Show and tell: texture and lace.

Posted by Julia on April 27, 2016

It’s show-and-tell time again! I’ve been collecting photos of finished projects as they’re brought into the shop by proud knitters, the better to share them here.

Nancy recently brought in her finished “Big Easy Blanket,” knit in Fibre Company Cumbria Worsted. With its blend of structure, softness, and sharp stitch definition, Cumbria Worsted is a perfect choice for this textured throw.

Ellen knit these three ties for her husband, using and modifying the “Seed Stitch Tie Recipe” until she got exactly the fabric and fit that she wanted. She knit the grey garter stitch tie in Takhi Cotton Classic, the green variegated tie in Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Spirit, and the burgundy tie in Shibui Dune held double throughout.

Here’s Hazel’s “Turtles’ Journey” cowl, knit in Malabrigo Arroyo in just the right shade of teal. She brought it to the shop, nearly completed, for a kitchener stitch consult, and everyone who saw it was taken with these textured turtles.

Recent visitors to the shop may have seen Robin’s “Rock Island” shawl hanging on the wall, a sample for her upcoming class on the subject. She knit it with Malabrigo Sock in “Rayon Vert,” a color we just got back in stock. Read more about this intermediate lace class and more on our Classes page!

Watching projects take shape is one of the most fascinating and rewarding parts of our days at the shop. Anne and I are always impressed by the needlework around us, and the creative minds we meet. Thanks for sharing your projects with us, and look out for more show and tell soon!

Show and tell: shawls.

Posted by Julia on March 31, 2016

Here’s another batch of show and tell, projects that started their lives as yarns here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. They all happen to be shawls, whether rectangular or triangular, colorful or monochrome, textured or lacey.

Judy knit this “Wiggle Wrap” with two contrasting colorways of the self-striping Kauni Effektgarn. One ball subtly shifted from purple to blue and back again, while the other ran through a full rainbow of colors. The effect is striking, livening up this feather-and-fan type chevron pattern.

Feather and fan does not always need livening up, however; Sherri knit this elegant shawl for her daughter-in-law-to-be, using Louisa Harding Grace Hand Dyed. The classic lace pattern and subtle color variation work together, each giving the other room to shine. Well done, Sherri!

Cat came in with two finished shawls to share. Above is her “Stripe Study Shawl,” all garter stitch and short rows, knit in Reynolds Soft Sea Wool. Below is her “Emiliana,” knit in Swans Island Natural Colors Merino Fingering.

“Emiliana” is decorated with mosaic knitting, a colorwork technique where some stitches are slipped and others are knit, allowing for the appearance of stranded colorwork with only one yarn in use on any given row.

I knit a mosaic shawl recently myself, Jennifer Dassau’s “Sundry,” using Fibre Company Cumbria Fingering. It went by quickly and easily, and the yarn is one I’ll definitely use again. In fact, I spent many of my knitting hours with this yarn daydreaming about sweater patterns that would suit it.

Look for this “Sundry” shawl on the wall here at the shop, and perhaps you’ll happen upon some of the show-and-tell we are lucky enough to encounter on a daily basis. Thanks to the knitters who shared these shawls with us, and to all those who start their projects here!

knit.wear.

Posted by Julia on March 29, 2016

Remember knit.wear, the stylish, short-lived magazine from Interweave that was replaced by knit.purl? Well, looks like it’s back, at least for this one special issue!

Knit.wear focuses on simplicity and sophistication in handknitting, is typically garment-focused, with more sweaters than accessories, and this issue is no exception.

Shibui yarns are well-represented in this issue; the striped pullover above is knit in Shibui Dune, and the belted tank below is knit in Shibui Twig.

Other familiar yarns found their way into this issue, too. This striking red sweater calls for Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, a worsted weight blend of cotton and wool.

The beret and headband below are knit in Malabrigo Finito and Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, respectively.

I also spotted a feature on Michele Wang, a designer whose patterns I’ve admired the past few years. It should be interesting to read a bit about her process.

You’ll find knit.wear on the teacart here at the shop, nestled between the swift, ballwinder, and all the latest publications. See you there!

Show and tell: neckwear.

Posted by Julia on March 16, 2016

Along with daydreaming about future projects, trying new techniques, and deciding between colors, show-and-tell is one of the predominant activities here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Now and then, I like to bring this activity to the blog, sharing finished projects that started their lives as yarns on our shelves. Today, let’s look at cowls and scarves.

Rosi knit this cowl with the delightful Shibui Staccato, a fingering weight blend of merino and silk. She designed it herself, a soft and stretchy moebius decorated with a reversible texture pattern.

Katherine crocheted this “Vega Crochet Cowl” as a sample for her recent class on the subject. It looks great in the self-striping Plymouth Gina, and many of her students followed her lead, selecting different colorways in the same yarn. I can’t wait to see how they all come out!

Here’s Judie in her beautiful “Starshower,” knit in Sincere Sheep Cormo Fingering. One doesn’t fully appreciate the clever shaping of this cowl/shawl hybrid until one sees it on a person, rather than hanging on a hanger as my sample “Starshower” does. Inspired to knit one of your own? Consider signing up for Katherine’s upcoming “Starshower” class to have guidance and camaraderie as you stitch.

I knit this “Rockcliffe” scarf as a sample for the shop, inspired by our recent Cumbria Collection Trunk Show. This is my second time working with Fibre Company Cumbria Worsted, a soft-yet-toothy yarn that I absolutely adore, especially for projects like this one where sharp stitch definition is required. The texture patterns were fun and engaging, but not too complicated; I think this would make a great introduction to chart-reading, especially paired with Kelbourne Woolens’ tutorial, “Working from Charts: Knit/Purl Patterning.”

Here’s Peggy’s completed “M.1” scarf, knit in Shibui Maai, one of the softest yarns in the shop, in my opinion. This is a gift for her husband, and it looks smart in “Suit,” a blue somewhere between navy and cobalt.

Thanks to all the knitters, crocheters, weavers, and fiber artists who start their projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We love seeing what you’re making! Keep your eyes on the blog for another round of show-and-tell soon. In the meantime, see you at the shop!

Bristol Ivy Collection Trunk Show!

Posted by Julia on March 9, 2016

Another Fibre Company Trunk Show has arrived at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! From now til March 20th, 2016, we’ll have the Bristol Ivy Collection on display.

All six of these sweaters were designed by Bristol Ivy for Fibre Company Cumbria yarns, three in Cumbria Worsted and three in Cumbria Fingering. Both yarns are composed of merino and masham wools with a bit of mohair, and while plenty soft, they are also quite sturdy.

These designs appear simple at first glance, mainly smooth stockinette trimmed with tidy ribbing, but each one has a clever detail or surprising design element–a bit of lace at the shoulder, a mesh panel at the back, and so on.

Don’t hesitate to ask us to take these sweaters off the wall for a closer look! They’re here to be admired up close and personal, tried on for shape and size. Though we don’t keep print copies of these patterns in stock, they are all available as Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sales, where we print a copy for you and a digital copy is stored in your email and Ravelry pattern library.

Come by the shop before March 20th, 2016, to see the Bristol Ivy Collection Trunk Show. We’re offering a 10% discount on Fibre Company Cumbria yarns during the Trunk Show, so come by soon to plan your next project!

A reminder: discount applies to in-stock Cumbria Worsted and Fingering as well as prepaid Cumbria Worsted and Fingering special orders. All sales are final on discounted yarn; there can be no returns or exchanges. Thanks!

Vogue Knitting.

Posted by Julia on March 7, 2016

The latest issue of Vogue Knitting is here!

The Early Spring 2016 issue features knitting and crochet patterns for this transitional season: tunics, wraps, tanks, lace cardigans, and lightweight pullovers.

Yoko Hatta’s “Eyelet Top” is knit in Fibre Company Meadow, a soft and tweedy blend of 40% merino wool, 25% baby llama, 20% silk, and 15% linen that falls somewhere between lace and fingering weight. It’s often used for shawl-knitting, but makes an equally good sweater yarn, as Anne can attest; she’s currently working on a “Featherweight Cardigan” in Meadow.

Also in this issue of Vogue, designer Deborah Newton shares tips on how to measure oneself for fit, an essential step in creating a well-fitting garment. Come by the shop to pick up a copy of Vogue Knitting and browse the rest of the latest magazines!

Show and tell: big projects.

Posted by Julia on March 3, 2016

Every finished project comes with a sense of accomplishment, but bigger projects, which tend to take longer and use more yarn, can bring us perhaps an even greater sense of satisfaction. Here are some of the larger-scale projects we’ve seen at the shop lately.

Leslie came in the other day wearing her “Teegan” sweater, knit in Fibre Company Knightsbridge. The color she chose flatters her as well as the stitch pattern, and looks great paired with the ever-popular “Honey Cowl.”

Paula knit this “Amsterdam” sweater for her husband, using Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool XL. Paying careful attention to her stitch and row gauge, she modified it so that it would fit her husband perfectly, measuring against and improving upon an existing sweater that fit him well.

Alissa recently came in wearing her “Mia Cardi,” which she knit in Baa Ram Ewe Dovestone DK. The simple stockinette and garter stitch design shows off this special yarn so well!

Eileen knit this extraordinary blanket with three shades of Plymouth Galway, using Barbara Walker’s Learn to Knit Afghan Book, which has patterns for 63 different knit blocks. When one of her squares came out a few inches wider than she expected, Eileen boldly trimmed it by steeking, a clever fix.

A hearty thanks to all the fiber artists who start their projects here and share their work with us! We love to see our yarns grow up into finished pieces, and are so inspired by the work you do. See you at the shop!

Interweave Crochet.

Posted by Julia on February 29, 2016

The latest issue of Interweave Crochet has arrived!

This, their 10th anniversary issue, features a variety of crocheted accessories and garments, from shawls and jewelry to tunics and cardigans.

The shawl above was crocheted in Fibre Company Road to China Lace for a buttery soft, lightweight fabric.

I happen to think that crochet is particularly well-suited to blanket-making; here’s a nice specimen from that department.

Look for Interweave Crochet on the teacart here at the shop, amongst the newest books and magazines for crocheters, weavers, and knitters. See you there!

Show and tell: hats.

Posted by Julia on February 20, 2016

We love to see what yarns from the shop grow up to be, and as I’m often taking pictures of these finished pieces, my collection of show-and-tell photos continues to grow. Time to share some of the projects you’ve so generously shared with us! Today, let’s look at hats.

Above is Jeannie’s “Seathwaite,” a free cabled hat pattern by Kate Gagnon Osborn, of Kelbourne Woolens. Jeannie used one skein of Fibre Company Cumbria Worsted, a wool and mohair blend that is smooth and well-suited to show off these cables.

Judie does love her “Dustland Hats.” Here’s her latest, knit with Malabrigo Arroyo, using smaller needles than the pattern calls for, and casting on for the largest size to make up the difference in gauge.

Laura made this “Prim” hat and a pair of “North Country Mitts” using Swans Island All American Worsted. I like how they go together without being overtly matchy. She came back for a sweater’s worth of this exceptional yarn; I can’t wait to see how it comes out!

Eileen knit these “Monogrammed Hats for Everyone” with Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky, a quick knit with adorable results. The letters were embroidered onto the finished hats with duplicate stitch, and this free pattern from the Purl Bee provides charts for every letter in the alphabet, along with a duplicate stitch tutorial.

I so love capturing these finished pieces, and hopefully some of the satisfaction they bring to their makers. Thank you, as always, for bringing your work into the shop to share with us, and for starting your projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

Refined Knits.

Posted by Julia on February 18, 2016

A new stack of books have found a place on the teacart here at the shop, Jennifer Wood’s Refined Knits.

Refined Knits is a collection of patterns for garments and accessories, focusing on lace, cables, and stitch patterns that combine the two.

I spied some of our very favorite yarns in this book, like Shibui Staccato and Fibre Company Knightsbridge.

This cabled cardigan uses Shibui Staccato and Pebble held together, for a thicker fabric and a unique combination of a lustrous solid color yarn and a tweedy one.

Along with the patterns, Wood offers tutorials and tips throughout the book, shedding light on some of the techniques she employs.

Come by the shop to browse our collection of books, magazines, single patterns, and handknit samples. We hope you find inspiration here as you plan your next project!