Show and tell: anniversary edition, part 2.

Posted by Julia on October 17, 2014

As you may remember from years past, or may have seen in our most recent email newsletter, October 18th marks the eight-year anniversary of the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We are so grateful to all of you for your support over the years, for shopping and learning and sharing with us. We’ll celebrate another year in business in our usual way: an anniversary sale! From Friday October 17th – Sunday October 19th, everything in the shop will be discounted by 15%, with the exception of classes and that which is already discounted.

Here on the blog, I’m celebrating all of you with another batch of show and tell.

Joanne came in the other day with a colorful project to share. Above, she models her “Technicolor Cowl” knit in the decadent Alchemy Sanctuary, a velvety blend of merino wool and silk.

Paula’s needles have been busy lately; she recently brought in two finished projects to share with us! Above is her “Thicket” beret, from Alana Dakos’ Botanical Knits 2, knit in Fibre Company Acadia.

Paula also knit this “Mix No. 26” with Shibui Pebble, a different yarn, but a nice match for her “Thicket” beret. I love it in these low-contrast colors, a soft beige against wintry white.

Emily came in wearing this “Côte-Nord Cap,” a pattern by Amy Christoffers from last winter’s Interweave Knits, Winter 2014. She used a skein of the new Swans Island All American Worsted in a rich blue hue.

Thanks to everyone who starts and shares their projects at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We find your stitches so inspiring, and your support of the shop is so appreciated. Keep your eyes on the blog for another “show and tell” post soon, and visit us this weekend to take advantage of our Anniversary Sale!

(A reminder: all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Discount applies only to in-store purchases. Thanks!)

Triangle Yarn Crawl.

Posted by Julia on October 9, 2014

The Triangle Yarn Crawl is a self-guided tour of local yarn shops, where knitters and crocheters get together and hop from one shop to the next, shopping, entering raffles, and seeing the full breadth of available fibers. They happen twice a year, and the time has come again: the Autumn 2014 crawl is coming up this weekend on October 11th and 12th!

Each local yarn shop has something special to offer, and we’re no exception: all 14 of our in-stock Mirasol yarns will be 25% off during the yarn crawl!

Mirasol yarns come in a wide range of weights and fiber combinations, from sport weight up to bulky, from organic cotton to luxurious alpaca and silk.

There’s a bag of goodies at each of the participating shops, a raffle prize full of yarn, patterns, and more.

Triangle Yarn Crawl sponsors like Cascade, Berroco, and Lantern Moon generously donated yarns and a needle case for the event, and we’ve tucked something special in the bag, too: 3 skeins of Shibui Pebble, and a copy of “Mix No. 32,” just in time to cast on and join the Shibui Fall Knit-A-Long on Ravelry!

We’re lucky to live in such a fiber-friendly part of the world, with so many choices available to us, and the Triangle Yarn Crawl is a great time to see all of those choices. Come see us as you’re crawling along!

A reminder: all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Discount applies only to in-store purchases. Thanks!

Annual Inventory Sale!

Posted by Julia on June 30, 2014

As many of you know, July is our annual inventory sale month. From the 1st to the 31st, everything in the shop is discounted by 15%, with the exception of classes and yarns that have already been discounted. If you’ve had your eye on a special skein, or have been planning a big project or two, now is the time to take the leap!

Pick up a kit, stock up on your favorite needles and hooks, treat yourself to an exciting new book or two, or snag the makings of a Summer Sweater at the sale price. Have you played with any of the Shibui yarns we keep raving about, or challenged yourself to a fair isle tam? Give yourself permission, it’s on sale.

Whatever it is you’ve been wanting, come by the shop anytime during the month of July to get 15% off your purchase!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Discount applies only to in-store purchases. Thanks!

Post-Market Sale: last weekend!

Posted by Julia on June 27, 2014

The final days of our Post-Market Sale are upon us! This weekend is your last opportunity to get select yarns at 30% off, or 40% off bags of 10.

Post-Market Sale yarns include: Sublime Organic Merino DK, Baby Cotton Kapok DK, Organic Cotton DK, Soya Cotton DK, Cashmere/Merino/Silk DK and Aran, Sirdar Juicy DK, Ella Rae Classic Wool, Noro Niji, Debbie Bliss Stella , and Le Fibre Nobili Super Tajmahal.

Over the course of the sale, I’ve highlighted some of them here on the blog, sharing project ideas and color combinations, good uses for these great yarns:

I’ve collected even more project ideas on the HYS Pinterest page–check out our “Post-Market Sale” board to see lots of knit and crochet projects made with these yarns.

Come by the shop by Sunday, June 29th to take advantage of the Post-Market Sale discount, and plan your next few projects, whether they’re blankets, sweaters, market bags, felted slippers, shawls, fingerless mitts, or something else you dream up–there is so much potential in these yarns. See you at the shop!
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!

Post-Market Sale spotlight: Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK.

Posted by Julia on June 6, 2014

From Friday May 23rd through June 29th, we will have select yarns discounted during our Post-Market Sale: single skeins will be reduced by 30% and full bags of 10 will be 40% off! Throughout the sale, I’ll be highlighting some of these yarns and giving ideas for what to make with them. Today: spotlight on Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK.

Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK is a soft, fluffy, single-ply yarn, coming in a range of neutrals and soft shades of pink, purple, blue, and green.

Rosi knit this “Herz & Baum” vest with Organic Merino Wool DK a few years ago, covered with intricate cable patterning. Look for it at the shop to get a sense of the nice, gentle way this yarn renders texture patterns, and check out our “Post-Market Sale” board on Pinterest for more projects made in this and other sale yarns.

Each 50 gram skein has 113 yards, and suggests a gauge of 5.5 stitches to the inch, though its loftiness means that it’s happy at a bigger gauge, too. Therefore, you can consider Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK for patterns calling for worsted weight yarns as well as those that want DK.

Heidi Kirrmair’s “Tea with Jam and Bread” pullover calls for worsted weight yarn to be knit to a gauge of 19 stitches = 4 inches, a fabric that Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK will happily knit up to without being loose or floppy. It’s a cozy stockinette sweater with bold colorblock stripes and pockets, sized for children and adults alike, and it’s also the reason I arranged shades of Organic Merino Wool DK in threes for this blog post.

Organic Merino Wool DK makes nice accessories as well–pick two shades for the “Quaking Aspen” shawl, or just one for shawls like “Saroyan” or “Terra.” Just a ball or two will make a pair of “Cafe au Lait Mitts” or “Fetchings,” perfect for gift-knitting or trying lace or cables on a small project.

Come by the shop soon to have the best selection of this gorgeous yarn at this nice price. It’s still early on in the sale, and we have full bags available in many colors, but they may not last long–hope to see you at the shop soon!

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!

Post-Market Sale spotlight: Ella Rae Classic Wool.

Posted by Julia on June 2, 2014

From Friday May 23rd through June 29th, we will have select yarns discounted during our Post-Market Sale: single skeins will be reduced by 30% and full bags of 10 will be 40% off! Throughout the sale, I’ll be highlighting some of these yarns and sharing ideas for what to make with them. Today: spotlight on Ella Rae Classic Wool.

Ella Rae Classic Wool is aptly-named, an obedient worsted weight wool with 219 yards on each 100 gram ball. It’s not superwash, so it will happily felt when exposed to moisture, heat, and agitation, making it perfect for felting projects from slippers and hats to bowls and bags.

Classic Wool is smooth and tightly plied, giving it excellent stitch definition for all kinds of patterning. It seems particularly well-suited to cable-knitting; Marsha used it to knit this sample “Fine Fella” hat.

I recently created a new Pinterest board that shows projects made in our Post-Market Sale yarns, and there I discovered that Ella Rae Classic Wool is often used as a substitute for Shelter in Brooklyn Tweed patterns like “Levenwick,” “Guernsey Wrap,” and “Brownstone.” The Brooklyn Tweed and Wool People collections are amazing resources for patterns in worsted weight yarn; most of them are available as Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sales, so make a note of which ones you like and we’ll be happy to print a copy for you when you buy them at the shop, and save a digital copy in your email, too.

Save 30% on single skeins of Ella Rae Classic Wool during our Post-Market Sale, or 40% on bags of 10. Come soon for the best selection–see you there!

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!

Post-Market Sale spotlight: Sublime Cashmere/Merino/Silk DK.

Posted by Julia on May 25, 2014

From Friday May 23rd through June 29th, we will have select yarns discounted during our Post-Market Sale: single skeins will be reduced by 30% and full bags of 10 will be 40% off! Throughout the sale, I’ll be highlighting some of these yarns and giving ideas for what to make with them. Today: spotlight on Sublime Cashmere/Merino/Silk DK.

Sublime’s Cashmere/Merino/Silk DK is a springy, many-plied dk weight yarn composed of all the fibers it’s named for. Cashmere makes it oh-so-soft, merino wool brings a pleasant bouncy quality, and silk gives this yarn a slight lustre.

It’s well-behaved on the needles or hook, machine-washable, and comes in a huge range of colors, from pastels to jewel tones to crayon-brights to neutrals.

All of these qualities make it perfectly suited to a range of projects, garments and accessories alike, for babies, children, and adults.

Sublime Cashmere/Merino Silk DK is also a great choice for blanket-making. Consider the “Honeycomb Stroller Blanket,” “Neat Ripple Pattern,” “Missoni Inspired Chevron Blanket,” and “Granny Stripes”–all free blanket patterns that encourage freewheeling color-mixing, one of the major joys of blankets, I think.

The pattern I keep thinking of, however, requires only 7 skeins–Purl Soho’s “Super Easy Baby Blanket,” a simple color-block garter stitch crib blanket. That’s why each of the photos today show groups of 7 colors. Once I started playing the “Super Easy Baby Blanket” colorway game, I had a hard time stopping.

Look for more pattern ideas for Sublime Cashmere/Merino/Silk DK on our “Post-Market Sale” Pinterest board, and come by the shop soon to have the best selection of this gorgeous yarn at this nice price. Here at the beginning of the sale, we have full bags available in many colors, but they may not last long–hope to see you at the shop soon!

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!

Post-Market Sale!

Posted by Julia on May 22, 2014

In the past, we’ve prepared for our trips to Market with a “Going to Market Sale,” discounting older stock to make room for all the new yarns we’ll order for the Fall and Winter. This year, TNNA came a month early, so rather than a “Going to Market Sale,” we’re announcing a “Post-Market Sale!”

From Friday May 23rd through June 29th, we will have select yarns on sale: single skeins will be reduced by 30% and full bags of 10 will be 40% off!

Post-Market Sale yarns include: Sublime Organic Merino DK, Baby Cotton Kapok DK, Organic Cotton DK, Cashmere/Merino/Silk DK and Aran, Sirdar Juicy DK, Ella Rae Classic Wool, Noro Niji, Debbie Bliss Stella , and Le Fibre Nobili Super Tajmahal.

These are beautiful yarns in all kinds of fibers and colors, suitable for many types of knit and crochet projects. Come by between May 23rd and June 29th to take advantage of our Post-Market Sale, and do stop in early for best selections!

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!

Triangle Yarn Crawl.

Posted by Julia on March 12, 2014

The Triangle Yarn Crawl is a self-guided tour of local yarn shops, where knitters and crocheters get together and hop from one shop to the next, shopping, entering raffles, and seeing the full breadth of available fibers. They happen twice a year, and the time has come again: the Spring 2014 crawl is coming up soon on March 22nd and 23rd!

Each local yarn shop has something special to offer, and we’re no exception: all of the books we currently have in stock will be 25% off during the weekend of the Triangle Yarn Crawl! Indulge in some of the latest publications, or pick up a handy resource you’ve been needing. If you’re looking for recommendations, Anne and I are more than happy to oblige–we love our books almost as much as we love our yarns.

There’s a Carolina Fiber Fest tote like this at each of the participating shops, a raffle prize filled with goodies. String Theory generously donated a skein of Caper Sock for the event, and we’ve tucked a few extra prizes in the bag, too: a couple of skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky, a Mountain Colors headband kit, a HYS needle gauge, and more.

A reminder: all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Discount applies only to in-store purchases. Thanks!

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!