Show and tell: mittens, sweaters, and shibori.

Posted by Julia on October 2, 2013

The two most exciting parts of a project are often the beginning and the end. At the beginning, the thrill of casting on with new yarn or trying a new technique is quite motivating. At the end, when the project is complete and whatever challenges were faced along the way have been met, the feeling of finishing is equally exhilarating. Better still: the feeling is contagious. Many of the knitters and crocheters we’ve come to know at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop bring their finished pieces to share, and it’s as much a pleasure to see as it is to show. Here are a few show-and-tell projects I’ve captured with my camera over the past few weeks.

Heather came in with a finished pair of mittens, her first, from a pattern by Susan B. Anderson: “Waiting for Winter Mittens.” She used String Theory Merino DK, a superwash merino whose hand-dyed colorways surprise and delight as you stitch; this colorway, Earthquake, revealed all kinds of colors in the knitted fabric that seemed hidden in the skein. I happen to be a big fan of String Theory Merino DK, having used it in two original designs and, more recently, a sweater.

The pattern is Amy Herzog’s “Aislinn,” albeit a heavily-modified version. Using Herzog’s tremendously handy Knit to Flatter as a guide, I shortened the body of the sweater, lowered the neckline, recalculated the waist-shaping, and added bust darts. I’m happy with the fit, and feel much more confident in making changes to existing patterns as a result of this project.

Another way to significantly change the look of the sweater is simply to change the yarn. That’s what Margie did, to stunning effect, with her “Honey” cardigan. The pattern is by Helga Isager, and it calls for a fingering weight wool in a solid color and a lace weight mohair in a variegated color.

Margie substituted Kauni Effektgarn, a self-striping sport weight wool, and a special skein of semi-solid lace weight yarn that she picked up at a fiber festival. She was careful to swatch for gauge before beginning, and altered the pattern to achieve a slimmer sleeve. Let Margie’s sweater be an inspiration to depart from the called-for yarns and make the changes necessary to create garments you love!

Wanda brought in her completed “Gemini Pullover,” knit in Wendy Supreme Luxury Cotton DK. It’s been really neat to see so many finished Geminis coming in, the result of a shop knit-along that started in March. I know there are others out there on the needles now, and I’m looking forward to seeing them all grown up one day.

On Saturday afternoon, Mary came by with a completed “Simple Shibori Cowl” in Alchemy Silken Straw and Sanctuary. Delighted with the result, she’s already cast on for another, and picked up another skein of Silken Straw for yet a third cowl. This color combination is gorgeous: Silken Straw in Coco Rosie, and Sanctuary in Dark Star. I can’t wait to see Mary’s next two cowls!

Many thanks to everyone who shows-and-tells at the shop–we’re so happy to be part of this community of creative stitchers!

New from Habu.

Posted by Julia on September 30, 2013

We always stop by the Habu Textiles booth at TNNA, and this year was no exception. We’d made a note before going to market that we could use a few new colors in their one-of-a-kind Silk Stainless yarn, which translated into Anne gathering an armful of colorful cones as Habu founder Takako Ueki jotted down color numbers. The new colors of Habu Silk Stainless arrived a week or so ago, settling in with the few colors we’d already had in stock. Our new selection is vibrant and tempting, and I thought they deserved a bit of fanfare here on the blog.

It’s Silk Stainless that makes the Kusha Kusha Scarf such an intriguing project. It’s knit on a variety of different needle sizes, sometimes holding a fine lace weight merino along with the Silk Stainless, and when the knitting is done, the piece is lightly felted in hot, soapy water.

Habu used to sell kits for the Kusha Kusha Scarf, but has since offered the pattern for free via the Purl Bee. This frees you up to choose your own color combinations, which sometimes feels like half the joy of knitting in the first place. We don’t stock the Habu Super Fine Merino that the pattern calls for, but we have so many other lace weight yarns to choose from that would be equally interesting in this project. They’ll all behave a little differently, I suspect, which should be fun to experiment with. I had fun putting these hypothetical combinations together.

Don’t limit yourself to Kusha Kusha scarves, however; Silk Stainless can also be put to good use in sweaters and knitted or crocheted jewelry. We’ve even had a weaver experiment with a few cones of the stuff on her loom. Come by the shop to see our sample Kusha Kusha Scarf and our new selection of Habu Silk Stainless. See you there!

Interweave Crochet.

Posted by Julia on September 28, 2013

The Fall 2013 issue of Interweave Crochet is here!

Inside, you’ll find plenty of crochet patterns, from smaller accessories to adult-sized garments.

I also spotted this helpful article on crochet hooks, which details the many varieties of hooks and the differences between them. Just like knitting needles, crochet hooks made of different materials and in slightly differing shapes are good for different kinds of fibers and techniques. Pick up a copy of Interweave Crochet Fall 2013 to learn all about it.

Look for Interweave Crochet on the teacart, surrounded by all the latest knitting and crochet magazines and books. See you at the shop!

Wool Tree Mill.

Posted by Julia on September 26, 2013

Knowing that there was new roving coming from Malabrigo, we thought that new drop spindles were in order, as well. We went to market in June looking for a source for beautiful wooden drop spindles and found it in Wool Tree Mill.

Wool Tree Mill is a family-run business out of California, and all of their products are handcrafted from hardwoods for fiber artists. Their drop spindles are made of walnut, and we ordered them in two sizes, medium and large.

Wool Tree Mill’s drop spindles are designed to be used in either a high-whorl or low-whorl position, according to the spinner’s preference and purpose.

We also picked up a couple of Wool Trees, the signature Wool Tree Mill yarn-ball controller. “A ball of yarn can be naughty,” so says their website. “It will jump to the floor and play with the cat or tangle up everything in your yarn basket or tie itself in knots.” So true! The Wool Tree is made to hold your naughty ball of yarn, and turns easily so that the yarn is dispensed as it’s needed. Seeing these in use at market, we were drawn to the Wool Trees not only for their useful function, but their beautiful, simple design.

They come in maple and walnut; ours is maple. Right now, we have a skein of Swans Island Organic Washable DK on the Tree. Come by the shop to sit awhile and try the yarn and the Tree, both equally lovely.

We don’t have any Wool Trees in stock at the moment, but we’ve just reordered them; let us know if you’d like us to hold one for you!

Look for the drop spindles by the roving in the front room. See you at the shop!

Hello, Malabrigo Nube.

Posted by Julia on September 24, 2013

Two new releases from Malabrigo in a row! This time, it’s not yarn at all, but unspun fleece for spinning or needle-felting. Meet Nube, soft merino wool roving in your favorite Malabrigo colorways.

We have four colors in stock: Azules, Aguas, Arco Iris, and Archangel.

Spinners and needle-felters, come by to see Malabrigo Nube in all its glory! Look for our small roving collection by the window in the front room, near our new button display. See you at the shop!

Fibre Company Yarn Tasting.

Posted by Julia on September 21, 2013

We’re delighted to announce that we have an exciting event coming up: a yarn tasting featuring four yarns from the Fibre Company, a small yarn company out of Pennsylvania. The Fibre Company combines plant and animal fibers in interesting ways, seeking yarns that provide both softness and structure. Their patterns put their yarns to good use in accessories and garments alike.

A yarn tasting allows you to try out yarn before deciding to buy it, working up a little swatch to see how it feels in your hands and how it behaves as a fabric. Attendees will bring needles or hooks in a variety of sizes and we’ll serve up samples of four yarns from the Fibre Company, along with bagels, fruit, and mimosas.

Meadow: a lace weight blend of merino wool, baby llama, silk, and linen
Savannah: a sport weight blend of wool, cotton, linen, and soya
Acadia: a dk weight blend of merino wool, baby alpaca, and silk
Canopy Worsted: a light worsted weight blend of baby alpaca, merino wool, and viscose from bamboo

We’ll have a Meadow trunk show to inspire, and pattern ideas for all four yarns. Get a 15% discount on Fibre Company purchases and pre-paid orders made during the yarn tasting.

The Fibre Company Yarn Tasting is scheduled for Sunday, October 20th, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. There is a small fee for attending, so that we might cover the cost of food and drink, and because of our small space, we’re limiting this event to 15 people. It’s filling up quickly–sign up now to save your space! If you can’t make it to the yarn tasting, no worries–I’ll report back here on the blog and tell you all about it.

New from the Fibre Company.

Posted by Julia on September 20, 2013

About a year ago, we introduced Acadia, a beautiful and unique dk weight yarn from the Fibre Company, a small yarn company out of Pennsylvania. We were dazzled by their array of natural fiber yarns when we saw them at TNNA, but limited ourselves to just one yarn in a small selection of colors, not knowing if our knitters and crocheters would fall for the yarn as hard as we did. In a quick succession of reorders that brought more and more new colors and project ideas to the shop, it became clear that the Fibre Company would be heartily embraced at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We allowed ourselves to go a little further this year, bringing in three additional Fibre Company yarns. The first two are here, and the third is expected in early October. Say hello to Fibre Company Savannah and Canopy Worsted!

Savannah is a sport weight blend of 50% wool, 20% cotton, 15% linen, and 15% soya, which is spun and dyed in the US. The wool content gives elasticity to all those plant fibers, and each fiber takes the dye a little differently, giving the colorways a rustic heathered look. We think Savannah is a perfect blend of fibers for our Southern climate, suitable for all-seasons garments and accessories.

Canopy Worsted is a light worsted weight blend of 50% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool, and 20% viscose from bamboo.

This blend of fibers makes for a lustrous, drapey fabric that still has great stitch definition for texture patterns.

Anne and I both worked on a Canopy Worsted swatch, and neither of us wanted to put it down. Yours truly has already acquired a sweaters’ worth, and put everything aside to cast on for said sweater. That said, Canopy Worsted is also well-suited to smaller accessories like scarves, cowls, hats, and shawls. For a more structured garment, like fingerless mitts, consider going down a needle size or two for a sturdier fabric.

We’re still suckers for Acadia, too–the Fibre Company made four new colors for Fall, all in neutral shades, and we ordered two bags in each color. They fill out the ever-growing Acadia spectrum nicely.

Come by the shop to see all these new yarns from the Fibre Company, and to plan your next project. We’re planning some exciting events featuring the Fibre Company in the coming weeks–stay tuned!

Hello, Malabrigo Mecha.

Posted by Julia on September 18, 2013

A new Malabrigo yarn is always exciting. We know so many knitters and crocheters who turn to Malabrigo yarns again and again for their beautiful colorways, soft fibers, and good value. Meet the newest Malabrigo yarn: Mecha.

Mecha is made of superwash merino wool, a bulky weight yarn with 130 yards on each 100 gram skein. It’s a soft and fluffy single ply, which means it’s also a bit fuzzy. The superwash process helps the yarn to resist felting, but single ply yarns are still more likely to pill than plied yarns; not a problem with a gentle pill remover like the Lily Brush.

I’m the lucky knitter who got to make a shop sample with Mecha. I went hunting for a pattern in the Kira K Designs binder and found two great choices: a twisty knit scarf, and a rippled crochet cowl.

It was a tough choice, but I landed on the Twist Scarf, a pattern that called for exactly 130 yards of bulky weight yarn–a perfect match for Mecha.

I love the way it came out; the knitting was simple and fast, and the scarf is long enough to be worn a few different ways.

The pattern is available as a Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sale, which means that you buy it from us and we’ll print a copy for you, but a digital copy is also saved in your email or Ravelry pattern library.

Ashley, a crocheter with an affinity for Malabrigo yarns, picked up a few skeins of Mecha last week when it first arrived. After playing with it a bit, she discovered that two qualities make it perfect for children’s toys: Mecha is both super soft and superwash. Sitting at the shop, she whipped up a soft stuffed ball with a rattle inside in under 15 minutes. A set of these in different sizes would make a great baby gift, and a quick one. Ashley used the Ideal Crochet Sphere pattern, which is available as a free download on Ravelry. Lucky for us, she left this ball with us as a sample for the shop. Thanks, Ashley!

Come by the shop to check out Mecha and all our other Malabrigo favorites. See you there!

Show and tell: all kinds.

Posted by Julia on September 14, 2013

We’ve had so much new yarn coming in, so many new patterns and magazines, that I’ve let the show and tell pictures pile up. It’s time to share the projects our knitters and crocheters have brought in to show us, and today, there’s a gracious plenty.

First up is Rosi, who is modeling an incredible lace sweater she made using String Theory Selku, a sport weight blend of silk and wool. The shimmer and drape of Selku is perfectly suited to this “Sampler Tabard,” a Cheryl Oberle pattern from Meg Swansen’s A Gathering of Lace. As Rosi will tell you, this sweater isn’t nearly as complicated as it looks–each individual lace pattern is straightforward, and only repeated a few times before you switch to the next pattern, making it suitable for beginner lace knitters.

Molly has been knitting sweaters for her granddaughters. This one is made from a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern using Malabrigo Rios. Rios is a great choice for a child’s sweater: smooth, next-to-skin soft, machine-washable, and colorful.

Here’s Margie in her completed Chamomile shawl, a Helga Isager pattern from her Amimono Knit Collection 2010. The pattern calls for two Isager yarns, the fingering weight Tvinni and lace weight Alpaca 1. Margie substituted the fingering weight Malabrigo Finito for Isager Tvinni and came out with a stunning shawl.

Marion, who teaches our magic loop sock-knitting classes, is cranking out socks as always. Here is one of the many pairs that have graced her needles over the past couple of months, knit in Colinette Jitterbug. Magic loopers interested in learning to knit two socks at a time on one long needle should check out our class schedule, as Marion will teach this technique in October.

Ashley is a crocheter and an avid fan of Malabrigo yarns. She whipped up this pair of baby hats for some twins-to-be using Malabrigo Arroyo, a sport weight, machine-washable merino. The stars were crocheted with Jitterbug in just the right shade to complement this Arroyo colorway.

Monika is a knitter and HYS customer all the way from the Netherlands, where we shipped her the last two skeins of Baa Ram Ewe’s Titus Dark that she needed to complete this hoodie. At the time, Titus was so popular in Europe that it became hard to find, so it was a relief to connect Monika with those desperately needed skeins. She designed this sweater herself, and was kind enough to send photos upon completing it.

Thanks to all who share their work with us! It’s truly inspiring to see what your creative hands make with our yarns. Keep it coming!

Buttons.

Posted by Julia on September 12, 2013

Last year, we ended the summer with a reorganization of the shop. We kicked off the Fall season by sorting every skein of yarn by suggested gauge, giving ourselves just four days to go from semi-order to total chaos to a tidy, intuitively organized shop. It was hard work, but we made it, and our new system has served us well over the past year. This year, we set our sights on a much smaller facet of the shop to overhaul: the buttons.

We have always carried a small selection of interesting buttons; Anne has a good eye for unique buttons that really finish a garment. Yet most of our buttons lived in little baggies in little drawers, only to be seen by button-seekers with plenty of time on their hands and a willingness to sift and sort. Shopping at market, choosing buttons for the shop, we went a little overboard, in part because it’s just so fun to pick out buttons! It should be just as fun at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, it was decided, and so reorganizing the buttons became my mission this past few weeks.

Buttons are best displayed in tubes, where they are visible but contained, safe from scratching or slipping away from their friends. We had a lot of buttons, but few tubes, so my first task was to count and measure the buttons so that we could order enough tubes in the correct sizes. When the tubes arrived (100+!), I began filling them with buttons, labeling them with prices, and affixing buttons to the top of each tube to show what was within. Then I sorted all the button tubes by color and onto the shelf they went.

Perhaps it seems strange, but I am utterly delighted by this little change to the shop. It is so satisfying to see our understated button collection newly in the spotlight, and organized by color, no less. Look for our new button display by the worsted weight yarns in the front room, and think of the Hillsborough Yarn Shop when next you need a button!