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 … [more]
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. 1824 Cotton. As I mentioned before, the Mission Falls yarns are perfect for baby things. Each one is soft … [more]
Perhaps you remember our Habu cotton, a soft, airy, laceweight boucle yarn that Anne has been using in a striped shawl. Perhaps you remember my promise to post pictures of said shawl soon. I was reminded of this promise when the latest shipment of Habu cotton came in this week, boasting more of all the … [more]
I was surprised to see a box from Berroco this past week. A box of yarn is no surprise at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, of course, but this particular box made me think to myself: Wait. What did we order from Berroco again? But look what we discovered upon opening said box! Not yarn at all, … [more]
As regulars at the shop are probably already aware, I’ve become preoccupied with knitting socks of late. Since I’m six and a half pairs into my sock knitting career, I thought it might be a good time to share my progress. Ready for some show and tell? Cascade 220 Superwash Sport. Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine. … [more]
One of the great joys of knitting, besides knitting itself, is seeing what other people are knitting. It’s a large part of why Ravelry exists, and it’s one of my favorite parts of my job at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Not only do I get in on the knitting plans as they’re being made, but … [more]
Lately I have been knitting swatches for the shop. Takhi Mia. We try to have a sample of every yarn we sell, whether it’s an elaborate sweater hanging on the wall, or just a few inches of garter stitch tucked into the basket with the yarn. A swatch can tell you a lot about a … [more]
For the past few weeks, Anne and I have been knitting animals. We worked on them during the quieter moments at the shop, and so they lingered, unfinished, for some time. Then, over the weekend, one mouse and one monkey emerged, knitted and stuffed, their features embroidered. You should see us morph into children as … [more]
Last Saturday, master knitter Michelle came into the shop with a dress-form (named Chloe) wearing her latest finished object, an intricately cabled pea coat from Shirley Paden’s Knitwear Design Workshop: The Comprehensive Guide to Handknits. It blew us all away, to the point that I could not resist asking to take their photo for the … [more]
My friend Andrea has been a sometime knitter for a few years now, completing a scarf here, a patchwork blanket there, but focusing primarily on her animation projects (a subject worthy of an entire blog; go there and see this if animated wool peaks your curiosity). Recently, however, she has taken up knitting in a more … [more]