Show and tell: a lace shawl and a handful of hats.

Posted by Julia on December 7, 2014

I’m always collecting photos of the beautiful finished pieces knitters and crocheters bring in to share with us, garments that started their lives as HYS yarns. Time for another round of show-and-tell!

Pat knit this delicate beaded lace shawl in Shibui Cima, a soft alpaca/merino blend with excellent stitch definition.

The pattern is “Diospyros,” from Andrea Jurgrau’s New Vintage Lace, and Pat’s rendition is far lovelier in person than my photos could capture.

Anne recently finished her “Bayard” hat, knit with Isager Alpaca 2 and the new Isager Tweed. I love how the flecks of color in the Tweed pop out between slim stripes of Alpaca 2.

Valerie has been working on “Bayard,” as well–not one, but two!

It’s neat to see how the colors play together in such small stripes, blending in or setting one another off, depending upon the level of contrast.

Margaretta knit this cozy hat in no time flat, thanks to the super-soft and super-bulky Malabrigo Rasta. She made one modification, which was to braid the ties rather than make a crocheted chain; a nice touch.

Last-minute gift-knitters, take note–this “Tasseled Earflap Hat” is a free pattern that uses just one skein, and could take as few as four hours to complete!

Thanks to everyone who starts and shares their projects at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We feel lucky to be surrounded by such creative people.

Hello, Rasta.

Posted by Julia on November 21, 2014

Every so often, we get a request for Rasta, a Malabrigo yarn we haven’t carried before. This week, we answered that request with a Malabrigo order; we’re now proud to have Rasta on our shelves!

Rasta is a soft, squishy, single-ply merino wool that knits up quickly on US 13 – 17 needles. Each 150 gram skein has 90 yards, which may not sound like a lot, but those 90 yards go a long way at 2 or 2.5 stitches per inch.

Rasta is perfectly suited to cold-weather accessories: hats, scarves, cowls, and the like. Seeking Rasta inspiration? Check out Malabrigo’s two latest books.

That’s Rasta on the cover of Malabrigo Book 6, which features patterns for all manner of Malabrigo yarns, from Finito to Rios.

Malabrigo Book 7 is nothing but Rasta. Hats in Rasta, mitts in Rasta, all manner of cozy, instant-gratification garments and accessories in Rasta.

Come by the shop to pick up a skein or two of Malabrigo Rasta for your last-minute holiday gift-knitting! See you there.

Downton Abbey and Jane Austen Knits.

Posted by Julia on October 25, 2014

Two more new magazines are here, each inspired by stories of and about the past.

The Unofficial Downton Abbey Knits is full of knitting patterns inspired by the television series Downton Abbey, which is, for those who have somehow escaped seeing it, a period drama taking place in a British country estate during the early 20th century.

The garments in this issue suggest the era as well as the class of the show’s inhabitants, from the aristocrats upstairs to the servants downstairs.

This garter stitch beret is knit in three shades of Isager Alpaca 2, a favorite yarn around here.

This issue of Jane Austen Knits is the fifth such collection of knitting patterns inspired by the novels of Jane Austen. I found lots of familiar yarns within its pages: Swans Island Organic Washable DK in the cover mitts, Fibre Company Meadow in the “Dashwood Lace Stole,” Malabrigo Sock in the “Second Chance for Mr. Rushworth” socks, and more!

Come by the shop to pick up a copy of The Unofficial Downton Abbey Knits and Jane Austen Knits, and don’t forget to check out the Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Show while you’re here!

Brioche and lace: two new books.

Posted by Julia on September 20, 2014

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for new books! Here are two of the latest publications from Interweave, each one focused on a single technique.

Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark’s Brioche Chic offers 22 garment and accessory patterns for men and women, all of which include brioche knitting.

Brioche is a lofty, stretchy fabric that can look like plush ribbing in its simplest form, and like twisting, multicolored cables or lace when modified or combined with other techniques.

My favorite in this collection: “Chevron Deep-V Pullover,” knit in Fibre Company Acadia.

If you’ve never tried brioche, this book is a great place to start, and its sure to keep you interested long after you’ve mastered the basics of the technique.

Everyday Lace, by Heather Zoppetti, is all about incorporating lace patterns into wearable, non-fussy garments. Inside, you’ll find patterns for sweaters of all shapes: tunics, vests, shrugs, pullovers, cardigans, and some accessories, too.

I spotted a few garments in familiar yarns. The “Kirkwood Vest” above is knit in Malabrigo Silky Merino, and the “Bellemont Cardigan” below is knit in Swans Island Organic Merino Worsted.

Come by the shop to find inspiration in a book or two, and plan your next project!

Summer show and tell.

Posted by Julia on August 24, 2014

It’s time again for show-and-tell! Here are a few of the projects we’ve seen at the shop so far this summer. Summer knitting means something different to every knitter. Some folks put down their needles and hooks all summer long, but others stitch summer garments, sweaters for fall, smaller pieces that travel well, lightweight lace shawls, and more.

Here’s Ruth in her “Mix No. 19,” a color-blocked tunic knit with two strands of Shibui Silk Cloud held together throughout. In black and dark gray, this lustrous, fuzzy yarn makes an elegant garment.

Jorah came by the shop recently with show and tell: a pair of cabled socks he knit with some String Theory Bluestocking in “Java,” a rich brown colorway.

Betty recently completed this “Sonetto Shawl” with Isager Alpaca 2.

Our sample “Sonetto” is made in two colors, but one solid color makes an equally beautiful shawl, especially in such a soft and delightful yarn.

I recently finished my “Sonora,” a Courtney Kelley pattern featured in our recent Fibre Company Summer Sweaters Trunk Show. I used Berroco Maya, and knit a size that gave me about 3″ of negative ease instead of the 2″ of positive ease that the pattern suggests. As a result, it fits me snugly instead of loosely, exactly what I had in mind.

Last weekend, Amy brought in her “Baby Surprise Jacket” knit in Malabrigo Arroyo, a sample for her upcoming class on Elizabeth Zimmermann’s classic pattern. Come by the shop to see it for yourself, and act quickly if you’d like to take one of the last remaining spaces in the class!

Molly has been knitting sweaters for all her grandchildren this summer. Here’s a pair for her granddaughters, modified from a Debbie Bliss pattern so that they could be knit in the round instead of in pieces. She used a variety of DK weight superwash yarns from Sublime and Debbie Bliss, letting her girls choose the colors. I love the results!

Thanks to everyone who starts and completes their projects at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We feel so lucky to be part of your creative process.

Interweave Knits.

Posted by Julia on August 15, 2014

The Fall 2014 issue of Interweave Knits is here, and it’s absolutely bursting with sweater patterns!

The cover sweater is knit in Malabrigo Rios, everyone’s favorite hand-dyed, worsted weight superwash merino. I am particularly fond of semi-solid colorways like the one pictured, as they give depth to the knitted fabric without taking away from stitch patterns.

The “Bee Stitch Cardigan” is knit in another favorite superwash merino–Swans Island Organic Washable DK.

I spotted another familiar yarn at work in this “Climbing Rose Henley,” which is knit in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. Silky Wool is a sport weight blend of wool and silk in rustic heathered colorways, a dependable yarn that I’ve used for three different sweaters.

Among the many sweater patterns, you’ll also find a technique article explaining the difference between fisherman’s rib and brioche, two springy, squishy texture patterns.

Come by the shop to pick up the latest issue of Interweave Knits and plan your next project!

Enchanted Knits.

Posted by Julia on July 30, 2014

Another new magazine has landed here at the shop: Enchanted Knits.

Enchanted Knits is a new special issue from Interweave, a collection of designs inspired by fairy tales. This one magazine boasts 27 patterns of all kinds, including garments and accessories for men and women, a few sweet baby knits, and even a tiny dress for Thumbelina.

I also saw some HYS yarns at work in this collection.

These handsome socks were knit in Swans Island Organic Merino Fingering, and the following two shawls are made in Malabrigo Lace and Malabrigo Sock, respectively.

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

Back in stock: Malabrigo Lace.

Posted by Julia on June 25, 2014

The Malabrigo booth is always a must-see at TNNA, and this year, we went there to restock. We filled in some shades of Arroyo we were missing, and picked out a new palette in Lace, our supply having dwindled.

Malabrigo Lace is a single-ply merino, soft as can be, and boasts an impressive 470 yards on each 50 gram hank. That’s enough for a scarf, cowl, or shawlette; just two or three more skeins and you’ve enough to knit Hannah Fettig’s “Wispy Cardi.”

Here at the shop, we have a swatch of Malabrigo Lace, the start of Liz Abinante’s “Saroyan,” a popular free pattern for a triangular stockinette scarf with a leaf edging. This little bit of fabric gives a good sense of how Malabrigo Lace knits up. Come by the shop to take a closer look, and pick up a few skeins for yourself!

Crochet accessories and knit lace: two new books.

Posted by Julia on June 10, 2014

Two new books from Interweave have found a home at the shop: It Girl Crochet and New Vintage Lace.

It Girl Crochet boasts 23 patterns for crocheted accessories, from hats and mitts to scarves, cowls, and shawls. I spotted some HYS yarns as I flipped through the patterns; a hat in Mirasol Nuna, a shawl in Malabrigo Lace, and another in Shibui Silk Cloud.

Andrea Jurgrau’s New Vintage Lace is a collection of knitting patterns inspired by traditional lace doily patterns.

I was particularly impressed by the amount of information up front about the materials and design of garments like these, including detailed discussions of different fiber types and their various attributes, kinds of beads and how to apply them, gauge, swatching, blocking, and more.

The patterns are lovely, as well, with many familiar yarns at play; a hat in Malabrigo Silky Merino, and two shawls in Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb.

Come by the shop to peruse the latest books and magazines, including It Girl Crochet and New Vintage Lace–you’ll find them on the teacart. See you there!

TNNA, day 3.

Posted by Julia on May 4, 2014

Another day of yarn-ordering is behind us, and we have so many good things coming for the fall! Early in the day, we checked in with Malabrigo.

We also paid a visit to Dream in Color, mulling over their full range of colorways, mixing and matching.

We always love to see what the Fibre Company is cooking up, and this year was no exception.

We also ran into Sandy Blue, who designed the “Autumn Tam” I just finished knitting in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. I was so glad to meet her, as it gave me a chance to thank her in person for her amazing pattern and impressive color-sense.

Tomorrow we have a few loose ends to tie up before we hop on a plane and head home. Looking forward to opening the shop again on Tuesday–come in and see us at our regular business hours!