Tag Archives: andrea mowry

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: October 2021.

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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. October’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

October’s skeins are a riot of color, a mix of pastels and deep, saturated tones – purple, orange, pink, seafoam, yellow, and more. To my eye, these colors play well with solids in Shibui Silk Cloud, a super soft lace weight mohair/silk blend.

How to combine them? You could work stripes to let the variegated Smooshy Cashmere shine against the contrasting Silk Cloud – check out “Birds of a Feather,” by Andrea Mowry. This asymmetrical triangular shawl would requires 2 skeins Smooshy Cashmere and 2 Silk Cloud ($124 total).

Or – you could hold them together, for a more blended, toned-down effect. Try the “Iris hat,” by Sari Nordlund, a ribbed beanie that requires 1 skein Smooshy Cashmere and 1 Silk Cloud ($62 total).

Look for this Pop-Up Club colorway in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We are now open for drop-in shopping between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; you can still order online for local pickup or shipping, as well.

52 Weeks of Socks – now in paperback!

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Laine’s popular 52 Weeks of Socks is now out in paperback!

This tome includes 52 patterns for knitting socks and slippers, an astonishingly large collection, and a beautiful one. You can see them all on Ravelry, a virtual way to browse the book; the list of designers is impressive, including Joji Locatelli, Isabell Kraemer, Dawn Henderson, Paula Pereira, Rachel Coopey, Andrea Mowry, and Caitlin Hunter.

52 Weeks of Socks is heavy with inspiring patterns using a variety of techniques, but it is also a beautiful object unto itself. Like all Laine publications, the photography is tantalizing, the color palette soothing and evocative.

 

This paperback edition is $19.99, an outstanding price for 52 patterns – look for it here at the shop, or order online for local pickup or shipping!

We also have the following Laine publications in stock at this time:

What to knit with BT Tones?

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Brooklyn Tweed’s new yarn, Tones, is already turning heads here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. What to knit with this colorful stuff? Here are some ideas!

There are two new patterns especially for this yarn, Jared Flood’s “First Raglan Sweater” and Lis Smith’s “Sparkwood” cabled hat.

Because Tones can easily substitute for Shelter, there’s a world of patterns to choose from; here are some ideas from both the Brooklyn Tweed pattern archive and independent designers!

Garments:

BT Tones in Melba Overtone, a “Docklight” pullover-to-be.

Accessories:

BT Tones in Granita Overtone and Granita Undertone, soon to become a “Turbulence Cowl.”

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Tones in the worsted weight section here at our shop – we’re open from 11:00 am – 5:30 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays, for drop-in shopping, no appointment required!

Yarn ideas for “Illuminate,” by Andrea Mowry.

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Andrea Mowry’s latest design has us playing the color game… here are some yarn ideas for “Illuminate,” a striking striped pullover with a colorwork yoke.

“Illuminate,” by Andrea Mowry. Photo © Andrea Mowry

Mowry uses a sport weight wool for the main color, and doubles up a lace weight mohair/silk blend for the contrast color. For the lace weight yarn, we love Shibui Silk Cloud – it’s soft and fuzzy and seems to glow with saturated color.

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

I looked through our sport weight yarns for main color options and found several that paired well with Shibui:

Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03: sport weight, 100% merino wool, 170 yards/50g; $16.50 each

Mountain Meadow Wool Cody: sport weight, hand-dyed, 100% merino wool, 200 yards/50 g; $9.80 each

Kelbourne Woolens Andorra: sport weight, 60% merino wool, 20% highland wool, 20% mohair, 185 yards/50 g; $12 each

Swans Island All American Sport: sport weight, hand-dyed, 100% Rambouillet wool, 185 yards/40 g; $12.50 each

Reach out if any of these combinations catches your eye – we’re happy to help calculate yardage or answer any questions that come up as you plan an “Illuminate” sweater of your own!

Show and tell!

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It’s been too long since I shared some show and tell here on the blog! Those of you who follow us on Instagram may have seen some of these inspiring projects over the past few months, but they’re all worth a bit more attention – let’s take a look.

Here’s Kathryn with her “Slipstravaganza” shawl, designed by Stephen West for his annual Mystery Knit-Along last fall. She used Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere for a soft and surprisingly sturdy accessory – she reported no pilling even after plenty of wear.

Another Stephen West pattern! Michele knit this “Brioche Soundwaves” with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, which has superb stitch definition, ideal for an intricate pattern like this.

Here Emily models her cozy “Nightshift” shawl, a popular pattern by Andrea Mowry. She used a mix of solid and marled colors to great effect – Brooklyn Tweed Shelter is the yarn.

Here’s another “Nightshift,” knit by Kay for her sister using Malabrigo Rios. We’ve seen this shawl knit with solids and hand-dyes, variegated and speckled shades, even self-striping colors, and many knitters come back to make a second or third!

Nancy brought her “Chrysalis Throw” in during an in-store shopping appointment, wowing us with her use of color. She’s crocheting this large and impressive blanket with Cascade Ultra Pima – pattern by Jen Tyler.

Deedra is an avid Koigu collector, and used some of her skeins to knit the “Pacific Shake Cowl” above. Taiu Landra designed it using two strands of Koigu KPPPM at a time, marling different shades for unique color blends.

Thanks to Kathryn, Emily, Kay, Michele, Nancy, and Deedra for sharing their work – we can’t wait to see what you make next. Stay tuned for more show and tell soon, a post featuring nothing but sweaters…!

Hello, Germantown Unicorns!

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We’re pleased to have a special new limited edition yarn from Kelbourne Woolens – meet Germantown Unicorns!

Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Unicorns:

  • worsted weight
  • marled
  • 100% wool
  • 220 yards/100g
  • $16 each

Germantown Unicorns are made from mill ends in the spinning process, combining two shades of Germantown for a unique marl.

Each skein is enough for a hat, and the folks at Kelbourne Woolens have designed one for every month of the year. Even better, every one of these patterns is free to download from Ravelry – look there for “January,” “February,” “March,” “April,” “May,” “June,” “July,” “August,” “September,” “October,” “November,” and “December.” This collection shows Germantown’s versatility in a variety of techniques, from ribbing and texture to cables and lace to stripes and colorwork.

These colorful new skeins got me thinking about Andrea Mowry’s “Nightshift” again, that ever-popular slip-stitch shawl – mixing up the Unicorns with solid shades of Germantown makes for exciting new combinations! Here are a few ideas.

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

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: April.

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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. April’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

This month, dyer Veronica was inspired by Allen’s hummingbirds, a particular species of hummingbird whose warm, bright colors are reflected in these skeins – golden yellows, olive and leafy greens, and streaks of coral, orange, and purplish brown.

As I was unpacking these vibrant skeins, I noticed how well they played with these skeins of Malabrigo Sock – these three would make a striking “Temperance Shawl,” or a “Free Your Fade,” by Andrea Mowry!

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship these pretty skeins directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront remains closed to walk-ins!

Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03!

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We are delighted to announce that Brooklyn Tweed’s newest yarn has arrived! Meet Ranch 03, the third in Brooklyn Tweed’s series of single-source, small-batch yarns.

Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03:

  • sport weight
  • worsted spun, 5 ply
  • 100% merino wool
  • 170 yards/50g
  • $16.50 each

Ranch 03 is a sport weight, worsted-spun, limited edition, ranch-specific Merino yarn, which means every fiber in these skeins was sourced from a single flock of sheep living on Campbell-Hansmire Ranch in Eagle County, Colorado.

Brooklyn Tweed has always sought to highlight single breed wools and support US ranchers with sustainable environmental practices. This project allows them to shine a spotlight on the people and practices behind their yarns, one ranch at a time.

After the wool was sourced at Campbell-Hansmire Ranch in Wyoming, scoured at Chargeurs in South Carolina, and spun at Worsted Spinning New England in Maine, it traveled here to North Carolina to be dyed at Ultimate Textiles in Rutherfordton. We are not often able to trace a path directly from sheep to skein, but Brooklyn Tweed believes in transparency around the supply chain and in supporting the US fiber industry every step of the way.

What to knit with Ranch 03? The BT design team has come up with a trio of new patterns, showing off what Ranch 03 can do in colorwork, cables, and simple texture:

  • “Spero,” by Jared Flood – colorwork yoke pullover
  • “Dalleray,” by Lis Smith – cabled cowl in two sizes
  • “Hansmire,” by Jared Flood – ribbed hat for all ages – free with purchase of Ranch 03!

I got a head start on my “Dalleray” cowl, and I’m loving every springy stitch. Can’t wait to see it finished and blocked!

Here are some more ideas for Ranch 03 from independent designers:

Order Ranch 03 online for local pickup or shipping!

Dream in Color Pop-Up! Club: February.

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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. February’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

Smooshy with Cashmere is a super soft blend of superwash merino wool, cashmere, and nylon – perfect for a special shawl or pair of socks. A skein like this would make a great “Starshower,” “Pebble Beach Shawl,” “Sockhead Slouch Hat” or “Sockhead Cowl,” all patterns that do well with variegated yarn.

As I was unpacking these vibrant skeins, I noticed how well they played with the brightest shades of Lady Dye Superwash Fingering – these three skeins would make a striking “Free Your Fade,” by Andrea Mowry!

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship these pretty skeins directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront remains closed to walk-ins!

Back in stock: Malabrigo Caprino!

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We were thrilled to unpack a long-awaited box of Malabrigo Caprino this week!

Malabrigo Caprino:

  • DK weight
  • hand-dyed, variegated, speckled, and semi-solid colorways
  • 80% merino, 20% cashmere
  • 159 yards/50 g
  • $18 each

Like many Malabrigo yarns, Caprino comes in a familiar selection of semi-solid, variegated, and speckled colorways.

Earlier this year, I used 6 skeins of Caprino to make a “Nightshift,” Andrea Mowry’s oh-so-popular slip-stitch shawl. Never mind that the pattern called for aran weight yarn and Caprino is DK – I liked the fabric I got on a US 7 needle and after blocking it was plenty big enough, if not an exact match of Mowry’s suggested dimensions.

If you’d like to make a “Nightshift” with Caprino, get in touch and we’ll help you put some colors together!

If “Nightshift” isn’t your thing, or you’ve already made one or two, here are some other patterns to consider:

Eager to get some Caprino into your hands and onto your needles? Order online for local pickup or shipping!