New books for all.

Posted by Julia on July 15, 2015

We’re halfway through our Annual Inventory Sale, and folks have been taking advantage of our 15% discount in many different ways. Some are stocking up on their favorite needles, others are snapping up Cricket Looms (which are now temporarily out of stock!), and still more are planning ahead for holiday gift-making, while there’s still plenty of time to start and complete those gifts. Here’s another idea: treat yourself to a few new books this month, for a book is another kind of indulgence, one that can instruct and inspire.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve received new publications for all kinds of crafts. For weavers, 100 Pin Loom Squares shows the many possibilities of Schacht’s Zoom Loom.

For crocheters, we have two new titles. Colorful Crochet Lace is exactly what it sounds like: a collection of brightly colored crocheted garments and accessories in openwork patterns.

Honk! Beep! Vroom! is a book of crocheted toy vehicles with wheels that actually turn.

Knitters, meanwhile, should peruse Sheryl Thies’ Slip-Stitch Knits, and Amy Herzog’s newest book, Knit Wear Love.

Knit Wear Love is a collection of basic sweater shapes in a range of gauges, with lots of useful tips about modifying those basic shapes to make unique sweaters that suit your personal style.

Come by the shop to check out the latest publications, and do so during July to shop our entire inventory at 15% off!

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

New crochet publications.

Posted by Julia on June 14, 2015

This week brought two new publications for crocheters, a book and a magazine.

The Summer 2015 issue of Interweave Crochet features crocheted dresses and other warm-weather garments, along with a spread of crocheted floral arrangements and wedding accessories.

Quick Crocheted Accessories is a new collection from Sharon Zientara, full of patterns that require just one, two, or three skeins of yarn. I spotted a familiar yarn in this colorful shawl, the self-striping Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball.

Come by the shop to browse the latest books and magazines, and to plan your next crochet project!

For crocheters.

Posted by Julia on March 17, 2015

The last couple of weeks have seen a trio of new publications for crocheters here at the shop.

The Spring 2015 issue of Interweave Crochet features a range of projects, from blankets and bags to sweaters and skirts.

Kristin Omdahl’s Crochet So Lovely is all about crocheted lace. She covers lace motifs and allover lace patterns, as well as how to achieve a lacy look by playing with gauge.

I spotted some familiar yarns in this book in the form of two tunics: one in Fibre Company Meadow, and another in Alchemy Silken Straw, pictured above.

Boho Crochet is a colorful collection of crocheted home goods and accessories. It looks like a great source of patterns and inspiration for crocheters of all levels, with guidance to help beginners make sense of unfamiliar stitches and techniques.

Come by the shop to browse the latest books and magazines, and pick one or two for your own crochet library! See you there.

More for crocheters.

Posted by Julia on December 11, 2014

It’s rare that a week goes by without a new magazine or book popping up here at the shop. This week, our three newest publications are all for crocheters: one book and two magazines.

Brenda K.B. Anderson’s Crochet Ever After is a whimsical collection of crochet projects inspired by classic fairy tales.

Patterns for scarves, cowls, slippers, bags, and more are grouped by the kind of characters that inspired them: heroines, fairy princesses, witches, and the like.

Crocheted sock patterns can sometimes be hard to find; flipping through Crochet Ever After, I spotted this handsome pair, made with longtime HYS favorite, Malabrigo Sock, a springy fingering weight merino in beautiful hand-dyed colorways.

The current issue of Interweave Crochet has plenty of sweaters inside, just the kind of project you might like to hunker down with this winter.

Rohn Strong’s top-down “Frisco Cardi” is also made with Malabrigo Sock, making for a lightweight garment.

Make It! Crochet is a new Interweave publication, filled with small projects that are friendly and accessible for beginner crocheters: hats, scarves, and the like.

Make It! Crochet also features a helpful article on crochet symbols and stitch diagrams, which can sometimes feel like a hurdle to reading crochet patterns. Don’t let them intimidate you–let this article be your guide.

Come by the shop to peruse these latest crochet resources, along with our ever-growing collection of knitting magazines and books. See you there!

New crochet books.

Posted by Julia on December 1, 2014

We got three new books this week, all for crocheters.

Tracy Lord’s Big Book of Granny Squares is full of variations on the classic crochet motif, combining colors, textures and stitch patterns for 365 unique squares.

Also new this week: Cozy Toes for Baby and The Big Book of Little Amigurumi, featuring adorable crocheted slippers and stuffed critters, respectively.

Come to the shop to browse our books and plan your next project; look for the latest publications on the teacart in the front room. See you there!

Vogue Knitting and Interweave Crochet Home.

Posted by Julia on November 8, 2014

The winter magazines are still pouring in, and the two latest are Vogue Knitting and Interweave Crochet Home.

Vogue Knitting features patterns for cold-weather garments and accessories, along with a brioche lace tutorial from Nancy Marchant.

I always like to see what Meg Swansen’s Vogue column covers; this issue, it’s provisional cast-ons, a handy technique.

Interweave Crochet Home is a special issue on crocheted home accessories, from blankets and pillows to coasters, placemats, baskets, and more.

Knitting and crochet make very different fabrics, and in many cases, I think crochet is particularly well-suited to home goods. It can be sturdy and structural–essential for something like a rug–and tends to go somewhat faster than knitting, making a big project like blankets or curtains less daunting.

Come by the shop to see these and other new magazines! See you there.

Churchmouse patterns.

Posted by Julia on November 3, 2014

We’re delighted to announce that we now carry single patterns from Churchmouse!

Churchmouse Yarns & Teas is a yarn shop in Washington state with an impressive line of knit and crochet patterns, from garments and accessories to home decor and baby things.

Many Churchmouse patterns are simple, and I mean that in the best way–the kind of “simple” that lets beautiful yarn take center stage, and ensures that knitters and crocheters find success and satisfaction in their finished pieces.

One Churchmouse pattern has been particularly popular here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop: the “Easy Folded Poncho.”

For a couple of months now, we’ve had one on display knit in Acadia, Fibre Company’s distinctive DK tweed. The stockinette fabric shows off Acadia’s silk slubs, making a special garment that’s easy to knit and wear.

Come by the shop to browse the single-pattern binders, and remember Churchmouse patterns when you’re seeking reliable uses for spectacular yarns. See you there!

Stockings and ornaments.

Posted by Julia on November 1, 2014

We’ve had lots of requests for stocking patterns lately, as knitters prepare for the holiday season not only with gift-making, but also with hand-stitched decorations. We had only a few stocking patterns to offer, so we went hunting for more. Here’s what we found!

From Leisure Arts, we found one collection of knit stockings and another of beaded knit ornaments. We also reordered a favorite book of stockings from Storey Publishing, reprinted in paperback: Gwen Steege’s Knit Christmas Stockings.

For crocheters, there’s this collection of snowflakes, which would make lovely winter decor, indeed.

We also found a great single pattern from Churchmouse that shows how to knit and embellish stockings in three sizes: wee, medium, and jolly big.

Keep your eye on the blog for more from Churchmouse, and come by the shop to plan your holiday stitching!

Show and tell: anniversary edition, part 1.

Posted by Julia on October 15, 2014

This week, as we celebrate the shop’s anniversary, we also celebrate the community of knitters and crocheters who have supported us over the years. We always love to see what you’re making with HYS yarns, and I love to take photos of your beautiful finished pieces to share here on the blog. I’ve amassed a big stack of them over the past couple of months, enough for three blog posts! Here’s the first batch.

Karen knit this “Yipes Stripes Cowl” in a class here at the shop, using five colors of Plymouth Galway in shades of orange, brown, and green. Then she used her leftovers to knit another. And another! With each cowl, Karen rearranged the color placement, showing just how different the same five colors can look depending upon how they’re laid out.

One of the great things about being in a class is that you can see up close how the same project looks in different colors and yarns. Sherri was in the same “Yipes Stripes” class with Karen, and knit this cowl with five shades of Mirasol Qina, a soft blend of alpaca and bamboo.

This next project also came out of a class here at the shop, one that focused on knitting fair isle tams. Check out Judy’s beautiful “Midnight Sun Tam,” knit in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift!

Katherine is a gifted knitter, crocheter, and teacher here at the shop. She recently brought in a new sample for an upcoming class, the “Summer Dawn” cowl, crocheted in Fibre Company Meadow and Savannah.

Perfect for beginning crocheters looking for a next step, Katherine’s upcoming “Summer Dawn Crochet Cowl” class will teach how to crochet in the round and read crochet symbols and charts. Read all about it on our “Classes” page, where you can sign up if you like!

Thanks to everyone who starts and shares their projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop; we feel so honored to be a part of your creative process!

Interweave Crochet, and a few new books.

Posted by Julia on September 24, 2014

The Fall 2014 issue of Interweave Crochet is here!

In this issue, you’ll find garments and accessories that use many different crochet colorwork methods. The patterns within are decorated with all manner of stripes, intarsia, tapestry crochet, and Tunisian stranded colorwork.

There’s also a handy article on colorwork management, teaching how to work with multiple colors at once–a must for many of these patterns.

Look to the teacart at the shop for the latest crochet books and magazines, but don’t stop there; we have plenty of older titles on the bookshelf with patterns, techniques, and other inspiration. For example, we recently added this trio of crochet booklets for children’s garments, noticing a gap between our baby and adult patterns.

Megan Kreiner’s Bathtime Buddies also arrived at the shop recently, filled with patterns for crocheted sea creatures. If stitching toys and stuffed animals is right up your alley, be sure to check this one out, along with our other amigurumi books.

Browse them all at the shop!