Mirasol Tupa: now on sale!

Posted by Julia on November 4, 2016

Another discontinued yarn has moved to the Sale Trunk here at the shop: Mirasol Tupa. It’s a lovely yarn, but since it’s no longer manufactured, we’re now offering it at a deep discount of 20% off the original price!

Tupa is a DK weight blend of merino and silk, a soft and shiny yarn in bright colors. Knitted fabric in Tupa has a nice mix of bounce and drape, making it ideal for scarves, cowls, shawls, mitts, and hats. We still have sweater quantities, too – look for pattern ideas on our “DK weight” Pinterest board!

Though we’re sad to see good yarns go, we love sharing them with you at a discounted price. Come by to pick up some Tupa at a great price before it disappears!

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted yarn. There can be no returns or exchanges, nor special orders–the discount applies only to what we currently have in stock. Thanks!

New colors in Baa Ram Ewe Titus.

Posted by Julia on November 2, 2016

Yes, those four new shades in Dovestone DK also came in Titus, Baa Ram Ewe’s signature yarn.

Titus is a fingering weight blend of alpaca, wensleydale, and bluefaced leicester wools, sourced and spun entirely in the UK. We’re proud to have been the first US stockist of the stuff, back in 2012 when it came in just one color. Since then, Titus has been warmly embraced by knitters, crocheters, and weavers all over the world, and the palette has expanded considerably. Here’s just a sliver.

Beyond this group of colors, there are a range of blues, neutrals, pastels, and others. This growing collection of shades makes me think colorwork, my favorite knitting technique. To that end, I’m happy to report that we recently got two new colorwork sweater patterns designed for Titus by Marie Wallin.

Look for even more Titus inspiration on our “Fingering weight” Pinterest board. Come by the shop to see the full selection of Titus, and three shop samples knit with this special stuff to give you a tangible sense of the possibilities!

Dovestone DK: new colors, Yorkshire Shores, show and tell.

Posted by Julia on October 31, 2016

Our recent shipment from Baa Ram Ewe contained more than just the new Dovestone Natural Aran. We also got four new shades of Dovestone DK, a blend of masham, wensleydale, and bluefaced leicester wools.

Playful red, orange, and purple brighten up the palette, while a mossy green fills out the selection of darker shades.

We also got a beautiful new book from Baa Ram Ewe called Yorkshire Shores, filled with gansey-inspired garments and accessories knit in Dovestone DK.

Between Yorkshire Shores, Carol Feller’s Dovestone Hills, the Landmark Collection and Dovestone Smallholding, we are bursting with uses for Dovestone DK, a yarn that has become a real favorite of ours. In fact, Anne and I both recently finished projects with Dovestone DK. Here’s Anne’s “Fancy Hen,” a gift for her youngest granddaughter. You may recall that I knit one last year as a gift for my niece; this is such a fun pattern that I’d like to knit another. I love the colors Anne chose for her hen!

My own Dovestone DK show-and-tell is “Epistrophy,” a cardigan from Kate Davies’ Yokes.

I’m so pleased with this sweater. The yarn was a delight to work with, every stitch, the pattern well-written, and the construction of this sweater and sweaters like it is one I always find so satisfying to execute: bottom-up, in the round, looking forward to the fun colorwork all along, then finished with a steek and special buttons.

Come by the shop to get a closer look at Dovestone DK and all the patterns and books that go with it, and as soon as the weather cooperates, you’ll find me there with this sweater on. See you soon!

Hello, Dovestone Natural Aran.

Posted by Julia on October 28, 2016

I’m delighted to announce the newest yarn here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop: meet Baa Ram Ewe Dovestone Natural Aran.

Dovestone Natural Aran is made of the same good stuff as Dovestone DK: 50% bluefaced leicester, 25% masham, and 25% wensleydale wools, all sourced and spun in the UK. It’s soft but wooly, springy with a bit of drape, and comes in 5 undyed colors, the natural shades of the sheep.

We picked up a sample skein of this lovely stuff from the Baa Ram Ewe booth at TNNA (thanks, Verity!), and had been mulling over what to make with it all summer. Other fall samples were planned and knit, but our precious skein of Dovestone Natural Aran had to wait until inspiration struck. Last week, Anne mused, “What about a pillow for the couch?” and that is exactly what I’m working on now. The pattern is “Snap, Crackle, and Pop,” a trio of knit pillows; “Snap” is what’s on my needles, and I’m enjoying every stitch.

For more pattern ideas, look to The Dovestone Natural Aran Collection, which offers sweaters for adults and children, along with a few accessory patterns. Also check our Worsted and Aran weight boards on Pinterest, as I find this yarn knits up happily at either of those gauges.

See you at the shop!

New colors in Lang Merino + Color.

Posted by Julia on October 24, 2016

Somewhere in the recent rush of exciting new fall yarns, a big box of Lang Merino+ Color arrived.

Last fall, this soft, superwash, self-striping yarn was brand new, and it quietly became a bit of a bestseller here at the shop.

One 196 yard ball is enough for a hat or pair of mittens, two can make a big, cozy cowl or a cute, quick-knitting baby sweater.

In colorways ranging from bright and playful to muted and mature, it’s no surprise our supply of Lang Merino+ Color quickly dwindled as knitter after knitter succumbed to its appeal.

It’s good to have all the available colors back on our shelves, along with four new shades.

Look for Lang Merino+ Color in the aran weight section here at the shop. See you there!

New colors in CoopKnits Socks Yeah!

Posted by Julia on September 27, 2016

Anne and I recently started a Hillsborough Yarn Shop account on Instagram, which means you have another way to keep up with us online if you like. For us, it means we have a new place to browse pretty pictures and find more yarn to order for the shop. It was on Instagram where we first learned that there were new colors to be had in CoopKnits Socks Yeah! We placed an order right away, and I’m happy to report that those pretty new shades have arrived here at the shop!

Developed by avid sock-designer Rachel Coopey, CoopKnits Socks Yeah! is a hard-wearing, machine-washable blend of superwash merino wool and nylon, and it’s put up in 50 gram, 231 yard hanks.

These vibrant new shades are so welcome in the Socks Yeah! palette, which was hungry for higher-contrast combinations. These six shades bring so much to the table: a couple of new dark shades, some bright jewel tones and an unusual pastel.

This newly updated color palette gives us many more options for Coopey’s “Alfrick” socks, a colorwork pattern with a bit of texture on the foot, designed to make a fraternal pair, rather than identical socks. Here are a few ideas!

Remember CoopKnits Socks Yeah! when your fingering weight project requires sharp stitch definition and durability. You’ll find it in the Fingering Weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, in a little treasure box bursting with color. See you there!

Hello, Fibre Company Tundra.

Posted by Julia on September 25, 2016

Meet the newest yarn here at the shop, and the star of our current trunk show: Fibre Company Tundra.

Tundra is not a new yarn for the Fibre Company, but it’s one we haven’t had in stock before. This smooth and lustrous yarn is composed of 60% alpaca, 30% merino, and 10% silk. Most of the colors are bright and saturated, though we made sure to bring in a few cool neutrals, too.

Tundra is a bulky weight yarn, ideal for luxurious winter accessories, so keep it in mind as quick-to-make gifts begin to top your to-do list.

Kelbourne Woolens’ Tundra Collection is full of patterns that fit the bill, and if you hurry in, you can see them on display here at the shop and get Tundra at 10% off during the trunk show. See you there!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges, returns, or special orders. Thanks!

Hello, Shibui Drift.

Posted by Julia on September 14, 2016

Meet Shibui’s newest yarn, Drift!

Drift is a worsted weight blend of 85% extra fine merino wool and 15% cashmere, and it’s just as soft as its fiber content suggests.

Drift knits up between 4.5 and 5 stitches per inch on a US 8, a heavier gauge than we’re used to seeing from Shibui.

Like all of their yarns, Drift is designed to be mixed with other Shibui yarns for interesting effects: add a strand of Silk Cloud for a fuzzy halo, for example.

The Fall/Winter 2016 pattern collection, by Shellie Anderson, makes good use of Drift, as well as familiar Shibui yarns like Staccato, Cima, Dune, Maai, and Pebble. These garments continue in the Shibui tradition of modern, wearable pieces, designed with elegant simplicity but great attention to detail.

Come by the shop to meet Drift and see patterns from the new collection!

Hello, Isager Merilin.

Posted by Julia on September 9, 2016

I’m delighted to introduce the newest yarn from Isager. Meet Merilin!

Merilin is a fingering weight blend of 80% merino wool and 20% linen. Those two fibers take the dye differently, giving the yarn a heathered quality which is more pronounced in the darker shades.

The Isager color palette is one of the more distinctive across all the yarn companies we work with. Pastels, neutrals, and muted jewel tones are at the forefront in every Isager yarn, but especially Merilin; the upside to a limited, curated color selection like this is that they all go well together.

For pattern ideas, consider Suvi Simola’s “Frosty Acorn” and “Qipican” pullovers, as well as her “Leap Year Cardigan.” All those sweaters were designed for Isager Merilin, though it would do just as well in any other fingering weight pattern–Joji Locatelli’s “Boxy” and “3 Color Cashmere Cowl and Shawl” come to mind, as does Theresa Gaffey’s now-classic “Stole.” Visit our “Fingering weight” Pinterest board for more ideas, and explore your own Ravelry favorites for that gauge.

Look for Merilin in the fingering weight section here at the shop, where you may well find your next project. See you there!

Hello, Fibre Company Arranmore.

Posted by Julia on August 28, 2016

We’re excited to announce the newest yarn from the Fibre Company, Arranmore!

Arranmore is a bulky weight tweed, composed of 80% merino, 10% cashmere, and 10% silk. It knits up quickly at a gauge of 3.5 – 4.25 stitches per inch, using US 8-10 needles. Though it’s thick and warm, it’s not heavy; with 175 yards on each 100 gram skein, it’s quite lofty for a bulky yarn.

Arranmore is spun in a mill that traces its roots to the tweed industry of 19th century County Donegal in Ireland. Like any classic tweed, Arranmore is dotted with flecks of fiber in contrasting colors, and like any Fibre Company yarn, its colorways and fiber content have been thoughtfully fashioned. Read more about the fascinating process behind Arranmore on the Kelbourne Woolens blog!

Anne picked up two sweaters-worth of Arranmore on our TNNA trip so we could have shop samples ready before our order even came in. Though we’ve been knitting as fast as we can, and Arranmore truly seems to knit itself some days, our sweaters are still on the needles.

Keep your eye on the blog for more on the glorious pattern collection that accompanies Arranmore’s release!