Tag Archives: the fibre company

New colors in Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering.

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Earlier in the week I introduced eight new shades from Fibre Company for their Cumbria Worsted. I’m delighted to report that those same eight shades are also available in Cumbria Fingering!

Like its big sister, Cumbria Worsted, Cumbria Fingering is a soft and sturdy blend of 60% merino wool, 30% masham wool, and 10% mohair. The soft white merino is blended with the dark gray masham, creating a natural heathered base color over which all the other colorways are dyed. Each 100 gram skein boasts 328 yards, enough for a hat, pair of mitts, or small cowl.

What to knit with Cumbria Fingering? Since this yarn first arrived in 2016, many designers have found beautiful uses for it. Bristol Ivy designed a whole collection for Fibre Co. Cumbria, and we have print copies of those patterns here at the shop.

Heading to Ravelry, there’s even more pattern inspiration from the Fibre Co. – “Textured Sweater,” “Long Cardigan,” and “Travelling Cable Sweater” are all knit with Cumbria Fingering. Looking to independent designers, consider Melanie Berg’s “Tamdou,” Jana Huck’s “Kite Runner,” Kathryn Folkerth’s “Badlands Mitts” and “Badlands Hat,” local designer Emily Walton’s “Alvin Mitts,” and the entire “Year of Mittens” from Kelbourne Woolens.

Look for Cumbria Fingering in the fingering weight section here at the shop!

New colors in Fibre Co. Cumbria Worsted.

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Fibre Company just added eight fresh new shades to Cumbria Worsted!

Cumbria Worsted is composed of 60% merino wool, 30% masham wool, and 10% mohair. The soft white merino is blended with the dark gray masham, creating a natural heathered base color over which all the other colorways are dyed.

How to use Cumbria Worsted? Look for worsted weight patterns where stitch definition and structure are important; think cables, texture patterns, hardy sweaters and heirloom blankets or shawls.

My first thought on seeing these new colors was how perfect they’d be for “The Weekender,” Andrea Mowry’s basic pullover that has charmed so many of us. It’s never to late to join our informal Weekender Knit-Along, and we’ve also got Weekender classes on the schedule!

We’ve got print patterns from the Fibre Co. for Cumbria Worsted, too, and of course there’s plenty to choose from on Ravelry – also consider Marie Greene’s “Stillwater” cardigan, Hannah Fettig’s “Coastal Pullover,” Kate Gagnon Osborn’s “Clawthorpe” pullover, “Rockcliffe” scarf and “Seathwaite” hat, and Alana Dakos’ “Four Seasons” shawl, to start with. Keep digging, and you’ll likely end up with a long wishlist of patterns perfectly suited to this yarn. Let us know what you find!

Come by the shop to see the new Cumbria Worsted colors and plan your next project!

Show and tell: colorwork hats.

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We love to see finished projects that started life as yarn on our shelves, and when I’m able, I love to photograph them and share them here on the blog. At the moment, I have enough photos stockpiled for at least four blog posts – let’s begin with colorwork hats!

Kerry designed and knit the “Rionnag Hat” above with Tukuwool Fingering, a match for her “Rionnag Cowl” pattern.

Above is Peggy’s “Selbu Modern,” knit with Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering. This high contrast combination of navy and cream is so striking, and really pairs well with the repeating motif.

Kate knit this “Slalom Ski Hat” with Kelbourne Woolens Andorra, another high contrast combination well suited to the graphic motif at hand.

Nancy knit this “Frances Hat” with Swans Island All American Sport, a good example of the lovely effect that semisolid hand dyed yarn has on a colorwork project.

Our Nancy does love colorwork – here’s another hat she knit, the “Roadside Beanie” in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. She taught a class on this one, which means I expect to see more “Roadside Beanies” as they come off her students’ needles – always fun to see variations on a theme.

Thanks to the knitters, crocheters, and weavers who bring in their work to show us what they’ve made! You inspire and amaze us, and we can’t wait to see what you get into next. Keep an eye on this blog for more show-and-tell soon!

Show and tell: colorful shawls.

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We love seeing what folks are making with yarn from our shop. When we choose the yarns we want to carry, test driving them in swatches and discussing their qualities, we’re thinking always of how our clientele might use them. Our knitters and crocheters come up with projects even lovelier than we can foresee, however – let’s look at some show and tell!

Elsebeth knit this mosaic and lace shawl with Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply, a fingering weight yarn that’s hand-dyed in painterly, low-contrast colorways. The pattern is “Laurelie,” by Lisa Hannes.

Here’s another Lisa Hannes design, “Right Around the Corner,” knit by Cindy. Though the pattern calls for fingering weight yarn, Cindy chose Fibre Co. Arranmore Light, a DK weight, preferring the cohesive fabric it makes at this gauge.

Tom knit this textured shawl with Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 01, a naturally-dyed Rambouillet wool with sharp stitch definition. The pattern is “Bradway,” by Shannon Cook.

Below is Robin’s “Entrelac Shawl,” knit with Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Starke 6, a self-striping yarn.

She taught a class here at our shop on this project, an unusually delicate example of entrelac, knit loosely for maximum drape.

Linda knit this “Efflorescent” shawl during a class here at our shop, following Felicity Ford’s pattern but adding a clever lining and closure at the neck.

She knit it with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, a fingering weight wool that’s perfectly suited to steeked colorwork projects like this one.

Thanks to Elsebeth, Cindy, Tom, Robin, and Linda for sharing their shawls with us! Keep an eye out for even more show and tell soon.

Show and tell: cables.

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As I hinted in my last show-and-tell post, this group of projects all have one technique in common: cables. Let’s see some of the cabled projects folks are making with yarn from our shop!

Tom knit Irina Anikeeva’s “Cayley Pullover” with Fibre Co. Cumbria Worsted, a smooth blend of merino, masham, and mohair. He carefully measured his gauge and adjusted the sleeve length for a perfect fit – well done, Tom!

Leanne knit Joji Locatelli’s “Sammal” cardigan during a class here at our shop.

Though the pattern called for a lofty fingering weight wool knit somewhat loosely, she was able to substitute Cascade Ultra Pima, a DK weight cotton, and the resulting garment is exactly what she had in mind. Bravo to Leanne for this excellent yarn substitution, and for finding the perfect buttons!

Here is Joanne’s “Swilly,” a cabled scarf designed by Meghan Kelly. She knit it with Fibre Company Arranmore, and reports that it was a quick and fun knit in this soft bulky weight yarn.

Inspired by a recent trunk show, Margaretta recently knit Gudrun Johnston’s “Cetus” hat with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, a DK weight wool known for its stellar stitch definition. These intriguing stitch patterns show up especially well in a light to medium shade, not too dark to see all the action.

Many thanks to Tom, Leanne, Joanne, and Margaretta for sharing their work with us, and thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We look forward to seeing all that you create!

Laine Magazine, No. 7.

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A beautiful new issue of Laine Magazine just arrived – let’s look inside issue No. 7.

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers and handicraft as its focus. It’s only a couple of years old, but it already has quite a following, and a reputation for beautiful designs and tantalizing photography.

Inside this issue of Laine, you’ll find knitting patterns from Nancy Marchant, Stephen West, Kristin Drysdale, Carol Feller, and others, profiles on designer Veera Välimäki and the Fibre Company, and a travel guide to London.

One of the standout designs of this issue, in my opinion, is Kristin Drysdale’s “Marit,” a steeked colorwork cardigan knit with Tukuwool Fingering. I’m only able to resist casting on right away because I’m currently knitting a steeked colorwork cardigan with Tukuwool Fingering!

Come by the shop to page through Laine and our other books and magazines. We hope you find inspiration here!

Back in stock: Fibre Company Acadia.

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We’re delighted to announce that Fibre Company Acadia is back in stock!

Acadia is a DK weight blend of merino, alpaca, and slubs of silk. The silk takes the dye differently than the other fibers, giving most colorways a rustic, tweedy appearance, which belies its luxuriously soft hand.

Our supply of this special yarn had dwindled, but happily, a shipment arrived earlier in the week to fill our shelves again.

Acadia has become a very well-loved yarn in the years we’ve stocked it here at the shop. One knitter that calls this yarn a favorite is Winnie, who recently knit this gorgeous “Dohne” shawl using Acadia.

Garments knit with Acadia have a mix of structure and drape. We have a couple of samples knit in Acadia at the shop so you can see and feel this in person; look for the Churchmouse “Easy Folded Poncho” and “Quaking Aspen” shawl next time you’re here. There are so many other wonderful projects we’ve seen made in Acadia over the years – check out our “DK weight” Pinterest board for more pattern ideas.

Come by to give Acadia a squeeze and plan your next project!

Fibre Company Trunk Show: the Borrowdale Collection.

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We’re so excited to announce that we’ve just received a Trunk Show featuring Fibre Company Lore. Come by the shop to see the Borrowdale Collection!

Lore is the newest yarn from Fibre Company, a woolen spun, DK weight, 100% Romney lambswool. It has a rustic look and texture at home in hard-wearing, workaday garments, and is sturdy enough to last a lifetime when cared for.

We just got six new colors in last week, making our Lore selection complete!

The Borrowdale Collection was designed with everyday adventures in mind, and the garments featured here are as practical as they are beautiful, rich with cables and texture and color. All of these patterns are available on Ravelry, or here at the shop as Ravelry In-Store Sales.

Hurry in to admire the Borrowdale Collection Trunk Show, try some sweaters on for size, and plan one for yourself. We’re offering a 10% discount on Lore during the show, too – all the more reason to stop by and admire!

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted items; there will be no exchanges or returns. Thanks!

Laine Magazine, No. 6.

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Last week, we welcomed another beautiful new issue of Laine Magazine.

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers and handicraft as its focus. It’s only a couple of years old, but it already has quite a following, and a reputation for beautiful designs and tantalizing photography.

Inside this issue of Laine, you’ll find a mix of knitting patterns, articles, recipes, profiles on fiber artists, and a travel guide to Reykjavik.

There are lots of familiar names sprinkled throughout this issue, like Andrea Mowry, Tukuwool, Shannon Cook, Brooklyn Tweed, Nancy Marchant, and Fibre Company, but we love getting to know new designers and yarn companies through Laine, too.

Come by the shop to page through Laine and our other books and magazines. We hope you find inspiration here!

Hello, Fibre Co. Lore.

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We’re happy to announce that our first new line of yarn for autumn has arrived, from one of our favorite purveyors – meet Lore, from the Fibre Company!

Lore is a woolen spun DK weight yarn, composed of 100% Romney lambswool. It’s somewhat robust for a DK weight, knitting up comfortably between 5 and 5.5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch. With it’s toothy texture, Lore is not the softest fiber in our shop, but it’s sturdy and full of character, just the kind of yarn I love most.

Woolen-spun yarns are lofty and especially warm for their weight, due to the air trapped between their jumbled fibers. They have a rustic look and texture at home in hard-wearing, workaday garments, and are sturdy enough to last a lifetime when cared for. 

The design team at the Fibre Company has been hard at work on a large pattern collection for Lore called Borrowdale. It features 20 garments and accessories knit with Lore, and one crocheted cowl. These pieces were designed with everyday adventures in mind, and though they’re practical, they’re also beautiful, rich with cables and texture and color.

We have a Borrowdale lookbook here at the shop with photos and details about each design, but the patterns themselves are available on Ravelry. See them in action in the Fibre Company’s Online Trunk Show, a video narrated by company founder Daphne.

“Galleny Force” is the pullover I’ve begun swatching for with Lore, though with as many large yarn shipments as we’ve had this week, I can’t say I’m making much progress – still and all, I’m delighted to have this yarn on my needles.

Look for Fibre Company Lore in the DK weight section here at our shop!