Author Archives: Julia

Back in stock: Zauberwolle.

Posted by on

We refilled our baskets of Zauberwolle this week – check out all the new colors!

Schoppel-Wolle Zauberwolle:

  • sport weight
  • marled, self-striping
  • 100% merino wool
  • 273 yards/100 g
  • $23 each

Like other Schoppel-Wolle yarns we’ve carried, Zauberwolle is a marled yarn that slowly changes from one color to the next several yards at a time, so that whatever you’re knitting or crocheting with it comes out striped. These colorful balls of yarn entertain you as you stitch – when will the new color start? Just one more row…

Any two of these would make a great “Inclinations Cowl,” by Andrea Mowry – here are some more ideas for Zauberwolle:

Speaking of Andrea Mowry, I knit her “Flicker & Flame” hat with Zauberwolle earlier this year, choosing Kelbourne Woolens Andorra in Snow White for the Main Color.

Look for Zauberwolle in the sport weight section here at our shop – we’re open 11am-5:30pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays, and we do require masks for entry. Thanks for your cooperation and support!

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: September 2022.

Posted by on

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. September’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

September’s special colorway is a peachy pink with streaks of deep teal and charcoal – an unusual and striking combination.

We’ve had WestKnits MKAL colorways on our minds – here’s one using this month’s Pop Up Club colorway with another solid shade of Smooshy Cashmere, and a skein of Malabrigo Ultimate Sock.

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.

Pom Pom Quarterly: Autumn 2022.

Posted by on

The latest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly is here!

Abundance is the theme of this Autumn 2022 issue, expressed in plentiful cables, colors, and textures, all of which are showcased beautifully in the magazine’s new large format.

I spotted a few familiar yarns in this issue – Olivia Szepanik’s “Winnow” cardigan makes good use of Kelbourne Woolens Scout, one of our go-to sweater yarns in the DK weight section, and Maria Walters’ “Polonyna” pullover shines in fingering weight Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

We may not have all the yarns shown in these patterns, but we love finding just the right substitute!

Pom Pom Quarterly is $25.50 – come by to snag a copy between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. We’re also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping. Along with this issue, we have the Summer 2019, Autumn 2019, Summer 2020, Autumn 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Winter 2021, Spring 2022, and 10th Anniversary issues in stock – preview them on our blog and get in touch if you’d like to add them to your Pom Pom collection!

What to knit with BT Tones Light?

Posted by on

Brooklyn Tweed’s new yarn, Tones Light, is already turning heads here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. What to knit with this colorful stuff? Here are some ideas!

Jared Flood designed two new patterns especially for this yarn, “Shadow Stripe Pullover” and “All Ways Hat.”

“Shadow Stripe Pullover,” by Jared Flood, photo © Brooklyn Tweed

“All Ways Hat,” by Jared Flood, photo © Brooklyn Tweed

Because Tones Light can easily substitute for Loft or Peerie, there’s a world of patterns to choose from; here are some ideas from both the Brooklyn Tweed pattern archive and independent designers!

Garments:

“The Weekender Light,” by Andrea Mowry – reverse stockinette pullover with slip stitch detail

“Bract,” by Sarah Shephard – colorwork yoke pullover with triangle motif

“Stasis,” by Leila Raven – colorwork yoke pullover with geometric motif

“Birkin,” by Caitlin Hunter – colorwork yoke pullover with floral motif

“Hello From My Colors Crop,” by Jessie Maed – short sleeved pullover with all over stranded colorwork

“Berenice,” by Julie Hoover – lace and cable pullover

“Culm,” by Fiona Alice – textured dolman-sleeved pullover

“Woodblock,” by Emily Greene – textured short-sleeved pullover

“Wool & Honey,” by Andrea Mowry – honeycomb cable yoke pullover

Accessories:

“Skipp,” by Jared Flood – brioche hat

“Seeds,” by Jared Flood – colorwork hat

“Ensata Scarf & Cowl,” by Amy van de Laar – lace and ribbing

“Nysa,” by Jared Flood – garter stitch and eyelet shawl

“SSP (slip stitch party) shawl,” by Isabell Kraemer – six color slip stitch shawl

“Lunae,” by Natasja Hornby – two color slip stitch shawl

I’m the lucky knitter with the assignment of making a shop sample in Tones Light, and all of these vibrant colors had me thinking of Stephen West. I picked “Painting Parallelograms” from Painting Shawls, a slip stitch scarf whose shape and texture intrigued me. I picked three shades of Tones Light for the contrast colors, and a speckled skein of Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock for the main – here’s a peek at my progress so far.

Look for BT Tones Light in the fingering weight section here at HYS – see you at the shop!

WestKnits MKAL 2022!

Posted by on

We know many of you are fans of designer Stephen West and often participate in his annual Mystery Knit-Alongs – it’s that time of year again, and “Twists & Turns” is the pattern-to-be. It calls for 3 colors of fingering weight yarn: 780 yards of a Main Color, 780 yards of a Contrast Color, and 390 yards of an Accent color. We have tons of fingering weight yarns to choose from here at the shop, from saturated hand-dyes to muted heathers, fuzzy alpaca to smooth superwash merino, and so much more. Here are some color ideas!

  • Kelbourne Woolens Perennial: light fingering weight, 60% superwash merino, 25% suri alpaca, 15% nylon, 497 yards/100 g; $26 each, or $130 for “Twists & Turns”

  • Shibui Koan: fingering weight, 70% linen, 30% silk, 248 yards/50 grams; $22 each, or $220 for “Twists & Turns”

Join WestKnits MKAL 2022 by purchasing the pattern on Ravelry – you’ll get an introductory PDF with all the details, so you’ll be ready to cast on when the first clue arrives on October 6.

We’d love to help you find the perfect yarn for your “Twists & Turns” shawl! There are so many possibilities here at our shop – come by between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays, and we’ll be happy to show you around. We’re still taking online orders for local pickup or shipping, too; just fill out our online form. Hope to see you at the shop!

HYS Color Club: Autumn!

Posted by on

The HYS Color Club continues, and we’re opening it up for Autumn signups!

HYS Color Club is a subscription of thoughtfully curated accessory projects for knitters who like surprises and love working with color! We’ll pair yarns and patterns to keep you entertained all year long, creating custom colorways for each project. Each season includes two projects (one smaller, one larger), and a few other surprises along the way.

HYS Color Club, July: Alchemy Sanctuary + Woolly Wormhead’s “Toph” + Bryspun scissors.

Patterns: Expect accessory patterns from a variety of designers, a mix of mitts, shawls, hats and scarves. Each project will use at least two colors – think stripes, marls, fair isle, mosaic, and more!

Fiber: We love working with wool, so there’ll be plenty of it, and all kinds!

HYS Color Club, August: Brooklyn Tweed Vale + Gudrun Johnston’s “Auna” shawl + Knitter’s Pride shawl pin.

Gauge: The yarns will vary in gauge, from fingering weight up to worsted.

Color: Choose from four color palettes – warm, cool, neutral, or surprise; select a second palette if you’d like a bit more variety throughout the season.

Price, terms and timing:

Cost for HYS Color Club: Autumn, local pickup option: $160

Cost for HYS Color Club: Autumn, USPS shipping option: $185

Prepay for the first season by Saturday, September 17th, and expect an email in October letting you know that your HYS Color Club order is ready for pickup or shipping. All HYS Color Club sales are final, no returns or exchanges; discounts do not apply.

  • Autumn: 1 smaller project in October, 1 larger project in November

Sign up for HYS Color Club: Autumn using our online order form, answering the following questions:

  • Choose one or two color palettes: warm, cool, neutral, or surprise
  • Ravelry username:

We can’t wait to share what we’ve been cooking up for the HYS Color Club, but each project is a surprise… sign up for Autumn by September 17th to join the club!

Back in stock: Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and Lucky Tweed.

Posted by on

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. Some of their yarns are super soft and luxurious, others are rustic and hard wearing, and each one has its own unique color palette. We’ve restocked Perennial and Lucky Tweed – let’s take a look!

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial:

  • light fingering weight
  • 60% superwash merino, 25% Suri alpaca, 15% nylon
  • 497 yards/100g
  • $26 each

The folks at Kelbourne Woolens have designed Perennial to be something of a staple: soft from the alpaca but sturdy from the nylon, easy care on account of the superwash merino, suitable for all kinds of projects.

We’ve seen beautiful sweaters, shawls, and baby things made in Perennial – here are some pattern ideas!

Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed:

  • aran weight
  • tweed
  • 100% merino wool
  • 210 yards/100g
  • $20 each

Lucky Tweed is manufactured in Donegal, Ireland, for an authentic tweed look and soft hand. Folks who have tried it often come back for more, exclaiming how soft and lightweight it is for a yarn at this gauge. If you’re looking to knit a cozy new sweater this fall, consider Lucky Tweed!

Here are some cozy patterns ideal for Lucky Tweed:

Look for Perennial and Lucky Tweed here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, along with these other Kelbourne Woolens yarns – Camper, Andorra, Scout, and Germantown!

Shelter + Color Story.

Posted by on

Brooklyn Tweed’s vibrant new shades in Shelter have us itching for colorwork, and Tif Neilan’s new “Color Story” sweater looks like the perfect project!

“Color Story,” by Tif Neilan, photo © Tif Neilan

This five color, top down, short sleeved pullover encourages playful, intuitive color combinations. Neilan has selected a light neutral background color and four shades dark enough to contrast against it – here’s a similar palette in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter.

I had fun putting together a few more “Color Story” colorways, sticking with a light background color, but varying the value of the contrast colors a bit.

Between the solid and heathered shades, Shelter now comes in over 45 colors, so there’s lots to choose from – look for Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in the worsted weight section here at our shop, along with Tones, Ranch 02, and much more! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays; masks required for entry.

New colors in Cascade Nifty Cotton!

Posted by on

We’re excited to share a rainbow of new colors in Cascade Nifty Cotton!

Cascade Nifty Cotton:

  • aran weight
  • 100% cotton
  • 185 yards/100 grams
  • $8 each

It had been a while since we ordered this economical aran weight cotton, so we were due for new colors as well as restocking the old.

Nifty Cotton can be machine-washed and dried, a cotton yarn without a mercerized lustre. That matte quality makes the yarn “thirstier,” more absorbent, and thus, ideal for making dishcloths. Here are a few pattern ideas for knitters and crocheters alike!

Look for Cascade Nifty Cotton in the aran weight section here at our shop! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays, masks required for entry.

Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Tones Light!

Posted by on

We’re excited to announce that Brooklyn Tweed’s new yarn is here: meet Tones Light!

Brooklyn Tweed Tones Light:

  • fingering weight
  • woolen-spun
  • 2 ply
  • overdyed
  • 100% Columbia wool
  • 225 yards/50g
  • $16.75 each

A lighter weight version of BT Tones, Tones Light brings vibrant overdyed color to our fingering weight section.

At first glance, Tones Light bears a striking resemblance to its neighbor, Loft – both are fingering weight and woolen spun, with the same suggested gauge. There’s one key difference, however, that make Tones Light an exciting new addition to Brooklyn Tweed’s domestically-sourced, breed-specific lineup: color!

Tones Light is overdyed in vibrant, playful colors, starting with two baseline shades of undyed natural gray. The lighter shade is the overtone, and the darker shade is the undertone, and each of them has been dipped in 11 new colorways, creating tone pairs.

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Tones Light in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We are open between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks are required for entry. You can still order online for local pickup or shipping, as well.