Back in stock: Modern Cotton!

Posted by Julia on April 1, 2022

Berroco Modern Cotton is a staple around here, an economical, machine-washable blend of cotton and rayon in that versatile gauge, worsted weight. It was time for a restock and restock we did, filling our Modern Cotton bins and brightening up our selection.

Berroco Modern Cotton:

worsted weight
solid colors
50% cotton, 50% rayon
209 yards/100 grams
$10 each

Modern Cotton is perfect for warm-weather knits, or year-round for those allergic to wool. It’s also a favorite for baby things – here are some pattern ideas for all of the above!

“Anker’s Summer Shirt,” by PetiteKnit – top-down tee with ribbed circular yoke
“Admit,” by Norah Gaughan – sleeveless top with eyelet detail at yoke
“Eula,” by Amy Christoffers – stockinette tee with lace at back neck
“Seafoam Scarf & Wrap,” by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas – drop stitch scarf and wrap
“Bilberry” – child’s dress with leaf lace yoke
“In Threes,” by Kelly Herdich – short-sleeved baby cardigan
“Chevron Baby Blanket,” by Espace Tricot – chevron striped baby blanket

Look for Modern Cotton in the worsted weight section here at our shop!

Back in stock: Berroco Modern Cotton.

Posted by Julia on February 18, 2017

Modern Cotton is perfect for warm-weather knit and crochet projects, or year-round for those allergic to wool.

It’s also well-suited to blanket making, and to that end, knitters, consider “Chevron Baby Blanket,” “Saurey,” “Hydrangea,” or “Super Easy Crib Blanket.” Crocheters, try “Ripple Blanket,” “Vintage Crocheted Throw & Afghan,” “Oh, the Places You’ll Go Baby Blanket,” or “Crochet Super Easy Baby Blanket.”

Look for more pattern ideas on our Worsted weight Pinterest board, and come by the shop to see the yarn itself and plan your next project!

Back in stock: Berroco Modern Cotton.

Posted by Julia on January 30, 2016

Earlier this week, a particularly large box arrived from Berroco, filled with over 40 pounds of Modern Cotton. Since its debut in Spring 2014, Modern Cotton has become a staple here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, so we picked up some of the newest colors and replenished our supply of old favorites. We now have an impressive 25 colors on our shelves!

Modern Cotton is a worsted weight blend of 60% cotton and 40% rayon, perfect for warm-weather knit and crochet projects, or year-round for those allergic to wool.

Modern Cotton is soft in the hand, machine-washable, and affordable, to boot. All of those qualities make it well-suited to blanket-making. Knitters, consider “Chevron Baby Blanket,” “Saurey,” “Hydrangea,” or “Super Easy Crib Blanket.” Crocheters, try “Ripple Blanket,” “Vintage Crocheted Throw & Afghan,” “Oh, the Places You’ll Go Baby Blanket,” or “Crochet Super Easy Baby Blanket.”

Beyond blankets, Modern Cotton will do well in any pattern calling for worsted weight yarn where the drape of plant fibers is welcome. For adult garments, check out Berroco Modern Cotton Women, a collection of patterns by Amy Christoffers featuring sweaters and accessories knit in Modern Cotton. Don’t miss “Watson,” “Carioca,” “Sanpoku,” and “Admit,” free patterns from Berroco for three cardigans and a tank, respectively. Follow us on Pinterest for even more worsted weight pattern ideas!

Look for Berroco Modern Cotton in the worsted weight section here at the shop. See you there!

New colors in Modern Cotton.

Posted by Julia on January 18, 2015

Berroco has dreamed up a few new colors for their Modern Cotton yarn, filling out their palette of crayon-bright colors with some more subdued hues.

Berroco Modern Cotton is a worsted weight blend of cotton and rayon, and since it’s arrival last spring, it’s become a staple here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop.

Smooth, soft to the touch, economical, and machine-washable, Modern Cotton has been embraced by knitters and crocheters alike.

It’s perfect for baby sweaters, blankets, and the like, but just as well-suited to grown-up garments like the ones you’ll find in Berroco’s new booklet: #358, Modern Cotton Women.

Last year, designer Amy Christoffers took over Norah Gaughan’s position as Design Director for Berroco, and this collection has a distinct Christoffers look to my eye.

Christoffers seems to specialize in casual, wearable garments, especially those decorated in texture patterns and small lace motifs.

Look for Berroco Modern Cotton in the worsted weight section here at the shop; you’ll find this booklet tucked in the cubby with the yarn. See you there!

Hello, Berroco Modern Cotton.

Posted by Julia on February 25, 2014

Meet Modern Cotton, a brand new yarn from Berroco!

Modern Cotton is a worsted weight blend of 60% cotton and 40% rayon, perfect for warm-weather knit and crochet projects, or year-round for those allergic to wool. Modern Cotton is soft in the hand with excellent stitch definition, qualities that this little cabled sweater illustrates nicely. You’ll find it at the shop, hanging on the wall above the worsted weight yarns.

The pattern is “Diggory,” from Berroco booklet #345, which puts this brightly-colored, easy-care yarn to good use in all manner of baby and children’s garments.

Modern Cotton is also a very good value, with a relatively low price tag for the yardage. That along with its soft feel and machine-washability made me think blankets. The range of colors both neutral and bright brought to mind the Purl Bee’s delightfully simple garter stitch baby blanket pattern, “Super Easy Crib Blanket,” a riot of color in seven shades.

Berroco has also released some free patterns for Modern Cotton, like the lacy “Saurey” baby blanket, and two women’s sweaters: “Joyce” and “Sanpoku,” a tee and a cardigan, respectively. Norah Gaughan used Modern Cotton in her most recent Berroco booklet. Modern Cotton will do well in any pattern calling for worsted weight yarn where the drape of plant fibers is welcome. Check it out when you’re next at the shop, along with the “Diggory” sample, which can give you a good sense of how the yarn behaves in knitted fabric. See you there!

Berroco Touche: now on sale!

Posted by Julia on January 26, 2014

UPDATE: As of 11/19/2014, we are totally sold out of Berroco Touche!

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It’s always bittersweet news when yarns are discontinued. On the one hand, we’re sad to see good yarns go. On the other, we’re happy to announce that said yarn is now on sale. We’re now offering Berroco Touche at over 30% off!

Touche is a worsted weight blend of cotton and rayon, which come together to make a soft, machine-washable yarn that is far from stiff–a complaint we sometimes hear about mercerized cottons. Touche is perfect for the wool-averse among us, as well as for baby and children’s things. I’ve also seen it made up into a lightweight summer top. Check out Berroco’s large collection of free knit and crochet patterns for Touche ideas; their website allows you to sort patterns by gauge, making it easy to substitute Touche for other worsted weight yarns.

Last year, I made this baby hat using one skein of Berroco Touche, with guidance from the Super Simple Hat Calculator. It’s a simple thing, just a roll brim hat knit in stockinette and finished with a little i-cord knot at the top. A quick knit, and a sample that gives a good sense of how Touche behaves in knitted fabric. Come by the shop to snag some Touche at this great price while it’s still in stock!

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted yarn. There can be no returns or exchanges, nor special orders–the discount applies only to what we currently have in stock. Thanks!

Julep B.

Posted by Julia on December 15, 2013

We just got some brand new kits from Julep B. featuring Classic Elite Firefly!

Firefly is a sport weight blend of rayon and linen, lustrous fibers that drape beautifully, making the yarn perfectly suited to shawl-knitting.

We have Julep B. shawl kits in two styles, “Lillian” and “Sylvia.” Each kit contains a shawl pattern and enough yarn to complete it, and all of the above is contained in a sweet muslin project bag.

Kits make great gifts, as they the guesswork out of pairing yarn and pattern, all the while looking nice and neat in their packaging. Come by the shop to pick up a Julep B. kit and check out the rest of our kit selection, including hats, scarves, mitts, and more. See you there!

Hello, Linen Concerto.

Posted by Julia on January 15, 2013

Consider this Part 2 of our most recent shipment from Plymouth: a new yarn called Linen Concerto.

Linen Concerto is a slightly textured dk weight blend of rayon, linen, and cotton. It’s perfect for making lightweight garments–shawls, scarves, tees, and tanks–and for those who are sensitive to animal fibers like wool and alpaca. Linen Concerto is soft to the touch and promises to drape beautifully, as rayon and linen often do. We got it in three neutral colors and two bright multicolors.

Come by the shop to check it out!

Araucania Azapa: now on sale!

Posted by Julia on October 13, 2012

UPDATE: As of 11/19/2014, we are totally sold out of Araucania Azapa!

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In tandem with our anniversary sale, which entitles our much-appreciated customers to 15% off everything in the shop between October 13th and 21st, we’re discounting Araucania Azapa by 25%.

Araucania Azapa is a bulky weight blend of merino wool, alpaca, silk, and rayon, with about 140 yards on each 100 gram skein. Azapa is a single ply yarn, and comes in semisolid colorways with tweedy flecks. It’s soft and cuddly, makes a great bunny hat, and is exactly the right gauge and length to make a Bandana Cowl.

The Bandana Cowl is a free pattern from the Purl Bee, one which is well-written, easy to understand, and knits up quickly. It was only published a year ago, but already, there are almost 3,000 Bandana Cowls on Ravelry–a number high enough to be considered a recommendation in and of itself. A cozy Bandana Cowl in Araucania Azapa makes a perfect holiday gift or instant-gratification fall knitting project. Come by the shop soon to get it at 25% off!

Berroco Touche.

Posted by Julia on June 9, 2012

Here’s another Berroco yarn that we have on sale this week: Touche.

Touche is a machine-washable, worsted weight blend of cotton and rayon. It’s soft and squishy, with a bit more elasticity than one usually expects from plant fibers, making it quite pleasant to knit with. It’s softness and easy care make it perfect for baby things, like this simple baby hat. I made it with one skein of Touche this week, and it took only a few hours. The pattern is the Super Simple Hat Calculator, a free pattern that gives instructions for a variety of sizes and gauges. This means that whatever yarn you choose can successfully become a hat with the help of the Super Simple Hat Calculator. This means that we turn to the Super Simple Hat Calculator again and again and again.

Touche and many other Berroco yarns are 25% off until Sunday the 10th, which, as I write this, is tomorrow, so come by soon to shop Week 2 of our Going-to-Market sale! Many of these Berroco yarns were quite affordable to begin with, making them irresistibly inexpensive at 25% off. Between the free pattern and the sale yarn, you could be knitting this baby hat for less than four dollars. Irresistible, no? See you at the shop!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!