October 2026 marks Hillsborough Yarn Shop’s 20th anniversary, and we’re celebrating with a special colorway – meet Riverwalk, dyed by the fiber geniuses at Fleece Artist / Hand Maiden!
Riverwalk is named for a trail here in downtown Hillsborough, just a block or so from our shop. It’s a paved urban greenway that runs along the Eno River, lined with trees and shrubs, where folks walk to a soundtrack of songbirds and cicadas.
I often take Riverwalk on the way back to the parking garage from the post office, having dropped an armload of yarn-filled packages in the mail. Riverwalk is part of the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail, our 1,175 mile state hiking trail – I love to imagine the varied paths that connect to cross our state.
Jana at Fleece Artist / Hand Maiden was enthusiastic when we reached out about a special anniversary colorway earlier this year. She developed a variegated colorway inspired by our local landscape, evoking the weathered wood of the boardwalk, the grey blue river, the green oak leaves and reddish brown of the acorns.
Riverwalk is dyed on two dreamy mohair/silk bases:
It’s a cool, autumnal colorway that mesmerizes on the needles – I’ve enjoyed watching the colors change and interact, stitch by stitch.
I’m making a “Chevron Cloud” shawl, modified to make the most of one Riverwalk bundle – 1 skein each in Superkid Silk and Maiden Hair. I cut out one pattern repeat, and cast on 81 stitches for a narrower accessory.
Though both of these yarns are composed of the same fibers, mohair and silk, their ratio and construction are distinct, and capture our colorway with subtle differences. After an initial swatch, Anne and Bailey and I agreed that they should be striped together in a special accessory, the better to enjoy the soft fibers and intriguing color combination.
We also have single skeins of Superkid Silk in Riverwalk, in case you want to use it on its own, or hold it together with a solid colorway for a unique color blend – ask us for ideas during our 20th Anniversary Celebration, when Riverwalk officially comes out! That’s Friday, October 16, from 6:00-8:00 pm. We hope to see you there!
As winter began to thaw, we went looking for a new plant fiber yarn – something crisp and cool, in joyful colors – and found it in BC Garn Allino. BC Garn Allino: DK weight subtly marled, solid colors 50% linen, 50% cotton 137 yards/50 grams gauge: 22 stitches = 4″ (10 cm) suggested needle … [more]
I recently finished knitting a new shop sample, and putting together kits so you can make one, too – check out the “Norma Beanie,” by My Favourite Things Knitwear. This cozy double layered hat has a deep folded brim and a colorwork stripe motif – you may recognize it from the ever popular “Norma Sweater,” … [more]
Time for another round of show and tell! Sharing finished projects from our crafty community is an ongoing part of our daily Instagram posts, but I have a glorious backlog of projects I want to share here on the blog, too. Today, let’s admire these cute critters! First up is Anne’s “Porch Cat,” from Sara … [more]
It’s been a while since we restocked Isager Highland Wool, a light and lofty fingering weight wool in muted, earthy colors. Isager Highland Wool: light fingering weight solid and heathered colors 100% Peruvian Highland wool 301 yards/50 g gauge: 26 sts / 30 rows using 3mm needles hand wash, lay flat to dry Like many … [more]
Bailey’s most recent project for the shop is a marled “SABAI Top,” knit with Sandnes Garn Tynn Line and BC Garn Bio Balance. Susanne Müller’s “SABAI Top” was one of the most popular patterns of last summer, and we expect to see even more of them when the season comes around again. It’s a winning … [more]
We love to see finished projects that started life as yarn on our shelves, and when I’m able, I love to photograph them and share them here on the blog. At the moment, I have enough photos stockpiled for at least four blog posts – for today, let’s look at hats! First up are a … [more]
Our passion for mohair is still strong – here’s a brand new yarn from Cascade, Kit Seta Hand Paints! When Anne saw these subtle, painterly colorways, she knew they’d add something special to our lace weight section, which is already bursting with lovely fuzzy yarns. Cascade Kid Seta Hand Paints: lace weight variegated fuzzy 74% … [more]
Isager Silk Mohair has become our bestselling yarn here at HYS, a soft and fluffy lace weight that brings a glorious fuzzy halo to any project. When we spotted four new shades, we had to have them, of course! Isager Silk Mohair: lace weight fuzzy 70% kid mohair, 30% silk 233 yards/25 g hand wash … [more]
Dream in Color’s Pop-Up Club is back! Each month, we get a small batch of Smooshy Cashmere in a limited edition colorway, hand-dyed in Texas. They’re always popular for Ysolda Teague’s “Musselburgh” hat, Andrea Mowry’s “Free Your Fade” shawl, or a special pair of socks. Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere: fingering weight hand dyed, each … [more]
Knitters sometimes ask me which they should pick first: the pattern, or the yarn? There’s no right or wrong way to find your next project, of course, nor are these the only two ways. Often we are motivated by color, coming into the yarn shop picturing a particular shade, and searching the shelves for a … [more]