Tag Archives: hats

Peavine + Tukuwool Fingering.

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Gudrun Johnston’s “Peavine” is our featured hat pattern for September, the final month of the HYS Hat Club!

HYS Hat Club members received four skeins of Tukuwool Fingering for the project, enough to knit two or three “Peavine” hats with the colors in different arrangements. Here’s a trio in each of the HYS Hat Club color palettes – Warm, Cool, Neutral, and Surprise.

Warm 

Cool

Neutral

Surprise

For HYS Hat Club members, we also included a Knitter’s Graph Paper Journal, and we have some for sale at the shop, as well – knitter’s graph paper has squares that, like knitted stitches, are wider than they are tall. This makes them ideal for penciling in all manner of knitting charts, from cables and lace to intarsia, texture patterns, and – of course – colorwork.

  • Tukuwool Fingering: fingering weight, 100% Finnish wool, 220 yards/50 grams; $12.50 each or $50 for 4 skeins needed to make “Peavine”
  • Knitter’s Graph Paper Journal: $12 each

Order online if one of these colorways piques your interest – we’re also open for drop-in shopping, no appointment required, from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. See you at the shop!

Knit Hats with Woolly Wormhead.

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Woolly Wormhead’s new book is here!

Knit Hats with Woolly Wormhead is a collection of 22 hat patterns for all ages from a designer who self identifies as a Hat Architect. Her designs are innovative, surprising, and fun to knit – Anne is a big fan!

Woolly Wormhead has dedicated her entire knitwear design career to hats, exploring the possibilities of texture and construction with whimsical style.

Malabrigo Caprino + “Azula”

We may not have exactly the yarns shown in her pattern photos, but there are so many good substitutions on our shelves – here are some yarn and pattern pairings I came up with while paging through the book!

Swans Island All American Sport + “Joyce”

Baa Ram Ewe Winterburn DK + “Staggered”

Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply + “Infilare”

Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed + “Turbine”

Along with inspiring and intriguing patterns, Knit Hats with Woolly Wormhead features tutorials on special techniques and sage advice on hat fit and styling.

Knit Hats with Woolly Wormhead is $24.95; swing by to pick up a copy or order online for local pickup or shipping!

Spindrift + Brilliant Corners.

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July’s selection for the HYS Hat Club is “Brilliant Corners,” by Kate Davies, and 3 shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

HYS Hat Club, July 2021: “Brilliant Corners,” by Kate Davies, Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, and highlighter tape.

This textured colorwork design was inspired by jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, whose song “Brilliant Corners” is marked by regularity as well as unpredictability – traits Davies incorporated into this three-color hat.

“Brilliant Corners,” by Kate Davies. Photo © Kate Davies Designs

Spindrift is one of my very favorite yarns in the shop, a classic Shetland wool that comes in over two hundred colors, so I had great fun selecting HYS Hat Club colorways. Here’s a trio in each of the color palettes – Warm, Cool, Neutral, and Surprise.

  • Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift: fingering weight, 100% shetland wool, 115 yards/25 g; $6.90 each, or $20.70 for 3 needed to make “Brilliant Corners”

Here’s our Spindrift display from above, a special spot here at our shop. Happy to help you put together a custom colorway, just order online and tell us what you like. In-store shopping appointments are also available – click here to schedule an appointment!

Balayage + Rainy Day Hat.

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Last year, when Pascuali Balayage was brand new, Anne knit Melanie Berg’s “Rainy Day Hat” in shades of purple.

We both loved the lightweight hat that resulted, and were especially pleased that Anne had enough yarn left over to make a matching pair of Berg’s “Rainy Day Mitts” with the color placement reversed.

Pascuali Balayage:

  • fingering weight
  • 80% alpaca, 20% merino
  • 190 yards/50 g
  • $13 each 

When we decided to feature this yarn and pattern pairing in our HYS Hat Club for June, I created colorways for each of the color palettes our club members choose from: cool, warm, neutral, and surprise. Signups are still open for the fourth and final Quarter of the HYS Hat Club – read more here, and sign up by June 19 to join the fun!

With 18 colors in stock, I couldn’t stop at four combinations – here are a few more!

If any of these catch your eye, pick your favorite and order online for local pickup or shipping! We are also happy to announce that we now have in-store shopping appointments available, if you prefer to select your yarn and colors in person – click here to schedule an appointment!

Da Crofters Kep.

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We’re so excited about “Da Crofters Kep,” Shetland Wool Week’s featured pattern for 2021!

“Da Crofters Kep,” by Wilma Malcolmson, shown in Colourway 1.

This six-color fair isle hat is currently available as a free pattern download from the Shetland Wool Week website. A new Shetland Wool Week hat pattern is something I look forward to every year, so I downloaded it as soon as it was available, and then went straight to our Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift to play the color game. I spent some time putting together five color combinations, inspired by the five colorways shown in the pattern.

“Da Crofters Kep,” by Wilma Malcolmson, shown in Colourway 2. © shetland wool week

“Da Crofters Kep,” by Wilma Malcolmson, shown in Colourway 3. © shetland wool week

“Da Crofters Kep,” by Wilma Malcolmson, shown in Colourway 4. © shetland wool week

“Da Crofters Kep,” by Wilma Malcolmson, shown in Colourway 5. © shetland wool week

Yarn bundles for “Da Crofters Kep” are $48.30 – 7 balls of Shetland Spindrift (2 in the main color, and 1 each in 5 contrast colors) at $6.90 per ball. We just got a fresh delivery of Shetland Spindrift with this project in mind, so all five colourways are currently in stock – get in touch if you’d like to order yarn for a “Da Crofters Kep” of your own!

Back in stock: Shibui Haven.

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We’re delighted to have a fresh supply of Shibui Haven after a recent restock!

This decadent DK weight merino/cashmere blend has been mighty popular for Shellie Anderson’s “Helix” hat – we’ve lost track of how many of you are out there making one, or coming back for a second! We’ve got all your favorite colors back on our shelves, along with a few new shades.

 

 

To make “Helix,” you’ll need 1 skein each of Shibui Haven and Shibui Silk Cloud, yarns that are known for their softness. Together they are an extra special treat for the hands.

Shibui Haven:  DK weight, 80% merino, 20% cashmere, 160 yards/50 g; $25 each

Shibui Silk Cloud:  lace weight, 60% mohair, 40% silk, 330 yards/25 g; $26.50 each

The pattern is free when you buy 1 skein each of Haven and Silk Cloud to make the hat – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order.

Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping!

New colors in Kelbourne Woolens Andorra!

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We’re delighted to have five new colors of Kelbourne Woolens Andorra!

Kelbourne Woolens Andorra:

  • sport weight
  • 60% merino wool, 20% highland wool, 20% mohair
  • 185 yards/50 g
  • $12 each

Andorra is a bouncy sport weight blend of merino and highland wool with a dash of mohair. It’s a wooly, lustrous 2-ply with a medium twist, not too tight or loose, and especially after knitting, it looks pleasantly fuzzy – perfect for colorwork knitting!

Members of our HYS Hat Club got two skeins of Andorra in their most recent bundles, contrasting colors to make Tressa Weidenaar’s “Pyramid Hike Hat.” The pattern is named for Pyramid Peak in Weidenaar’s home state of New Mexico, and the colorwork motif suggests high mountains and wide, clear skies.

I had fun putting these combinations together with the “Pyramic Hike Hat” in mind – there are so many possibilities with all these colors!

Here are a few other intriguing patterns for Andorra:

Order online for local pickup or shipping! We’re still closed to walk-in browsing, but are otherwise here for orders and pickups between 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. Thanks for your support!

Nest + Silk Cloud + Standing Tall!

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Here’s another soft and squishy Shibui yarn pairing, a bit like the “Helix” hat I wrote about earlier this month, but with a twist.

In her “Standing Tall, Hat & Cowl Collection,” designer Lucinda Iglesias matches Shibui Nest with Shibui Silk Cloud, a delightful combination that’s just right for a cozy hat or cowl.

The pattern includes instructions for two hats and cowls – a simpler set as well as a cabled variation. The simpler version is shown here in gray, mostly stockinette with a swath of ribbing; the cabled one is below, in red.

 

 

Shibui Nest:  DK weight, 75% fine Highland wool, 25% alpaca, 175 yards/50 g; $20 each ($22 for Julie Hoover colorways)

Shibui Silk Cloud:  lace weight, 60% mohair, 40% silk, 330 yards/25 g; $26.50 each ($28.50 for Julie Hoover colorways)

 

  • For either of the hats: 1 skein each of Nest and Silk Cloud
  • For either of the cowls: 2 skeins of Nest and 1 skein of Silk Cloud
  • For a matching set: 3 skeins of Nest and 2 skeins of Silk Cloud

Shibui’s colorways are the same from yarn to yarn, though each shade looks a little different depending on the fibers in play. Most of these pairs are made from matching colorways, but a few are near matches, which will bring a little more depth to the resulting fabric.

The pattern is free when you buy 1 skein each of Nest and Silk Cloud – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order.

Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Cold Brew and Breakfast in Bed.

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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

Cold Brew 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

Breakfast in Bed is a neutral colorway with streaks of darker gray, brown, and a silver shimmer. It’s dyed on Sparkle, Koigu’s metallic cousin to KPPPM.

© Tif Neilan – tif handknits –

What to make with all these Koigu Collector’s Club colorways? Tif Neilan’s latest pattern gave us a great idea – pair Koigu with Isager Alpaca 1 for a “Clove & Twine Toque!” 

This cozy and clever hat is knit with three strands of yarn held together – two of the same fingering weight and one mohair or alpaca lace weight, which gives the hat a soft halo.

This yarn combining does interesting things with color, too – variegated yarn held double tends to look more blended than streaky, and the fine, fuzzy lace weight yarn tints the fabric just so, if the colors aren’t too high contrast.

I had so much fun putting these color combinations together, and riffing on Neilan’s pattern name a bit, I named them for spices and seasonings.

 

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!

Haven + Silk Cloud + Helix!

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Shellie Anderson’s “Helix” has been a popular project here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop lately, a simple hat made elegant with the use of truly luxurious fibers.

To make “Helix,” you’ll need 1 skein each of Shibui Haven and Shibui Silk Cloud, yarns that are known for their softness. Together they are an extra special treat for the hands.

Shibui Haven:  DK weight, 80% merino, 20% cashmere, 160 yards/50 g; $25 each

Shibui Silk Cloud:  lace weight, 60% mohair, 40% silk, 330 yards/25 g; $26.50 each

The pattern is free when you buy 1 skein each of Haven and Silk Cloud to make the hat – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order.

Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping!