We’ve gone to Market!

Posted by Julia on May 29, 2015

Each year, we travel to the National NeedleArts Trade Show, where we place fall and winter orders for the shop from some of our favorite vendors and look out for new favorites, too. This year, Anne, Rosi, Amy and I piled into the car to drive to Market in Columbus, Ohio.

Our first day here started with knitting, of course, and scanning through the list of this year’s vendors, deciding who we’d most like to visit. Then came Sample It, a boisterous event where yarn companies sell samples of their newest offerings. Attendees lined up hours in advance to get the best selections, including the Hillsborough Yarn Shop contingent.

We picked up a few exciting skeins and we’ll spend the rest of the night swatching. If any of these yarns move us, you may well see them at the shop this fall! After Sample It came the fashion show, which is always entertaining. This year, the fashion show was packed with ponchos, Anne’s recently-completed “Easy Folded Poncho” seems to be right on trend. Tomorrow brings our first classes and our first day of shopping. We can’t wait to see what’s new this year!

Show and tell: pastels.

Posted by Julia on May 28, 2015

As we head off to TNNA to see what’s new in knitting, crochet, and weaving for the Fall, we’ll close the shop from Thursday, May 28th – Monday, June 1st, reopening on Tuesday, June 2nd. I’ll be blogging a bit from the show, but til then, here’s some show-and-tell, all in soft, solid shades, projects that have recently been completed in HYS yarns.

Here’s Amy’s “Kindling” shawl, knit in preparation for her upcoming class on the subject. The yarn is Fibre Company Savannah, a lofty sport weight blend of merino, cotton, soy, and linen. Amy enlarged her shawl by continuing the main body for one additional pattern repeat before working the lace edging. The patterning shows so clearly in this pale green shade, a wise choice for such intricate knitting.

Speaking of upcoming classes, Marsha recently dropped off this adorable “Pleated Ballet Flat,” a sample for her upcoming class. She used the aran weight Plymouth Royal Llama Silk in a robin’s egg blue.

For such a small piece of knitting, these slippers are packed with techniques, from picking up and knitting to short rows to working in the round on two circular needles. Check out all our upcoming classes on our website!

Jodi brought her beautiful “Tier” scarf in for show-and-tell just before shipping it off to her sister-in-law. She knit it in Shibui Twig, a summery blend of linen, silk, and wool, and carefully blocked it to gently-draping perfection.

Last week, Anne quickly worked up a textured baby hat in the luxurious Debbie Bliss Pure Cashmere in a buttery yellow hue. The (free!) pattern is Christine Roy’s “That easy Guernsey hat,” and comes in toddler, child, and adult sizes, too.

Margie has been busy knitting “Shaelyn” shawls in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool as gifts for good friends. Here’s the first one off her needles, in a rustic shade of beige.

Thanks to the accomplished stitchers whose projects begin and grow here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We love to see what you’re making, and we’re looking forward to bringing in more inspiring materials for you to work with. I’ve got another round of many-colored show-and-tell projects coming up after our return… see you then!

Handwoven.

Posted by Julia on May 25, 2015

The May/June 2015 issue of Handwoven has arrived!

This issue is dedicated to texture in weaving, with articles and projects focused on techniques and materials that create interesting textures in woven fabric.

One such project is Judy Pagels’ “Classic Capelet,” which can be woven on a Schacht Cricket Loom, and calls for one of our favorite yarns, Isager Alpaca 2.

Some projects require large floor looms, but others call for simpler looms, which can be constructed from hula hoops or cardboard. The range of projects reflects the many possibilities that this new-to-us craft offers, and we’re excited to see more weavers and their projects coming to the shop!

Weavers and weavers-to-be, come by to pick up a copy of Handwoven and check out our selection of weaving yarns, books, and small looms!

Knitscene Accessories.

Posted by Julia on May 21, 2015

Knitscene Accessories has arrived!

In this special issue, you’ll find small projects of all kinds: hats and mitts, shawls and scarves, cowls and socks, baskets and bags, jewelry, home goods, and more.

The eye-catching striped sun hat on the cover is knit in our most recently-acquired yarn, Cascade Ultra Pima Fine. Look for it in the sport weight section!

Come by the shop to snag a copy of Knitscene Accessories before they disappear, and plan a summer project or two!

Hello, Cascade Ultra Pima Fine.

Posted by Julia on May 16, 2015

A new yarn has arrived at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop just in time for warm weather knitting and crochet! Meet Cascade Ultra Pima Fine.

We’ve kept Cascade Ultra Pima in stock for a few years now, a lustrous, machine-washable, mercerized cotton in a wide range of saturated colors. Ultra Pima is DK weight, and fittingly, Ultra Pima Fine is a lighter weight version of the same good stuff.

Each 50 gram skein of Ultra Pima Fine is about 136 yards long, and knits up at about 6 or 6.5 stitches per inch on a US #3 or #4 needle. Anne has been knitting a washcloth with Ultra Pima Fine as a shop sample, and reports that it’s well-behaved on the needles, not splitting as some cotton yarns do.

Washcloths aren’t all it’s good for, of course; easy-care cotton is a great fiber for knitting or crocheting baby and children’s things, warm weather garments for all ages, and market bags, to name a few. If you’re searching for Ultra Pima Fine patterns, start at the Cascade website, and from there, search Ravelry for sport weight patterns.

Look for Cascade Ultra Pima Fine in the sport weight section here at the shop!

Show and tell: shop samples.

Posted by Julia on May 10, 2015

Our walls are covered with knit, crocheted, and woven garments, which are here to inspire and show how our many yarns behave when they’re worked up into fabric. If you’ve been to the shop this week, you may have noticed a few new sample garments hanging on our walls. Anne, Rosi, Marsha, and I each recently finished a new shop sample, highlighting a variety of yarns and projects. Here’s some Hillsborough Yarn Shop show and tell.

Anne knit this Churchmouse “Easy Folded Poncho” with Fibre Company Acadia, a luxurious blend of merino wool, silk, and alpaca. The silk fiber takes the dye differently than wool and alpaca, and stands out from those fibers, creating a tweedy, rustic look. Those silk slubs are what make this truly simple garment a truly special one.

For a while now, we’ve had a few shades of Conjoined Creations Flat Feet here at the shop, occasionally begging the question, “What is this for?”

Flat Feet are machine-knit stretches of sock yarn, which are then hand-painted and ready to be hand-knit into socks directly from the flat.

What might that look like? Rosi’s newest sample helps answer that question.

She also brought in a recent Nordstrom catalog, which shows that socks worn with sandals are the height of fashion. Sock knitters, take note!

Marsha knit this “Bias Scarf” with two skeins of Ella Rae Bamboo Silk, a smooth, drapey worsted weight yarn.

The knitting in the “Bias Scarf” is simple, just knits, purls, increases and decreases. It’s a great beginner project, and Marsha is teaching a class on the subject for those just learning to knit. Read more about all our classes on our website!

Here’s my finished “Jiffy” vest, knit in Geilsk Cotton/Wool. It’s designed to be worn right-side-up or up-side-down, with the drop stitch lace around the collar or around the bottom edge.

Come by the shop to check out all our sample garments, which are here to be touched, tried on, and otherwise inspected. See you there!

Interweave Knits.

Posted by Julia on May 6, 2015

The Summer 2015 issue of Interweave Knits is here!

This issue focuses on the intersection of knitting and nature, with practical garments for hikes and other outdoor adventures–headbands, rustic vests, and sweaters like the “Mount Robson Pullover,” knit in Cascade 220 Fingering.

There’s also a spread of colorwork sweaters in this issue, each one inspired by the hometown of its designer. This one was knit in Malabrigo Rios, a favorite superwash merino around here.

Look for Interweave Knits on the teacart, surrounded by the latest books and magazines for knitters, crocheters, and weavers. See you at the shop!

The Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook.

Posted by Julia on May 1, 2015

Meet Felicity Ford’s Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook. This special book is not a collection of patterns, but rather a manifesto on design.

Within it, Felicity Ford shares her particular system of translating inspiring images into colorwork knitting, from selecting colors and designing charts to swatching, evaluating your swatches, and applying your designs to knitted garments.

This is a beautiful book, and one about which you may already have heard rave reviews. When it first came out, Kate Davies did a lovely write-up on her blog, as did Clara Parkes and Ysolda Teague. All three are in agreement: Ford’s Sourcebook is an inspiring one because it is so particular to its author. It’s an interesting and galvanizing read, one that had me itching to pull out my colored pencils and Knitter’s Graph Paper Journal, and dive headfirst into a basket of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

The Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook began as a Kickstarter project, with designer Felicity Ford seeking crowd-funding to self-publish the book. Though the subject and her approach are somewhat esoteric, Ford found many supporters, making the book a resounding success. We’re proud to stock it here at the shop, and in fact, are on our third reorder.

Look for The Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook on the teacart, amongst the latest books and magazines, and look to our class listings for more opportunities to learn about stranded colorwork. See you at the shop!

Pom-pom makers.

Posted by Julia on April 29, 2015

We routinely order from Bryson Distributing, filling in on a few different kinds of knitting needles, crochet hooks, notions and accessories. By special request, our most recent order included a gadget that’s new for us: pom-pom makers.

These two colorwork hats from the Baa Ram Ewe Trunk Show have been getting a lot of attention, not only because of their lovely patterning, but also because of their robust pom-poms. I’ve certainly never made a pom-pom as puffy and lively-looking as these, and with as many folks as we’ve had asking how to make them, it sounds like many of us have suffered disappointing pom-poms. Perhaps these pom-pom makers are the secret! We have them in every size, for all your pom-pom needs.

Come by the shop when you’re seeking notions! We’re committed to stocking all manner of tools and gadgets to suit all manner of preferences, and if we don’t have what you’re looking for, we may well be able to order it for you. See you there!

knit.purl.

Posted by Julia on April 27, 2015

Another new magazine has found its way to the shop, with even more warm-weather knitting inspiration! Here’s a peek inside the Spring/Summer 2015 issue of knit.purl.

Knit.purl is an Interweave publication focused on simplicity and sophistication in handknitting.

It was once known as knit.wear, and though the name has changed, the content is much the same: thoughtful, wearable, modern knits, and tutorials to help make them.

I spotted an asymmetric tank knit in Fibre Company Savannah in this collection of wave-inspired garments. Savannah is a perfect yarn for Spring and Summer projects, a well-balanced blend of plant and animal fibers both light and elastic, and Quenna Lee’s “Meandering Top” is a great use for it.

Come by the shop to plan your next project and browse the latest periodicals and publications. We hope you find inspiration here!