Show and tell: sweaters.

Posted by Julia on September 11, 2016

For me, there’s something very special about sweaters. I love making them because the process changes every few inches–different stitch patterns, needle sizes, new shaping, parts, and pieces keep it interesting throughout. Here are some of the finished sweaters we’ve seen at the shop recently, all of whom started life as skeins of yarn on our shelves.

Here Rosi models her “Sonora,” knit with two strands of Shibui Pebble and one strand of Shibui Linen held together throughout. Rosi knit this beautiful, wearable top last year, but I didn’t get a chance to capture it until just a few weeks ago. I love this mustard yellow color, and I love seeing multiple yarns put together to create a unique fabric. Bravo, Rosi!

Here’s Leslie’s “Sundottir,” knit in Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed and Swans Island Natural Colors Merino Worsted. Colorwork yokes like this are my passion and my weakness – this just looks like so much fun to knit!

I finished a summer top not long ago, “Dafne,” by Julie Hoover, knit in the discontinued-but-still-in-stock Berroco Linen Jeans. I was moved to knit this by the exquisite armhole shaping, an esoteric inspiration, perhaps, but one that proved satisfying in the knitting.

Baby sweaters are just as fun to knit as adult sweaters, and so much faster! Here’s Paula’s “Milly Tank Top,” knit in Ewe So Sporty.

Thanks to all the sweater knitters who begin their projects at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! To those whose first sweaters are still ahead of them, we offer encouragement and support–we’re happy to help along the way!

Show and tell: summer shawls, part two.

Posted by Julia on July 9, 2016

Time for a second round of summer shawl show and tell! Here are some colorful shawls that started life as yarns on our shelves.

This one is a work in progress, a shawl-to-be on Amy’s needles as she prepares to teach a class on the subject. The pattern is “Dreambird KAL,” and Amy is knitting it with Shibui Staccato in the background, the solid black setting off the self-striping Kauni Effektgarn to great effect.

Catherine came in recently with this beautiful “Chevron 15” shawl, knit in two shades of Isager Alpaca 2.

The fabric is soft and light, and the surprising combination of bold chartreuse and soft teal works so well. Catherine has knit many shawls with this alpaca/merino blend, coming back to it again and again, a high form of praise in a world full of lovely yarns.

Loretta started this “Quill” in a class here at the shop, working with the sport weight Berroco Ultra Alpaca Lite.

This 5 color shawl is large enough to be considered a blanket, and looks cozy and classic in neutral shades, punctuated by a nice deep red.

Thanks to the many knitters, crocheters, weavers, and other fiber artists who use yarns from our shop in their creations; we love seeing what you make. More show and tell to come!

Hello, Pom Pom Quarterly.

Posted by Julia on July 6, 2016

One of our most exciting finds at TNNA this year was a magazine. Most of our TNNA orders wont arrive til August or later, but this one we received right away, selling out and reordering in less than a week. Just what is this exciting new publication? Meet Pom Pom Quarterly!

I’d heard of Pom Pom Quarterly before our trip to market, seen patterns from this pretty publication pop up on Ravelry, but I’d never held it in my hands.

As the Pom Pom founders and editors point out on their website, knitters are a tactile bunch, and to that end, they’ve made sure that the physical product is something very special. From the paper quality to the size of the magazine, Pom Pom is a pleasure to peruse. It also comes with a download code for the digital edition, so you can have it both ways.

Then there’s the content, which is just as thoughtfully created. Pom Pom features patterns, tutorials, and articles on knitting, crochet, and other crafts, along with the odd recipe, personal essay, or other surprise. The photography is beautiful, the designs are fresh, modern, and wearable, and the tone of the whole publication is enticing and inspiring.

I spotted some familiar yarns, too; the “Red Bud Isle” tank above is knit in Berroco Modern Cotton, and “Thornett” below calls for Isager Bomulin.

The Summer 2016 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly is back in stock and going fast – hurry in, or give us a call at (919) 732-2128 if you’d like to claim a copy!

Show and tell: stripes and colorwork.

Posted by Julia on April 30, 2016

We’re back with another round of show and tell! Here are some of the finished projects we’ve had the good fortune to admire lately, all of whom began as yarn on our shelves. Today, let’s look at projects featuring stripes and colorwork.

Paula knit this “Chevron Baby Blanket” with Berroco Modern Cotton, modifying the pattern a bit to knit at a slightly smaller gauge. She swatched to figure out how wide each pattern repeat would be with her yarn, then added stitches to her cast-on so that her blanket would come out the desired size.

Paula also finished this “wwwww #1” recently, a lined headband by Kate Davies. Paula used Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift for the colorwork exterior, and soft-as-can-be Shibui Maai for the lining. Nicely done, Paula!

Margaretta recently knit Elizabeth Zimmermann’s classic “Baby Surprise Jacket” with Fibre Company Canopy Worsted, and used her leftovers to make a “Boston Whaler” hat. I love her unexpected combination of sage green, steely gray, and bright fuschia, especially with those perfect pink buttons!

Margaretta has also been working on General Hogbuffer’s “Slippery Slope Socks,” using the solid CoopKnits Socks Yeah! and the self-striping Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball. Since I snapped this picture of the first finished sock, she’s completed the pair, and plans to make another with different colors.

Judie’s “Wildheart” shawl was also knit with self-striping yarn, Cutthroat Yarn Gradient BFL. She added a picot bind-off to an otherwise unadorned edge; a little something that I think makes the whole shawl shine.

Thanks to the talented knitters who shared their work with us today, and to all the fiber artists who begin their projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We love seeing what you’re working on!

Show and tell: cowls.

Posted by Julia on February 8, 2016

Everyone’s knitting needles have been busy lately, it seems; we’ve seen so many beautiful finished projects over the past couple of weeks. I’ve captured some of them to share with you here on the blog, and of my current collection, about half are cowls. Let’s devote this post to what has become one of the most popular knitted items, the cowl.

Paula spotted “Sherri’s Cowl” on our blog last month, and came by to pick shades in Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran and Shibui Silk Cloud for a pink-loving friend. It knit up in no time on US #17 needles, and before long, she was back with the finished cowl to show us how it came out.

Sherri has been making more “Sherri’s Cowls,” as well, and came by with a stack of five, all of which were knit with the discontinued Araucania Azapa, a sale trunk splurge that had been sitting in her stash waiting for the right pattern. She made the cowl above holding Azapa with two shades of Schulana Kid Seta, a lace weight mohair and silk blend. The cowls below are both made with the same pale green shade of Azapa, but Sherri knit it together with Silk Cloud in a cool gray for the cowl on the left, and a warm beige for the cowl on the right.

Intrigued by the color study of the pair above, Sherri knit another pair of cowls using pink Azapa as the base, shown below. The cowl on the left is a low contrast combination of pink Azapa and pink Schulana Kid Seta, and the cowl on the right is a high contrast combination of pink Azapa and black Sandnes Garn Silk Mohair. The low contrast color combination creates a blended effect, looking rather solid from a distance, while the high contrast color combination makes a marled fabric.

Hazel came in on a chilly afternoon wearing her “Willow Cowl,” knit with another skein from our sale trunk, Araucania Itata. This is a nice fitted cowl pattern to keep in mind for fingering weight yarn; I’ve seen a few knit in Malabrigo Finito that are equally lovely.

Brooke brought in her second-ever finished knitting project, “A Gray Loop” knit with Berroco Ultra Alpaca. Nicely done!

Linda fell in love with this singular shade of Malabrigo Mecha, and knit this cozy “Cabled Cowl” using two strands held together. She came back for more Mecha to make a matching hat, which speaks to the pleasantness of knitting with this buttery soft bulky weight yarn.

Thanks to all these cowl-makers who shared their projects with us, and to all the knitters, crocheters, weavers, and fiber artists who start their projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We love seeing what you’re making! Keep your eyes on the blog for another round of show-and-tell soon. In the meantime, see you at the shop!

Back in stock: Berroco Modern Cotton.

Posted by Julia on January 30, 2016

Earlier this week, a particularly large box arrived from Berroco, filled with over 40 pounds of Modern Cotton. Since its debut in Spring 2014, Modern Cotton has become a staple here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, so we picked up some of the newest colors and replenished our supply of old favorites. We now have an impressive 25 colors on our shelves!

Modern Cotton is a worsted weight blend of 60% cotton and 40% rayon, perfect for warm-weather knit and crochet projects, or year-round for those allergic to wool.

Modern Cotton is soft in the hand, machine-washable, and affordable, to boot. All of those qualities make it well-suited to blanket-making. Knitters, consider “Chevron Baby Blanket,” “Saurey,” “Hydrangea,” or “Super Easy Crib Blanket.” Crocheters, try “Ripple Blanket,” “Vintage Crocheted Throw & Afghan,” “Oh, the Places You’ll Go Baby Blanket,” or “Crochet Super Easy Baby Blanket.”

Beyond blankets, Modern Cotton will do well in any pattern calling for worsted weight yarn where the drape of plant fibers is welcome. For adult garments, check out Berroco Modern Cotton Women, a collection of patterns by Amy Christoffers featuring sweaters and accessories knit in Modern Cotton. Don’t miss “Watson,” “Carioca,” “Sanpoku,” and “Admit,” free patterns from Berroco for three cardigans and a tank, respectively. Follow us on Pinterest for even more worsted weight pattern ideas!

Look for Berroco Modern Cotton in the worsted weight section here at the shop. See you there!

KnitScene.

Posted by Julia on January 4, 2016

Just when cold weather finally begins here in North Carolina, the Spring 2016 issue of KnitScene arrives.

This issue features lots of yarns that can be found at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop.

A hat in Swans Island Natural Colors Merino Fingering, a shawl in Fibre Company Road to China Lace, a cardigan in Berroco Artisan…

I also spotted a sweater in Rowan Pure Wool Superwash DK, along with a tutorial showing how to create those vertical stripes with crochet slip stitch.

Designer Amy Christoffers penned another handy tutorial, showing how to pick up stitches.

Look for KnitScene on the teacart here at the shop! See you there.

Recent books.

Posted by Julia on November 30, 2015

Over the past few weeks, a couple of new books have arrived here at the shop, each with its own unique tone.

Courtney Spainhower’s Family Friendly Knits is full of practical garments and accessories for children and adults, and has a rustic, wholesome look. Look here for tweedy sweaters for fall and winter, practical pieces for layering in transitional seasons, and colorful cold-weather accessories.

These “Choose Your Own Adventure” hats are knit in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, a favorite yarn of mine that we now have in more colors than ever. I love that this pattern encourages the knitter to improvise a bit when it comes to the color choice and assignment, stitch pattern, and other elements, like Latvian braids and pom-poms. Choose your own adventure, indeed!

Marlaina “Marly” Bird’s Cold Weather Crochet is a beginner-friendly collection of brightly-colored crocheted garments designed to keep you warm. If holiday gift-making is your aim for this year or next, look here for a variety of casual crocheted hats, scarves, cowls, and mitts. The hat below is made with Berroco Ultra Alpaca, a yarn you’ll find in abundance here at the shop. If you’re looking to dig into a larger project, there are a couple of colorful afghans here, too.

Anne Podlesak’s Free Spirit Knits is a collection of designs inspired by the American Southwest, which means warm desert earth tones punctuated by bright turquoise and purple, hats and shawls inspired by cactus and agave plants, and colorwork informed by the Navajo rug-weaving tradition.

The shawl above is knit in Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, a perfect choice for a gently draping fabric. Look for it in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and look for the latest books on our teacart as you come in. See you there!

Knitscene.

Posted by Julia on October 10, 2015

The Winter 2015 issue of Knitscene is here!

Sweater weather is finally here, making winter knitting magazines more appealing than ever.

I spotted lots of HYS yarns in this issue. A cabled vest in Rowan Pure Wool Worsted, a textured pullover in Sincere Sheep Luminous DK, cowls in Malabrigo Rios and Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, a cabled hat in Berroco Ultra Alpaca…

You can find all of those yarns here at the shop, along with lots of others that can be substituted for these patterns should you prefer a different color or fiber than what the designer used. We’re always happy to help you decide which yarn is best for your pattern and project. Come by soon to plan your fall and winter knitting!

Berroco Portfolio, Vol. 1.

Posted by Julia on October 5, 2015

This fall marks the 10th anniversary of Berroco’s now-classic Ultra Alpaca yarn, a soft and sturdy blend of wool and alpaca. To celebrate, they’ve published a beautiful pattern collection showcasing the full range of Ultra Alpaca, from the fingering weight Ultra Alpaca Fine to the bulky weight Ultra Alpaca Chunky. Take a peek inside Berroco Portfolio, Vol. 1.

Berroco Portfolio, Vol. 1 features patterns from independent knitwear designers, the likes of Bristol Ivy, Mary Jane Mucklestone, Martina Behm, and Thea Colman.

Berroco sent along a sample of Thea Colman’s contribution, a seamless cardigan with texture panels called “Rye.” The pattern photo shows it in a heathered green shade of Ultra Alpaca, and our sample is in a no less fetching red. Come by the shop to take a closer look, or try it on for size.

Ultra Alpaca is a rare blend of luxury and practicality, a quality yarn for a reasonable price. We’re celebrating its 10 year anniversary by putting bags and bags of it on our shelves, refilling favorite colors and adding some new ones, too.

Our stash of Ultra Alpaca Chunky has also grown, just in time for cold weather stitching.

Berroco Portfolio, Vol. 1 has a few great patterns for Ultra Alpaca Chunky, too.

Come by the shop to plan some cozy fall and winter projects, and consider Ultra Alpaca when you do. See you there!