Tag Archives: hand-dyed

Koigu Collector’s Club: Boudoir and Vintage Valentine.

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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. This month, we got a second special yarn in a new colorway – meet Koigu Othello!

Koigu Othello:

  • super bulky weight
  • 100% merino wool
  • 95 yards/100g
  • $23.50 each

Othello is thick and squishy, sure to knit up quickly on US 10 or 11 needles. What to make with this special Boudoir colorway, streaked with shades of pink and orange? Pick up one skein for a “Big Chunky Comfort Hat,” “An Unoriginal Hat,” or “Vanessa Headband.” Two skeins makes a “Painted Stones Cowl.”

We also got the classic fingering weight KPPPM in a special limited edition color – Vintage Valentine (below) is primarily coral, streaked with pastel pink and rusty orange.

Koigu KPPPM:

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

I’ve still got Tif Neilan’s latest pattern on my mind, and came up with these Koigu/Isager Alpaca 1 pairings for candy colored “Clove & Twine Toques!” Head to our last Koigu blog post to see more color combinations for this fun multi-strand hat pattern.

Our “Clove & Twine” yarn bundles are $43; Tif Neilan’s pattern is sold separately for $6.50. Pick your favorite flavor and order online for local pickup or shipping!

Dream in Color Pop-Up! Club: February.

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Dream in Color’s Pop Up! Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tucson-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. February’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

Smooshy with Cashmere is a super soft blend of superwash merino wool, cashmere, and nylon – perfect for a special shawl or pair of socks. A skein like this would make a great “Starshower,” “Pebble Beach Shawl,” “Sockhead Slouch Hat” or “Sockhead Cowl,” all patterns that do well with variegated yarn.

As I was unpacking these vibrant skeins, I noticed how well they played with the brightest shades of Lady Dye Superwash Fingering – these three skeins would make a striking “Free Your Fade,” by Andrea Mowry!

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship these pretty skeins directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront remains closed to walk-ins!

Hello, Lady Dye SW Merino DK.

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Members of the HYS Hat Club got a special treat this month – a brand new yarn!

Back when we received our first order from Lady Dye Yarns, we squirreled away the limited amount of DK weight superwash merino. Though most of it went out with our HYS Hat Club, we still have a few skeins left!

Lady Dye SW Merino DK:

  • DK weight
  • hand-dyed in tonal and variegated colorways
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 231 yards/100g
  • $30 each

What to make with SW Merino DK? Our club members are busy knitting Dawn Henderson’s “Serendipitous Hat,” a cable ribbed beanie in three sizes. Here are a few more ideas that take just one skein:

Again, we have limited quantities of this yarn at the moment – just a handful of skeins in each of these colors, so act fast if you’d like to snag some. Order online for local pickup or shipping!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Comfy Cozy and Admit One.

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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. This month, we got not one, but TWO new colorways!

Koigu KPPPM:

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

Comfy Cozy is dyed on KPPPM, Koigu’s classic fingering weight merino that we’ve come to know so well throughout the Collector’s Club.

Koigu Sparkle:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 94% merino wool, 6% lurex – silver metallic
  • 164 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

Admit One is a playful pastel colorway with streaks of brighter shades and a silver shimmer. It’s dyed on Sparkle, Koigu’s metallic cousin to KPPPM.

What to make with all these Koigu Collector’s Club colorways? Just as we have two new colorways, we also have two pattern suggestions with color combinations – Anne and I each had an idea this time, and we both happened to pair up Koigu with a Brooklyn Tweed yarn!

Ankestrick’s new “Sydvester” pullover caught Anne’s eye, an intriguing slip stitch pattern combining fingering and worsted weight yarns. She suggests Brooklyn Tweed Shelter and Koigu for this project, her interest piqued by the interplay of rustic heathers and playful variegates.

I had Francoise Danoy’s “Ocean Pathways Cowl” in mind for the following combinations.

For this pattern, I selected three shades of Koigu KPPPM or Sparkle for the contrast colors, and a darker shade of Brooklyn Tweed Peerie for the background color.

Order online to snag any of the Collector’s Club colorways pictured above, with or without their Brooklyn Tweed counterparts! They’re all available for local pickup or shipping while supplies last.

Back in stock: Malabrigo Caprino!

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We were thrilled to unpack a long-awaited box of Malabrigo Caprino this week!

Malabrigo Caprino:

  • DK weight
  • hand-dyed, variegated, speckled, and semi-solid colorways
  • 80% merino, 20% cashmere
  • 159 yards/50 g
  • $18 each

Like many Malabrigo yarns, Caprino comes in a familiar selection of semi-solid, variegated, and speckled colorways.

Earlier this year, I used 6 skeins of Caprino to make a “Nightshift,” Andrea Mowry’s oh-so-popular slip-stitch shawl. Never mind that the pattern called for aran weight yarn and Caprino is DK – I liked the fabric I got on a US 7 needle and after blocking it was plenty big enough, if not an exact match of Mowry’s suggested dimensions.

If you’d like to make a “Nightshift” with Caprino, get in touch and we’ll help you put some colors together!

If “Nightshift” isn’t your thing, or you’ve already made one or two, here are some other patterns to consider:

Eager to get some Caprino into your hands and onto your needles? Order online for local pickup or shipping!

Hello, Lady Dye Yarns!

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We are over the moon – Lady Dye Yarns are now in stock here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

LDY owner Diane Ivey is an indie dyer based in Boston, MA. As one of the cofounders of the emPower People project, she’s as well known for her vibrant colorways as she is for her craftivism.

Our first LDY order arrived this week, bursting with lively shades of Superwash Fingering, along with a surprise that we’re tucking away for members of our HYS Hat Club in the upcoming Quarter 2.

Lady Dye Superwash Fingering:

  • fingering weight
  • single ply
  • hand-dyed in semisolid and variegated colorways
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 425 yards/100g
  • $32 each

Lady Dye Superwash Fingering has a merino softness and single-ply texture comparable to Malabrigo Mechita, but the color palette has its own personality – the semisolid shades are clear and bright, and the variegated colorways are unique.

What to make with these stunning skeins? Here are some patterns designed for Lady Dye Superwash Fingering – check them out for inspiration and to see how this yarn looks when knit and crocheted!

As I photographed this yarn, I found myself instinctively creating color trios from solid and variegated shades that seemed to speak to one another. Below are some three-color pattern ideas, in case any of these combinations speak to you:

Head to our online order form to get some Lady Dye Superwash Fingering of your very own! Available for local pickup or shipping, as we remain closed to walk-in visits.

Koigu Collector’s Club: Forage and Elements.

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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. This month, we got not one, but TWO new colorways!

Koigu KPPPM:

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

Forage is dyed on KPPPM, Koigu’s classic fingering weight merino that we’ve come to know so well throughout the Collector’s Club. Streaked with many shades of green and a few dashes of brown and cream, Forage is vibrant and highly variegated.

Koigu Sparkle:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 94% merino wool, 6% lurex – silver metallic
  • 164 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

Elements is a moodier colorway, shades of purple and gray, along with a sparkly silver metallic thread, as it’s dyed on Sparkle, a Koigu yarn we haven’t had at the shop before.

Above you’ll see all the shades of Koigu we currently have in stock – they make a lovely rainbow together.

What to make with these pretty skeins? Knitters, consider Fatimah Hinds’ “Rinse/Repeat” socks, Purl Soho’s “Purl Beret,” Kit Hutchins’ “Barb’s Koigu Ruffle” scarf, or pick three colors for Churchmouse’s “Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf.”

Crocheters, check out Marian Nelson’s “Melrose” scarf or wrap, or Joanna J Clayson’s “Spring Cowl.”

Order online to snag the new Forage and Elements, or any of these older Collector’s Club colorways! They’re all available for local pickup or shipping while supplies last.

Dream in Color Pop-Up! Club: December.

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Dream in Color’s Pop Up! Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tucson-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. December’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

December’s skeins are highly variegated with rich shades of purple, pink, blue, green, and orange, a lovely addition to what we already have in stock in Smooshy Cashmere.

Smooshy with Cashmere is a super soft blend of superwash merino wool, cashmere, and nylon – perfect for a special shawl or pair of socks. A skein like this would make a great “Starshower,” “Pebble Beach Shawl,” “Sockhead Slouch Hat” or “Sockhead Cowl,” all patterns that do well with variegated yarn.

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship these pretty skeins directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront remains closed to walk-ins!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Apple Crisp.

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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

Our most recent shipment from Koigu is Apple Crisp, a variegated colorway that summons the season in shades of pink, beige, burgundy, and red.

What to make with these pretty skeins? Special socks are always a nice use for KPPPM – try Noma Ndlovu’s “Cable & Lace Socks” and “Little Boxes Socks,” or Dawn Henderson’s “Bonfire Socks” and “Block Party Socks.”

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront is temporarily closed!

Dream in Color Pop-Up! Club: November.

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Dream in Color’s Pop Up! Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tucson-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. November’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

November’s skeins are variegated with dark charcoal and vibrant teal, a lovely addition to what we already have in stock in Smooshy Cashmere.

Purchases of the November 2020 Pop-Up! Club colorway come with something special this time, too – a coupon code for a new shawl pattern from Sarah B. Abram, “Victorious.” Here are some color trios that will sing in those slipped stitches, stripes, and lace!

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship these pretty skeins directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront remains closed to walk-ins!