Blog

Hello, Isager Soft Fine!

The latest yarn from Isager is here – meet Soft Fine!

Isager Soft Fine:

  • lace weight
  • fuzzy brushed texture
  • 63% alpaca, 26% silk and 11% yak
  • 165 yards/25 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry
  • $9.50 each

Isager Soft Fine is very soft indeed, with a fuzzy halo to rival any mohair. It’s composed of a silk core on which a strand of alpaca and yak is added as a loopy bouclé, then finally brushed to make a fluffy yarn.

Whether you use it on its own or carry it along with a heavier yarn, Soft Fine brings luxurious softness to the knitted fabric, which is why the folks at Isager have nicknamed it “Isager’s cashmere.”

Soft Fine reminds me of Fyberspates Cumulus, another brushed alpaca lace weight that substitutes for mohair oh-so-perfectly. I used Cumulus to make an “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” PetiteKnit’s classic folded brim hat – here are some color combinations with that pattern in mind!

Soft Fine is shown here with Alpaca 2, Isager’s beloved fingering weight merino/alpaca blend.

This yarn combination is well-suited to any of the following patterns, as well:

Look for Isager Soft Fine in the lace weight section here at HYS, along with its fuzzy friends: Isager Silk Mohair, Isager Bouclé, Fyberspates Cumulus, Malabrigo Mohair, and Sandnes Garn Tynn Silk Mohair!

17 years of HYS!

October 2023 marks the 17 year anniversary of the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, a milestone we’re proud to have reached! Anne’s goal has remained the same since she first opened the shop in 2006: to bring the best natural fiber yarns, tools, and publications to stitchers in the Triangle. By that measure, in my opinion, Anne has … [more]


Modern Daily Knitting Field Guide No. 25: Botanica.

The twenty fifth installment of the Modern Daily Knitting Field Guide series is here! MDK’s series of Field Guides are pocket-sized booklets focused on a particular theme, knitting technique, or designer. This newest Field Guide features designs by Dee Hardwicke – let’s take a look inside! Dee Hardwicke is an artist and designer who works in … [more]


Koigu Collector’s Club: Tourmaline.

The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu. KPPPM is a fingering weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in vibrant colors by mother/daughter team Maie and Taiu Landra on their farm outside of Toronto, Canada. … [more]


Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge!

Another new yarn from Brooklyn Tweed! Meet Arbor Lodge. Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge:  bulky weight 7-ply worsted spun American Targhee wool 125 yards/100g $33 each Arbor Lodge is everything you love about Arbor, but bigger. Plush and bouncy American Targhee wool, smooth texture for sharp stitch definition, a balance of softness and durability – Arbor … [more]


Laine Magazine, No. 18.

Let’s look inside the new issue of Laine! Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers as its focus, and a reputation for beautiful designs and artful photography. This Autumn 2023 issue is positively bursting with cozy sweaters! Beyond the knitting patterns, there are … [more]


“Lento” in Isager Bouclé & fingering weight yarns.

We’ve got a brand new sweater on display at the shop – here’s my version of Jonna Helin’s “Lento” pullover knit with Malabrigo Ultimate Sock and Isager Bouclé! Bouclé is a fine alpaca yarn with one looped ply, which makes a fluffy, textured fabric when combined with the soft and smooth Ultimate Sock. This yarn … [more]


Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: August + September, 2023.

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. Limited edition colorways for August and September are here while supplies last! Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere: fingering weight 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon 400 … [more]


Seasonless: Patterns for Life, by Karen Templer + Amirisu.

A new book has arrived to inspire your knitting this fall and beyond – let’s look inside Seasonless: Patterns for Life ($28), by Karen Templer + Amirisu! You may recognize Karen Templer’s name from her years of slow-fashion blogging, or from Fringe Supply Co., where she used to sell wildly popular project bags. She’s a … [more]


New colors in Malabrigo Rios + Arroyo!

We’re excited to share a dozen new colors in Malabrigo Rios, and another dozen new colors in Arroyo! These soft and smooth superwash merino yarns are favorites around here, and their cubbies were both looking empty before last week’s shipment arrived. This new Rios palette is Zodiac themed, with a colorway for each sign. Malabrigo Rios: … [more]


Pom Pom Quarterly: Autumn 2023.

The latest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly is here! This Autumn 2023 issue is guest edited by Candice English, of The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers in Montana. English brings a fresh perspective to PPQ 46, along with her distinctive aesthetic, drawing from both her Indigenous roots and life in the American West. Bobbles, colorwork, cables and fringe … [more]