Tag Archives: berroco

Color crush: blue and burgundy.

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Knitters sometimes ask me which they should pick first: the pattern, or the yarn? There’s no right or wrong way to find your next project, of course, nor are these the only two ways. Often we are motivated by color, coming into the yarn shop picturing a particular shade, and searching the shelves for a skein that matches our mind’s eye. Sometimes it’s a color combination that we’re seeking, a pairing that has captured our imagination – here’s one such case.

A knitter came in recently looking for blue and burgundy, and as often happens here at the shop, Anne and Bailey and I started playing along. We pulled out similar shades we had noticed throughout the shop, cobalt and cornflower, merlot and maroon. Long after that knitter left with the perfect yarn for their next project, I was still spotting sapphire and garnet, so I thought I’d share them here on the blog, with pattern ideas for each pair.

Berroco Ultra Alpaca in 62172 and 62121

Knit at a snug 23 stitches to 4″, Ultra Alpaca would make a cozy pair of “Robinia Mittens,” by Anne Ventzel.

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Delft and Homemade Jam

A pleasing pair in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter for PetiteKnit’s new “Key Sweater,” with enough contrast to show the colorwork motif.

Berroco Ultra Wool in 33156 and 33145

This sturdy superwash wool would make a nice pair of “Key Mittens,” to match the aforementioned PetiteKnit sweater.

Brooklyn Tweed Loft in Cadet and Homemade Jam

Try this lower contrast Loft pair in Isabell Kraemer’s “Heimathafen” pullover, with its subtle dip-stitch colorwork stripes.

Isager Tvinni in 44 + Silk Mohair in 44 and Tvinni in 36s + Silk Mohair in 36

Hold Tvinni and Silk Mohair together in simple stockinette stripes for PetiteKnit’s “Olga Jacket.”

Sandnes Garn Sunday in 5846 + Isager Highland in Wine

Hold these lightweight wools together for a low-contrast “Melange Sweater,” by PetiteKnit. I wear mine all the time, and Bailey has one in the works now!

Isager Jensen in 44s and Fyberspates Cumulus in Plum

Another compelling combination for marling – hold fluffy Cumulus with Jensen for Anne Ventzel’s “Solange Scarf.”

Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed in Bright Blue and Mulberry

Brioche is another way to combine colors – try Andrea Mowry’s “Harlow Worsted” hat in plush Lucky Tweed.

What color combinations have you been infatuated with lately? Let us know in the comments, or come by the shop and we’ll help you find yarn to match!

Show and tell: little critters.

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Time for another round of show and tell! Sharing finished projects from our crafty community is an ongoing part of our daily Instagram posts, but I have a glorious backlog of projects I want to share here on the blog, too. Today, let’s admire these cute critters!

Rosi knit this “Fox (Knit a Teddy)” with Berroco Ultra Wool, a cozy washable wool that’s perfect for toy-making. Check out the fox wearing a “Raincoat (Knit a Teddy)” below!

Ross also made a “Panda (Knit a Teddy)” dressed as a “Doctor (Knit a Teddy),” using Ewe Ewe Sporty in the perfect scrubs color. Patterns by Sarah Gasson.

This “Tearoom Elephant” is Rosi’s handiwork, too, using Berroco Ultra Wool for the body and a mix of leftover yarns for the outfit. Pattern by Susan Hickson.

Victoria has fallen in love with toy-making, too – so far, she’s made “Mouche the Bear” and “Mina the Pig” from Cinthia Vallet’s oh-so-popular Mouche & Friends: Seamless Toys to Knit and Love. For both of them, Victoria chose CoopKnits Socks Yeah!, a soft and sturdy sock yarn.

Karin knit this “Turtles’ Journey Blanket” with Malabrigo Rios, choosing semisolid hand-dyed colorways to evoke sand, surf, and sea. Pattern by Heather Anderson.

Last but not least, here’s Katherine’s “Cody the Cattle Dog,” crocheted with Kelbourne Woolens Scout.

Thanks to Rosi, Victoria, Karin, Katherine, and everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We love hearing your ideas and helping you find just the right yarns and tools to realize them. See you at the shop!

Back in stock: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky.

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We’ve had Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky on the shelves here at HYS for 10 years now, but our supply had dwindled of late. A recent order brought us 10 new shades – welcome back, Ultra Alpaca Chunky!

Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky:

  • bulky weight
  • 2-ply
  • solid and heathered shades
  • 50% super fine alpaca, 50% Peruvian Highland wool
  • 131 yards/100 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky has the structure and elasticity of wool and the drape, halo, and softness of alpaca. These qualities make Ultra Alpaca Chunky a versatile bulky weight yarn – think cozy shawls and scarves, mittens, hats, and sweaters. Here are some fresh pattern ideas!

Look for Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky in the bulky weight section here at HYS!

New colors in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light!

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Good old Ultra Alpaca Light – this balanced blend of wool and alpaca is a classic, and we’re delighted to have a fresh supply!

Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light:

  • sport weight
  • solid and heathered shades
  • 50% super fine alpaca, 50% Peruvian Highland wool
  • 144 yards/50 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Like its worsted weight counterpart, Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light has the structure and elasticity of wool and the drape, halo, and softness of alpaca. This makes it a versatile yarn, appropriate for hats and mittens, cowls and shawls, sweaters and more.

Photo © Martha Wissing

Martha Wissing’s “Round Top Bandana” is a recent pattern designed for two shades of Ultra Alpaca Light, an intriguing little accessory decorated with an allover slip stitch pattern. It requires just one skein in each color for either size – here are some color combinations to consider!

What else to do with these pairs? Check out these two-color patterns for more inspiration:

Look for Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in the sport weight section here at HYS!

Show and tell: for little ones.

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In these final days of our Annual Inventory Sale, I thought I’d squeeze in one more round of show and tell. Here are some baby things we’ve seen completed of late!

Gretchen made this charming “Giraffe” for her grandchild using Berroco Ultra Wool. Pattern by Susan B. Anderson, who is great with details in her toy patterns – check out the spots on the back!

Tin Can Knits’ “Dog Star” is my go-to kid sweater pattern, and I made this one for a friend’s new baby. I used Berroco Ultra Wool DK for the main color and an anonymous bit of superwash wool from my stash for the contrast at the yoke.

Jamie knit “Smilla’s kjole” with Isager Highland Wool. Such a sweet baby dress! Pattern by by Susie Haumann.

Last but certainly not least, here’s Aubrey’s “Ducks in a Row,” by Sara Elizabeth Kellner. She found the perfect duck colors in Malabrigo Rios and Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted.

Thanks to Gretchen, Jamie, Aubrey, and everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We love hearing your ideas and helping you find just the right yarns and tools to realize them. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: mohair magic.

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Back with more show and tell! We love the fuzzy halo of mohair, and the magical way it can enhance whatever yarn it’s paired with. Here are some recent projects folks have made with mohair from HYS.

Linda has been on a “Sophie Scarf” streak – here’s one she made holding Malabrigo Caprino and Isager Silk Mohair together. This enchanting combination shows how even high contrast colors can blend together when one of the yarns is lace weight mohair, letting the thicker speckled yarn shine through. Pattern by PetiteKnit.

Here’s Hyesol in her “Sweater No. 29,” knit with Isager Jensen and Silk Mohair held together – thanks for modeling a mohair sweater in this summer heat, Hyesol!

The combination of sturdy Jensen and soft Silk Mohair is perfect for a cozy sweater, and this butter yellow color shows off the cable pattern beautifully. Pattern by My Favorite Things Knitwear.

Margaretta knit this “Helli” slipover with another blend of rustic and soft – Kelbourne Woolens Cricket and Malabrigo Mohair. Pattern by Tiia Reho.

Here’s a close up with the yarn she used, so you can see the ingredients in this unique combination, a single ply tweed and a hand-dyed mohair/silk – we love the result!

Stephanie made this “FairTee,” blending Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Berroco Ultra Wool DK. The low contrast color combination of a pale speckled mohair and a solid cream wool creates an elegant, subtle colorway well suited to the pattern by Trine Knitwear.

Thanks to Linda, Hyesol, Margaretta, and Stephanie for sharing your mohair magic with us!

Show and tell: from our classroom.

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Show and tell is an ongoing part of our daily Instagram posts, but I like to share it here on the blog from time to time, too. Today, let’s look at knitting projects completed during classes here at our shop!

First up, here’s Claudia and her first completed “Stitch-Sampler Handwarmer,” knit during Anne’s Beginning Knitting class. Anne uses this Churchmouse pattern to teach new knitters because it takes very little time but uses so many techniques – casting on, knitting and purling, of course, but also seaming!

Like Claudia, Dustin used Kelbourne Woolens Germantown for his “Stitch-Sampler Handwarmers,” our go-to worsted weight wool. It’s smooth, easy to work with, comes in all kinds of colors, and holds up to frogging and reuse, if it comes to that!

Stephanie knit this “Field Slipover” during a recent class with Anne. She used Berroco Ultra Wool DK and Isager Silk Mohair together throughout, creating a rich blend of greens and a soft texture. Pattern by Camilla Vad.

Jaime knit this “Shetland Solstice” hat during Nancy’s recent class, using Kelbourne Woolens Camper. As soon as she completed this one, she cast on for another, rearranging the colors to change the look. Then she bought a fresh colorway in Camper, to make it yet again – a ringing endorsement of Gudrun Johnston’s pattern!

Here’s Linda’s “Scout Shawl,” made during Nancy’s class. Florence Spurling’s intricate intarsia and fair isle shawl has a patchwork look, but is worked in one piece, from end to end – a feat, and Linda’s looks lovely in Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Tones Light. Here are a few close-ups!

Many thanks to our teachers and to all the knitters who challenge themselves to learn something new in classes here at our shop. We love seeing what you make and watching as you grow your skills!

Show and tell: openwork.

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As you may have read in our most recent newsletter, the shop will be closed for our usual Thanksgiving break from November 22 – 27. Feel free to place online orders or email inquiries during that time, but know that we won’t be monitoring our inbox until we’re back in the shop on November 28! We wish you all a peaceful and safe holiday.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy some show and tell!

As I was going through recent photos, I spotted a theme: openwork! Here are some beautiful projects adorned with eyelets.

Above is Edie’s “Holden” shawl, knit with Koigu KPPPM. It’s great to see lace knit up with variegated yarn! Pattern by Mindy Wilkes.

Teresa knit this delicate “Salty Air Tee” with Isager Bomulin, a good example of how lace looks in plant fiber yarns – in a word, lovely! Pattern by Samantha Guerin.

Anne jumped on the “Ranunculus” bandwagon, and knit the sweater above as a gift for a lifelong friend. She held Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03 together with Fibre Co. Meadow, a low contrast combination that gave just a little dimension to the color and texture of the knitted fabric. Pattern by Midori Hirose.

Lace looks great in thicker yarns, too, showing off the stitch patterns at a larger scale and proving that openwork can be cozy. Above is Ruth in her “Elah” cardigan, knit with worsted weight Kelbourne Woolens Germantown. Pattern by Isabell Kraemer.

Margaretta is a prolific lace knitter – I’ve lost track of how many “Umaro” blankets she’s made! The one above is a baby blanket, knit with worsted weight Berroco Ultra Wool. Pattern by Jared Flood.

The shawl below is also one of Margaretta’s, “Sakura,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft. Pattern by Leila Raven.

Thanks to Edie, Teresa, Anne, Ruth, and Margaretta for sharing their work with us! We love to see what you make with our yarns, and can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Pom Pom Quarterly: Summer 2023.

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The latest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly is here!

This vibrant summer issue is packed with warm weather garments for crocheters and knitters alike, all inspired by fruits.

The cover sweater, Ana D’s striking “Limonata,” is crocheted with Kelbourne Woolens Mojave, a sport weight blend of cotton and linen. The brand new KW Skipper would work, too! I also spotted Berroco Modern Cotton in this issue, Marzena Kołaczek’s “Guayaba” tee.

Pom Pom has always been an interdisciplinary magazine, featuring recipes and a variety of crafty tutorials alongside their knitting patterns, but this issue in particular features more crochet than usual. We love to see it!

Pom Pom Quarterly is $25.50 – come by to snag a copy between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. We’re also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping. Along with this issue, we have a cubby full of back issues available, now marked down 50%. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: PetiteKnit patterns.

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It’s been far too long since I shared show-and-tell here on the blog, though it’s an ongoing part of our daily Instagram posts – let’s see what folks have been making with yarn from our shop!

PetiteKnit has become one of the most-mentioned knitwear designers here at our shop. Almost every day, at least one knitter comes in shopping for, working on, or wearing a PetiteKnit design. Here are some of the PetiteKnit projects I’ve captured lately!

Margaretta is a fan of PetiteKnit – here are her two most recent sweaters, “Ingrid Sweater Baby” in Berroco Ultra Wool above, and “Moby Sweater” in Isager Jensen and Silk Mohair below.

Morgan knit this “No Frills Sweater” with Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Isager Silk Mohair held together throughout – the result is lovely, a perfect balance of structure and softness.

Michele came in wearing her first PetiteKnit sweater, “Sycamore Sweater,” and reports that the pattern was detailed and well written – she used Isager Jensen, Spinni, and Shibui Tweed Silk Cloud in this striking garment.

I knit my first PetiteKnit pattern recently, too, though it’s a far simpler design – here’s the “Sophie Shawl” I knit as a shop sample in Fibre Co. & Make Aran. The size small makes a such a nice scarf, wrapped around and tied like a kerchief, that I decided to make one for myself, too!

Thanks to Margaretta, Morgan, and Michele for sharing their work with us! We love to see what you make with our yarns, and can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.