New colors in Vivacious 4ply.

Posted by Julia on June 16, 2015

We received a lovely bundle from Fyberspates last week, bursting with bags of their Vivacious 4ply yarn. Vivacious 4ply is a high twist, superwash merino wool in a fingering weight. Though we just started stocking this yarn in February, a reorder was already necessary, and their newest shades tempted us, too.

Each 100 gram skein has 399 yards, enough for a pair of socks or mitts, a hat, scarf, or shawlette. Vivacious 4ply is hand-dyed, so each skein is unique, even from the same dye-lot; remember you can alternate skeins to blend hand-dyed yarns in larger projects.

We were also delighted to see these two new books from Fyberspates. Vivacious Kids is a collection of garments and accessories for children ages 2-10, a range for which it is sometimes surprisingly hard to find knitwear designs. CoopKnits Socks Vol. 2 is a pleasing and diverse collection of sock patterns, from the simple to the ornate.

Look for Vivacious 4ply in the fingering weight section of the shop!

Hello, MJ Opulent Fingering.

Posted by Julia on March 31, 2015

Another new yarn has found its way to the shop this Spring: meet MJ Opulent Fingering.

Based in Lafayette, Colorado, MJ Yarns specializes in variegated and semi-solid colorways, with short color runs to minimize pooling.

Opulent Fingering is a tightly-plied blend of 80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, and 10% nylon, with 416 yards on each 100 gram skein. It’s perfect for a special pair of socks, a cowl, shawl, or pair of mitts.

MJ Yarns offers a selection of free patterns on their website; consider also the “Willow Cowl,” “Starshower” cowl, and “Multnomah” shawlette, all of which are well-suited to variegated fingering weight yarns. Look for more pattern inspiration on the “Fingering weight” board on the HYS Pinterest page. See you at the shop!

Back in stock: Classy mini-skeins.

Posted by Julia on March 24, 2015

Back in August, we got a bundle of mini-skeins from Dream in Color and a fun, simple pattern to go with: the “Technicolor Cowl.” We all had fun putting wild colorways together, and before we knew it, they were sold out. I’m happy to report that we were finally able to get Dream in Color Classy mini-skeins back in stock!

Dream in Color Classy is a worsted weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in Chicago, IL. Each of these mini-skeins comes with about 50 yards of yarn.

Nancy Leuer’s “Technicolor Cowl” calls for 8 mini-skeins.

We’ve seen so many kinds of color combinations made from these mini-skeins, and they all look great. Some are gradients, pulling 8 shades from one or two color families. Some are brightly colored, with high contrast shades side by side in each stripe. Some feature duplicate skeins of one main color studded with only a few contrasting shades, for a less colorful but no less interesting look.

Come by the shop to put together a “Technicolor Cowl” colorway of your own!

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!

New colors in Zauberball Starke 6.

Posted by Julia on March 11, 2015

We recently replenished our supply of Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Starke 6, a sport weight, self-striping yarn.

Zauberball Starke 6 slowly changes from one color to the next several yards at a time, so that whatever you’re knitting or crocheting with it comes out striped. Additionally, it’s 2-ply, where both plies are not always the same shade, giving the yarn and finished product a marled look.

Thinking Spring, Anne and I chose several colorways with grassy greens, bright shades for lively stitching.

When you’re choosing projects for Zauberball Starke 6, look for patterns with interesting construction but relatively simple stitch patterns, as the stripes and marled colors will likely outshine any complex lace or texture pattern. Paging through Ravelry, lots of knitters have used Zauberball Starke 6 to make “Wingspan,” “Hitchhiker,” “TGV (High Speed Knitting),” and “Wurm.”

Here at the shop, we have a “Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf” on display knit in Zauberball Starke 6; this self-striping yarn highlights the short-row triangles. Composed of 75% superwash wool and 25% nylon, Zauberball Starke 6 is great for socks or legwarmers, too! Look for more pattern ideas on the “Sport weight” board on the HYS Pinterest page.

Come by the shop to pick up a skein or two of Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Starke 6! See you there.

Hello, Shibui Staccato.

Posted by Julia on March 8, 2015

Another new yarn from Shibui! Meet Staccato.

Staccato is a lustrous blend of 70% superwash merino and 30% silk in a fingering weight. Like Cima, it has a nice high twist, giving it the look of a string of pearls. Each 50 gram skein has 191 yards, enough for a hat or a pair of mitts; two skeins would make a lovely cowl, or a special pair of socks. Staccato looks to be a stellar sweater yarn, as well; check out the “Fingering weight” board on our Pinterest page for pattern ideas!

Both silk and superwash wool have a tendency to grow after washing and blocking; plan for this by washing your swatch and adjusting needle size accordingly. I know this can feel like an extra step sometimes, but it’s worth it to end up with a garment in the size you intended!

Look for Shibui Staccato in the fingering weight section, and be sure to check out our other Shibui yarns and patterns while you’re here. Come by the shop when you’re seeking inspiration; we look forward to helping you plan your next project!

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!

Ewe Ewe Trunk Show!

Posted by Julia on February 27, 2015

Snowy weather delayed our Ewe Ewe Trunk Show a bit, but now it’s here!

We have a variety of garments on display knit in Ewe Ewe’s superwash merino yarns, Ewe So Sporty and Wooly Worsted.

From small projects, like socks, mitts and cowls, all the way up to baby blankets, shawls, and sweaters, the range of garments here reflects the multiplicity of uses for these soft, easy-care yarns.

Come by the shop this weekend to see the Ewe Ewe Trunk Show! We’ll have it on display until Tuesday, March 3rd.

Hello, Malabrigo Mechita.

Posted by Julia on February 23, 2015

We’re happy to announce the arrival of a brand new yarn from Malabrigo: hello, Mechita.

Mechita is a single ply superwash merino in a fingering weight, with a generous 420 yards on each 100 gram skein.

This hand-dyed yarn comes in a wide range of colorways from semisolid to variegated, including many old favorites and some new shades, too.

Mechita seems made for next-to-skin accessories like shawls, scarves, and cowls. As I was photographing these colorful skeins, I paired up semisolid shades with variegates, thinking of the many popular two-color patterns that call for fingering weight yarns. “Daybreak,” “Spectra,” or “Clockwork” from Stephen West…

“Bolt,” “Different Lines,” or “Stripe Study” from Veera Välimäki…

“Whippoorwill” or “Catkin” from Carina Spencer…

Louise Zass-Bangham’s “Foolproof” cowl, Laura Ayler’s “Faberge,” or Robin Ulrich’s “Sothia”…

In short, you can use Mechita in just about any pattern that calls for fingering weight yarn, and there are plenty out there. Our Pinterest page has a “Fingering Weight” board, collecting inspiring stitches in fingering weight yarns like Mechita; check there for even more ideas.

Come by the shop to meet Malabrigo’s newest yarn, and visit us before March 6th to see the Malabrigo Trunk Show. See you there!

New colors in Smooshy with Cashmere.

Posted by Julia on February 15, 2015

We recently restocked our cubby of Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere, a luxurious blend of merino, cashmere, and nylon.

At 20% cashmere, Smooshy with Cashmere has more cashmere content than many other merino/cashmere/nylon blends we’ve run into. It’s a treat for the hands as you’re stitching, and makes a particularly plush finished product.

Hand-dyed in semi-solid and variegated colorways, Smooshy with Cashmere is a special skein for special projects: an heirloom baby garment, a cuddly pair of socks or mitts, a comforting cowl or shawl.

When it really needs to be soft as can be, consider Smooshy with Cashmere. Come by the shop to take a look; you’ll find it in the fingering weight section. See you there!