Show and tell: baby things and cowls.

Posted by Julia on April 23, 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!

Paula knit this baby vest in Swans Island Organic Washable DK, a semisolid merino wool, making for a brighter version of the sample “Cabled Vest” that hangs at the shop. The pattern is from Susie Haumann’s All You Knit Is Love, a sweet booklet of baby things designed for Isager yarns. Much as we adore Isager yarns, we’re all about yarn substitution here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop–a buttery soft machine-washable yarn in the same gauge as the pattern is a perfect fit for this baby sweater.

Margaretta has been one busy knitter lately. She recently knit this “Baby Surprise Jacket” following Elizabeth Zimmermann’s classic pattern as written in the updated Knitting Workshop.

She chose yarns in colors that reminded her of Maine, striping one shade of Dream in Color Classy with two shades of Malabrigo Rios. Sometimes, knitters worry about whether or not they’re allowed to mix different brands of yarn in one project, and this little sweater is proof that you needn’t worry. Are the yarns identical? No, but they are comparable, and the result is a seamless transition from one yarn to the next–a perfect sweater.

Of course she had some leftovers, so she knit a little hat to go with, the “Boston Whaler Hat,” to be exact. It’s a Ewe Ewe pattern that Anne has made several times; you may have seen the pink and purple sample at the shop. I love these little green whales, and I particularly love the tubular cast-on Margaretta used to start the ribbing, a technique she found in Leslie Ann Bestor’s Cast On, Bind Off.

Here is Margaretta’s “Mix No. 23” double-knit cowl (did I mention she’s been a busy knitter lately?). Rather than the two strands of Shibui Cima that the pattern calls for, Margaretta used one strand of Cima and one strand of Silk Cloud in the striking color combination of Mineral and Ash.

The result is a shimmering, fuzzy fabric, a delight to wrap around one’s neck, no doubt. Bravo, Margaretta!

I have a cowl to share, too–the “One Skein Zigzag Cowl” from our informal Knit-Along, knit in the brand new Ewe So Sporty yarn. Come by the shop to see it for yourself, and get a hands-on sense of how this yarn knits up.

This is neither a baby thing nor a cowl, but remarkable show-and-tell nonetheless: Anne recently finished her “Mix No. 19,” a tunic knit with Shibui Silk Cloud held doubled throughout. Light as a feather and soft as can be, this is one luxurious top. It’s a simple knit with thoughtful details, like folded hems on the body, neckline, and armholes.

Thanks to the knitters, crocheters, and other fiber artists who start their projects at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and who share their work with us! We’re lucky to be surrounded by inspiring stitches every day.

Shibui Mix Party.

Posted by Julia on April 14, 2014

On Sunday, we hosted a Shibui Mix Party. We currently stock three Shibui yarns, but we offered our Mix Party attendees the opportunity to sample and place special orders for any and all nine of the beautiful yarns that Shibui produces.

In between sips of mimosas and bites of bagels, knitters and crocheters worked up swatches in all manner of Shibui yarns and yarn combinations, sharing pattern ideas as they stitched.

Garments from the Shibui Trunk Show were passed around, tried on, and petted, and we all had a good time putting color combinations together for some of Shibui’s beautiful patterns.

So many amazing projects were planned, garments and accessories alike–I am so looking forward to seeing them emerge, stitch by stitch!

It was a delightful morning, spent chatting and laughing with a great group of people, enjoying each other’s company as much as the yarns. Come by the shop to check out the Shibui Cima, Pebble, and Silk Cloud that we currently have in stock. Stay tuned for more yarn tastings –and more from Shibui– in the future!

Shibui Trunk Show!

Posted by Julia on April 4, 2014

We’re delighted to announce that we’re hosting a Shibui Trunk Show, featuring 6 garments and accessories knit in Shibui yarns.

Shibui yarns are designed to be knit on their own or held together, using two or three strands at a time to make bespoke yarn blends. We currently stock three Shibui yarns, all lace weight: Cima, Pebble, and Silk Cloud. Some of these trunk show garments are knit with one or two of those yarns, and some of these garments combine them with Shibui yarns that we don’t keep in stock at the shop, like Shibui Heichi and Linen. We’re happy to order any of those yarns for you if you’re willing to prepay for a special order.

We have a stack of swatches at the shop that illustrate how Shibui yarns behave in different combinations: Cima knit with Pebble, Silk Cloud held double, etc. A swatch can tell us a lot, but a whole garment tells us even more. A trunk show is a great opportunity to see, touch, and try on finished garments in these yarn combinations, demystifying the Mix concept and making it easier to choose which size to make.

These garments will be on display at the shop from April 1st – 15th — come by soon to see them yourself!

New from Shibui.

Posted by Julia on March 10, 2014

Shibui has just released their Spring/Summer 2014 pattern collection, six new Mix patterns that combine Shibui yarns two or three strands at a time to make unique fiber blends. We’re also excited to announce that in April, we’ll host a trunk show featuring these very garments. We can’t wait to see them in person!

“Mix No. 25” is a long, lightweight cardigan, knit with two strands of Shibui Pebble held together throughout–the same yarn combination used to make the “Cliff” hat that we have on display here at the shop. The handsome “Mix No. 26” scarf is also knit with Pebble, two shades in a chevron colorwork pattern. We got a few new shades of Pebble in this past week, making it even more fun to come up with “Mix No. 26” color combinations.

I find “Mix No. 29” perhaps the most tempting of the bunch, in part because I’ve had my double-knit “Mix No. 23” cowl wrapped around my neck all winter, and find another Shibui cowl hard to resist.

“Mix No. 29” is knit with the springy Cima and tweedy Pebble held together, a combination that makes a light and lovely fabric. It can be hard to imagine how two different yarns will behave when knit together, which is why we have swatches in each possible combination of the three Shibui yarns we currently carry. Look for a stack of them in the Shibui Mix Box, where you’ll also find the Shibui lookbooks, color-cards, and pattern binder.

Another way to take the guesswork out of yarn-combining is to swatch these yarns yourself before you buy them, which is exactly what happens at a Shibui Mix Party. We had one here at HYS in January, where knitters and crocheters sampled Cima, Pebble, and Silk Cloud. I’m delighted to announce that we’ve got another Shibui Mix Party on the schedule, and this time, we’re offering samples of all nine Shibui yarns! Because of our small space, we’re limiting this special event to 15 participants, so sign up now if you’d like to attend!

Come by the shop to see the latest from Shibui and plan your next project. (Maybe Stephen West’s new “Pebble Parallelograms,” a colorful scarf knit in five shades of Pebble and one of Silk Cloud, all of which are in stock at the shop right now, and pictured above? Just sayin’.) See you there!

New colors from Shibui.

Posted by Julia on January 30, 2014

Our yarn tastings often result in mammoth orders from whatever yarn company we’ve just sampled. In part this is because we take special orders from yarn tasting attendees, but it’s also because Anne and I have a hard time resisting the urge to get a few new colors in these lovable yarns. It was no different with our recent Shibui Mix Party, and the result is new colors in all three Shibui yarns we currently carry–springy Cima, fuzzy Silk Cloud, and tweedy Pebble.

Shibui yarns are designed to be held two or three strands at a time to create unique fiber blends, and because of that, they dye all their yarn bases in matching colorways for easy mixing. There’s not an exact match for every single color in every single yarn, but they get pretty close. The use of two similar-but-not-identical colors held together also makes for an interesting effect, as I’ve learned in my recently-completed Carpino sweater.

I held Shibui Silk Cloud and Isager Highland together in the colors “Bordeaux” and “Wine,” respectively. A good match in name and in hue. When you look at the finished fabric up close, you can see the difference between the two yarns, but from a distance, they blend into a cohesive burgundy shade.

These two new colorways of Pebble give knitters a few more options when choosing colors for the Cliff Hat. We now carry 12 shades of this tweedy cashmere/silk/wool blend.

Amy is teaching an upcoming class on the Cliff hat, a nice small project for learning colorwork; read more about it and sign up on our Classes page!

We’re so pleased to see our selection of Shibui colorways growing like this. Come by the shop to see them for yourself, and to plan a project using Shibui yarns!

Shibui Mix Party.

Posted by Julia on January 14, 2014

On Sunday, we hosted a Shibui Mix Party, featuring samples of three Shibui yarns.

In between sips of mimosas and bites of bagels, knitters and crocheters worked up swatches in Cima, Pebble, and Silk Cloud, sharing pattern ideas as they stitched.

Many of Shibui’s patterns call for their yarns to be combined, two or three strands at a time, to create unique fiber blends and different gauges, and that yarn mixing was the activity of the day.

Our Shibui samples were passed around, tried on, and petted, and we all had a good time putting color combinations together for some of Shibui’s beautiful patterns. Anne and I shared two works in progress using Shibui yarns: her Mix No. 19 made with two strands of Silk Cloud, and my Carpino made with Isager Highland and Silk Cloud. So many amazing projects were planned, garments and accessories alike–I am so looking forward to seeing them emerge, stitch by stitch!

It was a delightful morning, spent chatting and laughing with a great group of people, enjoying each other’s company as much as the yarns. Come by the shop to see all our Shibui yarns and patterns, and consider them for your next project. Stay tuned for more yarn tastings –and more from Shibui– in the future!

Knitscene.

Posted by Julia on January 9, 2014

The Spring issue of Knitscene is here, to tempt us with warm-weather knitting just when winter is at its coldest.

Inside this issue, you’ll find patterns for garments and accessories, along with a helpful article on color theory.

A few familiar yarns are shown, too–here are Cascade Ultra Pima, Shibui Cima, and Fibre Company Meadow knit up into lightweight tanks.

Look for Knitscene on the teacart in the front room of the shop, among the latest books and magazines. See you there!

Show and tell: scarves, cowls, and colorwork.

Posted by Julia on January 5, 2014

Speaking of show-and-tell: knowing how much we love to see projects made in HYS yarns, so many of you have brought impressive finished pieces by the shop this past month or so. We’ve seen knit sweaters, scarves, and hats, crocheted cowls and shawls, fingerless mitts, stuffed bunnies, and more, many of which were thoughtfully crafted as gifts for friends and family. As usual, I wish I could photograph them all; here are some of the projects you’ve shared with us lately.

Victoria wove this scarf for her son using three different yarns: the fingering weight Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine and Colinette Jitterbug, and the dk weight Sandnes Garn Alpakka. I love the bold color combination and the herringbone pattern.

If you’ve come by the shop lately to see our newest yarns, we’ve likely ushered you into the lace weight corner to admire the Shibui yarns. Where once you’d find my Mix No. 23 cowl hanging near the Shibui patterns, now you’ll find Amy’s, made up in the delightful Shibui Cima. Amy is now teaching a class at the shop on this double-knit cowl, so I’m hoping to see even more Mix No. 23’s in the coming months. (Intrigued by Shibui? There are still a few open spaces in our upcoming Shibui Mix Party—sign up and join us!)

Mary made this “Drop Stitch Cowl” in no time, using 3 balls of the super soft, super bulky Katia Fabula. I always love to see how drop stitch patterns change the way colors fall in variegated yarns, and this cowl is no exception. Mary reports that Fabula became even softer and more pliable after a Eucalan soak. The pattern is available as a free download on Ravelry, and would also look great in Malabrigo Mecha or Mountain Fusion Teton, among others.

Anne recently knit a cowl, too, one which she has worn every day since completing it. And no wonder: it’s made with one skein of the luxurious Fibre Company Canopy Worsted, a blend of alpaca, merino, and bamboo. The pattern is “Cumberland,” available for purchase at the shop as a Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sale. Come by the shop to pick up a skein of Canopy Worsted for your own Cumberland Cowl, and you’ll likely find Anne wearing hers.

Anne has also been hard at work making colorwork vests in preparation for her upcoming Intro. to Fair Isle class. The class project is Onslow’s Vest, a free pattern for a tiny vest, fit for a doll or stuffed bear. Thinking of her grandchildren, Anne substituted the bulky Cascade Eco+, with larger needles to match, and came out with the following.

Of course, with one little girl vest behind her, Anne has begun the first of two little boy vests for her twin grandsons. For those, she’s chosen the soft and springy Swans Island Organic Washable DK–a lighter weight fabric will better serve her boys in these Southern climes.

Thanks again for sharing your projects with us! We so love seeing what you create with yarns from the Hillsborough Yarn Shop.

New Isager patterns.

Posted by Julia on December 17, 2013

By now, you probably know how we feel about Isager yarns and patterns. We’ve offered classes on Marianne and Helga Isager’s designs, hosted Isager trunk shows, and knit with those yarns and patterns ourselves, again and again. So it will come as no surprise that we’re delighted to share some new Isager patterns with you, meaning patterns designed by Marianne Isager as well as patterns by other designers for Isager yarns.

The “Trellis Wimple” is a generous openwork cowl that can be worn a few different ways. It’s worked on a range of needle sizes to create gentle shaping, and made with two strands of Isager yarn held together throughout: the lace weight Spinni (Wool 1) and the fingering weight Alpaca 2. Use coordinating colors for a solid-looking garment, or try slightly different shades for a marled look.

The “Barclay Scarf” uses three shades of Alpaca 2, which are striped in a texture pattern for a nice effect.

Marianne Isager’s “Diamanten” shawl calls for Spinni (Wool 1) held together with a silk/mohair blend; Shibui Silk Cloud comes to mind. The Isager and Shibui color palettes each have their own character, but there is certainly overlap enough to make some beautiful combinations.

Speaking of Shibui, Pebble or Isager Tvinni would both be a perfect fit for “Vingefang,” a cardigan pattern that also came to us from our Isager distributors.

Come by the shop to see even more new patterns for Isager yarns, and to play the Isager/Shibui color combination game that I’ve come to love. See you there!

Gradient colorways.

Posted by Julia on December 8, 2013

We recently acquired a few new colors in Shibui Silk Cloud, one of our newest yarns. Silk Cloud is a shimmering, fuzzy blend of mohair and silk, one that has quickly made its way onto Anne’s needles as well as my own. Already low on a few popular colors, we placed an order with Shibui a few weeks ago and were unable to resist a couple of new hues in Silk Cloud.

When presented with piles of yarn, my first impulse is always to group colors into interesting pairings or trios, thinking, “How could I combine these in a garment?” Unpacking the new colors in Silk Cloud, I immediately thought of the “Gradient” cowl, a free pattern from Shibui.

In the spirit of the Shibui Mix concept, which encourages the combining of Shibui yarns two or three strands at a time, “Gradient” 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.

“Gradient” calls for four shades of Silk Cloud, so immediately I started putting foursomes together, shuffling all our available colors this way and that until I found combinations that pleased me.

Inspired to make a “Gradient” cowl of your own? I can’t wait to see what other color combinations you creative knitters will come up with. Look for the “Gradient” pattern on Shibui’s website, where you can download it for free, and look for Shibui Silk Cloud at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop in the lace weight section. See you there!