Tag Archives: churchmouse

Show and tell: stuffed animals.

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It’s been 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!

Carlaine has been knitting her way through Mouche & Friends, Cinthia Vallet’s book of seamless stuffed animals that has captured the hearts of so many knitters here at HYS. Above are “Alphonse the Pig” and “Agi the Sheep,” and below is “Horacio the Donkey” – all knit with CoopKnits Socks Yeah! and several other kinds of fingering weight yarn.

You may recognize the friends pictured below – these are Pamela’s “Frog and Toad,” designed by Kristina Ingrid McGowan. There’s a crochet version, too! Pamela used a mix of CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK, Fibre Co. Acadia, and Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

I have a little show and tell in this vein today, too – below are two “Jolly Wee Elves” I knit with scraps of Brooklyn Tweed Shelter. The pattern is from Churchmouse, a delight every time.

Thanks to Carlaine and Pamela 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.

Back in stock: Malabrigo Noventa!

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We’re pleased to have a cubby full of Malabrigo Noventa again!

Malabrigo Noventa:

  • super bulky weight
  • single ply
  • hand-dyed
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 90 yards/125 g
  • $24 each

Noventa is plush and squishy, perfectly suited to cold-weather accessories, and one skein makes a hat or cowl in a hurry. Think Alice Dunn Smith’s “Winter Harbor Cowl,” Kristel Nieve’s “Sierra Beanie,” or Andrea Riddle & Lora Marin’s “Noventa Cabled Hat.”

Two skeins makes Churchmouse’s popular “Double Split Color-Blocked Cowl,” a cute and cozy accessory; the two pictured here were knit by Sherri and Linda, respectively.

Below are a few more two-color combinations for “Double Split Color-Blocked Cowl” – can’t wait to see what else folks come up with!

Look for Malabrigo Noventa in the super bulky weight section here at HYS! Visit us between 11am-5:30pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Back in stock: Isager Japansk Bomuld.

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Our most recent Isager order included a bundle of Japansk Bomuld, a lustrous lace weight cotton tape.

Isager Japansk Bomuld:

  • lace weight
  • flat tape
  • 100% cotton
  • 344 yards, 50 g
  • $15 each

Japansk Bomuld has been around for about five years, but remains one of the most unique plant fiber yarns in our shop. The knit fabric is crunchy and cool to the touch, ideal for spring and summer tops and accessories.

I used 3 shades of Japansk Bomuld to knit a Churchmouse “Alexandra’s Airplane Scarf” as a shop sample, a trio that made high contrast stripes towards the middle of the scarf, and low contrast at one end.

Though the Isager Japansk Bomuld palette is small, there are plenty of intriguing color trios available – here are a few to consider.

What else to knit with Japansk Bomuld? Hold it together with Silk Mohair for Midori Hirose’s “Ranunculus” or Ragnhild Vaaland’s “Blink” pullover, or hold 3 strands together for PetiteKnit’s “French Market Bag.”

Look for Isager Japansk Bomuld in the lace weight section here at HYS!

Show and tell!

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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!

First up – check out Linda’s Churchmouse “Double Split Color-Blocked Cowl,” knit with Malabrigo Noventa! She knit it up in no time on US 15 needles, an instant gratification kind of project.

Sherri made one, too! It’s always fun to see the same pattern transformed by different colors.

Debbie is a prolific knitter and weaver, among other things – here’s the latest project off her loom, an amazing deflected double weave scarf woven with Brooklyn Tweed Loft. We’re delighted that this springy woolen-spun yarn is back in production after a year of sourcing and supply chain issues!

Margaretta recently knit a pair of Andrea Mowry’s “Curio Socks” with Isager Sock Yarn and Koigu KPPPM – I love how the solid white highlights individual shades in the variegated contrast color!

Anne has been busy knitting samples for the shop – here are two of her recent creations! Above is an “Autopilot” cowl, by Dominique Trad, knit with 2 skeins of Neighborhood Fiber Co. Organic Studio Worsted. Below is her PetiteKnit “Novice Slipover,” knit with Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed. The pattern calls for a DK weight yarn held together with laceweight mohair, but Anne substituted one strand of this tweedy aran weight yarn, with cozy results.

Thanks to Linda, Sherri, Debbie, Margaretta, and Anne 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.

Koigu Collector’s Club: Maie Landra’s Original Paintings.

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The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu. KPPPM is a fingering weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in vibrant colors by mother/daughter team Maie and Taiu Landra on their farm outside of Toronto, Canada.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

This month’s limited edition shade is Maie Landra’s Original Paintings, a variegated mix of deep blues and purples, streaked with shades of gold, berry, and sky blue.

Above is one of Koigu founder Maie Landra’s paintings – head to the Koigu blog to see more, and learn about Landra herself!

We have quite a collection of Koigu KPPPM right now, so much that the yarn has outgrown its cubby – here it is freshly reorganized, a tantalizing color palette. It got me thinking about Churchmouse’s “Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf” pattern, which blends disparate variegated shades into a harmonious fabric that almost looks woven. Here are a few color combinations using Maie Landra’s Original Paintings along with other Koigu Collector’s Club colorways!

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with many others! We’re here from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Back in stock: Fibre Co. Acadia!

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We’re delighted to announce that Fibre Co. Acadia is back in stock!

Fibre Co. Acadia:

  • DK weight
  • 60% merino, 20% alpaca, 20% silk
  • 145 yards/50 g
  • $17.50 each

Acadia has long been a favorite yarn in our DK weight section, especially for projects where softness is key and some drape is welcome. The silk slubs takes the dye differently than the other fibers, giving most colorways a rustic, tweedy appearance, which belies its luxuriously soft hand.

Garments knit with Acadia have a mix of structure and drape. We have a couple of samples knit in Acadia at the shop so you can see and feel this in person; look for the Churchmouse “Easy Folded Poncho” and “Quaking Aspen” shawl next time you’re here.

Here are a few other pattern ideas for Fibre Co. Acadia!

Come by to give Acadia a squeeze and plan your next project! We’re open from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Koigu Collector’s Club: The Marsh.

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The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu. KPPPM is a fingering weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in vibrant colors by mother/daughter team Maie and Taiu Landra on their farm outside of Toronto, Canada.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

This month’s limited edition shade is The Marsh, a beachy colorway streaked with shades of aqua, cream, and gray.

Anne spotted the perfect pattern for this or any shade of Koigu KPPPM – Churchmouse’s “Linen Stitch Loop,” a two color cowl that pairs variegated and solid shades for a pixelated effect.

“Linen Stitch Loop,” by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas, photo © Churchmouse Yarns and Teas

There are so many yarns in our fingering weight section here at the shop – here are a few that complement The Marsh!

  • Kelbourne Woolens Perennial: light fingering weight, 60% superwash merino, 25% suri alpaca, 15% nylon, 497 yards/100 g; $26 each
  • Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering: fingering weight, 100% superwash merino, 200 yards/50 g; $11 each

  • Punta del Este Mericash Solid: fingering weight, single ply, 80% merino, 20% cashmere, 264 yards/50 gm; $18 each
  • Isager Merilin: light fingering weight, 80% wool, 20% linen, 228 yards/50 g; $11 each

  • Baa Ram Ewe Titus: fingering weight, 70% wool, 30% alpaca, 350 yards/100 g, $29 each
  • Fibre Co. Amble: fingering weight, 70% Easy-wash merino wool, 20% Easy-wash alpaca, and 10% recycled nylon, 355 yards/100g; $23 each

 

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, along with Perennial, Fluffy Fingering, Mericash Solid, Merilin, Titus, Amble, and so much more – see you there!

Back in stock: Modern Cotton!

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Berroco Modern Cotton is a staple around here, an economical, machine-washable blend of cotton and rayon in that versatile gauge, worsted weight. It was time for a restock and restock we did, filling our Modern Cotton bins and brightening up our selection.

Berroco Modern Cotton:

  • worsted weight
  • solid colors
  • 50% cotton, 50% rayon
  • 209 yards/100 grams
  • $10 each

Modern Cotton is perfect for warm-weather knits, or year-round for those allergic to wool. It’s also a favorite for baby things – here are some pattern ideas for all of the above!

Look for Modern Cotton in the worsted weight section here at our shop!

Back in stock: Bamboo Pop!

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Just in time for spring, we’ve got a fresh supply of Universal Bamboo Pop!

Universal Bamboo Pop:

  • DK weight
  • solid and variegated shades
  • 50% cotton, 50% bamboo
  • 292 yds/100g
  • $10 each 

We chose a mix of solid and variegated shades, designed to stand alone in one-color projects or pair up for high and low contrast combinations.

Bamboo Pop is made of equal parts cotton and bamboo, plant fibers that are lustrous and have beautiful drape. These qualities make Bamboo Pop ideal for summer tops and accessories. Here are some pattern ideas!

Tees and tanks:

Accessories:

Come by the shop to plan your warm-weather knitting! We look forward to seeing you there.

Hello, Isager Silk Mohair!

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We are delighted to announce a new arrival at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop: meet Isager Silk Mohair!

Isager Silk Mohair:

  • lace weight
  • 70% kid mohair, 30% silk
  • 233 yards/25 g
  • $16 each

Isager is a Danish yarn company led by designers and co-owners Marianne Isager and her daughter, Helga Isager. They are known for combining yarns to create unique fiber and color blends, and for their sophisticated color palette.

Silk Mohair is soft and shiny, lightweight with a fluffy texture, and often used in tandem with heavier yarns. We’ve seen more and more patterns calling for a lace weight mohair like this one, sometimes paired with a fingering weight yarn, sometimes a bulky – stay tuned for more blog posts on how to pair it up! Til then, here are a few ideas for using Silk Mohair on its own, or combined with other lace weight yarns.

Here’s a bit of show and tell, a close up on Margaretta’s own “Windy Fields,” knit with Isager Silk Mohair.

This gorgeous piece was the result of a special order we made for Margaretta before deciding to carry the yarn, and her beautiful knitting put us over the top – we are so happy to have Silk Mohair on our shelves! Look for it in the lace weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, or order online for local pickup or shipping.