Tag Archives: cocoknits

Amirisu, Issue 27.

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The final issue of Amirisu is here!

Amirisu is a knitting magazine based in Japan, each issue filled with articles, interviews, and patterns from designers all over the world. This is the last issue of Amirisu as we know it, though they will continue to publish pattern books and online content in a similar vein.

This issue features knits full of thoughtful, creative details inspired by music.

I also spotted a profile of knitwear designer Julie Weisenberger, the founder of cocoknits, a purveyor of high quality tools for knitters.

Amirisu often includes tutorials and essays on crafts other than knitting, and this issue includes a few – an interview with a beadwork artist, and two sewing projects.

Amirisu is $24 – swing by to pick up a copy or order online for local pickup or shipping!

Laine Magazine, No. 16.

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Let’s look inside the new issue of Laine!

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers as its focus, and a reputation for beautiful designs and artful photography. This issue was photographed in Helsinki, and includes an article about the Craft Museum of Finland.

Issue 16 features patterns from an amazing group of designers from all over the world, the likes of Dee Hardwicke, Rosa Pomar, Fiona Alice, Eri Shimizu, and more.

Beyond the knitting patterns, there are seasonal recipes and plenty of good reading, including this piece about caring for your handknits. Need any Eucalan wool wash, or coconuts mesh laundry bags, or sweater brushes? We’ve got it all!

Laine magazines are $30 each – come by the shop or order online for local pickup or shipping! We also have Laine No. 8, No. 10, No. 11, No. 12, No. 13, and No. 15 in stock, along with Laine’s recent books, Knitted Kalevala, The Knitted Fabric, 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, and Traditions Revisited. See you at the shop!

Back in stock: cocoknits notions!

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Cocoknits is the brainchild of Julie Weisenberger, a knitwear designer and purveyor of high quality tools for knitters. She’s carefully developed notions that are as nice to use as they are to look at. This week brought lots of them back into stock!

These tape measures are as smooth and satisfying in the hand as a river rock, but made of 100% biodegradable plant fiber. They’re $15 each, and available in 3 new colors: Linen, Clay, and Storm.

We’ve also got new colors of cocoknits Stitch Stoppers, the best point protectors we’ve seen. Each pack is $12, and comes with Stoppers for a range of needle sizes from US 0-15. The row counters pictured above are $15; they have a steel backing so they’ll stick to the magnetic Maker’s Keep.

Cocoknits is known for having quite the array of stitch markers, to suit a variety of needle sizes and preferences. These are all $10 each. Come in to see all our notions, from cocoknits and beyond! We’re open from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays, or you can order online for local pickup or shipping.

Cocoknits tape measures.

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Cocoknits’ brand new tape measures just arrived!

These tape measures are as smooth and satisfying in the hand as a river rock, but made of 100% biodegradable plant fiber.

They’re $15 each, and available in Sea Glass, Mustard Seed, and Wild Rose.

We also got their colorful needle gauges back in stock, along with kinds of stitch markers, Maker’s Keeps, Accessory Rolls, Stitch Stoppers, Stitch Fixers, Claw Clips, Natural Mesh Bags, and more. You can see all of these notions and then some on our Instagram highlights.

Order online for local pickup or shipping!

By Hand Lookbook No. 13: Northern California.

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The latest volume of By Hand is here!

By Hand is a series of lookbooks where each issue focuses on a city or region. The subject matter is the makers of that community, the designers, hand-dyers, and fiber artists that both shape and draw inspiration from the place they call home.

This issue is all about Northern California, a beautiful part of the country that has been on our minds and in our hearts as wildfire season continues.

This region is home to a few familiar faces, including Julie Weisenberger of cocoknits, and natural dyer Brooke Sinnes of Sincere Sheep. We’re lucky to have some of her Cormo Fingering, Equity Fingering, Equity Sport, and Luminous DK in stock here at the shop – get in touch if you’re interested in what’s available!

Along with maker profiles and knitting patterns, By Hand also features recipes and other crafty projects. So many of us partake in a variety of handiwork, though we may call one or another a favorite; it’s nice to see a diversity of interests on display in this publication. That said, the knitting patterns in this issue are what caught our eye!

Order a copy through our website for a bit of armchair travel!

Cocoknits Needle Gauge.

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Cocoknits’ new needle gauge is now in stock!

This compact and cleverly designed gadget is beautiful and practical, a rainbow stack of connected discs for sizing knitting needles between sizes US 0 – 15. Julie Weisenberger, knitwear designer and founder of Cocoknits, was inspired by a jeweler’s tool for sizing diamonds.

It’s made of PLA, a 100% biodegradable, plant-based plastic substitute, and costs $15.

Our own HYS needle gauge is much larger, by comparison, but covers a wider range of needle sizes and costs only $5. We’re happy to have both in stock, since different knitters have different preferences when it comes to tools of the trade, and some of us like having both in our notions bag.

We have lots of other Cocoknits notions in stock – all kinds of stitch markers, Maker’s Keeps, Accessory Rolls, Stitch Stoppers, Stitch Fixers, Claw Clips, Natural Mesh Bags, and more. You can see all of these notions and then some on our Instagram highlights. Order online for local pickup or USPS Priority Mail shipping!

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!

Back in stock: cocoknits Knitter’s Block and Sweater Care Kit.

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Cocoknits is the brainchild of Julie Weisenberger, a knitwear designer and purveyor of high quality tools for knitters. She’s carefully developed notions that are as nice to use as they are to look at. This week brought two of them back into stock – the Knitter’s Block and Sweater Care Kit, tools for the care of our handmade items.

The Knitter’s Block is a set of square blocking tiles that fit together like puzzle pieces. It comes with 18 12″ x 12″ tiles, a pack of stainless steel T-Pins, and a “‘Check’ your Gauge” cloth, woven with 1″ squares for easy measuring as you block, all in a sturdy jute bag.

The Sweater Care Kit is great for blocking, washing, and drying garments that don’t need pinning, like finished sweaters and smaller accessories. It includes mesh laundry bags, super-absorbent towels, a mesh pop-up dryer, and a bottle of Eucalan, all packed into a nice jute tote.

For years, I blocked everything I knit using old towels on the floor. It worked just fine, and there’s nothing wrong with using what’s already on hand, but with all the blocking I was doing between personal and shop projects, I decided to upgrade, and I’m so glad I did.

If you’re looking to upgrade your own blocking tools, the Knitter’s Block and Sweater Care Kit are well worth it – look for them among our blocking supplies, like bottles of Eucalan, packs of T-pins, and sets of blocking wires. See you at the shop!

Cocoknits Accessory Roll.

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Meet the cocoknits Accessory Roll!

This cleverly designed notions case has four compartments for storing whatever little things need storing.

Made of durable, washable paper, the cocoknits Accessory Roll should soften with age, and develop something of a leather-like texture.

It’s compact when rolled, spacious and accessible when unrolled, and sturdy enough to throw into your knitting bag.

Look for the Accessory Roll among other cocoknits tools here at our shop!

Back in stock: Cocoknits Maker’s Keep.

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A big box from cocoknits arrived this week, bearing all manner of markers, cable needles, stitch stoppers, blocking kits, and other knitterly necessities. Today, I’ll shine a light on one of our favorites, the Maker’s Keep.

The cocoknits Maker’s Keep is a silicone slap bracelet with a magnetic face, designed to keep your tools close at hand as you knit. It works well with metal darning needles and cable needles, cocoknits’ stitch markers and row counter, T-pins, and more – any steel accessories will cling to your Keep.

Cocoknits named it the Maker’s Keep because it’s not just for knitters. We’ve had lots of sewists come by to snag one of these clever tools, loving the way it keeps straight pins handy. It also features a set of measuring lines for inches and centimeters on the underside of the bracelet – a clever detail to suit a variety of makers.

Look for Maker’s Keeps and other cocoknits products in our notions section here at the shop!