Mountain Meadow Wool Yarn Tasting.

Posted by Julia on March 24, 2013

We’re delighted to announce that we have an exciting event coming up: a yarn tasting featuring four yarns from Mountain Meadow Wool, a small yarn company out of Wyoming. Mountain Meadow Wool is dedicated to producing locally sourced and naturally processed yarns. Run by co-owners Karen Hostetler and Valerie Spanos, Mountain Meadow Wool seeks to support the ranching industry, thereby preserving the open spaces of the American West. They pay ranchers fairly for their finest fiber, then spin it and dye it with vegetable-based spinning oil and natural dyes.

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 Mountain Meadow Wool, along with bagels, fruit, and mimosas.

Lilura: a fingering weight blend of Mountain Merino and North American Alpaca
Cody: a 2-ply, sport weight Mountain Merino yarn
Powder River: a 3-ply, dk weight blend of Mountain Merino and North American Alpaca
Sheridan: a 3-py, bulky weight Mountain Merino yarn

We already have a stash of Cody in the shop; this yarn tasting will help us decide which MMW yarns to order next. We’ll have a Cody trunk show to inspire, along with pattern ideas for the other yarns. Get a 10% discount on purchases of Cody and pre-orders for other MMW yarns made during the yarn tasting.

The MMW Yarn Tasting is scheduled for Sunday, April 14th, 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.

Triangle Yarn Crawl.

Posted by Julia on March 22, 2013

The Triangle Yarn Crawl is a self-guided tour of local yarn shops, where knitters and crocheters get together and hop from one shop to the next, shopping, entering raffles, and seeing the full breadth of available fibers. They happen twice a year, and the time has come again: the Spring 2013 crawl is this weekend, March 23rd and 24th!

There’s a bag like this at each of the participating shops, a raffle prize filled with goodies. What’s in the Hillsborough Yarn Shop prize?

A skein of gorgeous Sincere Sheep Equity Sport yarn, “Reticulated Mitts” pattern, Crystal Palace 35″ circular needles in US sizes 2 and 4, and a HYS needle and hook gauge. In short: everything you need to cast on for a pair of fingerless mitts using the magic loop technique. Come by the shop anytime during business hours on Saturday or Sunday and enter to win!

Additionally, the TYC organizers have planned something special for this Spring event: a scavenger hunt. Look for a stuffed TYC symbol somewhere in each shop, record the letters attached to it, and unscramble the word to reveal a Ravelry coupon code that lets you download a free pattern from local designers. Read more about the scavenger hunt on the TYC website, and look for this somewhere in the shop when you visit us this weekend!

We’re lucky to live in such a fiber-friendly part of the world, with so many choices available to us, and the Triangle Yarn Crawl is a great time to see all of those choices. Come see us this weekend as you’re crawling along, and receive 10% off your purchase when you show your TYC passport!

Show and tell: firsts.

Posted by Julia on March 20, 2013

For whatever reason, it’s been a busy couple of weeks for show and tell at the shop. Knitters and crocheters are finishing their projects left and right, and bringing them in excitedly to share all the new techniques they learned along the way. Today’s show and tell is all about firsts: first sweaters and first socks.

Here, Wanda shows off her very first sweater, a Summer Lace Panel T-Shirt made in Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton, with some help along the way from Marsha’s “Start Your First Sweater or Vest” class. Yes, there’s a lace panel in this woman’s very first sweater. Wanda has really taken to knitting, and we are so impressed by all she’s accomplished!

Another knitter models her first sweater, a textured vest made in Berroco Ultra Alpaca. Despite several sizing setbacks, she persistently knit and reknit this vest until she got it right. It can be so discouraging to rip out hours of knitting, but I know she’s thrilled to have completed a perfectly-fitting vest. What an achievement!

Here’s Tamboura’s first sock, the result of many knitting hours and Marion’s ever-popular “Magic Loop Socks from the Toe Up” class. (There are plenty of spaces in the next session–read more about it and register on the website!) Tamboura is an avid crafter, not only a knitter, but a crocheter, weaver, and maker of glass beads. This sock is likely the first of many!

Thanks to all for sharing these knitterly firsts with us! I still have a backlog of pictures to share, so you can look forward to even more show and tell on the blog soon. See you at the shop!

Knitter’s Pride Karbonz.

Posted by Julia on March 18, 2013

Back in November, we got our first shipment of Karbonz, a new carbon needle from Knitter’s Pride. We started with the double pointed needles, just to see how we liked them, and because the small range of sizes (US 000 – 4) lent itself to sock knitting, which is so often done on double points. The reviews are in, and so far, knitters agree: Karbonz are awesome. They’re sturdier than wooden needles at these tiny sizes, slightly flexible, lightweight, and warm to the touch, which for some, makes them preferable to your average metal double points. Yarn moves smoothly on the carbon fiber shaft, and a sharp nickel-plated brass point makes it easier to work tricky maneuvers like purling three together through the back loop. Even Clara Parkes, of Knitter’s Review, is in agreement. So, we ordered the Karbonz circs.

Come by the shop to get yourself a set of Karbonz circular needles in 24″ and 32″ lengths, and let us know what you think of them. See you soon!

Interweave Crochet.

Posted by Julia on March 16, 2013

The Spring 2013 issue of Interweave Crochet is here.

Inside, you’ll find patterns for crocheted jewelry, shawls, and other openwork garments.

This lace tunic, by designer Doris Chan, was made with Prism Tencel Tape, a slinky variegated yarn that is perfect for spring and summer garments. It’s a knitted tape made of 100% Tencel, a plant fiber derived from tree bark.

Come by the shop to see Interweave Crochet and all the latest magazines, where you’re sure to find plenty of inspiration for spring stitching. See you there!

Virtual show and tell.

Posted by Julia on March 14, 2013

All show and tell on the blog is virtual, I know; nothing compares to seeing finished pieces in person, held up proudly by their creators. This edition of show and tell is particularly virtual, though, in that these finished knits never made it into the shop. All were baby gifts, and had to be rushed off to their recipients rather than brought to the shop for our admiring eyes. Luckily, these knitters were able to snap a few photos before sending off their finished pieces, so we still get to share them with you here.

Abby made this pair of raglan sweaters for a pair of twins, the children of Syracuse grads, one of whom teaches at UNC–hence the color scheme. Abby had a vision for these knit jerseys and designed them herself with a bit of help from Ann Budd’s Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters. She used GGH Tara, a bulky cotton yarn that is quick to knit and easy to wash.

Cynthia has been busy knitting hats for little Maggie, all using soft alpaca yarns in rosy hues. From top to bottom: a bulky baby cap in Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande, “Aran Baby Cap” in Plymouth Baby Alpaca DK, and “Alfalfa Baby Hat” in Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted.

Thanks to Abby and Cynthia for sharing these sweet little knits, and thanks to everyone who comes in with something to show us; we love to see all that our customers are creating!

Back in stock: Malabrigo Sock.

Posted by Julia on March 12, 2013

We were recently able to widen our selection of Malabrigo Sock with a few bright new colors.

Malabrigo Sock is a favorite with which many of you are likely well-acquainted: a soft, machine-washable merino wool in a light fingering weight, dyed in the vivid multicolor and semisolid colorways we’ve come to expect from Malabrigo yarns. Perfect not only for socks, but also shawls, scarves, lightweight sweaters, and baby things.

We’re happy to see familiar, but long-absent colorways like Lettuce, Impressionist Sky, Ochre, Ravelry Red, and Light of Love. Come by the shop to visit the Malabrigo Sock yarn cubby in the Fingering Weight section!

Colorwork, crochet, lace, and children’s things: the newest books.

Posted by Julia on March 11, 2013

We recently received a shipment of new books from publisher Leisure Arts. This handful of new booklets covers so many techniques and projects that most could be tempted by one or two.

These two collections from designer Kathleen Taylor are perfect not only for those who love colorwork, but also for those who haven’t yet attempted the technique. The patterns are lovely, but perhaps even better are Taylor’s words of knitterly wisdom regarding gauge, steeking, and color theory for stranded colorwork.

Avid sock-knitters will be happy to see that Taylor covers lace socks, as well. This booklet gives good guidance on sock construction as well as lace patterning, so a knitter who hasn’t tackled either of those techniques can feel emboldened to try.

These two booklets focus on knitting for babies and young children. Baby Beanies, as you might guess, is all about hats: a perfect baby shower gift that is quick to knit. Fair Isle Flower Garden, on the other hand, has more intricate patterns for sweaters, dresses, and accessories, all in colorful fair isle.

For crocheters, here’s a collection of stitch patterns for Tunisian crochet compact enough to fit in a project bag. Stitch dictionaries of any kind can be the key to creating your own designs; this one can also assist in reading Tunisian crochet charts.

Look for these on the teacart, where we collect the latest in magazines and books. See you at the shop!

Welting Fantastic.

Posted by Julia on March 8, 2013

I’m happy to announce that I’ve recently published two new patterns of my own design: the Welting Fantastic Cowl and Welting Fantastic Mitts.

Though the patterns were only published this past weekend, I’ve had the knitting done for months, which I spent wearing this set on a near-daily basis. Both are made in String Theory’s Merino DK yarn, a semisolid superwash merino yarn, though different needle sizes make this one yarn into two quite different fabrics.

The cowl is knit on US size 6 needles, which makes a cohesive but gently draping fabric: exactly what you’d want hanging around your neck. The mitts, on the other hand, are knit using US size 3 needles, making a more dense fabric with greater elasticity: exactly what you’d want for fingerless mitts, which are meant to hold their shape rather than stretch out and drape.

I loved working with Merino DK, but there are so many other yarns that would be equally lovely for this project. Here are a few that I think would make beautiful Welting Fantastic Cowls or Mitts:

(From left to right: Mountain Meadow Wool Cody, Fibre Company Acadia, Green Mountain Spinnery Sylvan Spirit, and Sincere Sheep Luminous.)

Each of these yarns would give the Welting Fantastic Cowl and Mitts a different look, of course; the Merino DK is plump and round, and thus, has a particular kind of sharp stitch definition that really makes the Welting Fantastic pattern stand out and look crisp. The tweedy quality of the Acadia and the pebbly 2-ply texture of the Cody may detract a bit from the stitch pattern, but you wont come close to losing it entirely, and you’ll get to experience the singular joy that working with each of those yarns brings.

If you’re feeling inspired to create Welting Fantastic Cowls or Mitts of your own, please do visit my pattern store on Ravelry, and also know that we’re happy to offer them at the shop as in-store Ravelry pattern sales. That means you can get your pattern and yarn all in the same place, have us print the pattern for you, and still have a copy of the PDF saved in your Ravelry library. A win-win, I’d say.

See you at the shop!

New colors in Caper Sock and Bluestocking.

Posted by Julia on March 6, 2013

String Theory yarns are a favorite here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Hand-dyed in Blue Hill, Maine, vivid in color, soft as can be–we’re always delighted to open a box from String Theory. Yesterday I got to do just that.

We got two kinds of String Theory sock yarns: four colors in Caper Sock, a cashmere-spiked merino wool, and six in Bluestocking, a sturdy, lustrous yarn made of Bluefaced Leicester wool. A modest order; just enough to plump up a sad, empty cubby in the Fingering Weight section. Both Caper Sock and Bluestocking are excellent for socks, but they are equally well-suited to scarves, shawls, hats, or fingerless mitts. Come by the shop to see these new colors, and grab a coveted skein or two while they last!