Tag Archives: the fibre company

Show and tell: Fibre Company and Shibui.

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Time for more show and tell! Earlier in the month, I shared projects made with yarns from a few of our favorite sources, Isager, Malabrigo, and CoopKnits. Of course there are plenty more yarn companies we adore, and today, I’ll highlight two more. We’ve seen an abundance of beautiful projects knit with Fibre Company and Shibui yarns over the years – here are some of the most recent.

Rosi knit this exquisite “Pomegranate” pullover for her daughter using Fibre Company Acadia. This soft, tweedy yarn is attractive all on its own, but shows intricate stitch patterns beautifully, too.

Here’s Shelley in her “Rathbone” pullover, knit with Arranmore Light, another tweedy Fibre Company yarn. Both Acadia and Arranmore Light are DK weight and well suited to sweater-making, thanks to their balance of softness and structure.

Gloria wandered into the shop a few months ago, looking for inspiration, and found it in our Shibui Sample of the Month at the time, the “Comfort Zone” wrap, knit with Drift. I love the jewel tones she selected for her own wrap – well done, Gloria!

Above is Anne’s second Churchmouse “Easy Folded Poncho,” this time in Shibui Reed, a lightweight linen for summertime wear.

Look for Anne’s ponchos side by side here at the shop, one for spring and summer and one for fall and winter, in – what else – Fibre Company Acadia.

Thanks to everyone who brings their finished projects to show us, we absolutely love seeing what you make. See you at the shop!

Knitscene.

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The Fall 2018 issue of Knitscene arrived this week!

As the days get hotter, I start to fantasize about cooler days, though they’re months away. Magazines like this, full of woolen sweaters, can be a nice retreat from the heat of summer if it doesn’t happen to be your favorite season.

I spotted some of our favorite yarns in this issue; along with the cover sweater in Swans Island All American Worsted, there’s also a cabled cardigan in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter and a pullover in Fibre Company Cumbria Worsted.

Look for Knitscene on the teacart, where the latest books and magazines are stacked high, ready to inspire your next projects. See you at the shop!

New summer scents from Harmony Farm Candles.

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Each season brings a new selection of tempting scents from Harmony Farm Candles, and three just arrived at the shop to ease us into summer.

Harmony Farm Candles is run by our friend Erin in nearby Mebane, North Carolina. She hand-pours her candles in small batches using 100% US-sourced soy wax, with no added dyes. Their scents are fresh and bright, but not overwhelming – “delightfully fragranced,” as she puts it.

Tomato Garden is a unique scent, smelling exactly of tomato plants warm from the sun. It’s fresh and green and perfectly conjures the season. Shown here with a couple of tomato-red skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Peerie.

Honeysuckle is another one that smells just like its namesake, a sweet floral scent. Pictured here with a trio of colors in Kelbourne Woolens Andorra.

Passionfruit Guava is a new one for us, sweet-tart and fruity. It brought to mind this juicy shade of Fibre Company Arranmore Light.

Harmony Farm Candles are a perfect companion to an evening of knitting, and these 8 oz travel tins make them handy for summer trips. As gifts, they are always warmly-received; keep them in mind for holiday and host gifts, birthdays, and the odd just-thinking-of-you occasion. Look for Harmony Farm Candles in our gifts section!

Show and tell: Hitofude.

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Amy has now taught her “Hitofude” cardigan class three times at our shop, and has just begun a fourth. With an unusual construction and a repetitive lace motif, Hiroko Fukatsu’s “Hitofude” is a gracefully draped garment that many knitters have been drawn to. So far, we’ve seen five finished garments come out of these classes, and I can’t wait to share them with you!

Above is Amy’s own “Hitofude,” knit with Shibui Staccato. The combination of silk and superwash merino means drape and shine, both of which bring elegance to this piece.

Many of Amy’s students chose Staccato for their “Hitofude” cardigans; here’s Jane in hers.

Jane lengthened the sleeves and the body of the sweater for exactly the fit she wanted, and it came out just right.

Margie made similar modifications, but used Fibre Company Cumbria Fingering, a wool/mohair blend with more structure and less drape than Staccato. It makes a more substantial garment appropriate for fall and winter, and Margie is happy with the results.

Pam used Madeline Tosh Merino Light for her sweater, which looks springy and playful in a tonally variegated chartreuse. It’s not a yarn we carry at the shop, but Malabrigo Mechita is similar – a hand-dyed, single ply, superwash merino.

This group photo shows Linda, second from the left, in her “Hitofude,” knit with Shibui Staccato. She kept the original sleeve and body length of the pattern for a slightly cropped silhouette. It’s amazing what an impact these slight differences can have from one garment to the next, even with the same pattern – we love seeing knitters in self-made sweaters that reflect their preferences and show off their skills!

Thanks to these knitters for sharing their work with us, and especially for participating in classes here at the shop. We feel so lucky to have such talented teachers on our team, and students who are excited to learn more about their craft. I’m so looking forward to seeing more “Hitofude” cardigans as they’re completed!

Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits.

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Two new magazines arrived this week, fresh issues of Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits.

Lace is a theme of this most recent issue of Vogue, with a feature from Meg Swansen on the subject and lots of garments and accessories in openwork patterns.

This leafy top is knit with Fibre Company Luma, a DK weight blend of 50% merino wool, 25% organic cotton, 15% linen, and 10% silk.

The latest issue of Interweave Knits features a Fibre Company yarn, too – Courtney Spainhower’s “Whitehorn Shawl” is shown in Cumbria Worsted.

Look for Vogue and Interweave Knits on the teacart here at our shop, amongst the newest books and magazines. See you there!

Show and tell: colorwork sweaters.

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Two blog posts full of colorwork knitting just aren’t enough – here’s a third, with a focus on sweaters.

Here Margie models her “Townes” pullover, knit with a clever combination of speckled Malabrigo Mechita and a few solid and heathered shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

Emily’s first adult-sized colorwork sweater is a perfect fit and features a beautiful, distinctive color combination – the pattern is tincanknits’ “Dog Star,” and the yarn is the unbeatable Brooklyn Tweed Arbor.

Kate has just finished a “Dog Star,” too, on a smaller scale for her daughter. For this one, she’s used Fibre Co. Arranmore Light, but she has another in the works in Arbor – can’t wait to see that one, too!

From left to right, here are Claire, Tom, Jayne, Barbara, Barbara, and Amy, all in their “St. Brendan” pullovers knit during Amy’s class on the subject. It’s so fun to see all these different color combinations together, not to mention all these happy knitters sporting their own handiwork!

Thanks so much to the knitters pictured above, and to everyone who’s ever taught or taken a class here, or started a project with a trip to our shop – we’re so grateful for all of you! It’s our community that makes our shop special. See you there!

HYS Colorwork Trunk Show.

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One of our special attractions for this year’s Triangle Yarn Crawl is a collection of garments made by knitters in our community – folks who work, teach, and shop here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. The theme is colorwork, interpreted somewhat broadly to include not only fair isle, but also intarsia, double knitting, brioche, log cabin and short-row-shaped patterns made with self-striping yarns.

It’s an inspiring group – come by the shop during the Triangle Yarn Crawl to see the following garments:

  • Log cabin blanket, based on Sarah Bradberry’s “Log Cabin Square,” knit with Noro Kureyon and Plymouth Galway. Made by Rosi, who works at our shop most Sundays.
  • “Rionnag Cowl,” by Kerry Bullock-Ozkan, a local designer who knit this piece with Tukuwool Fingering.

We’ve also pulled together some of our tried and true colorwork samples from around the shop – Anne’s “Candy Darling” in Fibre Company Arranmore Light, Amy’s “First Footing” in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift and “Mix No. 23” in Shibui Cima, my “Cliff Hat” in Shibui Pebble, “Autumn Tam” in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, and “2 Color Cotton Cowl” in Fyberspates Scrumptious 4ply.

It’s so exciting to see this riot of color covering our walls – many thanks to the talented knitters who lent their garments to this show!

Interweave Knits.

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Today, we welcomed the newest issue of Interweave Knits to the teacart, where the latest books and magazines are stored.

This Spring 2018 issue is full of garments for men and women alike, and I spotted a few familiar yarns at work among them. The cabled cardigan on the cover is made with Berroco Ultra Alpaca, a practical worsted weight blend of wool and alpaca.

The textured cardigan below is shown in Fibre Company Arranmore Light, a DK weight blend of merino, cashmere, and silk.

Those who know me won’t be surprised this colorwork pullover caught my eye, in Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, no less!

There’s also a handy article on combining solid color stockinette fabric with stranded colorwork within a single garment, taking into account the difference in gauge that’s often found there. Come by the shop to read it over and peruse these new designs!

Show and tell: for little ones.

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Our last round of show and tell focused primarily on adult sweaters, which are satisfying to see completed in part because they’re such big projects, and also because there’s a great need for them to fit just so. When they come out to our expectations, we’re especially happy. Garments for little ones take less time to make, but they hold a different set of hopes, just as dear to us. Here are some baby and children’s knits we’ve seen completed of late.

Emily knit this “In Threes” cardigan with Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted, a super-soft superwash merino yarn that is ideal for baby projects.

Paula has been knitting with Wooly Worsted, too, preparing for the birth of her grandson-to-be. She recently completed this “Baby Turtle Frenzy Blanket,” designed by our own Amy Wentley, and backed it with fabric to make a spectacular nursery wall-hanging.

She didn’t stop there, of course – Paula also knit this little sweater and hat. The pattern is “Lullaby Layette,” and the yarn is CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK, a squishy superwash yarn just right for this kind of project.

Not all baby things must be machine-washable, of course; it’s a matter of preference when it comes to washing woolens by hand. This little sweater was made with Fibre Company Arranmore, a handwash-only blend of merino, silk, and cashmere. I’ve shared Katherine’s “Fisherman’s Pullover” sweater on the blog before, but when we were visited by Elizabeth herself wearing the sweater in question, a photo had to be taken. There is simply something special about a tiny person in a handmade sweater!

Susan knit this lovely “Baby Surprise Jacket” with Fibre Company Acadia, a special gift for a premature baby. This single color version is exquisite in its simplicity, letting the rich color with its tweedy flecks be the star of the show, along with Elizabeth Zimmermann’s genius engineering.

Thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We love hearing your ideas and helping you find just the right yarns and tools to realize them. See you at the shop!

Restocking.

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December is a busy month here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Knitters and crocheters rush in seeking bulky yarns for last-minute hats, others pop by to pick up gift certificates, hoping to delight the yarn-lovers in their life, and still more wander in, entranced by the ballwinder in the window, curious what our shop is all about.

Our educational calendar calms down to make room for the busy personal schedules of our teachers and students, though we’ll pick up the pace in January with a surge of new classes.

We unpack the occasional new book, magazine, or notion, but a lot of what we order and receive during this busy time is familiar territory – just your average restock, filling up on yarns that have sold out and need replenishing.

We’ve filled up on Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering and Tukuwool Fingering, brought back sold out colors in Berroco Ultra Wool and Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, and unpacked boxes of Malabrigo yarns at least once a week.

Come by the shop to browse the newest yarns as well as our old favorites, and plan a project for the new year ahead!