Show and tell: shop samples.

Posted by Julia on May 10, 2015

Our walls are covered with knit, crocheted, and woven garments, which are here to inspire and show how our many yarns behave when they’re worked up into fabric. If you’ve been to the shop this week, you may have noticed a few new sample garments hanging on our walls. Anne, Rosi, Marsha, and I each recently finished a new shop sample, highlighting a variety of yarns and projects. Here’s some Hillsborough Yarn Shop show and tell.

Anne knit this Churchmouse “Easy Folded Poncho” with Fibre Company Acadia, a luxurious blend of merino wool, silk, and alpaca. The silk fiber takes the dye differently than wool and alpaca, and stands out from those fibers, creating a tweedy, rustic look. Those silk slubs are what make this truly simple garment a truly special one.

For a while now, we’ve had a few shades of Conjoined Creations Flat Feet here at the shop, occasionally begging the question, “What is this for?”

Flat Feet are machine-knit stretches of sock yarn, which are then hand-painted and ready to be hand-knit into socks directly from the flat.

What might that look like? Rosi’s newest sample helps answer that question.

She also brought in a recent Nordstrom catalog, which shows that socks worn with sandals are the height of fashion. Sock knitters, take note!

Marsha knit this “Bias Scarf” with two skeins of Ella Rae Bamboo Silk, a smooth, drapey worsted weight yarn.

The knitting in the “Bias Scarf” is simple, just knits, purls, increases and decreases. It’s a great beginner project, and Marsha is teaching a class on the subject for those just learning to knit. Read more about all our classes on our website!

Here’s my finished “Jiffy” vest, knit in Geilsk Cotton/Wool. It’s designed to be worn right-side-up or up-side-down, with the drop stitch lace around the collar or around the bottom edge.

Come by the shop to check out all our sample garments, which are here to be touched, tried on, and otherwise inspected. See you there!

Show and tell: Fibre Company.

Posted by Julia on April 7, 2015

Here’s another round of show and tell! As I was sifting through my stash of recent show-and-tell photos, I noticed one brand of yarn popping up over and over again: Fibre Company. Let’s have a look at what you’ve been making with Fibre Company yarns.

Mary knit this bright “Autumn in Garrison” hat with a single skein of Fibre Company Canopy Worsted. The pattern is available as a free download from Kelbourne Woolens, and Mary has made several of them now, a tribute to a well-written design.

Pat knit her “Mix No. 26” scarf with two different yarns: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK and Fibre Company Acadia. I love these neutral colors, and the textural contrast between the smooth Alpaca Silk DK and the tweedy Acadia.

Conny recently finished her “Gillam” sweater, knit in Fibre Company Knightsbridge. I’m always impressed at how nicely Knightsbridge renders texture patterns for such a soft and fuzzy yarn; this is truly a beautiful garment. Planning to knit a “Gillam” of your own? Be sure to check Ravelry for errata, and take a look at Kelbourne Woolens’ tutorial on the “tuck stitch” used in the pattern.

Anne knit this “Greenpoint” cowl with one skein of Fibre Company Canopy Worsted, though it didn’t go exactly as she planned. As Anne herself will tell you: it’s important to read the pattern carefully before you begin knitting, but, as we all do sometimes, Anne hurried ahead, eager to dig into her project. She worked the i-cord cast-on on US #7 needles, as written, but missed the instruction to change to a US #9 for the body of the cowl, resulting in a snug little cowl, indeed.

Not one to be discouraged, Anne knit a second “Greenpoint,” and kept them both to illustrate what a difference a few needle sizes can make, and as a reminder to read patterns carefully.

Amy is teaching an upcoming class on the “Greenpoint” cowl, which is a great introduction to cable knitting. Read more about it on our website, where you can sign up and prepay for classes, if you like.

Thanks to the many knitters, crocheters, weavers, and other fiber artists who use yarns from our shop in their creations; we love seeing what you make!

Show and tell: shawls.

Posted by Julia on April 5, 2015

We always love to see what you’re making with HYS yarns, and I love to take photos of your beautiful finished pieces to share here on the blog. I’ve collected a nice bunch of them over the past couple of months, enough for two blog posts. Let’s begin with shawls.

Amy knit this exquisite garment for her daughter’s wedding, a delicate lace shawl in the Estonian tradition. The pattern is “Lilac Leaf Shawl,” by Nancy Bush, and the yarn is Shibui Cima, a lace weight blend of merino and alpaca.

Here Pat models her “Dhania Shawl,” a pattern from the Spring 2014 issue of Interweave Knits, which she knit using Louisa Harding Mulberry. The allover texture pattern is studded with eyelets, making a lightweight fabric that’s especially drapey in 100% silk.

Here’s Kathy in her cozy “Range Wrap,” knit in Ella Rae Classic Wool, and fastened with Jul closures.

Thanks for the show and tell, everyone! Keep your eye on the blog for even more finished projects soon.

Rowan Pure Wool: new colors, booklets.

Posted by Julia on March 15, 2015

Rowan has added six new shades to their Pure Wool Worsted line, and we’re happy to have them on our shelves.

All six are heathered, each shade composed of a few solid shades that are blended together to look solid from a distance. They fill out our existing selection nicely to make a well-rounded palette.

What to make with Rowan Pure Wool Worsted? Martin Storey has answered this question with two pattern collections in Pure Wool Worsted.

Pure Wool Worsted makes a great sweater yarn, especially for casual everyday sweaters.

It’s smooth and predictable on the needles, sturdy and easy to care for, renders stitch patterns crisply, and happens to be the most economical superwash worsted weight wool we’ve found.

Superwash wool at this gauge is tremendously versatile, and has many uses beyond adult-sized sweaters: use it for baby blankets, children’s sweaters, slipper socks, cold weather accessories, home goods, and the like. It’s also a good candidate for toy-making, as it happens.

I used Rowan Pure Wool recently to knit this pair of bunnies from a pair of free patterns. The bigger one, “Henry’s Rabbit,” is for my niece, and the smaller one, “Henry’s Bunny,” is for her sibling-to-be, due at the end of the month. One skein of Rowan Pure Wool was enough to make the pair. Stuffed animals are definitely not my typical knitting project, but I must say, this was a truly delightful diversion, and this yarn was a perfect fit!

Come by the shop to peruse the Martin Storey booklets, see the new colors, and plan your next project. See you there!

String Theory: new colors, show and tell.

Posted by Julia on March 4, 2015

Another shipment from String Theory arrived at the shop last week, a box filled with Bluestocking and Merino DK. We also happened to see these two yarns in a couple of beautiful finished projects recently, so I thought I’d share show and tell along with the news of new colors.

Bluestocking is a soft, sturdy fingering weight yarn composed of 80% Bluefaced Leicester wool and 20% nylon. Bluefaced Leicester wool is known for its long fibers, which make for sturdy, lustrous yarn with a bit of a fuzzy halo. Bluestocking is excellent for socks, but just as nice for scarves, shawls, mitts, and other accessories.

Pete knit this “North Arrow” with two shades of Bluestocking, one variegated and one semisolid. I love seeing how two colors interact when knit up into thin stripes; they can blend into one another or pop out in contrast, and you can’t be quite sure how they’ll behave until they’re on your needles. Pete’s color choice came out beautifully, and I’m flattered to say that she’s planning to knit a second “North Arrow” in Caper Sock!

Last week’s box came with three new shades of String Theory Merino DK, a soft and smooth superwash merino yarn in a DK weight. Merino DK is springy and dependable, has sharp stitch definition, and comes in rich, hand-dyed colorways. I’m a big fan of this yarn, having used it for all kinds of projects: two cowls, a hat, a sweater, and a pair of mitts.

Mary recently pulled a skein of String Theory Merino DK out of her stash to make a “Hermes Baby” hat from the Vivacious Volume One booklet. The simplicity of the stitch pattern gives this particularly variegated colorway room to shine.

Come by the shop to see our full selection of String Theory yarns, and plan your next project!

Show and tell: hats and scarves.

Posted by Julia on January 29, 2015

Time for another round of show and tell! Here are some of the finished projects our knitters have shared with us recently.

Annmarie has been busy knitting colorwork tams with Jamieson Shetland Spindrift. First she made Sandy Blue’s “Autumn Tam,” while taking Nancy’s class here at the shop.

Next, she used some of her leftover bits of Shetland Spindrift along with a few new shades to knit Sandy Blue’s “Midnight Sun Tam.”

Smitten with tam-knitting, Annmarie then selected nine undyed shades in Shetland Spindrift to knit Kate Davies’ “Sheep Heid.”

Bravo, Annmarie!

Linda came in recently to share her “Reach,” a cabled colorwork hat knit in two shades of Berroco Ultra Alpaca.

Rarely do we see colorwork and cables combined like this; the resulting fabric is thick and squishy, from the ribbed brim all the way to the cleverly constructed crown.

On a chilly day last week, Ruth came into the shop wearing her “Wrapped in Leaves” shawl, a pattern from Alana Dakos’ Botanical Knits.

Ruth knit hers in Fibre Company Acadia, a soft, tweedy dk weight yarn in a glorious shade of red they call “Poppy.”

I was flattered when Kathy came in working on her second “North Arrow,” a scarf I designed a couple of years ago. She knit them both in String Theory Caper Sock, the first in the colors shown in the pattern, and the second in this beautiful teal and gray combination. I love the result!

Thanks to the many knitters, crocheters, weavers, and other fiber artists who use yarns from our shop in their creations; we love seeing what you make!

Show and tell: Swans Island All American Worsted.

Posted by Julia on January 27, 2015

We always love to see what you’re making with HYS yarns, and I love to take photos of your beautiful finished pieces to share here on the blog. I have a nice collection to share at the moment, enough for two blog posts. Today’s group all happen to be made in the same wonderful yarn: Swans Island All American Worsted, an aran weight blend of US-sourced Rambouillet wool and alpaca.

Emily came into the shop last week wearing her newly-completed “Halyard,” by Norah Gaughan, which she knit using 6 skeins of All American Worsted in a deep, saturated cobalt shade called “Newport.” She lengthened the sleeves from 3/4 length to full length for a cozy winter pullover.

I knit a sweater in All American Worsted recently, too. Here I am in my “Docklight,” by Julie Hoover. If you’ve been to the shop in the past month or two, you’ve probably seen me in it, as it’s become a favorite winter sweater. I’m thrilled with how it came out, and impressed with how the yarn is wearing. I used 6 skeins in “Frost,” a light blue-gray.

Nancy knit this “Hourglass Throw” by Anne Hanson using 8 skeins of All American Worsted in a warm brown shade called “Driftwood.” The light color really shows off Hanson’s intricate cable and lace design. This was Nancy’s first time knitting cables, and they are expertly rendered. Well done!

Anyone else out there knitting with All American Worsted? Tell us what you’re making with it , and come in to show us, too!

Thanks to everyone who starts their projects at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and to those who share their progress with us. Come by the shop to pick up some Swans Island All American Worsted for your next project, and keep your eye on the blog for more show and tell soon!

Back in stock: Cricket looms.

Posted by Julia on January 15, 2015

Our first round of Schacht Cricket looms sold out quickly over the holidays, so we ordered twice as many for our second batch, which I’m happy to say are now here at the shop. Two of them were purchased the moment they came in. You guessed it: Anne and I each have Crickets of our own now, and are eager to learn more about rigid heddle weaving.

I’m anxious to get weaving on scarves and kitchen towels, and just as anxious to see what others are making with their Cricket looms.

Molly wove this scarf on a Cricket loom with a variegated fingering weight yarn for warp and a solid lace weight yarn for weft. She used a 10-dent reed, which makes a lightweight fabric, and a slightly open weave with yarns of this weight. Variegated yarn behaves so differently in woven fabric than in knit fabric; Anne and I were surprised and delighted by the results.

Come by the shop to learn more about the Schacht Cricket loom, and explore the rest of our new little weaving section.

We have books and dvds on the subject, UKI Supreme cotton weaving yarns, Zoom Looms and kits to go with. See you at the shop!

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.

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!)