Hello, Kelbourne Woolens Erin.

Posted by Julia on January 9, 2024

Brand new from Kelbourne Woolens: meet Erin!

Kelbourne Woolens Erin:

bulky weight
heathered
60% fine Irish wool, 40% New Zealand wool
158 yards/100 grams
$18 each

Erin is a bulky weight wool made in Donegal, Ireland, from a hearty blend of 60% fine Irish wool and 40% New Zealand wool. This rustic, toothy wool is ideal for making rugged sweaters and accessories.

So far, only one pattern has been published for Kelbourne Woolens Erin, a stunning cabled cardigan designed by KW cofounder Kate Gagnon Osborn, “Winter Sweater.”

“Winter Sweater,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn, knit with Kelbourne Woolens Erin. Photo © Kelbourne Woolens

The folks at Kelbourne Woolens are hard at work on a full pattern collection for Erin, and I’m predicting more classic cables – in the meantime, here are some other great ways to use Erin!

“The World’s Simplest Mittens,” by Tin Can Knits – basic stockinette mittens in multiple gauges; for Erin, follow the chunky weight instructions
“Speedy Spunni,” by Skeindeer Knits – colorwork mittens in 2 colors
“Timbo Vest,” by Gabriella Calderini – colorblock broken rib vest in 2 colors
“Grærup Chunky,” by Camila Vad – colorwork pullover in 2 or 6 colors
“Eventyr,” by Skeindeer Knits – colorwork pullover in 2 colors
“Wave of Change Pullover,” by Denise Bayron – stockinette pullover with purl ridge stripes
“Ursa,” by Jacqueline Cieslak – cropped pullover with ribbed detail
“Tähkä cardigan,” by Sari Nordlund – boxy stockinette cardigan

Look for Erin in the bulky weight section here at HYS, along with Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky!

Hello again, Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky.

Posted by Julia on December 12, 2023

As the weather cools and the winter holidays approach, bulky weight yarns become more and more popular here at HYS. With that in mind, we ordered a fresh supply of the soft and cuddly Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky.

Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky:

bulky weight
100% baby alpaca
108 yards/100g
$19 each

Alpaca fiber is known for its fuzzy softness, warmth, and drape, attributes that make it an ideal choice for cozy scarves, cowls, and shawls. Hats, mitts, and sweaters benefit from a more elastic fabric than alpaca tends to create, but you can stitch it on a smaller needle size or in a cable or rib pattern to add structure.

Here are some pattern ideas for Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky!

“Cinder,” by Jared Flood – cabled scarf
“Easy Mistake Stitch Scarf,” by Purl Soho – textured scarf
“Shawl Collared Cowl,” by Alana Dakos – buttoned cowl with garter stitch shawl collar
“Lady’s Mantle,” by Lily Kate France – ribbed radial yoke cowl
“Ribbed Beanie,” by Woolly Wormhead – wide ribbed hat
“Ardleigh,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn – cabled hat

Look for Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky in the bulky weight section here at our shop!

Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge!

Posted by Julia on October 11, 2023

Another new yarn from Brooklyn Tweed! Meet Arbor Lodge.

Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge:

bulky weight
7-ply worsted spun
American Targhee wool
125 yards/100g
$33 each

Arbor Lodge is everything you love about Arbor, but bigger. Plush and bouncy American Targhee wool, smooth texture for sharp stitch definition, a balance of softness and durability – Arbor Lodge is ideal for cold weather accessories and garments.

Jared Flood has designed two brand new patterns for Arbor Lodge, the “Biggie Rib Hat” and “Lodge Pullover.”

Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge knits up in the same gauge range as Quarry, BT’s woolen spun bulky weight yarn, so there’s a vast archive of patterns beautifully suited to this new yarn. Here are some ideas from Brooklyn Tweed and independent designers alike!

Accessories:

“Fidra,” by Gudrun Johnston – textured hat
“Halus,” by Jared Flood – textured hat
“Burnaby,” by Jared Flood – cabled hat
“Reimei Cowl,” by Olga Buraya-Kefelian – brioche cowl
“Swiss Cross Cowl,” by Olga Buraya-Kefelian – colorwork cowl
“Chunky Gansey Cowl,” by Kerry Bullock-Ozkan – textured cowl
“Persimmon Bun Cowl,” by Bristol Ivy – textured cowl
“Byway,” by Jared Flood – cabled scarf/wrap

Garments:

“Alary,” by Paula Pereira – pullover with cabled yoke
“Wave of Change Jacket,” by Denise Bayron – stockinette cardigan with purl ridge stripes
“Ranunculus,” by Midori Hirose – texture and lace yoke pullover, short and long sleeve options
“Ursa,” by Jacqueline Cieslak – cropped pullover with ribbed detail
“Sunday Cardigan,” by PetiteKnit – ribbed yoke cardigan
“Sunday Sweater,” by PetiteKnit – ribbed yoke pullover
“Freja,” by Jared Flood – stockinette A-line cardigan with textured shawl collar

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge and Quarry in the bulky weight section here at HYS!

New colors in Brooklyn Tweed Quarry!

Posted by Julia on July 18, 2023

We’re pleased to announce that Brooklyn Tweed Quarry is back in production with a brand new neutral color palette!

Quarry is Brooklyn Tweed’s thickest yarn, a bulky weight, woolen-spun Targhee-Columbia wool with an unexpected combination of texture and structure. It looks like a single ply, but is actually constructed with three loosely-spun plies for a smooth, round yarn.

Brooklyn Tweed Quarry:

bulky weight
woolen-spun
100% Targhee-Columbia wool
200 yards/100 g
$25 each

When Brooklyn Tweed’s long-time dyehouse closed in late 2021, they were left unable to produce the iconic heathered colorways of Shelter, Loft and Quarry. After many months of hard work by the BT team and their new dyehouse partner, Tintoria Piana US, we’re delighted to be able to restock these yarns! Read more about the process behind the scenes on Brooklyn Tweed’s blog post, “The Road To Restock.”

Colors in the left cubby are older stock, and we’re limited to whatever we have on hand, but the colors in the right cubby are current, and we’ll be able to reorder them as they dwindle.

What to knit with Brooklyn Tweed Quarry? Here are some pattern ideas!

Accessories:

“Fidra,” by Gudrun Johnston – textured hat
“Halus,” by Jared Flood – textured hat
“Burnaby,” by Jared Flood – cabled hat
“Swiss Cross Cowl,” by Olga Buraya-Kefelian – colorwork cowl
“Chunky Gansey Cowl,” by Kerry Bullock-Ozkan – textured cowl
“Byway,” by Jared Flood – cabled scarf/wrap

Of all the bulky weight yarns we carry, Quarry may be the best suited to sweater making because of its woolen-spun construction – the fabric it makes is cozy but lightweight, and holds its shape beautifully. Here are some pattern ideas for garments in Quarry!

Garments:

“Alary,” by Paula Pereira – pullover with cabled yoke
“Wave of Change Jacket,” by Denise Bayron – stockinette cardigan with purl ridge stripes
“Ranunculus,” by Midori Hirose – texture and lace yoke pullover, short and long sleeve options
“Ursa,” by Jacqueline Cieslak – cropped pullover with ribbed detail
“Sunday Cardigan,” by PetiteKnit – ribbed yoke cardigan
“Sunday Sweater,” by PetiteKnit – ribbed yoke pullover
“Freja,” by Jared Flood – stockinette A-line cardigan with textured shawl collar

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Quarry in the bulky weight section here at HYS!

Hello, Germantown Bulky!

Posted by Julia on October 8, 2022

The weather is finally cooling down, and it has us reaching for cozier yarn. Meet the newest yarn in our shop, Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky!

Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky:

bulky weight
4ply, worsted spun
100% North American wool
123 yards/100g
$16 each

Like the worsted weight Germantown before it, Germantown Bulky is smooth and sturdy, a classic and versatile worsted spun wool yarn. Germantown Bulky feels softer to our hands, squishy and springy and absolutely ideal for cold weather accessories.

“Wister Hat,” by Courtney Kelley. Photos by Linette Kielinski © Kelbourne Woolens

One skein is enough for a hat, and the folks at Kelbourne Woolens are designing one for every month of this year. Even better, every one of these patterns is free to download from Ravelry – look there for the “Wister Hat” above, the “Upsala Hat,” “Sedgwick Hat”, and “Fernhill Hat” below, among others. Stay tuned for the rest of their Year of Bulky Hats!

“Upsala Hat,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn. Photos by Linette Kielinski © Kelbourne Woolens

“Sedgwick Hat,” by Courtney Kelley. Photos by Linette Kielinski © Kelbourne Woolens

“Fernhill Hat,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn. Photos by Linette Kielinski © Kelbourne Woolens

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky in the bulky weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays, and also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping. We do require masks for in-store shopping – thanks for your participation!

Silk Mohair + Quarry.

Posted by Julia on November 10, 2021

Isager Silk Mohair is the newest yarn here at our shop, a fine and fluffy yarn that plays well with others. We are particularly enthused about pairing it with Brooklyn Tweed Quarry, a woolen spun yarn found in our bulky weight section. Silk Mohair brings softness and a fuzzy halo to Quarry, which is lofty and structured, ideal for a cozy winter sweater.

Anne knit up a simple hat with this alluring combination, following Earth Guild’s “Super Simple Circular Hat Calculator.”

Isager Silk Mohair: lace weight, 70% kid mohair, 30% silk, 233 yards/25 g, $16 each
Brooklyn Tweed Quarry: bulky weight, 100% Targhee-Columbia wool, 200 yards/100 g, $25 each

One skein of each will make a hat like Anne’s; here are some more pattern ideas for this yarn pairing!

“Novice Sweater – Chunky Edition,” by PetiteKnit – top-down, circular yoke pullover
“Novice Cardigan – Chunky Edition,” by PetiteKnit – top down, circular yoke cardigan
“Sunday Sweater,” by PetiteKnit – top-down, ribbed yoke pullover
“Carbeth Swan Dance,” by Kate Davies – bottom-up, lace paneled, funnel-neck pullover
“Cool Cape,” by Anna & Heidi Pickles – hooded or turtleneck poncho
“Edie hat,” by Sari Nordlund – double-layered hat

Look for Isager Silk Mohair in the lace weight section and Brooklyn Tweed Quarry in the bulky weight section – see you at the shop!

New colors in Malabrigo Mecha!

Posted by Julia on October 14, 2021

We are thrilled to have brand new colors in Malabrigo Mecha!

Malabrigo Mecha:

bulky weight
single ply
hand-dyed
100% superwash merino wool
131 yards/100 grams
$16 each

These six shades are from Malabrigo’s Women on Screen collection, a palette of tonal pastels and low-contrast variegated colorways.

Because it’s so soft and easily machine-washable, Mecha is ideal for making cozy accessories and baby things. Here are a few pattern ideas:

“Light Bulky Bundle,” by Jill DeMarco – three textured hats
“Love Your Lands Beanie,” by Smeeny Beanie Knits – broken rib hat
“Amiga Beanie,” by Kristel Nieves – colorwork hat
“Wicker Basket Cowl,” by Kristel Nieves – textured cowl
“Mekong River Mitts,” by BKnitsHandmade – textured mittens
“#30 Easy Bulky Sweater – child and adult,” by Melinda Goodfellow
“Owlet,” by Kate Davies – cabled sweater with owl motif

Look for Malabrigo Mecha in our bulky weight section here at the shop! We are also happy to take your order online for local pickup or shipping – just fill out our online order form and we’ll get back with you as soon as possible.

New colors in Berroco Ultra Wool Chunky.

Posted by Julia on October 28, 2020

We recently got a big bundle of new colors from Berroco in yarns across their line of machine-washable wools – Ultra Wool DK, Ultra Wool (worsted weight), and Ultra Wool Chunky. Today, let’s take a look at Ultra Wool Chunky!

Berroco Ultra Wool Chunky:

bulky weight
100% superwash wool
145 yards/100g
$12 each

Ultra Wool Chunky is a 100% superwash wool that’s soft, sturdy, and economical, perfect for cozy garments and accessories for adults and children alike. Here are some pattern ideas:

“Instance,” by Alicia Plummer – colorwork hat
“Ridgefield Hat” – cabled hat
“Cocoa Cowl,” by Tif Neilan – twisted rib and slip stitch cowl, combines bulky and super bulky weight yarns – try Malabrigo Rasta!
“Snow Day Stocking,” by Purl Soho – marled Christmas stockings
“The World’s Simplest Mittens,” by Tin Can Knits – mittens for all sizes, in four gauges – use the chunky weight instructions for Ultra Wool Chunky
“Twice Reversible Ribbed Poncho,” by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas
“Bennett,” by Amy Christoffers – cabled pullover
“Audrey’s Cardigan,” by Elisabeth Smith – stockinette cardigan with contrast color micro-stripes along hem and cuffs

Order online for local pickup or shipping!

Sale Spotlight: Isager Alpaca 3.

Posted by Julia on July 6, 2020

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!

“Brampton,” by Tamy Gore – cabled cowl
“Half & Half Cowl,” by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas – ribbed split cowl
“Getting Warmer,” by Espace Tricot – garter stitch cowl with ribbed edge

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!

Hello, Isager Alpaca 3.

Posted by Julia on January 21, 2020

This week we welcomed a brand new yarn from Isager – meet Alpaca 3!

Alpaca 3 is a bulky weight blend of alpaca and wool, soft and lofty due to its chainette construction. This yarn has tremendous elasticity, making it a pleasure to work with and surely a pleasure to wear.

Alpaca 3 is one in a series of alpaca yarns from Danish yarn company Isager. We also carry the lace weight Alpaca 1 and fingering weight Alpaca 2.

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!

A photograph can’t do this yarn justice; you must come in and touch. See you at the shop!