More new single patterns.

Posted by Julia on May 3, 2013

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about some new additions to our binders of single patterns. The shop is full of books and magazines, which often get more attention than these humble white binders. But the binders are the place to turn when you want to make a shawl without investing in a book of shawl patterns, an economical way to choose your next project. We like to freshen up the binders every once in a while, adding new patterns and replacing those that have sold. Last week, we added a bunch of new single patterns to the binders, mostly from the Fibre Company.

We first started stocking yarn and patterns from the Fibre Company last fall, after discovering them at market in June. Right now, we stock their DK weight Acadia, a luscious blend of merino wool, alpaca, and silk. Not all of these patterns call for Acadia, but rest assured, you’ll find plenty of lovely yarns at HYS that are suitable for these patterns. As long as the yarn you’re substituting can get the gauge the pattern suggests, you’re ready to cast on, even if it’s not the yarn the pattern calls for.

We’re delighted to see more Fibre Company designs in our binders, and looking forward to seeing them again this June to look at their other yarns.

We also got a handful of new patterns from Swedish Yarns, to go with two new colors of the washable aran weight Raggi. Yes, there are all kinds of interesting things lurking in the binders–from shawls to sweaters to slippers. Come by the shop to take a look!

Hexagonal Market Bag Knit-Along.

Posted by Julia on May 1, 2013

Now that Anne and I have both completed our Gemini sweaters, we’re ready for another knit-along. In keeping with the warm-weather knitting theme, we’re making market bags.

Our pattern is Laura Dianiska’s Hexagonal Market Bag, a free pattern on Ravelry. It calls for approximately 400 yards of worsted weight cotton; a perfect choice for a sturdy, workaday bag to fill with produce at the grocery store. Anne is using Louisa Harding’s Nautical Cotton, a 100% mercerized cotton yarn, and I’m using Plymouth’s Linen Isle, a blend of cotton, rayon, and linen.

We got started on Saturday, beginning with the hexagonal garter stitch base of the bag. Once the base was completed, we picked up stitches around the edge and began the oh-so-simple mesh lace pattern that makes the bag so stretchy.

Want to make a Hexagonal Market Bag of your own? Join us in this informal Knit-Along. Any sturdy plant fiber yarn should do; Nautical Cotton comes in all kinds of colors, and we have a nice selection in Linen Isle, too. Then there are the rest of the worsted weight plant fibers–Berroco Linen Jeans, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, Mirasol Wach’i, Online Linie 12 Clip, Queensland Bebe Cotsoy, and more. Come by the shop to see all the choices, and to see how Anne and I are progressing on our bags. We’ll also be posting on the Ravelry HYS group with any lessons learned along the way, just as we did while we were making our Gemini sweaters. See you at the shop!

Hello, Berroco Maya.

Posted by Julia on April 29, 2013

Recently a knitter came into the shop with a conundrum. “I want to make something summery,” she said,”but I love working with wool.” How well I relate; there is nothing like the feel of stretchy, springy, bouncy wool yarn in the hand. Plant fibers, by nature, lack elasticity, but they don’t have to stay that way. The way they’re spun and plied into yarn has a major impact on the fabric they create as well as the experience of working with them.

Maya, a new yarn from Berroco, answers this conundrum by adding a bit of alpaca to a cotton base and constructing a chainette with those fibers. 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.

Before we placed our order, Anne acquired a sample skein of Berroco Maya for us to swatch and we were both impressed.

Anne began on a US size 6 needle, feeling that the suggested US #8 would make a floppy, loose fabric. She passed it on to me and I worked up to #7, and #8, and indeed, I preferred the denser fabric created by the #6. “Let’s block it,” Anne wisely suggested, and we were so glad we did. When the Maya swatch had a chance to bathe in lukewarm water and dry flat, it transformed, creating a much more cohesive fabric. We got a gauge of 5 stitches to the inch on the #8, exactly as the ballband had suggested.

What to make with Berroco Maya? The design team at Berroco has come up with a nice little collection of accessories and warm-weather garments that take advantage of Maya’s loftiness and drape.

Look for Berroco Maya and the Berroco Maya pattern booklet next time you’re seeking a summery, yet stretchy knit. See you at the shop!

Bestsellers.

Posted by Julia on April 27, 2013

We don’t actually keep track of which books are “bestsellers” at the shop, but after a while, when we start to ask each other, “How many times have we reordered this one?” it’s clear that a favorite book has surfaced. Our most recent shipment of books was full of these favorites, these bestsellers, if you will. They’re a motley crew, running the gamut from pattern collections to technical resources, stitch dictionaries to children’s stories. These are books that Anne and I frequently recommend because they’re books we love, and use ourselves.

From the top of this stack to the bottom: we’ve offered a handful of classes on Marianne Isager’s Japanese Inspired Knits over the years, and Anne’s bright red Fan sweater made in Colinette Jitterbug has knitters reaching for this book again and again.

The ever-inspiring Stole in Isager Alpaca 2 comes from Wearwithall, a clever little collection of patterns. When people ask me what my favorite sock book is, I always recommend Clara Parkes’ incredible Knitter’s Book of Socks, for the wealth of sock-making information as well as the patterns therein. Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knit One Knit All is a favorite of mine, too–I’ve made a few things out of the book, and spent many hours just admiring her drawings, paintings, and fabulous prose.

I gave my niece a copy of Woolbur for her third birthday, the sweet and funny story of a nonconformist sheep. And that brings us to the very bottom of the pile of books I photographed as I unpacked them–Hannah Fettig’s Knitbot Essentials is there, packed with wearable, simply-styled garments, one of which Anne is currently knitting.

We also got copies of Knitter’s Companion, Cast On Bind Off, and 365 Knitting Stitches a Year back in stock. None of these books beckon knitters with pretty pictures, or garments to make; instead, they are reference books, resources we turn to when we’re unsure about a particular technique, curious about a cast-on, or seeking a stitch pattern. They all happen to be spiral-bound, which also gives an indication of their no-frills user-friendliness.

Come by the shop to browse our bestsellers, and all our other knitting and crochet books, as well. There are so many that we love to use and recommend; what are your favorites?

Back in stock: Titus.

Posted by Julia on April 25, 2013

For the past few weeks, there’s been a nearly-empty basket in the fingering weight section at the shop. Two skeins of Titus Dark have been sitting there, looking lonely, save for the knit samples tucked in with them. We were waiting for a shipment from Baa Ram Ewe, where Titus has been backordered (and Titus Light still is). This week, we welcomed back Titus in two colors: its original natural brown and the heathered charcoal of Titus Dark. Finally!

We also got a Titus pattern back in stock: Ann Kingstone’s “Baht ‘At” mitts. I knit a sample mitt, which came together surprisingly quickly, even with the tiny needles and twisted traveling stitches. It’s a little thing, but the fabric is stretchy, which makes for a satisfying, snug fit.

Come by the shop to try it on for yourself, and know that it’s available not only as a single pattern, but also as part of the Born and Bred collection, or in a kit with enough Titus to knit a pair. Whatever fits your knitterly needs. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: Malabrigo Lace and more.

Posted by Julia on April 23, 2013

I’ve been steadily accumulating show-and-tell photos over the past few weeks, snapping pictures as knitters are willing and I am able. Here’s the latest batch. It’s an eclectic mix, as ever, representing the wide range of projects that we all take on: sweaters, a shawl, and a pair of intricate fingerless mitts. Two of the above happen to be made with the same yarn, the ethereal Malabrigo Lace. Let’s start there.

Malabrigo Lace is a soft and delicate single-ply yarn that lends itself to shawls, scarves, and other garments where drapey fabric is desired.

Margie’s beautiful textured shawl in Malabrigo Lace behaves in just that way, light as a feather and gently draping. It’s made even more intriguing with the variegated colorway she chose.

One might not expect to see this dainty yarn made up into fingerless mitts, where a denser fabric is often preferred. On a smaller needle, however, Malabrigo Lace makes a more cohesive fabric, and that’s exactly what Margaretta’s Malabrigo Lace mitts showcase. And what ornate mitts they are!

Anne has completed her Gemini in Mirasol Samp’a! It’s great to see the slight difference in fabric between her Gemini and mine; Samp’a is composed of 100% organic cotton, which is somewhat softer than the Katia Linen that I used. Come by the shop to compare the two, and let that inform your yarn selection for your own Gemini tee. Look for it hanging in the front window of the shop, and feel free to try it on for size.

I finished a sweater recently, too, as those who attended the Mountain Meadow Wool Yarn Tasting can attest. Here’s my Topeka, knit in none other than Mountain Meadow Wool Cody. Cody is perhaps the stretchiest yarn I’ve worked with, which made it easy on the hands as I knit, and has me reaching for it again as I begin my next design project.

I’m so thrilled with this simple henley pullover, and with the slightly cooler temperatures that allowed me to wear it this weekend. I’ll likely make another Topeka pullover one day, and maybe even boldly depart from my favorite color: gray.

Thanks to everyone for the fabulous show and tell, and do continue bringing your finished objects to the shop to share with us! See you there.

Vogue Crochet.

Posted by Julia on April 21, 2013

More warm-weather stitching inspiration has arrived at the shop in the form of Vogue Crochet magazine.

Inside, you’ll find all kinds of things to make with yarn and hooks: sweaters and wraps, dresses and tops, bags and crocheted jewelry.

I spotted a familiar yarn in this issue, Tedman & Kvist Colina, an textured aran weight yarn composed of linen and cotton. Here, it’s been made into a sweet short-sleeved cardigan.

Come by the shop to see Vogue Crochet for yourself, and plan a springtime project. See you there!

New single patterns.

Posted by Julia on April 19, 2013

Many of you know by now to look to the teacart for the latest knitting and crochet books and magazines. When a boxful of books comes in, that’s where they go: front and center, so you’ll always see the newest publications as you enter the shop. Single patterns, however, are sorted into project categories and then filed away in binders, near the front window. It’s easy to forget about those humble binders in favor of the books and magazines, but make no mistake–we keep the single patterns updated, too, adding new designs as they surface and replenishing those that sell out.

Recently, Anne ordered a pile of patterns from Knitting Pure & Simple and Oat Couture, two sources for single patterns that are straight-forward and simply constructed. These are approachable patterns, using the most basic stitches to create classic garments for babies, children, and adults.

Many of these patterns would make great “first sweaters” for beginners, and offer more experienced knitters a jumping-off point for modifications, or a simple way to show off spectacular yarn.

Come by the shop to peruse the pattern binders, for they’re filled with project ideas. See you there!

Mountain Meadow Wool Yarn Tasting.

Posted by Julia on April 17, 2013

This past Sunday, we hosted a yarn tasting featuring four yarns from Mountain Meadow Wools. Fifteen knitters arrived with their bags full of needles, ready to swatch. As bagels were munched and mimosas were sipped, Anne told us a bit about Mountain Meadow Wool: how they got started, their environmentally-friendly practices, and the many wonderful qualities of their US-sourced merino wool. Then the sample skeins were handed out and everyone put their needles to work, casting on and knitting with a range of Mountain Meadow Wool yarns from fingering- up to bulky-weight.

In between swatches, project ideas were tossed around, colorcards were examined, and finished garments and swatches were admired.

I’d managed to finish a sweater in Mountain Meadow Wool Cody just a day before the yarn tasting, so that was passed around along with other samples from the company itself.

It was especially heartening to hear so many positive reviews of Cody, a yarn that I fell in love with after just a swatch, and only love more having spent a sweater’s worth of time with it. Cody is springy and stretchy, somehow softer on the needles than in the skein, and becomes a velvety smooth fabric, much more consistent in texture than one might expect from the slight unevenness of many 2 ply yarns.

Our generous MMW sales rep, Andrea Marquis, is also a knitwear designer, and sent along copies of her newest pattern for the yarn tasting–the Ridgeline neckwarmer is yet another great use for Cody. (If her name sounds familiar, that’s because she also designed the Range Wrap, which currently hangs in our front window.) We are so grateful to Andrea, not only for making the yarn tasting possible, but also for introducing us to Mountain Meadow Wool! After such a positive yarn tasting event, it’s safe to say that we at HYS are big fans of their yarns. Come by the shop to see Cody and consider it for your next project, and stay tuned for more MMW yarns and perhaps more yarn tastings in the future.

Back in stock: Malabrigo Rios.

Posted by Julia on April 14, 2013

We’ve been lucky this week: not one, but two boxes came to us from Malabrigo! On Friday I shared the contents of the first box, and today, I’ll share the second, which contained bag after bag of Rios.

Rios is Malabrigo’s worsted weight, superwash merino wool. It seems to be always in demand, whether for hats, sweaters, shawls, or blankets. It’s soft, beautifully hand-dyed, easy to care for, and well-priced for its 210 yard skeins. All of those qualities make it somewhat irresistible; come by to see it in person and see if you’re not tempted.

We’re especially happy to have the Azul Profundo colorway back in stock–the one I used to make Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Chambered Nautilus Tam, a sample that hangs out in the Rios cubby.

This cleverly-constructed hat is always attracting attention, for the gorgeous semisolid color as much as for the design.

Look for Malabrigo Rios in the worsted weight section next time you’re in the shop, and remember it when you’re seeking soft, washable wool. See you at the shop!