Blog
Published March 26, 2024 | By Julia
Spring is here – time to reach for plant fiber yarns! Meet our newest arrival, Cascade Botanika.
Cascade Botanika:
- sport weight
- speckled with natural dyes
- 100% organic cotton
- 328 yards/100g
- $12.50 each
Botanika is a soft and smooth organic cotton yarn, dyed with natural pigments sourced from plant leaves, roots and flowers. We have six speckled colors, dyed with the likes of indigo, madder, marigold, and mulberry leaf.
What to make with Botanika? Here are some pattern ideas in adult sizes:
Soft, smooth, machine washable cotton is ideal for baby things, too – here are a few patterns to consider:
Look for Cascade Botanika in the sport weight section here at HYS, along with other plant fiber yarns, like Kelbourne Woolens Skipper, Mojave, and Cascade Ultra Pima Fine!
Published February 12, 2014 | By Julia
The Fibre Company have just published a new collection of 5 accessory patterns, each of which calls for just one skein of the luxurious Canopy Worsted. Say hello to Weekenders. Canopy Worsted is a soft and slightly shimmering blend of 50% alpaca, 30% merino wool, and 20% bamboo, with 200 yards to each 100 gram … [more]
Published February 10, 2014 | By Julia
Back in December, holiday gift-shoppers wiped out our supply of Wool Trees. I’m happy to report that we now have them back on our shelves, in both maple and walnut. These handsome, hand-crafted yarn-ball controllers are exactly the kind of small luxury that one might deny oneself, which makes them perfect gifts. Remember Wool Trees … [more]
Published February 7, 2014 | By Julia
It’s time for more show and tell! Here are some finished pieces that began their lives as HYS yarns, many of which I photographed over the course of just one busy Friday. I’m so impressed not only by the projects themselves, but also by the wide variety. From lace weight shawls to bulky cowls, and … [more]
Published February 5, 2014 | By Julia
Malabrigo is a small yarn company out of Uruguay that is well known for its soft merino yarns, and their vivid, hand-dyed colorways. Many designers publish patterns with Malabrigo yarns, and a quick Ravelry search reveals that many thousands of knitters and crocheters have made projects with these yarns at one time or another. We … [more]
Published February 3, 2014 | By Julia
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 … [more]
Published February 1, 2014 | By Julia
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 … [more]
Published January 30, 2014 | By Julia
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 … [more]
Published January 28, 2014 | By Julia
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. … [more]
Published January 26, 2014 | By Julia
UPDATE: As of 11/19/2014, we are totally sold out of Berroco Touche! ************************************************************* 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! … [more]
Published January 23, 2014 | By Julia
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 … [more]