zimmermann teach in her Knitting Workshop? Pick up this book and you’ll learn all kinds of things, including but not limited to: how to wind yarn into a ball, cast on, increase and decrease, measure gauge in the round, work with two colors at once in stranded patterns, design and knit seamless sweaters, and graft live stitches together, among many other tips and techniques. Yes, Knitting Workshop can keep you busy for a good long time.

I’ve written about this on the blog before, but it bears repeating: Elizabeth Zimmerman’s books are some of my favorites because they liberate knitters from patterns, encourage experimentation, and urge you to be the boss of your own knitting. Elizabeth’s percentage system (“EPS”) for designing seamless sweaters in any gauge, along with the chapter in Knitting Workshop on seven seamless shoulder shapings, is largely responsible for my love of sweater knitting, and especially for my willingness to forge ahead rather than let some needles and wool intimidate me.

Nancy is teaching a class on the subject starting in February, working from this updated Knitting Workshop to knit a seamless sweater with the yoke shaping of your choice–read all about it and sign up on our website.

It has been so lovely to revisit Knitting Workshop and to read Elizabeth Zimmermann’s words again, for her voice and sensibility (and sense of humor!) are always a pleasure. I can’t recommend this book highly enough! Come by the shop to page through it, and if it seems like your kind of book, do browse the Elizabeth Zimmermann/Schoolhouse Press shelf, as well–all of Zimmermann’s books are wonderful, and Meg Swansen and Amy Detjen’s Knitting with Two Colors is also a favorite.

See you at the shop!

Knitter’s Pride blocking wires.

Posted by Julia on January 16, 2014

Blocking is a frequently recurring subject of conversation around the shop. What is blocking, and why do we do it? And perhaps more importantly: how do we do it? Many knitters are unsure about this last step, afraid they’ll somehow do it wrong and ruin their shawls or sweaters. Let us assure you: blocking is nothing to be afraid of, but simply the act of washing your finished piece and laying it out to dry. This resets the memory of the yarn, and can help to even out tension, open up lace patterns, and tweak the dimensions of your piece. Different kinds of projects require different blocking techniques. Sometimes it’s enough to smooth your knitted or crocheted fabric into shape with your hands and let it dry, and other times, you’ll want to pin it out to very specific measurements. For lace shawls and scarves, you may want a special tool to assist you: blocking wires.

We now carry Knitter’s Pride Lace Blocking Wire Kits, which feature stainless steel wires in two lengths, T-pins for holding them in place on your blocking surface, and measuring tape to check the dimensions of your piece as you block.

For more information on blocking with and without blocking wires, check out these helpful tutorials:

“Using Blocking Wires To Block A Lace Shawl,” from Interweave’s “Knitting Daily” blog
“Block Party,” by Sandi Rosner, from Twist Collective

Also, designer and knitwear photographer Caro Sheridan suggests using blocking wires to help install a zipper on a knitted sweater–clever! Check out the “Techniques and tutorials” board on the HYS Pinterest page for more links to knitting and crochet how-to’s.

Come by the shop to pick up a set of blocking wires, and banish your fear of blocking at last. See you there!

Shibui Mix Party.

Posted by Julia on January 14, 2014

On Sunday, we hosted a Shibui Mix Party, featuring samples of three Shibui yarns.

In between sips of mimosas and bites of bagels, knitters and crocheters worked up swatches in Cima, Pebble, and Silk Cloud, sharing pattern ideas as they stitched.

Many of Shibui’s patterns call for their yarns to be combined, two or three strands at a time, to create unique fiber blends and different gauges, and that yarn mixing was the activity of the day.

Our Shibui samples were passed around, tried on, and petted, and we all had a good time putting color combinations together for some of Shibui’s beautiful patterns. Anne and I shared two works in progress using Shibui yarns: her Mix No. 19 made with two strands of Silk Cloud, and my Carpino made with Isager Highland and Silk Cloud. So many amazing projects were planned, garments and accessories alike–I am so looking forward to seeing them emerge, stitch by stitch!

It was a delightful morning, spent chatting and laughing with a great group of people, enjoying each other’s company as much as the yarns. Come by the shop to see all our Shibui yarns and patterns, and consider them for your next project. Stay tuned for more yarn tastings –and more from Shibui– in the future!