Tag Archives: cashmere

New colors in String Theory sock yarns.

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Anne and I always keep a close eye on our cubby of String Theory Caper Sock and Bluestocking, sure to point it out to those seeking special sock yarns. We also pay close attention to our supply of these yarns because it’s such a pleasure to have a chance to place an order with Karen and Tanis, who dye these vibrant yarns in Blue Hill, Maine. When it’s time to reorder, we gaze giddily at the String Theory website, picking out some new colors and some old favorites. I’m happy to report that our most recent String Theory order is here, and it brought four colors each in Caper Sock and Bluestocking.

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Caper Sock is a plump and springy sock yarn, composed of 80% superwash merino wool, 10% cashmere, and 10% nylon. The tight twist and the nylon content ensures that Caper Sock is sturdy enough to withstand the kind of wear that socks put up with, but it’s great for other garments, as well. I’ve used Caper Sock to make a scarf, my North Arrow, because it’s so soft, I wanted it wrapped around my neck all winter. That said, I’m just finishing up a pair of socks with this stuff, which I absolutely can’t wait to slide my feet into.

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Bluestocking is a lustrous sock yarn, composed of 80% superwash Bluefaced Leicester wool and 20% nylon, for durability. Like Caper Sock, Bluestocking makes a great pair of socks, but it is equally at home in a scarf or shawl, at a slightly larger gauge.

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Come by the shop to get yourself a special skein of String Theory yarn, and to plan your next project!

Hello, Pebble.

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Last week, I gave a brief introduction to Shibui here on the blog–their yarns, patterns, “mix” concept for combining yarns, beautiful coordinated colorways, and luxury fibers. This week, I wanted to give each of the three Shibui yarns we carry a chance to shine. Having given Cima and Silk Cloud the spotlight earlier in the week, it’s time for Pebble.

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Pebble is a lace weight blend of 48% recycled silk, 36% wool, and 16% cashmere, boasting 224 yards on each 25 gram skein. This carefully crafted blend of fibers feels soft on the skein, but softer still once it’s made up into fabric. Each of Pebble’s three plies is made of a separate fiber, so that you can see how each one takes the dye somewhat differently. Its tweedy look sets it apart from the other Shibui yarns we carry, and indeed, from most other yarns you’ll find in the “Lace Weight” section of the shop.

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Pebble is Shibui’s newest concoction, and it’s been introduced this fall along with a series of knitting patterns that make use of it held singly or doubly. You’ll find the Pebble pattern collection in the Shibui binder at the shop, which gives a preview of each Shibui pattern. If you find a pattern you like, you can buy it from us as a Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sale and we’ll print a copy for you and send a digital copy to your email or Ravelry library.

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This colorwork-yoked sweater, “Cliff,” is another Shibui garment we fell in love with at TNNA. Pebble has a bit of a fuzzy halo when it’s knit, washed, and blocked, and it was the softness and delicacy of this yarn that turned our heads towards Shibui in the first place.

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Look on the Shibui website for the Cliff Hat, a free pattern for Pebble. When searching for other pattern ideas, remember that Pebble is a lofty lace weight yarn, comfortable at a range of gauges. When held double, or paired with Silk Cloud or Cima, Pebble makes a dk weight, so you might hunt through your Ravelry queue for patterns with a suggested gauge of about 5.5 stitches per inch. Follow us on Pinterest for more Pebble pattern ideas; our “Inspiring Stitches” board is a collection of patterns and projects that make good use of yarns that are available at HYS. I’ve been pinning Shibui pattern ideas all week, so if you’re seeking Shibui inspiration, look for us on Pinterest.

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Come by the shop to see Pebble, Silk Cloud, and Cima, and to peruse the Shibui pattern binder. There are still some open spaces in our upcoming Shibui Mix Party–you can sign up on our website, where you’ll also find information about our latest classes. See you at the shop!

 

Back in stock: Smooshy with Cashmere.

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Another luscious fingering weight yarn arrived this week: Dream in Color’s Smooshy with Cashmere.

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Smooshy with Cashmere is an aptly-named blend of 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, and 10% nylon. It’s hand-dyed in variegated and semi-solid colorways, deliciously soft and squishy, perfect for next-to-skin wear.

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We first ordered Smooshy with Cashmere about a year and a half ago, and it quickly found its following. Some knitters have used Smooshy with Cashmere for socks, for which it’s plenty hearty, but many more have used it for openwork shawls and scarves–a Multnomah or Holden Shawlette would be perfect, and both of those patterns are available as free downloads from Ravelry.

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It would be equally an lovely yarn for a special baby gift–think Purl Soho’s Little Baby Sweater or one of the sweet, simple garments from Susie Haumann’s booklet All You Knit is Love.

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Come by the shop to pet the Smooshy with Cashmere and plan your next project. See you there!

Back in stock: String Theory sock yarns.

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We’re pleased to announce the arrival of an armful (or two) of String Theory sock yarns. Our supply of Caper Sock and Bluestocking sadly diminished, we placed an order with the lovely Karen and Tanis, who dye these vibrant yarns in Blue Hill, Maine. We picked some new colors and some old favorites, and the result is a very tempting cubby full of colorful yarns.

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Bluestocking is a lustrous sock yarn, composed of 80% superwash Bluefaced Leicester wool and 20% nylon, for durability. Because of it, Bluestocking makes a great pair of socks, but it is equally at home in a scarf or shawl, at a slightly larger gauge.

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Caper Sock is a plump and springy sock yarn, composed of 80% superwash merino wool, 10% cashmere, and 10% nylon. The tight twist and the nylon content ensures that Caper Sock is sturdy enough to withstand the kind of wear that socks put up with, but, like Bluestocking, it’s great for other garments, as well. I’ve used Caper Sock to make a scarf, my North Arrow, because it’s so soft, I wanted it wrapped around my neck all winter.

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Come by the shop to check out both of String Theory’s excellent sock yarns, as well as their Selku and Merino DK, which we also stock. See you there!

 

Hello, String Theory Merino DK.

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The recent publication of my Welting Fantastic Cowl + Mitts led to an increased interest in String Theory Merino DK, specifically, in the Garnet colorway. When it vanished from the yarn tree in the DK weight corner, Anne and I did a quick inventory and talked ourselves into a Merino DK order. “We’ll have to get more Garnet,” we told one another, “and wouldn’t it be nice to have Merino DK in Charcoal? And Pewter?” It doesn’t take much for us to call String Theory; we love everything about their yarn, from ordering to unpacking to photographing to knitting to wearing it.

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The box arrived yesterday, and it was a pleasure to unpack. This squishy, soft, superwash merino wool is perfect for so many projects–hats, mitts, scarves, shawls and other accessories, and sweaters for adults and children alike. I enjoyed every stitch of my Welting Fantastic Cowl and Mitts, and I’m sure I’ll use the Merino DK again when my next project wants between 5 + 6 stitches per inch from a yarn that holds its shape and has great stitch definition.

We couldn’t resist ordering just a few more colors of String Theory Caper Sock. Here are a few lighter colors, to brighten up the String Theory sock yarn cubby. From left to right: Pewter, Atlantis, Light Teal, and Mead. If you haven’t yet tried this soft-and-sturdy blend of superwash merino, cashmere, and nylon, consider Caper Sock for your next fingering weight project.

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Come by the shop to see all the String Theory yarns. See you there!

New colors in Caper Sock and Bluestocking.

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String Theory yarns are a favorite here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Hand-dyed in Blue Hill, Maine, vivid in color, soft as can be–we’re always delighted to open a box from String Theory. Yesterday I got to do just that.

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We got two kinds of String Theory sock yarns: four colors in Caper Sock, a cashmere-spiked merino wool, and six in Bluestocking, a sturdy, lustrous yarn made of Bluefaced Leicester wool. A modest order; just enough to plump up a sad, empty cubby in the Fingering Weight section. Both Caper Sock and Bluestocking are excellent for socks, but they are equally well-suited to scarves, shawls, hats, or fingerless mitts. Come by the shop to see these new colors, and grab a coveted skein or two while they last!

Back in stock: Habu cashmere.

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I’m happy to report that we have reordered Habu N-86 2/26 Cashmere, a lace weight yarn made of 100% cashmere.

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Since it first arrived back in August, it has been petted, admired, and then it quietly sold out, one soft, tiny skein at a time. One day we turned around and there were only five little balls of the stuff in their basket. Time to reorder, indeed.

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This time, we branched out some from the neutral colors and included a rich red and a cool seafoam green. This yarn is happy when held singly for a delicate shawl, and perhaps even happier when two strands are held together to create a more substantial fabric.

Come by the shop to take a look, especially if you’d missed it the first time around. See you there!

More new colors from String Theory.

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String Theory Hand Dyed Yarns are a Hillsborough Yarn Shop favorite. After being closed for reorganization, we reopened the shop with new colors in three String Theory yarns: Caper Sock, Bluestocking, and Merino DK.

You can find them all in the second room of the shop. Caper Sock and Bluestocking share a basket in the Fingering Weight section, and Merino DK hangs on a yarn tree in the DK Weight corner. See you there!

Habu N-86 2/26 Cashmere.

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The first of our orders from TNNA have begun to arrive, and this one was met with a gasp of excitement from Anne: N-86 2/26 Cashmere, from Habu Textiles.

N-86 2/26 Cashmere may not be a romantic name, but the yarn itself is lovely, a lace weight 100% cashmere that works well held single- or double-stranded. It is ideal for shawls and scarves, or any project where a delicate, soft texture is desired. When Anne fell head over heels in love with it at market, we selected a small spectrum of neutral shades, from dark charcoal to ivory.

We also ordered a few new colors in A-20/21 1/20 Silk Stainless, a lace weight yarn made of stainless steel wrapped in silk. A-20/21 1/20 Silk Stainless is one of the yarns used in the popular Kusha Kusha scarf kit from Habu Textiles. For those who want the yarn on its own, we now have six colors available.

Find Habu N-86 2/26 Cashmere and A-20/21 1/20 Silk Stainless in a prominent place in the second room of the shop, where the lighter weight yarns live.

New colors from String Theory.

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Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve gotten a couple of boxes from String Theory. As I’m sure you know by now, we love boxes from String Theory, because along with the colorways we’ve come to know and love come the colorways we’ve never seen before. Tanis and Karen do amazing things with yarn and dye, and Anne and I are delighted to see what they’ve come up with. Most recently, we’ve received new colors in Selku, a sport weight merino and silk, and Caper Sock, a fingering weight superwash merino blended with cashmere for softness and nylon for strength. I know I’ve sung the praises of these yarns many times, but I can’t let a new shipment from String Theory come and go without devoting a blog post to it. Take a look at these colors!

 

As much as I love the Caper Sock, It’s the Selku I’ve got my eye on. So far I’ve seen an exquisite Marianne Isager sweater started in it, along with two shawls. Over and over again, I pick String Theory’s deep blue, Cobalt. I used it in Caper Sock on my North Arrow scarf, and then again in a pair of Bluestocking socks. As much as I love Cobalt, I’m not sure I can justify using it a third time, but I’m anxious to try Selku. What would you do with 378 yards of shimmering sport-weight wool and silk?

Come by the shop to take a closer look!