Author Archives: Julia

Needle felting.

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This week, we got some beautiful new needle felting kits from Fiber Trends.

The kit comes with everything you need to start needle felting: instructions, needles, a foam mat to work on, and twelve colorful puffs of roving. If you’re interested in needle felting, check out one of the Ravelry groups devoted to the craft: Needle Me This. There, you’ll find many pictures that answer the question, what can you make with needle felting? From embellishments for knitted or felted items to sculptural representations of creatures real and imaginary, there is a lot you can do with this technique, particularly if garments are not your thing. I’m not a needle-felter myself, but my good friend Andrea (who regular blog readers may recognize as a gifted sock-knitter) has done some particularly interesting work with needle felting and stop-motion animation. (Check it out, if you would, and don’t be too shy to leave a comment!) Anne just ordered some new books on needle felting for the shop, so we can look forward to those, as well, for further information and inspiration on the topic.

Here’s to the forever-expanding possibilities for creating with fiber. See you at the shop!

Kusha Kusha.

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The Kusha Kusha scarf gets a lot of attention at the shop. This is in part because of its unusual, organic-looking shape, almost like a strand of kelp. Another reason to take note of this scarf is its fiber content. Kusha Kusha is knit with two strands of lace weight yarn held together, one of which is 100% merino wool, the other of which is stainless steel wrapped in silk. The stainless steel gives memory to the yarn and the resulting fabric, so that you can crinkle it up or stretch it out and it holds its shape.

The Kusha Kusha scarf comes as a kit from Habu Textiles, complete with the pattern and a cone of each yarn. We’ve carried these kits at the shop for some time, but our supply was getting low. When we reordered this past week, we got many more colors than we’d ever had before, a spectrum of elegant pairings.

Make sure to take a look at this unusual scarf the next time you’re in the shop. If you’re curious to see what others have done with this kit and pattern, check out the Kushua Kusha Love group on Ravelry. See you at the shop!

Goodies.

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For whatever reason, we’ve been flush with Lantern Moon shipments recently. Whether it’s a many-pocketed project bag or a splendidly shiny button, Lantern Moon seems to make all of the goodies that knitters and crocheters go for–save for yarn, of course. Our latest box from Lantern Moon brought the usual batch of Meadow Pouches, allowing us to boast all five colors in stock at the same time for the first time. Magenta, purple, blue, green, and orange: pick your favorite or succumb to the urge to collect all five.

On the more elegant side, we also replenished our selection of Lantern Moon knit-out boxes, which keep your yarn from rolling away as you work.

We got a few new goodies, too. These sheep stitch markers were all snatched up within 24 hours of their arrival in the shop! No worries, sheep collectors: we’re reordering soon.

Last but not least, we also got beautiful new circular needle cases, at the suggestion of a friend who brought her Lantern Moon circular case in to show us. Anne and I agreed that it was one of the better circular cases we’d seen and ordered some for the shop that day. Take a look, see what you think.

Alright, that’s enough temptation for one blog post. Over and out.

The Best of Interweave Crochet.

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Another great collection of Interweave patterns has found its way to the teacart at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, this time for crocheters.

Crochet sweaters, hats, scarves, dresses, and blankets are found within the covers of this new book, among other projects, using a variety of crochet techniques. Take a look next time you’re in the shop!

Hello, Paca-Peds H-T.

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This past Thursday, we received a box full of Paca-Peds H-T, an alpaca-blend sock yarn with an unusual feature.

Each soft and fuzzy hank of this yarn is actually two hanks, the larger of which is variegated, and the smaller of which is a complimentary semi-solid. Why? The answer is hidden in the title of the yarn: H-T stands for Heels and Toes, which is precisely what that semi-solid hank is set aside for. Look on Ravelry for examples of socks knit this way, as well as shawls that use the heels-and-toes yarn for an edging.

Come by the shop to give this soft, squishy sock yarn a squeeze!

Vogue Knitting.

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We had just about wiped out our collection of Vogue’s Early Fall issue when we got the Fall issue. Just in time: some more autumnal knitting inspiration.

Anne and I are loving those gloves! Look for Vogue and all else that is new on the teacart.

Namaste.

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What’s that hanging in our front window, red and shiny near the top?

Why, it’s a Namaste Mini Messenger bag, one of the five colors we just got in at the shop. Come inside and see them up close.


Namaste bags are made from animal-friendly faux-leather, and lined with a soft microsuede made from recycled plastic bottles. The Mini Messenger bag and the Cali Zuma are roomy and well-pocketed enough to serve as knitting bags, but also sturdy and attractive enough to serve as a purse.

We’re so excited to offer these bags, which are totally unlike any bags we’ve stocked before. It looks like we’re not alone in our excitement, either–Namaste has a 1,784-person fan club on Ravelry! Come to the shop to take a closer look, and tell us what you think.

Norah Gaughan.

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Norah Gaughan is a knitwear designer with a distinctive style and a taste for unusual shapes, often inspired by those found in nature. We have two sample sweaters hanging in the shop which illustrate this perfectly: Flower Child, which I’ve written about before, is from Volume 4 of Gaughan’s series for Berroco, and Eastlake, which is from Volume 3. Look for them next time you’re in the shop, as seeing them in person is a great improvement over seeing images on the computer. All eight of the Norah Gaughan collections are stunning and inspiring, especially for those seeking modern sweaters and interesting knits.

 But wait–make that nine.

This new collection, Norah Gaughan: Volume 9, is my favorite so far. It’s filled with cables and makes good use of many wonderful Berroco yarns that we stock, from the sport weight Ultra Alpaca Light to the super chunky Peruvia Quick. Here’s a peek inside at a few of the designs.


Find it on the teacart, along with the newest Fall magazines!

Knitted Lace.

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Along with the new issue of Interweave Knits, we got a new Interweave book, Knitted Lace: A Collection of Favorite Designs from Interweave.

Lace patterns, along with being beautiful to look at, are fascinating to execute. Whether it’s a shawl, scarf, sweater, or a pair of socks, there is no doubt that lace patterns keep it interesting for the knitter. This collection brings together lace patterns of all kinds, from designers like Nancy Bush, Veronik Avery, Ann Budd, and Shirley Paden. Interested? Find it on the teacart.