Tag Archives: aran weight

New colors in Cascade cottons!

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Our Annual Inventory Sale put a dent in our inventory, just as we hoped, making way for new fall yarns. Before those exciting new yarns arrive, however, we’re refilling some of our favorites, starting with Cascade Botanika and Nifty Cotton!

Botanika is a soft and smooth organic cotton yarn, dyed with natural pigments sourced from plant leaves, roots and flowers. We added a few semisolids to go with our selection of  speckled colors, dyed with the likes of indigo, madder, marigold, and mulberry leaf. These pairs would make nice “Sundry” shawls, or “Two-Color Cotton Cowls.”

We also restocked Cascade Nifty Cotton, an aran weight yarn that’s ideal for dishcloths and blankets. We replenished our supply of solid shades and added a few variegated colorways of Nifty Cotton Splash, too.

I love how these colorful skeins of Nifty Cotton Splash pair with solid shades, perhaps for a “Shadow Stripe Baby Blanket.”

Look for Cascade Botanika, Nifty Cotton, and Nifty Cotton Splash here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

New colors in Isager Soft!

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Even more new colors from Isager… check out the new palette in Soft!

Isager Soft:

  • aran weight
  • 56% alpaca, 44% cotton
  • 137 yards/50 g
  • $9.50 each

Formerly known as Eco Soft, Isager Soft’s construction is a little unusual – alpaca fiber is blown into an organic cotton chainette tube, resulting in a beautiful tonal yarn with a stunning halo, the cotton core seeming to glow through the alpaca fuzz. Garments and accessories made with Soft are soft, cuddly, and warm, but lightweight.

Bailey knit this PetiteKnit “Cloud Sweater” with Isager Soft, an oversized drop-shoulder pullover with a rolled funnel-neck.

She was able to get the pattern gauge (17 stitches = 4″) with Soft alone, though if you’re seeking extra warmth, you can certainly add a strand of Silk Mohair.

What else to knit with Soft? Here are a few ideas…

Look for Isager Soft in the aran weight section here at our shop!

Hello, Isager Eco Soft!

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We love all things Isager here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and are excited to bring a new Isager yarn into the shop – meet Eco Soft!

Isager Eco Soft:

  • aran weight
  • 56% alpaca, 44% cotton
  • 137 yards/50 g
  • $9.50 each

Eco Soft’s construction is a little unusual – undyed alpaca fiber is blown into an organic cotton chainette tube, resulting in a beautiful tonal yarn with a stunning halo, the cotton core seeming to glow through the alpaca fuzz. Garments and accessories made with Eco Soft are soft, cuddly, and warm, but lightweight.

Bailey has cast on for PetiteKnit’s “Cloud Sweater,” an oversized drop-shoulder pullover with a rolled funnel-neck. She was able to get the pattern gauge (17 stitches = 4″) with Eco Soft alone, though if you’re seeking extra warmth, you can certainly add a strand of Silk Mohair.

What else to knit with Eco Soft? Here are a few ideas…

Look for Isager Eco Soft in the aran weight section here at HYS! We keep many other Isager yarns in stock as well, including Silk Mohair, Alpaca 2, Alpaca 3, Jensen, Boucle, and more…

Hello, & Make Aran!

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The Fibre Company has just launched a new line of yarn, & Make! These are yarns for stitchers at every stage of their crafting journey, made of natural, sustainable fibers from renewable sources. We’re starting with & Make Aran, a soft and squishy blend of Highland wool and alpaca.

The Fibre Co. & Make Aran:

  • aran weight
  • 2-ply
  • solid and heathered colors
  • 50% Highland wool, 50% alpaca
  • 164 yards/100g
  • $17.50 each

What to knit with & Make Aran? Here are some ideas!

Garments:

Accessories:

Come by the shop to see & Make Aran for yourself! We’re here from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays; masks required.

Back in stock: Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and Lucky Tweed.

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Kelbourne Woolens is the source of some of our most popular yarns, beloved for the variety of high quality fibers they produce and the accessible price. Some of their yarns are super soft and luxurious, others are rustic and hard wearing, and each one has its own unique color palette. We’ve restocked Perennial and Lucky Tweed – let’s take a look!

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 Perennial 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.

We’ve seen beautiful sweaters, shawls, and baby things made in Perennial – here are some pattern ideas!

Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed:

  • aran weight
  • tweed
  • 100% merino wool
  • 210 yards/100g
  • $20 each

Lucky Tweed is manufactured in Donegal, Ireland, for an authentic tweed look and soft hand. Folks who have tried it often come back for more, exclaiming how soft and lightweight it is for a yarn at this gauge. If you’re looking to knit a cozy new sweater this fall, consider Lucky Tweed!

Here are some cozy patterns ideal for Lucky Tweed:

Look for Perennial and Lucky Tweed here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, along with these other Kelbourne Woolens yarns – Camper, Andorra, Scout, and Germantown!

New colors in Cascade Nifty Cotton!

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We’re excited to share a rainbow of new colors in Cascade Nifty Cotton!

Cascade Nifty Cotton:

  • aran weight
  • 100% cotton
  • 185 yards/100 grams
  • $8 each

It had been a while since we ordered this economical aran weight cotton, so we were due for new colors as well as restocking the old.

Nifty Cotton can be machine-washed and dried, a cotton yarn without a mercerized lustre. That matte quality makes the yarn “thirstier,” more absorbent, and thus, ideal for making dishcloths. Here are a few pattern ideas for knitters and crocheters alike!

Look for Cascade Nifty Cotton in the aran weight section here at our shop! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays, masks required for entry.

Sale of the Week: Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed!

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We’ve decided to keep our doors closed through the month of June, though we’re still virtually open for online orders. As we have done throughout April and May, we’ll have a special sale each week – 15% off a featured yarn, our Sale of the Week!

Our next Sale of the Week is 15% off Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed, from June 22 – 30!

Silkroad Aran Tweed is a rustic looking yarn, but it’s surprisingly soft to the touch, composed of 85% wool, 10% silk, and 5% cashmere. Each 50 gram ball has 104 yards.

What to make with Silkroad Aran Tweed? Here are some ideas!

Usually, Silkroad Aran Tweed is $12 per ball; at 15% off, it’s $10.20 each. Head to our online order form if you’d like to place an order – it’ll be on sale through June 30. Thanks for all your support!

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

Sale of the Week: Kate Davies Àrd-Thìr!

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Though we’re keeping our doors closed during May, we’re still virtually open for mail orders, and we want to offer something fun during this uncertain time. Throughout May, we’ll have a special sale each week – 15% off a featured yarn, our Sale of the Week!

Our next Sale of the Week is 15% off Kate Davies Àrd-Thìr, from May 15 – 21!

Kate Davies Àrd-Thìr is an aran weight blend of Peruvian fibers, 60% highland wool and 40% alpaca. Each 50 gram skein has 71 yards, and it knits up at about 15-19 stitches over 4″ on needles from US 7-10.5. The texture is smooth and round, for sharp stitch definition and a springy elasticity in the hand.

Àrd-Thìr comes in 10 heathered shades inspired by the winter landscape of the Scottish highlands, a beautiful muted palette.

What to knit with Àrd-Thìr? Last year, I made Kate Davies’ “Weel Riggit Hat” with this yarn, which was great fun.

Since then, Davies has written a few more patterns for Àrd-Thìr – “Footfall,” “Corryvreckan,” “Skep,” and “Upstream,” for a start – and Melanie Berg published a lace shawl, “Catch my Fall.” Check out Warm Hands for a few more ideas – we still have copies of the book in stock, too!

Usually, Àrd-Thìr is $12 per skein; at 15% off, it’s $10.20 each. Head to our online order form if you’d like to place an order – it’ll be on sale through May 21. Thanks for all your support!

 

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

Warm Hands.

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Warm Hands is here!

This eclectic collection of mitten and handwarmer patterns is edited by Jeanette Sloan and Kate Davies, and features many other designers, as well.

Some mittens are colorful, some are textured, some are lacy or cabled, and some combine multiple techniques for intriguing effects.

The mittens in this book are knit with Kate Davies’ own lines of yarn, Àrd-Thìr and Milarrochy Tweed. Àrd-Thìr is a blend of Peruvian fibers, 60% highland wool and 40% alpaca. The texture is smooth and round, for sharp stitch definition and a springy elasticity in the hand. Look for it in our aran weight section!

Milarrochy Tweed is a fingering weight wool and mohair blend. We don’t have it here at the shop, but we have a great many excellent substitutes – Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, Tukuwool Fingering, Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Peerie, Isager Tweed, and more.

Look for Warm Hands on our teacart, among the latest books and magazines for knitters! We also keep a nice selection of Kate Davies’ older titles in stock, the likes of Colours of Shetland, Yokes, West Highland Way, Milarrochy Heids, Happit, Shore, and Handywoman.

See you at the shop!

Hello, Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed.

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Fall is such an exciting time of year here at the shop, with one new yarn after another. The latest comes from Kelbourne Woolens – meet Lucky Tweed!

Lucky Tweed is an aran weight merino wool yarn, manufactured in Donegal, Ireland, for an authentic tweed look and soft hand.

Like any classic tweed, Lucky Tweed is dotted with flecks of fiber in contrasting colors, and the team at Kelbourne Woolens have thoughtfully selected 13 shades for a balanced color palette.

Lucky Tweed knits up at 4 – 4.5 stitches per inch on US 7 – 8 needles. Though it’s warm and relatively thick, it’s not heavy; with 210 yards on each 100 gram skein, Lucky Tweed is quite lofty for an aran weight yarn.

What to knit with Lucky Tweed? Kate Gagnon Osborn, Courtney Kelley, and Meghan Babin of Kelbourne Woolens have designed the nine-piece Lucky Tweed Collection to answer that very question. From the looks of it, Lucky Tweed is as happy in a cable pattern as in colorwork, lace, or a simple knit/purl texture pattern.

Find the patterns on Ravelry and the yarn here at our shop!