Hello, Berroco Artisan.

Posted by Julia on October 1, 2015

Here at the shop, we’ve spent a few afternoons unpacking a truly huge order from Berroco. They sent an exciting new book, bags and bags of two of our favorite Berroco yarns, sample garments, and a brand new yarn for fall. Let’s start there: meet Artisan.

Berroco Artisan is a worsted weight blend of 80% merino wool and 20% silk, with 123 yards on each 50 gram skein. Artisan is dip-dyed for tonally variegated colors, which look as good in texture and lace patterns as they do in garter stitch or stockinette.

Anne and I passed this swatch back and forth a few times before we ordered Artisan for the shop, seeing how it stood up to a variety of stitch patterns and enjoying its springy feel along the way.

Berroco sent along this “Ceonothus” shawl, by Amy Christoffers, worked from the point up in an allover lace pattern. I’ve often admired Amy Christoffers’ designs, particularly for how she makes use of texture patterns, using them to cover entire garments and keeping the knitter interested along the way. “Ceonothus” looks like it would make a great pattern for a first-time lace knitter, and should work up relatively quickly in this worsted weight yarn.

The pattern, like all of Berroco’s Artisan collection, is available as a Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sale. This means that you can buy them at the shop, have us print a copy for you, and also know that a digital copy is saved in your Ravelry pattern library or sent to your email. Head to Ravelry to check out the other sweaters and shawls that Amy Christoffers designed for Artisan, and head to the HYS “Worsted weight” board on Pinterest for lots of other ideas. In particular, don’t miss “Memphre,” a free hat pattern for Artisan.

Look for Artisan in the worsted weight section at the shop, and look out for more new Berroco goodies on the blog soon!

Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits Gifts.

Posted by Julia on September 21, 2015

Two more new knitting magazines have found their way to the shop, packed with ideas for fall stitching!

This issue of Vogue Knitting is anchored by two spreads of color-themed pattern collections, one all in teal, and another all in black and white.

I also spotted a feature on double knitting, a technique that creates two layers of fabric at once, making a cozy, reversible piece. This “Semicircular Double-Knit Shawl” is made in three shades of Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, a lovely yarn we just welcomed to the shop this month.

Interweave Knits Gifts is an annual special issue full of knitted gift ideas, Interweave’s yearly reminder to start working on holiday gifts before it’s too late.

You’ll find a wider variety of patterns in this issue than most, going beyond garments and accessories to include home goods, decorations, and things for children.

Some of these patterns are aimed at last-minute gift-knitters, or those with long lists of handknit-worthy recipients, who know the value of a beautiful gift that works up quickly. To that end, I noticed two familiar yarns from our Super-Bulky Weight department put to good use in this issue. The “Alpaca Poncho” below is made in Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande, and the “Orchid Scarf” calls for Berroco Peruvia Quick.

Come by the shop to browse the latest magazines, which can be found on the teacart in the front room, right as you enter the shop. See you there!

Show and tell, and lots of it.

Posted by Julia on August 28, 2015

One of our greatest joys as yarn-shopkeepers is seeing what knitters, crocheters, and weavers make with our yarns. I’m always collecting photos of finished projects as they come through the shop for show and tell, letting them build up until I have enough for good-sized blog post. There have been so many exciting new yarns at the shop this month that I’ve let the show and tell build up entirely too much. Settle in for a marathon show and tell post!

Debbie brought her “Technicolor Cowl” in recently to show us how it came out. While the pattern calls for eight mini-skeins of Dream in Color Classy in eight different shades, she used just three shades, for a more intentional yet no less vibrant color combination.

Here’s another finished product in Dream in Color yarn: Paula’s “In Threes,” knit in the decadent Classy with Cashmere.

Paula came in with a bundle of show and tell, in fact. She knit this “Winter Woods Hat” from the 2014 issue of Interweave Knits Gifts using Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light. The combination of stripes, colorwork, and a little bit of lace intrigued her, and she executed all three perfectly.

Paula’s “Cassandre Cowl” is particularly beautiful, with its grand colorwork motifs and delicate picot edging. The pattern is from Knitscene Accessories, 2014, and the yarn is the always delightful Swans Island Natural Colors Merino Fingering.

Debra has been a busy knitter lately; she too came in with a bag full of finished projects to share. Above is her “Horse Beanie,” knit in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

Debra’s biggest knitting accomplishment of late has been this “Shetland Knee Rug and Throw,” from Martin Storey’s Scottish Knits, knit in the incomparable Fibre Company Acadia. On a real colorwork kick, she used the leftovers to design and knit this hat, incorporating a found chart of birds on a wire.

Since purchasing a Schacht Cricket Loom, Sue’s show and tell has switched from knitting to weaving.

She wove this scarf with a variety of plant fiber yarns, some solid, like Habu Cotton Nerimaki Slub, and some variegated, like Linen Concerto.

Sue has been particularly keen on weaving with variegated yarns, marveling, as I often do, at how differently those yarns behave in woven fabric than in knitted fabric.

She came in with her loom to show us her latest project, made with the leftover yarn from a shawl she knit, studded with random stripes of Isager Alpaca 1 in a contrasting color. We laid the knit shawl next to the woven fabric on the loom and studied the differences, which colors stand out, how they pool and pattern.

Kathryn dreamed up and knit this sweet polar bear sweater for her soon-to-be son using Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

I’m so impressed by this little sweater, from the classic color combination to her expertly self-designed colorwork charts to the perfect buttons. Bravo, Kathryn!

A hearty thanks to all the fiber artists who start their projects here and share their work with us! We love to see our yarns grow up into finished garments, and are so inspired by the work you do. See you at the shop!

New colors in Modern Cotton.

Posted by Julia on January 18, 2015

Berroco has dreamed up a few new colors for their Modern Cotton yarn, filling out their palette of crayon-bright colors with some more subdued hues.

Berroco Modern Cotton is a worsted weight blend of cotton and rayon, and since it’s arrival last spring, it’s become a staple here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop.

Smooth, soft to the touch, economical, and machine-washable, Modern Cotton has been embraced by knitters and crocheters alike.

It’s perfect for baby sweaters, blankets, and the like, but just as well-suited to grown-up garments like the ones you’ll find in Berroco’s new booklet: #358, Modern Cotton Women.

Last year, designer Amy Christoffers took over Norah Gaughan’s position as Design Director for Berroco, and this collection has a distinct Christoffers look to my eye.

Christoffers seems to specialize in casual, wearable garments, especially those decorated in texture patterns and small lace motifs.

Look for Berroco Modern Cotton in the worsted weight section here at the shop; you’ll find this booklet tucked in the cubby with the yarn. See you there!

Knitscene.

Posted by Julia on January 10, 2015

The Spring 2015 issue of Knitscene is here!

This issue arrived at the shop on one of the coldest days this winter, giving us plenty of warm-weather projects to look forward to.

This cabled tee is knit in Berroco Maya, a lofty blend of cotton and alpaca, and the lightweight pullover below uses two shades of Malabrigo Lace.

Along with patterns for tanks, tees, shawls and other accessories, there’s an article on knitting pockets–an easy way to customize a sweater.

Come by the shop to pick up the latest issue of Knitscene and peruse other recent magazines and books. We hope you find inspiration here!

Norah Gaughan, Vol. 16.

Posted by Julia on December 29, 2014

The latest collection of patterns from designer Norah Gaughan is now here! Take a peek inside volume 16.

For modern shapes and styles and unique garment-construction techniques, we turn to Norah Gaughan. This latest group is knit all in beachy blues, with warm-weather yarns like Maya and Modern Cotton.

Each garment is decorated with a lace motif, often set against simple stockinette.

Come by the shop to see Norah Gaughan’s latest, and flip through her older booklets, too. See you there!

Berroco Peruvia: now on sale!

Posted by Julia on December 22, 2014

UPDATE: As of 12/26/2014, we are totally sold out of Berroco Peruvia! *************************************************************

It’s always bittersweet news when yarns are discontinued. On the one hand, we’re sad to see good yarns go. On the other, we’re happy to announce that said yarn is now on sale. We’re now offering Berroco Peruvia at over 25% off!

Peruvia is an aran weight single ply wool with 174 yards on each 100 gram skein. It’s fuzzy but sturdy, suitable for felting projects, and comes in a range of heathered shades. One skein is enough for a hat or a pair of mittens; a few more will make a scarf or shawlette.

Sale yarns have been going very quickly lately… come by the shop soon to snag a few skeins of Berroco Peruvia before it disappears!

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted yarn. There can be no returns or exchanges, nor special orders–the discount applies only to what we currently have in stock. Thanks!

Hello, Ultra Alpaca Chunky.

Posted by Julia on October 2, 2014

Meet the newest yarn from Berroco, Ultra Alpaca Chunky.

A bulky weight blend of wool and alpaca, Ultra Alpaca Chunky is the newest addition to Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca line.

Each 100 gram skein boasts 131 yards, enough for a hat or a pair of mitts. With a suggested gauge of 3.5 stitches per inch on a US #10, this is instant gratification yarn, perfect for cozy accessories and warm, jacket-like sweaters.

Berroco booklet #349 features patterns for Ultra Alpaca Chunky, a collection of accessories and garments.

A sample of one of these patterns, “Duchamp,” now hangs at the shop, knit in a cheery red.

“Duchamp” is a textured shawl, a modular knit whose construction is sure to keep you interested as you stitch.

Look out for this free pattern tucked into the Ultra Alpaca Chunky cubby–a cozy textured scarf, knit with just 3 skeins.

Come by the shop to see Ultra Alpaca Chunky and plan some instant gratification knitting of your own!

Back in stock: Ultra Alpaca and Ultra Alpaca Fine.

Posted by Julia on September 30, 2014

These mighty big boxes arrived from Berroco last week, with over 30 pounds of Ultra Alpaca yarns in each one. New colors made up some of the weight, as did some old favorites; the rest was a new yarn entirely, but that’s for another post. The unpacking, sorting, storing, and displaying took Anne and I most of a day!

Good old Ultra Alpaca. This 50%/50% blend of wool and alpaca is a classic, with the structure and elasticity of wool and the drape, halo, and softness of alpaca.

It comes in reasonably-priced, 100 gram hanks with 219 yards each; enough yarn to make a small scarf, a hat, or a pair of mittens. Ultra Alpaca comes in a wide range of colors, from fun brights to classic neutrals; I’ve always particularly admired the heathered shades.

Ultra Alpaca is a great sweater yarn, too, as Mindy here can attest. A bit of show and tell: Mindy came in the other day, having heard about our big Berroco shipment, to show off her very first sweater, knit during a “Start Your First Sweater” class here at the shop. She used Ultra Alpaca in a heathered charcoal and a friendly top-down seamless cardigan pattern from our pattern binder. Look at the fabulous result!

We also got new colors in Ultra Alpaca Fine, a fingering weight blend of wool, alpaca, and nylon. Its fiber content and gauge suggest socks, but Ultra Alpaca Fine is equally at home in larger garments, and especially shines in openwork scarves and shawls.

The alpaca content gives it a bit of a fuzzy halo, something to keep in mind if you’re planning a project that requires sharp stitch definition–those fuzzy fibers can obscure delicate texture patterns a bit. That said, those fuzzy fibers also give the finished fabric softness and warmth.

Come by the shop to see all the new colors in Berroco Ultra Alpaca and Ultra Alpaca Fine, and keep them in mind for sweater, sock, and shawl-making this fall. Stay tuned for the newest Berroco yarn, or come by the shop to see it before it hits the blog!

Norah Gaughan, Vol. 15.

Posted by Julia on July 20, 2014

A new Norah Gaughan collection is something to look forward to, and her latest has just arrived at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Look no further than the teacart for Vol. 15!

Using a variety of Berroco yarns and a muted color palette, Gaughan’s designs draw inspiration from maritime motifs this time around. Twisted cables suggest knotted ropes, and muted colors suggest foggy shores.

Come by the shop to see Norah Gaughan’s latest, or peruse her back catalog–all are worth a look, full of interesting shapes and intriguing textures. See you at the shop, hopefully before our Annual Inventory Sale ends on July 31st–all our books, yarns, needles, hooks, bags, notions, and all else are 15% off this month!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Discount applies only to in-store purchases. Thanks!