Pick up the summer issue of Interweave Knits from the teacart!
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Author Archives: Julia
Hello, Malabrigo.
Here is a yarn with a fanbase.
Malabrigo Silky Merino and Malabrigo Rios are back in stock! It’s been a long wait, and as we waited, our Malabrigo stash dwindled into a sad little stack of mismatching skeins. “Is the Malabrigo here yet?” became a common inquiry, always met with a sad shake of the head. Now that the full range of colors are back together, those sad skeins are looking much happier.
Above, you’ll see a slice of the Rios spectrum, a washable worsted weight wool. Below: Silky Merino, a dk weight single ply blend of, as the name suggests, silk and merino wool.
Come by the shop to take a look!
Flower Child.
Sometimes knitters come into the shop with something in mind. They have a pattern, they need some yarn. They have some yarn, they need a pattern. They have a problem, they need some help. They have an idea, they need some encouragement. Other times, though, knitters and crocheters make their way to the shop with nothing particular in mind, looking to be inspired. That’s why we have samples lining every square inch of wall that isn’t already occupied by yarn, books, needles, or hooks. “Flower Child,” designed by Norah Gaughan, is one of our samples that has caught the eye of many a knitter in search of inspiration.
Just right for spring and summer, this top is knit in Berroco Pure Pima. Pure Pima is a dk weight cotton yarn that comes in many hues, from the subdued to the crayon-bright.
It’s the unusual construction that draws knitters to this sweater, a common trait among Norah Gaughan’s designs. This one comes from her Berroco collection, Volume 4, which we just got back in stock.
Because the pattern has been out for some time, many Ravelers have already completed and posted pictures of this sweater, likely offering many helpful hints. Long sleeves have been a common modification to the pattern. Take a look at what’s there, and come by the shop when you’re seeking inspiration!
Knit One, Knit All.
It’s here.
We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new Elizabeth Zimmermann collection at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and today was the day. First there was excitement, then there was quiet. Anne and I each sat down with a copy and slowly paged through, admiring the inventiveness of the patterns. Vests, jackets, hats, gloves, socks, baby things, even a contribution from our good friend Nancy, who knit one of the sweaters photographed for the book. We couldn’t believe just how many patterns there were in the book, how many new sweater-construction ideas to ponder, and projects to pursue.
Elizabeth Zimmermann is my hero, completely. To explain my admiration for her and her work would take more than one blog post. For now I’ll say this: if you are a Zimmermann completist, you’ll be needing a copy of this book and it will take no convincing on my part. To those of you are not (yet) so devoted, give Knit One, Knit All a thorough paging-through and you’ll be amazed at what Elizabeth Zimmermann can do with good old garter stitch.
*** Edited 5/18/11 to add: All right, everybody, we’ve got Knit One, Knit All in stock again! Plenty of copies this time, so there’s no chance of running out. See you soon, Zimmermann enthusiasts! ***
Marion Foale.
Something new has just settled in on the teacart.
Marion Foale, a British fashion designer, has just released a book of knitting patterns and a line of 3-ply wool yarn to go with it. The patterns are exquisite, finely tailored, and classic-looking. The yarn is soft and fine, a light fingering weight which Foale sometimes uses doubled or tripled in her patterns for different gauges. Take a peek inside:
Even if the patterns don’t move you, the yarn has plenty of potential. It’s the right gauge to substitute for many Marianne Isager designs, so if you’ve been poring over Japanese Inspired Knits, this gives you yet another option to consider where colors and textures are concerned. Meanwhile, I’ve been daydreaming about a sleeveless top, with red and white stripes, and this may well be the yarn for the job. You could even make socks with this yarn, as it’s machine washable.
Come by the shop to check it out!
Mission Falls baby sweaters.
Happy Mother’s Day, folks. Speaking of which: look at what’s hanging in our window.
Two tiny baby sweaters, one in Mission Falls 1824 Cotton, and one in 1824 Wool. Perfect baby gifts for brand new mothers.
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| 1824 Cotton. |
As I mentioned before, the Mission Falls yarns are perfect for baby things. Each one is soft and machine-washable, and each comes in a range of subtle hues that look wonderful together. These sweaters, knit by myself and by Nancy, make for nice examples of the fine qualities of Mission Falls yarn. The fact that these two yarns are also currently on sale makes for another fine quality: these yarns are inexpensive.
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| 1824 Wool. |
The pattern is “Baby Sophisticate,” by Linden Down, a simple, well-written, free Ravelry download that calls for only three skeins of Mission Falls. Nancy and I both knit the 0-3 month size in only two skeins, making for incredibly quick knitting. If I had to make a gift for a baby in a hurry, I’d turn to this yarn and this pattern.
We’re busy cooking up a baby sweater class to take place sometime soon, for an intermediate knitter. If you’re interested, don’t hesitate to let us know. In the mean time, come by the shop to plan a Mission Falls baby sweater of your own!
Knit and Spin.
A special issue of Interweave just arrived:
Interweave Knit and Spin is full of wonderful information for spinners, to be sure, but is also worth a look even for those of us that don’t create yarn. After all, as knitters and crocheters, yarn is our medium, and it behooves us to learn about some of the particulars of its production. Look for Interweave Knit and Spin on a little table near the check out, sitting by the Great Adirondack roving. A perfect pair.
Karaoke.
SWTC’s Karaoke has been in our sale trunk for a little while now, but I only recently got around to knitting a swatch with it. My little stockinette swatch was so pleasant, and the color changes so enticingly long, that I decided to make it the center of a log cabin square, knitting until the ball of yarn ran out.
What fun color-changing yarn is! And how soothingly simple a log cabin square, particularly one whose particular dimensions are unimportant. I simply bound off one side and picked up the next whenever I felt like it, making some panels wider and others narrower.
If you’ve been curious how Karaoke knit up, you can find my sample/square/swatch tucked into the sale trunk, along with several other tempting yarns at reduced prices. See you at the shop!
Royal Alpaca.
There’s been a lot of talk about cotton around here lately. Now, for something less seasonally appropriate, but equally if not more appealing: 100% alpaca, from Aslan Trends. We’ve carried this yarn for some time now, but recently received three new colors.
The combination of chocolate brown, golden yellow, and bubble-gum pink is purely accidental, but I think the three look quite happy together. Though they also look quite at home with the rest of the Royal Alpaca family, there at the top of the alpaca tree in the front room.
Those of you who love alpaca enough to knit with it in even the warmest months are encouraged to give this particular yarn a try. It’s smooth, with a bit of a halo, and absolutely, incredibly soft. Royal Alpaca would shine in a garment worn close to the skin–a squishy scarf or cowl, fingerless mitts, or a warm hat. The yarn is lovely enough to stick with solid colors, but to me, they beg to be combined in stripes or stranded colorwork. Brown, yellow, and pink, perhaps?
Cotton Supreme Batik.
Another new cotton yarn has arrived at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, just in time for spring and summer knitting. Cotton Supreme Batik, from Universal Yarns, is a machine-washable, worsted-weight, self-striping, and extremely soft cotton. The striping is unusual: the colors don’t exactly fade into one another, it’s more of an abrupt change, but there are little spots of the last color in the next, which makes for a lovely effect.
This yarn would be a perfect choice for baby things, not only for its cute stripes but also for its easy washability. At 16-18 stitches over 4 inches, it would make for a quick knit, as well. Take a look at what people are using it for on Ravelry; that will also give you a good idea of how the stripes tend to come out.