Tag Archives: alpaca

Back in stock: Isager Alpaca 2.

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Isager Alpaca 2 has long been a favorite here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. There always seems to be a steady demand for this fuzzy blend of merino and alpaca, beloved for its soft hand and harmonious color palette. A very large box of the stuff arrived with the brand new Isager Sock Yarn, bringing some bestselling colors back into stock and adding a few new shades, too!

Isager Alpaca 2:

  • light fingering weight
  • 50% alpaca, 50% merino
  • 275 yards/50 g
  • $12 each

Our seasoned “Stole” sample has hung on the wall for years now, yet it regularly catches the eye of knitters seeking a soothing, repetitive project, one that’s easy to execute, but with graceful results.

Here are some other pattern ideas for Alpaca 2!

Look for Alpaca 2 in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We love Isager yarns and carry a lot of them – Silk Mohair, Spinni, Alpaca 1, Alpaca 3, Tvinni, Highland Wool, Jensen, Sock Yarn, and more.

Hello, Isager Sock Yarn.

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Isager’s newest yarn is here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – meet Sock Yarn!

Isager Sock Yarn:

  • fingering weight
  • 40% Easy Wash alpaca, 40% Easy Wash merino wool, 20% recycled nylon
  • 423 yards/100g
  • $20 each

Isager Sock Yarn is a soft and sturdy fingering weight yarn made primarily of Easy Wash alpaca and merino wool. An environmentally friendly alternative to superwash, Easy Wash is a treatment that makes animal fibers machine-washable without discharging hazardous chemicals in the process. Like Fibre Co. Amble, Isager Sock Yarn is fortified with recycled nylon for strength, making good use of an industrial byproduct that would otherwise be wasted.

Isager Sock Yarn is smooth and tightly plied, which is key for hard-wearing accessories like socks. I’m knitting a child-sized “Rye Light” sock as an Isager Sock Yarn sample for the shop, appreciating the stitch definition as I work.

Here are some sock patterns to consider, from basic beginner-level socks to intricate texture and color patterns.

Look for Isager Sock Yarn in the fingering weight section here at our shop!

Balayage + Rainy Day Hat.

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Last year, when Pascuali Balayage was brand new, Anne knit Melanie Berg’s “Rainy Day Hat” in shades of purple.

We both loved the lightweight hat that resulted, and were especially pleased that Anne had enough yarn left over to make a matching pair of Berg’s “Rainy Day Mitts” with the color placement reversed.

Pascuali Balayage:

  • fingering weight
  • 80% alpaca, 20% merino
  • 190 yards/50 g
  • $13 each 

When we decided to feature this yarn and pattern pairing in our HYS Hat Club for June, I created colorways for each of the color palettes our club members choose from: cool, warm, neutral, and surprise. Signups are still open for the fourth and final Quarter of the HYS Hat Club – read more here, and sign up by June 19 to join the fun!

With 18 colors in stock, I couldn’t stop at four combinations – here are a few more!

If any of these catch your eye, pick your favorite and order online for local pickup or shipping! We are also happy to announce that we now have in-store shopping appointments available, if you prefer to select your yarn and colors in person – click here to schedule an appointment!

Isager Alpaca 2 + Samen.

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Last week, designer Stephen West posted new color combinations on Instagram for one of his older patterns, a marled shawl called “Samen.”

“Samen” shawl, knit with Isager Alpaca 2. Photo © Stephen West

I always love to see how he puts colors together, and it put me in the mood to create some “Samen” colorways of my own, using Isager Alpaca 2. The shawl calls for five colors in varying amounts, from 220-420 yards per color – the bundles here include some extra yardage, so you can mix the shades up however you like with plenty of wiggle room to play.

Isager Alpaca 2: light fingering weight, 50% alpaca, 50% wool, 275 yards/50 g; $12 each, $120 for bundles of 10

If any of these color combinations grabs you, order online for local pickup or shipping! We’re also happy to help put together a custom colorway just for you – just let us know what shades you love!

New colors from Shibui.

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We’re delighted to have three new colors from Shibui! Pacific, Lotus, and Majesty are now available in Cima, Koan, and Silk Cloud.

“Elate,” by Britt-Marie Brehmer, knit with Shibui Cima and Koan in Lotus.

 

As we looked through Shibui’s Spring 2021 pattern collection, Anne and I were particularly taken with “Elate,” by Britt-Marie Brehmer.

Twisted ribbing and slipped stitches give this simple tee textural interest, and the yarn combination is an intriguing blend of plant and animal fibers – Cima and Koan held together throughout.

Shibui Cima:

  • lace weight
  • 70% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool
  • 328 yards/50 g
  • $16.50 each

Shibui Koan:

  • light fingering weight
  • 70% linen, 30% silk
  • 248 yards/50 g
  • $21 each

Lace weight Cima brings softness and elasticity in the form of merino and alpaca, while light fingering weight Koan lends coolness and drape with its linen and silk content.

Pick matching shades in Cima and Koan for a solid look, or similar shades for a subtle marl.

Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping!

“Elate,” by Britt-Marie Brehmer, knit with Shibui Cima and Koan in Lotus.

Nest + Silk Cloud + Standing Tall!

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Here’s another soft and squishy Shibui yarn pairing, a bit like the “Helix” hat I wrote about earlier this month, but with a twist.

In her “Standing Tall, Hat & Cowl Collection,” designer Lucinda Iglesias matches Shibui Nest with Shibui Silk Cloud, a delightful combination that’s just right for a cozy hat or cowl.

The pattern includes instructions for two hats and cowls – a simpler set as well as a cabled variation. The simpler version is shown here in gray, mostly stockinette with a swath of ribbing; the cabled one is below, in red.

 

 

Shibui Nest:  DK weight, 75% fine Highland wool, 25% alpaca, 175 yards/50 g; $20 each ($22 for Julie Hoover colorways)

Shibui Silk Cloud:  lace weight, 60% mohair, 40% silk, 330 yards/25 g; $26.50 each ($28.50 for Julie Hoover colorways)

 

  • For either of the hats: 1 skein each of Nest and Silk Cloud
  • For either of the cowls: 2 skeins of Nest and 1 skein of Silk Cloud
  • For a matching set: 3 skeins of Nest and 2 skeins of Silk Cloud

Shibui’s colorways are the same from yarn to yarn, though each shade looks a little different depending on the fibers in play. Most of these pairs are made from matching colorways, but a few are near matches, which will bring a little more depth to the resulting fabric.

The pattern is free when you buy 1 skein each of Nest and Silk Cloud – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order.

Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Cold Brew and Breakfast in Bed.

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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. This month, we got not one, but TWO new colorways!

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

Cold Brew is dyed on KPPPM, Koigu’s classic fingering weight merino that we’ve come to know so well throughout the Collector’s Club.

Koigu Sparkle:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 94% merino wool, 6% lurex – silver metallic
  • 164 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

Breakfast in Bed is a neutral colorway with streaks of darker gray, brown, and a silver shimmer. It’s dyed on Sparkle, Koigu’s metallic cousin to KPPPM.

© Tif Neilan – tif handknits –

What to make with all these Koigu Collector’s Club colorways? Tif Neilan’s latest pattern gave us a great idea – pair Koigu with Isager Alpaca 1 for a “Clove & Twine Toque!” 

This cozy and clever hat is knit with three strands of yarn held together – two of the same fingering weight and one mohair or alpaca lace weight, which gives the hat a soft halo.

This yarn combining does interesting things with color, too – variegated yarn held double tends to look more blended than streaky, and the fine, fuzzy lace weight yarn tints the fabric just so, if the colors aren’t too high contrast.

I had so much fun putting these color combinations together, and riffing on Neilan’s pattern name a bit, I named them for spices and seasonings.

 

Our “Clove & Twine” yarn bundles are $43; Tif Neilan’s pattern is sold separately for $6.50. Pick your favorite flavor and order online for local pickup or shipping!

Back in stock: Kelbourne Woolens Perennial.

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We recently restocked some of the most popular colors of Kelbourne Woolens Perennial, a soft and fuzzy fingering weight yarn.

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial:

  • light fingering weight
  • 60% superwash merino, 25% Suri alpaca, 15% nylon
  • 497 yards/100g
  • $26 each

The folks at Kelbourne Woolens have designed this yarn to be something of a staple – soft from the alpaca but sturdy from the nylon, easy care on account of the superwash merino, suitable for all kinds of projects.

Browsing through Perennial projects on Ravelry, Joji Locatelli’s “Cedar Pullover” caught my eye – though it originally called for a linen yarn held double, several knitters had made it with Perennial held double. This got me thinking… wouldn’t it be lovely to hold Perennial together with a linen yarn? A little bit of fuzz, a bit of cool drape – a balanced fiber blend for a three-season sweater.

For nearly matching colors that would bring depth and a hint of marled variation to the knitted fabric, I looked to Shibui Koan. It’s also a light fingering weight, composed of 70% linen and 30% silk, with 247 yards/50 g; $21 each.

Knitters on Ravelry have also used Perennial for Caitlin Hunter’s “Navelli,” a cropped, short-sleeved colorwork pullover. Since the main color requires so much more yardage than the contrast colors, I picked pairs of Isager Alpaca 2, which comes in smaller skeins.

Isager Alpaca 2 is composed of 50% alpaca, 50% merino, with 275 yards on each 50 g skein; $12 each.

Order online if one of these “Cedar Pullover” or “Navelli” colorways intrigues you, or if you’d like to see a special combination just for you! Just let us know what size you’re planning and we’ll double check the yardage requirements.

We’re happy to help you plan your next project, and can ship your order or hold it here at the shop for local pickup. Thanks for supporting our small business!

Meet Fibre Co. Amble!

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Fibre Company’s newest yarn is here – meet Amble!

Fibre Co. Amble:

  • fingering weight
  • solid and heathered colors
  • 70% Easy-wash merino wool, 20% Easy-wash alpaca, and 10% recycled nylon
  • 355 yards/100g
  • $23 each

Amble is a unique and eco-friendly sock yarn. The thoughtful folks at Fibre Co. selected these Easy-wash fibers because they are processed without the use of hazardous chemicals, yet are still easy to care for and resist shrinking in the wash.

Kate Atherley’s “One Sock” was designed especially for Fibre Co. Amble, a classic top-down sock in all sizes, with lots of opportunities for customization. One skein of Amble is enough for most sizes, but check the pattern description on Ravelry for yardage requirements, as the two largest sizes require a second skein.

Order Amble online for local pickup or shipping, and remember your dear sock-knitting friends as the winter holidays approach – a special skein of sock yarn is always a welcome gift!

Sale Spotlight: Isager Alpaca 3.

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Everything in our shop is 15% off during July, our Annual Inventory Sale! All month, I’ll be shining a spotlight on the yarns we have in stock – today, let’s look at Isager Alpaca 3!

Isager Alpaca 3:

  • bulky weight
  • chainette construction
  • 50% alpaca, 50% wool
  • 137 yards/50 grams
  • $10 each

This yarn has tremendous elasticity, making it a pleasure to work with and surely a pleasure to wear. The label doesn’t have any recommendation for needle size or gauge, so Anne got out a pair of US 10 needles and started swatching. She did a little garter stitch, a little stockinette, a few other texture patterns, and still wanted to keep knitting – a good sign! After blocking, the gauge in stockinette measures about 4 stitches per inch, though a range of 3.5 – 4.5 stitches per inch is also appropriate for this yarn.

What to knit with Isager Alpaca 3? Here are some ideas!

Order online for local pickup or shipping via USPS Priority Mail!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges or returns. Thanks!