Hello, Kelbourne Woolens Cricket!

Posted by Julia on December 16, 2022

Kelbourne Woolens is the source of some of our most popular yarns, beloved for the variety of high quality fibers they produce and the accessible price. Their latest is here at our shop – meet Cricket!

Kelbourne Woolens Cricket:

fingering weight
single ply
tweed
100% merino wool
415 yards/100g
$24 each

Cricket is a lighter weight version of KW’s popular Lucky Tweed, and comes in all the same colors.

Like Lucky Tweed, Cricket is manufactured in Donegal, Ireland, for an authentic tweed look and soft hand.

A few months ago, the folks at Kelbourne Woolens sent us a small ball of Cricket for swatching. I was the lucky knitter who got that job, and gave it a go in simple stockinette, first on a US 4, and then on a US 6 with a strand of Isager Silk Mohair in a contrasting color.

We’re expecting a Cricket pattern collection from Kelbourne Woolens early in the new year, but in the meantime, here are some pattern ideas that are a good fit for this new yarn!

For a single strand of Cricket:

“Pabaigh,” by Kate Davies – cowlneck short-sleeved pullover
“Seavaiger,” by Kate Davies – striped dolman-sleeved pullover
“Childhood,” by Ankestrick – saddle-shoulder, turtleneck pullover
“Woodfords,” by Elizabeth Doherty – ribbed open-front cardigan
“Birkin,” by Caitlin Hunter – colorwork yoke pullover with floral motifs
“Kyler,” by Isabell Kraemer – triangular lace shawl

For Cricket held together with Silk Mohair:

“Stockholm Slipover,” by PetiteKnit – stockinette vest
“No Frills Sweater,” by PetiteKnit – stockinette pullover
“Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” by PetiteKnit – stockinette hat with folded, hemmed brim
“Vuono Hat,” by Ronja Hakalehto – textured hat with ribbed brim
“Ripple Balaclava,” by Jessie Maed – ribbed balaclava

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Cricket in the fingering weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We’re open from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Back in stock: Berroco Ultra Alpaca.

Posted by Julia on December 9, 2022

Good old Ultra Alpaca – this balanced blend of wool and alpaca is a classic, and we’re delighted to have a fresh supply!

Berroco Ultra Alpaca:

worsted weight
solid and heathered shades
50% super fine alpaca, 50% Peruvian Highland wool
219 yards/100g
$14 each

Berroco Ultra Alpaca has the structure and elasticity of wool and the drape, halo, and softness of alpaca. It comes in reasonably priced 100 gram hanks with 219 yards each; enough yarn to make a small scarf, a hat, or a pair of mittens.

Ultra Alpaca comes in a wide range of colors, from fun brights to classic neutrals; I’ve always particularly admired the heathered shades.

Scrolling through projects on Ravelry, I saw that many knitters had made Donna Smith’s now classic “Baa-ble Hat” with Ultra Alpaca.

“Baa-ble Hat,” by Donna Smith, photo © Donna Smith.

Here are a couple of color combinations inspired by the pattern photo!

What else to make with Ultra Alpaca? Here are a few ideas!

Accessories:

“Sophie Shawl,” by PetiteKnit – garter stitch shawl with I-cord edging
“Guernsey Wrap,” by Jared Flood – textured wrap
“Turn a Square,” by Jared Flood – striped beanie
“Antler Toque,” by Tin Can Knits – cabled hat
“Ferryboat Mitts,” by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas – ribbed fingerless mitts
“Twice Reversible Ribbed Poncho,” by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas – ribbed poncho

Garments:

“White Pine,” by Amy Christoffers – cabled cardigan
“Rye,” by Thea Colman – textured raglan cardigan
“Humulus,” by Isabell Kraemer – colorwork yoke pullover
“Tea with Jam and Bread,” by Heidi Kirrmaier – color block pullover with pockets
“Better-Than-Basic Pullover,” by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas – stockinette funnel neck pullover

Look for Berroco Ultra Alpaca in the worsted weight section here at the shop!

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: November 2022.

Posted by Julia on November 18, 2022

Dream in Color’s Pop Up Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tucson-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. November’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

fingering weight
70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
400 yards/100g
$34 each

November’s special colorway is a pale lavender grey, with speckles of plum and burgundy.

It pairs beautifully with the David Hess colorway in Neighborhood Fiber Co. Loft – this trio of skeins is perfect for Andrea Mowry’s “Birds of a Feather” shawl!

“Birds of a Feather,” by Andrea Mowry, photo © Andrea Mowry

Here are a few more such combinations using other Pop-Up Club colorways, a flock of shawls-to-be.

Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We are open between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; you can still order online for local pickup or shipping, as well.

Hello, & Make Aran!

Posted by Julia on November 11, 2022

The Fibre Company has just launched a new line of yarn, & Make! These are yarns for stitchers at every stage of their crafting journey, made of natural, sustainable fibers from renewable sources. We’re starting with & Make Aran, a soft and squishy blend of Highland wool and alpaca.

The Fibre Co. & Make Aran:

aran weight
2-ply
solid and heathered colors
50% Highland wool, 50% alpaca
164 yards/100g
$17.50 each

What to knit with & Make Aran? Here are some ideas!

Garments:

“Felix Pullover” or “Felix Cardigan,” by Amy Christoffers – stockinette sweaters with eyelet details at raglan yoke
“Downstream,” by Kate Davies – striped, raglan cardigan knit from the top down
“Boreal,” by Kate Davies – large motif colorwork pullover
“Purls of Wisdom Sweater (Aran),” by The Fibre Co. – stockinette circular yoke pullover with purl ridges

Accessories:

“Warm & Easy Hat (Aran),” by Kate Atherley – stockinette hat with ribbed brim
“Bandana Cowl,” by Purl Soho – bandana shaped cowl
“Gridland Scarf,” by The Fibre Co. – textured scarf in 3 gauges (DK, aran, and super bulky)
“Catch my Fall,” by Melanie Berg – lace and textured triangular shawl
“Open Sky,” by Andrea Mowry – lace and textured semicircular shawl
“Almina,” by Lisa Hannes – cabled triangular shawl

Come by the shop to see & Make Aran for yourself! We’re here from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays; masks required.

Koigu Collector’s Club: Maie Landra’s Original Paintings.

Posted by Julia on November 8, 2022

The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu. KPPPM is a fingering weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in vibrant colors by mother/daughter team Maie and Taiu Landra on their farm outside of Toronto, Canada.

Koigu KPPPM:

fingering weight
hand dyed, variegated
100% superwash merino wool
175 yards/50 g
$15.50 each

This month’s limited edition shade is Maie Landra’s Original Paintings, a variegated mix of deep blues and purples, streaked with shades of gold, berry, and sky blue.

Above is one of Koigu founder Maie Landra’s paintings – head to the Koigu blog to see more, and learn about Landra herself!

We have quite a collection of Koigu KPPPM right now, so much that the yarn has outgrown its cubby – here it is freshly reorganized, a tantalizing color palette. It got me thinking about Churchmouse’s “Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf” pattern, which blends disparate variegated shades into a harmonious fabric that almost looks woven. Here are a few color combinations using Maie Landra’s Original Paintings along with other Koigu Collector’s Club colorways!

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with many others! We’re here from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: October 2022.

Posted by Julia on October 22, 2022

Dream in Color’s Pop Up Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tucson-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. October’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

fingering weight
70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
400 yards/100g
$34 each

October’s special colorway is a semisolid teal that plays well with other solid or variegated skeins – it particularly favors a recent Koigu Collector’s Club colorway, The Pond.

These three shades would make a striking “Temperance Shawl,” or a “Free Your Fade,” by Andrea Mowry!

Back in stock: Malabrigo Caprino!

Posted by Julia on October 18, 2022

It feels like we unpack at least one Malabrigo order each week – everyone loves their memorable colorways and soft fibers. This week’s Malabrigo box held a sizable restock of Caprino, a super soft merino/cashmere blend.

Malabrigo Caprino:

DK weight
hand-dyed, variegated, speckled, and semi-solid colorways
80% merino, 20% cashmere
159 yards/50 g
$18 each

I knit Andrea Mowry’s “Nightshift” shawl with Malabrigo Caprino a couple of years ago, and it now hangs at the shop, inspiring knitters to make their own. It was fun to combine semisolid, variegated, and speckled colorways in this slip stitch pattern and see how they worked together.

What else to make with Caprino? Here are some ideas!

“Sophie Scarf,” by PetiteKnit – small garter stitch neckwarmer
“Novemberist Hat,” by Vanessa Smith – colorwork hat and mitts
“Pātikitiki Hat,” by Francoise Danoy – colorwork hat and cowl
“Tincture,” by Andrea Mowry – mosaic hat
“Dissent Cowl (knit),” by Carissa Browning – slip-stitch cowl inspired by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s famous collar
“Ikigai Cowl,” by Breean Elyse Miller – openwork ribbed cowl

Look for Malabrigo Caprino in the DK weight section here at our shop, and pick up a free copy of Breean Elyse Miller’s “Ikigai Cowl” pattern with your purchase!

Capital Luxury Sport + Zauberwolle.

Posted by Julia on October 14, 2022

The newest arrivals to our sport weight section are Neighborhood Capital Luxury Sport and a restock of Schoppel-Wolle Zauberwolle, and they look like friends to me. Combining semisolid shades with self-striping yarn makes for exciting colorwork, whether stranded, striped, mosaic, or brioche.

What to make with these color pairs? Here are some ideas!

Sweaters:

“koivua light,” by Caitlin Hunter – top down colorwork pullover
“Guthrie,” by Caitlin Hunter – top down colorwork pullover with cable detail
“Metamorphic,” by Andrea Mowry – striped pullover with faux seams
“Junction,” by Andrea Mowry – brioche and colorwork pullover
“Lovebirds Sweater,” by Kate Oates – short sleeved colorwork pullover
“Hinterland,” by Jennifer Steingass – colorwork pullover
“Newleaf,” by Jennifer Steingass – colorwork pullover

Accessories:

“Squaropolis,” by Maxim Cyr – mosaic triangular shawl
“Destination Unknown,” by Cheryl Faust – mosaic triangular shawl
“Montana Mountain Cowl,” by Andrea Mowry – mosaic moebius cowl
“Auri,” by Alicia Plummer – colorwork tubular cowl
“Pressed Flowers Hat,” by Amy Christoffers – mosaic hat
“Flicker & Flame,” by Andrea Mowry – colorwork hat

Look for Capital Luxury Sport and Zauberwolle in the sport weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – we’re open from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays! We’re still taking online orders for local pickup or shipping, as well.

HYS Color Club: Shelter + Rockfall Hat.

Posted by Julia on October 11, 2022

HYS Color Club members just got their first project for Autumn!

Inside the bag, there are 4 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Shelter to knit a “Rockfall Hat,” by Tin Can Knits. We included an addi knitting thimble, too!

Shelter is one of my very favorite yarns in the shop, a worsted weight, woolen spun Targhee-Columbia wool that comes in over 45 colors, so I had great fun selecting HYS Color Club colorways. Here’s a combination in each of the color palettes – Warm, Cool, Neutral, and Surprise.

We also have the shades of Shelter shown in Tin Can Knits’ pattern photos, relatively low contrast color combinations – the large scale of these motifs mean that the pattern shows clearly even when some of the colors are similar in value.

I made a “Rockfall Hat” earlier this year, when the new solid shades of Shelter first came out – look for this sample in the worsted weight section next time you’re here at the shop!

Hello, Germantown Bulky!

Posted by Julia on October 8, 2022

The weather is finally cooling down, and it has us reaching for cozier yarn. Meet the newest yarn in our shop, Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky!

Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky:

bulky weight
4ply, worsted spun
100% North American wool
123 yards/100g
$16 each

Like the worsted weight Germantown before it, Germantown Bulky is smooth and sturdy, a classic and versatile worsted spun wool yarn. Germantown Bulky feels softer to our hands, squishy and springy and absolutely ideal for cold weather accessories.

One skein is enough for a hat, and the folks at Kelbourne Woolens are designing one for every month of this year. Even better, every one of these patterns is free to download from Ravelry – look there for the “Wister Hat” above, the “Upsala Hat,” “Sedgwick Hat”, and “Fernhill Hat” below, among others. Stay tuned for the rest of their Year of Bulky Hats!

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky in the bulky weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays, and also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping. We do require masks for in-store shopping – thanks for your participation!