Show and tell: Shibui and more.

Posted by Julia on July 9, 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!

Conny keeps her hands and needles busy, and has started and completed two shawls this past month with yarns from our shop. This one is Judy Marples’ “Sonetto Shawl,” knit in Mirasol Tupa.

Conny also knit up this feather and fan shawl using Jade Sapphire Silk/Cashmere held together with Shibui Silk Cloud. Both yarns are lace weight, but the Jade Sapphire is variegated while the Shibui is solid. The combination makes the overall color of the piece more cohesive and gives it depth.

Emily has also been knitting with Shibui yarns, mixing colors and seeing what happens. She brought in this lace scarf that she made with not two, but three yarns held together: two shades of Shibui Cima and one Silk Cloud, all in green.

It’s always a bit of an experiment to hold yarns together; how will the colors behave? Which one will be dominant, or will they blend to look solid? I love seeing the before and after like this, and I’m amazed at how well these three greens play together.

Debbie brought in this chevron striped baby blanket, knit in Berroco Modern Cotton, the first of three baby blankets on her current to-knit list. Modern Cotton is a great choice for a blanket–soft, washable, and affordable–and Debbie’s color combination is just lovely.

I finished this shop sample recently, “Mix No. 26,” a scarf knit with two strands of Shibui Pebble held together. The chevron pattern looks like stranded colorwork, but is in fact a slip stitch pattern, so that only one color is at work on any given row. Come by the shop to see it for yourself; there are so many enticing colors to choose from in Pebble!

Ruth wore her “Diamanten” shawl in last Sunday, a beautiful lace garment knit with Shibui Cima and Grignasco Kid Seta held together throughout. I was sorry to miss this shawl in action, but Anne snapped this photo for me so I could share it here on the blog. Well done, Ruth!

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

Botanical Knits 2.

Posted by Julia on July 7, 2014

Last year, Alana Dakos published Botanical Knits, a collection of garments and accessories inspired by trees and foliage. As soon as we heard there was a sequel afoot, we preordered a big stack of them for the shop. At last, it’s here: Botanical Knits 2!

The cover project, naturally, was the first to catch my eye, a shawl knit in Fibre Company Meadow and Shibui Cima, two favorites around here.

Botanical Knits 2 is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Alana Dakos, a book as beautifully designed as the patterns inside.

Come by the shop to pick up copies of Botanical Knits and Botanical Knits 2, and get 15% off during the month of July! Look for Botanical Knits 2 on the teacart, surrounded by new and inspiring books and magazines. See you at the shop!

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

New colors in Shibui Linen.

Posted by Julia on June 20, 2014

Linen is the newest Shibui yarn in our collection, a chain-plied yarn in a light fingering weight. We’ve stocked it for just over a month, and already we’ve had to reorder many of the six colors we started out with. Thrilled that knitters and crocheters are as intrigued by the stuff as we are, we ordered a few new colors, too.

We now have Shibui Linen in “Ivory,” “Poppy,” and “Suit,” and they make nice additions to our color selection. I got to arranging them in groups of fours as I photographed them, thinking of Shibui’s free pattern, “L.1.”

“L.1” is a simple striped wrap shown in two main colors, neutrals, and two contrasting colors, one bright and one dark. With that composition in mind, I came up with these colorways, though of course there are many different color strategies to play with.

Come by the shop to see Shibui Linen for yourself, and while you’re here, be sure to admire Amy’s “Mix No. 28,” a vest made with Shibui Linen and Pebble held together. See you there!

Upcoming classes.

Posted by Julia on June 17, 2014

Our wonderful teachers have been busy preparing for upcoming classes, stitching samples and planning their knitterly curriculum.

Amy recently brought a batch of her self-published “Knitting Basic Socks” booklets to the shop, the textbook for her upcoming class by the same name. The booklet and class will guide you through the construction of a simple pair of socks knit on double-pointed needles from cuff to toe. She hand-bound each booklet with one of my favorite sock yarns, Colinette Jitterbug.

Come by the shop to take a closer look at Amy’s sock-knitting booklet, and sign up for her upcoming “Knitting Basic Socks” class for hands-on, in-person instruction.

I recently finished knitting this “Yipes Stripes Cowl,” by Ann Weaver, the subject of Katherine’s newest class. I used five shades of Plymouth Suri Merino, and knit the motifs out of order just because I could. During the 3-color braid, I worked with all three yarns flung across the room, giving them plenty of room to twist around one another, as they naturally do, and then untwist stitch by stitch on the following row.

You may recall that Anne knit one, too; they’re both on display at the shop now, illustrating how the same pattern can yield such different results just by changing the yarn and colors used. I can’t wait to see what Katherine’s looks like, and everyone else who’s taking the class! Sign up now to learn all the techniques you’ll encounter in a “Yipes Stripes Cowl” and get started on one of your own.

Marsha’s newest class will teach how to make a pair of “Podster Gloves,” a convertible glove/mitten with a peek-a-boo thumb, allowing you to keep your hands warm but free your fingers quickly to navigate a smartphone, should the need arise.

Marsha knit this “Podster Glove” in Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette, a sport weight blend of merino, alpaca, and silk. Worked up at a gauge of 8 stitches per inch, these are cozy gloves indeed. Come by the shop to see Marsha’s sample glove, and sign up for her class to have support in knitting some for yourself!

Amy finished her “Mix No. 28” vest in record time, working with two strands throughout: Shibui Linen and Pebble. Together, these two yarns make a unique fabric, combining the cool drape of the linen and the soft tweedy texture of Pebble’s wool, cashmere, and silk.

It’s a perfect fabric for an open vest like this one, with its clever integrated scarf. Amy has kindly left her “Mix No. 28” vest with us as a temporary shop sample–come by to see it for yourself, and join Amy’s “Mix No. 28” class to have guidance in making one of your own!

Thanks to all our teachers for continuing to dream up exciting new classes! You can read more about all of them on the “Classes” page, and sign up online via Paypal if you like. See you at the shop!

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!

Knitscene Accessories.

Posted by Julia on May 29, 2014

Yet another new magazine is here: Knitscene Accessories 2014!

This annual special issue is packed with patterns and tutorials for summertime stitching, when small projects feel just right. Here’s a cowl knit in Shibui Cima, and a scarf knit in Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball.

There are plenty of pleasing patterns in this issue, but I’m most impressed by the articles, which teach how to cable without a cable needle, convert top-down sock patterns to toe-up and vice versa, and double-knit.

Come by the shop to grab a copy of Knitscene Accessories!

Still playing with Shibui.

Posted by Julia on May 15, 2014

I have many loves when it comes to yarn and knitting, but right now, Shibui is at the forefront. Each time new colors come in to the shop, I find myself pairing and grouping them again. With that in mind, indulge me in a few more color-combinations for Shibui projects–I can’t help myself.

Several of you have made or are making the “Gradient” cowl, a free pattern from Shibui which is worked with three strands of Silk Cloud held together. Periodically, one of those three strands is switched out for a different color, which makes a gentle transition from one color to the next–four colors in all. It’s easy to lose oneself on Ravelry looking at different “Gradient” cowls in their many colors…here are even more that I’d love to see made up.

With 21 shades of Silk Cloud so far, we have plenty to choose from. What four colors would you use for a “Gradient” cowl?

We also got new colors in Cima, a springy lace weight blend of alpaca and merino. I put these pairings together with two Shibui cowls in mind–“Kinetic” and “Mix No. 23.” The first has you blending the two colors for an ombre effect, and the second sets the two shades against one another in a bold double-knit motif.

We’re up to 20 shades in Cima now; come by the shop to play with them yourself, and consider Shibui’s yarns and patterns as you’re planning your next project!

Cliff hat colorways.

Posted by Julia on May 11, 2014

Our recent Shibui Mix Party resulted in a large Shibui order, which brought not only a new Shibui yarn, but plenty of new colors in Cima, Pebble, and Silk Cloud.

As I put out the new colors, I often arrange them in a spectrum, play with color combinations, and generally admire the stuff.

Thinking of the “Cliff Hat,” I began to group harmonious Pebble colorways in fives.

The “Cliff Hat” is a free pattern from Shibui knit using two strands of Pebble held together throughout, making a plush fabric that’s warm but lightweight.

The simple, graphic motif makes a great introduction to stranded colorwork, where two colors of yarn are in use on any given row.

If this is a project that interests you, consider signing up for Amy’s “Cliff Hat” class, beginning May 17th! We have a sample “Cliff Hat” on display at the shop, so you can try it on for size. Come on in to put together a “Cliff Hat” colorway of your own!

Hello, Shibui Linen.

Posted by Julia on May 6, 2014

We’re delighted to announce that we now stock Shibui Linen. Our first six colors are now in, and more are coming!

Shibui Linen is a light fingering weight yarn composed of 100% linen, with a unique chain ply structure and 246 yards on each 50 gram skein. It has that somewhat crunchy texture that many linen yarns have, but like all linen, it will soften with washing and wearing. Shibui Linen is cool to the touch, perfect for spring and summer knitting and crocheting, and makes up into a lightweight, gently draping fabric.

For Linen pattern inspiration, you might begin with the Shibui patterns, though you should not feel limited to them. Consider “Mix No. 27,” a structured two-color tank that you might have seen at last month’s Shibui Trunk Show, or “Mix No. 13,” an oversized mesh pullover knit with two strands of Linen held together throughout–no doubt an excellent layering garment for our warm climate.

Shibui yarns are designed to be used in combination with one another, two or three strands at a time. Shibui Linen definitely plays well with others, bringing its drape and texture to whatever yarn it’s paired with.

I’ve recently started knitting a v-neck pullover with Shibui Linen and Cima held together–“Mix No. 17.” I’m loving the interplay of these two yarns, one cool and one warm, one stiff and one stretchy, and the resulting fabric is a happy medium between their two extremes. This is definitely an unusual sweater for me; I’m a devoted lover of wool yarns, with their springy elasticity, but the Linen is a nice change of pace. Also, it’s yellow, a bold color choice for this gray enthusiast. I can’t wait to wear this sweater!

Shibui Linen and Pebble are used together in “Mix No. 28,” a vest that was featured in last month’s Shibui Trunk Show. I had so much fun pairing Linen and Pebble colorways, finding colors that are close but not identical.

Pebble offers its lofty hand and tweedy appearance to the fabric, bringing textural interest to a mostly-stockinette garment.

Shibui Linen and Silk Cloud are another winning combination, but what, we often rhetorically wonder, does Silk Cloud not improve? With its fuzzy mohair and shiny silk content, Silk Cloud brings a bit of drama to the humble Linen.

Though “Mix No. 3” calls for Silk Cloud and Staccato, I predict that Shibui Linen will make an excellent Staccato substitute. Though the fiber content is quite different, the gauge is similar, and linen’s natural inclination to stretch out and hang nicely will make for an elegant shawl.

Come by the shop to see Shibui Linen for yourself! We’re so looking forward to seeing the rest of the colors we ordered, which are on backorder for the time being. I’ll be sure to post when they come in, and as usual, if there’s any color you’re looking for in particular, please let us know–we’re happy to do special orders. See you at the shop!

TNNA, day 2.

Posted by Julia on May 3, 2014

It’s been another busy day here at market, walking the showroom floor, seeing the latest yarns from some of our favorite vendors, and placing orders, of course.

The wild and colorful Alchemy booth was our first stop this morning. It was, as always, delightful to catch up with Gina and Austin Wilde, seeing their newest patterns and selecting new colors and yarns to bring into the shop this fall.

Next, we spent time at Shibui, marveling at their fall and winter pattern collections, new colors, and newest yarn.

We always like to visit Habu Textiles, too, to restock the Nerimaki Slub Cotton, Silk Stainless Steel, Nontwist Cotton Boucle, and check out what’s new.

Tomorrow promises more of the same. We are so anxious to share new yarns and projects with you at the shop this fall!