Tag Archives: churchmouse

Koigu Collector’s Club: Reef.

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The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

This soothing blend of blues and greens fits nicely into our existing selection of Koigu KPPPM and the metallic Sparkle. It got me thinking about Churchmouse’s “Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf” pattern, which blends disparate variegated shades into a harmonious fabric that almost looks woven.

Another pattern idea, this time from Anne – consider Casapinka’s “Breathe and Hope” shawl, which pairs a variegated and a solid for some low-contrast brioche.

We’ve found subtle solid shades in Marion Foale 3 ply. Each of these bundles is $64.50 – order online for local pickup or shipping!

New colors in Berroco Ultra Wool Chunky.

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We recently got a big bundle of new colors from Berroco in yarns across their line of machine-washable wools – Ultra Wool DK, Ultra Wool (worsted weight), and Ultra Wool Chunky. Today, let’s take a look at Ultra Wool Chunky!

Berroco Ultra Wool Chunky:

  • bulky weight
  • 100% superwash wool
  • 145 yards/100g
  • $12 each

Ultra Wool Chunky is a 100% superwash wool that’s soft, sturdy, and economical, perfect for cozy garments and accessories for adults and children alike. Here are some pattern ideas:

Order online for local pickup or shipping!

Sale Spotlight: Isager Alpaca 3.

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Everything in our shop is 15% off during July, our Annual Inventory Sale! All month, I’ll be shining a spotlight on the yarns we have in stock – today, let’s look at Isager Alpaca 3!

Isager Alpaca 3:

  • bulky weight
  • chainette construction
  • 50% alpaca, 50% wool
  • 137 yards/50 grams
  • $10 each

This yarn has tremendous elasticity, making it a pleasure to work with and surely a pleasure to wear. The label doesn’t have any recommendation for needle size or gauge, so Anne got out a pair of US 10 needles and started swatching. She did a little garter stitch, a little stockinette, a few other texture patterns, and still wanted to keep knitting – a good sign! After blocking, the gauge in stockinette measures about 4 stitches per inch, though a range of 3.5 – 4.5 stitches per inch is also appropriate for this yarn.

What to knit with Isager Alpaca 3? Here are some ideas!

Order online for local pickup or shipping via USPS Priority Mail!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges or returns. Thanks!

On our needles.

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What’s in Anne’s Plystre Project Pouch, besides a Baby Baggu?

A grandson-sized “Atlas (For Kids),” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft!

I love the color combination she chose – Flannel for the main color, Snowbound and Old World for the contrast colors.

Many of you know that Anne never limits herself to one project at a time. So what else is on her needles right now? Let’s take a look!

Anne’s “Calla” tank is growing, stripe by stripe. You can see how Anne keeps unruly plant fiber yarns in check, by hand-winding them into tight balls and storing them in ziplock bags as she knits.

Designed by Shellie Anderson for Shibui Koan, this is shaping up to be a lovely, lightweight summer garment.

Anne is almost done with another Shellie Anderson design, “Cather,” an elegant pullover in Shibui Echo. As she set in the first sleeve the other afternoon, she remarked on cocoknits Claw Clips – “I don’t know how I ever seamed without them!”

Another work in progress from Anne’s collection is this “Rainy Day Hat,” designed by Melanie Berg for her Balayage yarn. It’s a super-soft fingering weight blend of merino and alpaca, a treat for the hands.

I confess, I’m not quite as prolific as Anne, and my projects are coming along more slowly! Above is my “Kirigami,” designed by Gudrun Johnston and knit with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor. I’ve been savoring this project for some months now, enjoying the simplicity of stockinette and the elasticity of Arbor, one of my very favorite yarns.

I’m about halfway through Churchmouse’s “Vineyard Cowl,” knit with one skein of Baa Ram Ewe Winterburn DK. It’s an easily-memorized stitch pattern, and a soothing knit in this wonderfully wooly yarn, shown here on another of my works-in-progress – a quilt I’ve been slowly stitching.

There’s a lot we miss about being “open” in the usual sense, but one of the main things is seeing what everyone is working on! What’s on your needles? Share in the comments, or post photos on Instagram, tagged #hillsboroughyarnshop – we can’t wait to hear from you!

New colors in Shibui Twig.

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Shibui recently expanded their color palette for Twig, a unique yarn that has become a staple of our sport weight section.

Twig is a slightly textured, sometimes tweedy blend of 46% linen, 42% recycled silk, and 12% wool. Each 50 gram skein has 190 yards, and it knits up at a sport or dk weight gauge into an open, draping fabric.

Twig has a crisp feel and a plant fiber’s tendency to stretch rather than cling, qualities that make it ideal for warm weather garments and accessories like Shibui’s “Slope” and “Tier,” or Churchmouse’s “Simple Tee.” If you like a little more elasticity, consider holding Twig together with Cima, Lunar, or Pebble, as in Shibui’s “Apex” and “Crete,” or Julie Hoover’s “Wintour.”

Look for Shibui Twig in the sport weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – we hope you find inspiration here!

Back in stock: Isager Japansk Bomuld.

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Last week brought a big box from Isager, filled to the brim with Japansk Bomuld.

Japansk Bomuld is a lustrous lace weight cotton tape, with 344 yards per 50 gram ball. It was one of Isager’s new yarns last Spring, and remains one of the most unique plant fiber yarns in our shop. The knit fabric is crunchy and cool to the touch, ideal for spring and summer tops and accessories.

I’m making a Churchmouse “Alexandra’s Airplane Scarf” as a shop sample, so I’ve spent some time with this unusual yarn. I cast on with this eye-catching chartreuse and planned to select the other two colors as I go. I was inspired by a bit of show and tell from last summer, Carribeth’s own “Airplane Scarf.”

While lower contrast combinations also appeal, I decided to go for a high contrast color combination like Carribeth’s, and I’m liking the results so far.

Though the Isager Japansk Bomuld palette is small, there are plenty of intriguing color trios available – here are a few to consider.

 

Look for more pattern inspiration on our Lace weight Pinterest board, and come by the shop to see Japansk Bomuld itself!

Old and new patterns from Churchmouse.

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We got a new bundle of Churchmouse patterns in!

For some years now, we’ve carried knitting and crochet patterns from Churchmouse Yarns & Teas, a lovely yarn shop in Washington State. Their designs are known for being user-friendly and elegantly understated, the better to show off good quality yarns. Our most recent order features knitting patterns for a variety of garments and accessories – hats and socks, vests and cardigans, even a skirt.

The “Ribbed Beanie” and “Basic Socks” below are the subjects of upcoming classes here at the shop – check our Classes page to see all the exciting things on our schedule!

Come by the shop to see our full selection of single patterns – we have many binders full of them! It’s great to be able to read through a pattern before you buy it, to get a sense of what you’re getting into. Ask us if you’re looking for something special, and we’ll be happy to help you find it!

Shibui Sample of the Month: Half and Half Cowl.

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February is here, and with it, a new Shibui Sample of the Month! We offer a 10% discount on Shibui yarn purchased for our featured sample until the end of the month.

This month’s sample is the Churchmouse “Half and Half Cowl,” a simple ribbed cowl with a slit halfway up to create an opening over the shoulder.

“Half and Half Cowl” is knit with Shibui Drift, a worsted weight blend of 85% extra fine merino wool and 15% cashmere. It’s just as soft as that combination sounds, a perfect choice for a special accessory like this.

Come by the shop to before February 26th to try on the “Half and Half Cowl” and get Shibui Drift at 10% off to make one of your own!

 

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges, returns, or special orders. Thanks!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Holiday.

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A new month has begun, and with it comes the next installment of the Koigu Collector’s Club! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu.

December’s colorway is called Holiday, a festive blend of cranberry, pink, and cream, with warm flecks of orange sprinkled throughout.

This December edition arrived on the heels of November’s Koigu Collector’s Club, which came late in the month, so we have an abundance of special Koigu colors right now. For those that have been collecting them a skein at a time each month, consider Churchmouse’s “Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf” pattern, which blends disparate variegated shades into a harmonious fabric that almost looks woven.

Look for this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

Back in stock: Churchmouse patterns.

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For some years now, we’ve carried knitting and crochet patterns from Churchmouse Yarns & Teas, a lovely yarn shop in Washington State. Their designs are known for being user-friendly and elegantly understated, the better to show off good quality yarns. Anne’s latest “Easy Folded Poncho” has had many knitters reaching for that particular Churchmouse pattern, such that we were due for a reorder. That order arrived last week, so we now have a good supply of poncho patterns, along with other old favorites and some new ones, too.

The Churchmouse Classroom series is aimed at new knitters and crocheters, and features additional photo tutorials to guide you through each technique. Marsha’s “Stitch-Sampler Handwarmers” class is always popular for new knitters, so we’ve got a fresh supply of that pattern, but we hadn’t had the “Crocheted Beanie & Cowl” before – look for that in our Crochet Patterns binder.

Because of the simple shapes and textures in these designs, the yarn choices for Churchmouse patterns are limited only by gauge. Pick a garment you’d like to make, and we’ll be happy to show you the many yarns that might suit it, and help you narrow it down from there.

Come by the shop to see our full selection of single patterns – we have many binders full of them! It’s great to be able to read through a pattern before you buy it, to get a sense of what you’re getting into. Ask us if you’re looking for something special, and we’ll be happy to help you find it!