Show and tell: Swans Island All American Worsted.

Posted by Julia on January 27, 2015

We always love to see what you’re making with HYS yarns, and I love to take photos of your beautiful finished pieces to share here on the blog. I have a nice collection to share at the moment, enough for two blog posts. Today’s group all happen to be made in the same wonderful yarn: Swans Island All American Worsted, an aran weight blend of US-sourced Rambouillet wool and alpaca.

Emily came into the shop last week wearing her newly-completed “Halyard,” by Norah Gaughan, which she knit using 6 skeins of All American Worsted in a deep, saturated cobalt shade called “Newport.” She lengthened the sleeves from 3/4 length to full length for a cozy winter pullover.

I knit a sweater in All American Worsted recently, too. Here I am in my “Docklight,” by Julie Hoover. If you’ve been to the shop in the past month or two, you’ve probably seen me in it, as it’s become a favorite winter sweater. I’m thrilled with how it came out, and impressed with how the yarn is wearing. I used 6 skeins in “Frost,” a light blue-gray.

Nancy knit this “Hourglass Throw” by Anne Hanson using 8 skeins of All American Worsted in a warm brown shade called “Driftwood.” The light color really shows off Hanson’s intricate cable and lace design. This was Nancy’s first time knitting cables, and they are expertly rendered. Well done!

Anyone else out there knitting with All American Worsted? Tell us what you’re making with it , and come in to show us, too!

Thanks to everyone who starts their projects at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and to those who share their progress with us. Come by the shop to pick up some Swans Island All American Worsted for your next project, and keep your eye on the blog for more show and tell soon!

New colors in Canopy Worsted.

Posted by Julia on January 25, 2015

This week’s delivery from Fibre Company held more than just new colors in Acadia; we also got three new shades of Canopy Worsted!

“Turmeric” and “Dragonfruit” really brighten up the Canopy Worsted basket, and “Lemur” is a particularly beautiful steely gray that we simply couldn’t say no to.

Canopy Worsted is a light worsted weight blend of alpaca, merino wool, and bamboo. These fibers combine to create a yarn that is smooth and round, soft and drapey, with excellent stitch definition and a slight lustre.

What to knit with Canopy Worsted? Anne is rarely seen without her “Cumberland Cowl” around her neck, and has inspired many knitters to make Canopy cowls of their own. One 200 yard skein is all it takes, and the same is true of all five accessories in the Kelbourne Woolens Weekenders booklet. Consider the cabled “Greenpoint Cowl” from that collection; Amy is offering a class on the subject this spring!

Come by the shop to pick up a skein or two of Canopy Worsted for a cowl or two! See you there.

Araucania Coliumo: now on sale!

Posted by Julia on January 8, 2015

UPDATE: As of 4/22/2016, we are totally sold out of Araucania Coliumo!

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Another discontinued yarn has found its way to the sale trunk. We’re now offering Araucania Coliumo at over 35% off!

Coliumo is a single-ply, super-bulky wool and silk blend, with 95 yards on each 100 gram skein, and a suggested gauge of 3 stitches per inch on a US #11 needle. One skein is enough for “An Unoriginal Hat” or “Anthro-tastic Headband,” while three or four skeins would make a cozy “GAP-tastic Cowl.” Come by soon to pick up some Coliumo 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!

Berroco Peruvia: now on sale!

Posted by Julia on December 22, 2014

UPDATE: As of 12/26/2014, we are totally sold out of Berroco Peruvia! *************************************************************

It’s always bittersweet news when yarns are discontinued. On the one hand, we’re sad to see good yarns go. On the other, we’re happy to announce that said yarn is now on sale. We’re now offering Berroco Peruvia at over 25% off!

Peruvia is an aran weight single ply wool with 174 yards on each 100 gram skein. It’s fuzzy but sturdy, suitable for felting projects, and comes in a range of heathered shades. One skein is enough for a hat or a pair of mittens; a few more will make a scarf or shawlette.

Sale yarns have been going very quickly lately… come by the shop soon to snag a few skeins of Berroco Peruvia 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!

Hello, Rasta.

Posted by Julia on November 21, 2014

Every so often, we get a request for Rasta, a Malabrigo yarn we haven’t carried before. This week, we answered that request with a Malabrigo order; we’re now proud to have Rasta on our shelves!

Rasta is a soft, squishy, single-ply merino wool that knits up quickly on US 13 – 17 needles. Each 150 gram skein has 90 yards, which may not sound like a lot, but those 90 yards go a long way at 2 or 2.5 stitches per inch.

Rasta is perfectly suited to cold-weather accessories: hats, scarves, cowls, and the like. Seeking Rasta inspiration? Check out Malabrigo’s two latest books.

That’s Rasta on the cover of Malabrigo Book 6, which features patterns for all manner of Malabrigo yarns, from Finito to Rios.

Malabrigo Book 7 is nothing but Rasta. Hats in Rasta, mitts in Rasta, all manner of cozy, instant-gratification garments and accessories in Rasta.

Come by the shop to pick up a skein or two of Malabrigo Rasta for your last-minute holiday gift-knitting! See you there.

Hello, Rowan.

Posted by Julia on November 17, 2014

We’re thrilled to announce that we now carry two yarns from Rowan: say hello to Pure Wool Worsted and Wool Cotton!

Pure Wool Worsted is a superwash, worsted weight wool that comes in a wide range of colors, including subtle heathered shades that we don’t often see in superwash yarns. Each 100 gram skein boasts 219 yards, enough to knit a hat, small scarf or pair of mittens.

There are so many uses for medium weight, machine-washable wools, from sweaters and accessories to blankets and baby things, and we carry many yarns like these for exactly that reason. So far, Pure Wool Worsted is the most affordable, however, and we love finding sources for high quality fiber at a reasonable price.

We put Pure Wool Worsted to the test on our needles and in Anne’s washing machine, and it came out looking good: stitch definition crisp, gauge unchanged, fabric softened. Look for this machine-washed swatch at the shop and feel for yourself.

Wool Cotton is a dk weight blend of merino wool and cotton, also machine-washable. Each 50 gram skein has 123 yards, enough to knit a baby hat or short pair of fingerless mitts.

Working with Wool Cotton, we were impressed by the smooth, obedient quality of the yarn, and pleased to see it come out of the washing machine looking like new.

Cotton and wool make a lovely fiber blend for our climate, particularly in a dk weight. I can see Wool Cotton in the same wide variety of projects that suit Pure Wool Worsted: sweaters large and small, baby blankets, hats, mitts, shawls, and cowls. Look for more project ideas and pattern inspiration on the HYS Pinterest page, and come by the shop to plan your next project with Rowan yarns!

Hello, Isager Tweed.

Posted by Julia on October 27, 2014

Last week, we welcomed our newest fall yarn: meet Isager Tweed!

Isager Tweed is a fingering weight, single-ply yarn composed of 70% wool and 30% mohair, with 220 yards on each 50 gram skein. Like any classic tweed, the colors read roughly solid from a distance, but on closer inspection, are speckled with contrasting colors.

Anne and I took a long time deciding what we should make with Isager Tweed. It would make a great pair of “Twigs and Willows Mitts” from Botanical Knits 2, a handsome “Barclay” scarf, or a sweet “Rustling Leaves Beret.” I’d love to see an “Aranami Shawl” in five shades of Isager Tweed, too. Ultimately, we were most inspired paging through patterns for Brooklyn Tweed Loft on Ravelry, a treasure trove of fingering weight knits. “Seasons Hat,” “Norby,” “Wheaten,” “Arrowhead Mittens,” “Ticking Cowl” … this is a Ravelry rabbit-hole we’ve gone down oh so many times.

Anne settled on Bristol Ivy’s “Bayard,” pairing Isager Tweed with Isager Alpaca 2, and that striped hat is on her Addi needles now.

Though these two yarns differ in fiber content, ply, and appearance, they are similar in gauge. Most importantly, they share that special Isager color palette, making the Tweed-and-Alpaca-2 color-pairing game especially good fun.

I found equally compelling color combinations when I limited myself to the Isager Tweed basket.

Come by the shop to see Isager Tweed, admire Anne’s hat-in-progress, and plan your next project! See you there.

Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Show.

Posted by Julia on October 23, 2014

We’re thrilled to announce that the Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Show arrived early, giving us more time to enjoy these ten beautiful garments!

Hanne Falkenberg is a Danish designer whose patterns come in kits with her signature Shetland yarn, and are often made in garter stitch with flattering short-row shaping and colorful stripes. They are always constructed in surprising ways to intrigue the knitter and compliment the wearer.

Over the years, we’ve had a few Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Shows, each time getting different designs in different colorways. This group includes Falkenberg’s very newest, “Ypsilon,” a short sleeved cardigan decorated with flattering vertical stripes.

We always have a handful of Falkenberg kits in stock at the shop, though the selection changes from time to time.

As I’m writing this, we have “Lascala,” “Luna,” “Lastrada,” and “Mariager” on the shelf, and now “Ypsilon” joins the ranks, in three different color combinations.

There may well be another Falkenberg design you like, or a colorway you prefer; we’re more than happy to order it for you. In fact, during the Trunk Show, we’re offering a 20% discount to those who prepay for their Hanne Falkenberg kit orders!

Come by the shop before November 9th to admire these clever garments, try them on, and place your order!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges and no returns. Discount applies only to in-store purchases. Thanks!

New from Cascade.

Posted by Julia on October 21, 2014

A couple of weeks ago, back when our big Berroco order arrived, an equally big box from Cascade showed up. Inside were some yarns and colors that needed restocking, and a few new things, too.

Highland Duo is an aran weight blend of alpaca and merino spun into a soft, fuzzy, single-ply yarn. Anne picked this palette, a range of neutrals with a pop of red–perfect for winter wear.

We also got these four new colors of Cascade 220 Fingering, heathered shades that fill out our existing selection nicely.

Cascade 220 Fingering is an affordable 2-ply wool in a fingering weight, well-suited to colorwork, shawls, garments and accessories. Head over to Ravelry for all kinds of pattern inspiration for this yarn, and come by the shop to pick some up for your next project!

See you at the shop!

Hello, Ultra Alpaca Chunky.

Posted by Julia on October 2, 2014

Meet the newest yarn from Berroco, Ultra Alpaca Chunky.

A bulky weight blend of wool and alpaca, Ultra Alpaca Chunky is the newest addition to Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca line.

Each 100 gram skein boasts 131 yards, enough for a hat or a pair of mitts. With a suggested gauge of 3.5 stitches per inch on a US #10, this is instant gratification yarn, perfect for cozy accessories and warm, jacket-like sweaters.

Berroco booklet #349 features patterns for Ultra Alpaca Chunky, a collection of accessories and garments.

A sample of one of these patterns, “Duchamp,” now hangs at the shop, knit in a cheery red.

“Duchamp” is a textured shawl, a modular knit whose construction is sure to keep you interested as you stitch.

Look out for this free pattern tucked into the Ultra Alpaca Chunky cubby–a cozy textured scarf, knit with just 3 skeins.

Come by the shop to see Ultra Alpaca Chunky and plan some instant gratification knitting of your own!