Author Archives: Julia

Annual Inventory Sale!

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As many of you know, July is our annual inventory sale month. From the 1st to the 31st, everything in the shop is discounted by 15%, with the exception of classes and yarns that have already been discounted. If you’ve had your eye on a special skein, or have been planning a big project or two, now is the time to take the leap! Maybe you, like me, are excited to join in the HYS Stasis Sweater Knit-Along, and are seeking a sweater’s worth of fingering weight yarn for this colorwork-yoked pullover. I picked the classic Jamieson’s 2 ply Jumper Yarn, and can hardly wait to get started.

Or maybe you’ve been contemplating the Stole from Wearwithall, made in nine scrumptious colors of Isager Alpaca 2 yarn. Since the book was published, Anne and I have seen so many beautiful color combinations put together. Every knitter makes the Stole their own. Lucky for you, Stole-contemplator, we’ve just gotten every available color of Isager Alpaca 2 in stock, and you can have the color combination of your choice at 15% off during July.

Or maybe for you, it’s a few indulgent skeins of Malabrigo Finito, the softest merino we’ve encountered thusfar. Or maybe you’re a kind and generous soul, and will use this sale month to stock up on gift-making supplies for next holiday season. Maybe you’ve been holding out on a set of Addi Click interchangeable circular needles, or a copy of the enormous Principles of Knitting, or a new knitting bag from Namaste. Whatever it is you’ve been wanting, come by the shop anytime during the month of July to get 15% off your purchase!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Discount applies only to in-store purchases. Thanks!

New colors from String Theory.

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Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve gotten a couple of boxes from String Theory. As I’m sure you know by now, we love boxes from String Theory, because along with the colorways we’ve come to know and love come the colorways we’ve never seen before. Tanis and Karen do amazing things with yarn and dye, and Anne and I are delighted to see what they’ve come up with. Most recently, we’ve received new colors in Selku, a sport weight merino and silk, and Caper Sock, a fingering weight superwash merino blended with cashmere for softness and nylon for strength. I know I’ve sung the praises of these yarns many times, but I can’t let a new shipment from String Theory come and go without devoting a blog post to it. Take a look at these colors!

 

As much as I love the Caper Sock, It’s the Selku I’ve got my eye on. So far I’ve seen an exquisite Marianne Isager sweater started in it, along with two shawls. Over and over again, I pick String Theory’s deep blue, Cobalt. I used it in Caper Sock on my North Arrow scarf, and then again in a pair of Bluestocking socks. As much as I love Cobalt, I’m not sure I can justify using it a third time, but I’m anxious to try Selku. What would you do with 378 yards of shimmering sport-weight wool and silk?

Come by the shop to take a closer look!

knit.wear.

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Back in October, Interweave published a special issue called knit.wear, filled with simple cardigans, pullovers, and vests. Anne and I loved the look of it, as did many of you. This week, knit.wear is back with a new issue for Spring 2012.

 

This issue of knit.wear boasts accessories along with the garments; cowls, hats, and legwarmers to go with shrugs, tanks, and jackets. The projects are divided up by the techniques they use, like ruching, twisted fabric, or seamless construction.

There’s also a short-row tutorial, and an excerpt from the fabulous Pop Knitting, by Britt-Marie Christoffersson, which I wrote about last month when it arrived at the shop. It’s another beautiful collection of knits, so if you liked knit.wear last year, come by the shop to check out this latest edition! You’ll find it surrounded by the latest books and magazines on the teacart.

Last day.

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It’s our last day here at TNNA, and we each have one last class and a few last minute orders to place before we get back in the car and head home. We’ve been up late swatching potential new yarns, excitedly stitching our way through sample skeins in whatever little stitch pattern suits us at the moment. Before we pack everything up, I wanted to show you a bit of what we’ve been working on.

Such excitement in those swatches! Now off to the next thing, then we’re homeward bound.

A fashion show, a thousand things to see.

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Anne and Rosi and I had another long, excitement-and-yarn-filled day here at The National NeedleArts Association Trade Show in Columbus. We got up early for some interesting classes, then hustled over to the fashion show, scoring front row seats, thanks to Rosi.

Then it was time to start walking the showroom floor, where hundreds of vendors had set up displays of their yarn, patterns, books, and accessories. I saw so many things that I’d heard of, but never seen in person, and even more that I’d never heard of at all. There were an overwhelming number of new things to see, but we made sure to visit some familiar faces, as well, to order a few new things from old friends.

After seven hours spent strolling up and down the first five or so aisles of vendors (out of at least a dozen aisles), we dragged ourselves away and back to the room to sort through the business cards and sample skeins we’d acquired throughout the day. There is so much to think about as we decide what to bring into the shop, what would please our knitters and crocheters the most, and how to fill in little gaps in our inventory. We’re having so much fun deciding! And tomorrow, we do it all again, which means that now I must rest up for another big day.

On learning something new.

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This morning, I attended a class on Celtic cables taught by Melissa Leapman, knitwear designer and author of Cables Untangled, Continuous Cables, Stashbuster Knits, and Mastering Color Knitting, among many others. I’ve knit a cabled sweater or two, made a couple of pairs of Fetchings, but always working from patterns with written instructions rather than charts. I’ve never really wrestled with the logic of how cables function, never played with them much, instead filing them away under “techniques to learn some other time.” The time came this morning.

In this class, Leapman focused on larger, self-contained cable motifs rather than the vertical patterns we usually think of as cables. She taught us how to read her charts, which I was relieved to find somewhat intuitive, rather than mind-boggling, as charts sometimes are. There were unfamiliar increases and decreases to learn, as well, dramatic increases and decreases that created or got rid of many stitches at a time. These quickly increased and decreased stitches allow the cables to pull in, as cables do, without affecting the overall width of the knitted fabric. Soon I had a Celtic knot, sitting nicely on top of a reverse stockinette background: a very pleasing sight.

I left class ready to tackle a third Celtic cable, a full-page, 45 row chart that had looked rather frightening when I first paged through the handout. Now I can make (some) sense of it, all because I sat down with a group of knitters and swatched and practiced, asked questions and swatched some more. I’m so pleased to be learning something new, and to be reminded that in knitting, there is always something new to learn. Tomorrow, I’ll take another class and look forward to seeing all the vendors. Til then, I’ll swatch, and look forward to hearing about Anne and Rosi’s classes and all that they learned.

To market we go.

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This morning, Anne and Rosi and I gathered at the shop, piled into the car, and set off for Columbus, Ohio, headed for The National NeedleArts Trade Show. We knit as we traveled, chatted, and peered out the window at the fields, trees, rivers and mountains we passed.

“What do you think will be this year’s find?” we asked one another, anxious to see the newest yarns, colorways, accessories, and designs. “I’m so excited!” and “I can’t wait to see Julia’s face” were common refrains from the front seat, while I sat in the back and tried to imagine a convention center packed with knitters, crocheters, and yarn aplenty. Never have I attended such an event; I can hardly wait to be as overwhelmed as they tell me I’ll be.

And now we’re here, peeking out at the city from our hotel room, looking forward to the show. I’ll report back again tomorrow after my first class!

Interweave Crochet.

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The Summer 2012 issue of Interweave Crochet arrived this past week, followed a few days later by a new book of crocheted blankets, Robyn Chachula’s Unexpected Afghans.

Between these two new publications, there’s sure to be inspiration for most any crocheter. Unexpected Afghans is particularly intriguing, using many varied crochet techniques with lovely results.

Come by the shop to take a closer look at these and other crochet books and magazines!

Spindles and shawl pins.

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Earlier this week, we were visited by local fiber artist Lorin Fields, the woman behind Local Color Hues, whose vibrantly hand-dyed merino roving we stock at the shop. She had something special to show us: hand-crafted drop spindles and shawl pins, made in Siler City exclusively from North Carolina hardwoods. Even as non-spinners, Anne and I were wooed by these beautiful pieces, which is why four spindles and four shawl pins have made the Hillsborough Yarn Shop their home.

A special, handmade drop spindle like this would make an excellent gift for a spinner or spinner-to-be, especially when paired with a soft puff of roving. If, like Anne and I, you’re more knitter or crocheter than spinner, the shawl pins are worth a look, and will make for a perfect finishing touch on a wrap or shawl.

Come by the shop to pick your favorite, and to admire the handiwork of a skilled craftsperson.

Ella Rae Classic Wool.

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This week, we have select yarns on sale at the shop, and they’re a diverse bunch. Among the ribbon yarn, self-striping sock yarn, bulky tweed, and fuzzy boucle, you’ll find Ella Rae Classic Wool. One of the bunch, but different.

Classic Wool is so named for a reason: it’s a basic, smooth, worsted weight wool, a real workhorse yarn. With 219 yards on each 100 gram ball, it’s a generous skein, enough for a pair of mittens, a hat, or a small scarf. It’s one of the yarns we suggest to beginning knitters, who find it well-behaved and easy to use. Classic Wool is also perfect for felting projects, like bags, slippers, hats, hotpads, and oven mitts. Anne knit this one with Classic Wool held doubled, which ensured a sturdy felted fabric.

Come by the shop this week to get Classic Wool at a 25% discount! Our last week of Going-to-Market sales will end when we close up shop at 5:00 pm on Sunday the 17th. Hope to see you at the shop before then!