Hello, Fibre Company Luma.

Posted by Julia on February 9, 2017

Meet Luma, the newest yarn from the Fibre Company!

Luma is a smooth DK weight blend of 50% merino wool, 25% organic cotton, 15% linen, and 10% silk. This balanced combination of elastic animal fiber and cool plant fiber is ideal for year-round wear, especially in our warm North Carolina climate.

The design team at Kelbourne Woolens have created a small collection of garments for Luma, exactly the kind of seasonless sweaters that suit this lightweight yarn. Print copies are coming to the shop soon, but you can take a peek at them online now. For more pattern ideas, look to our DK weight board on Pinterest, and also to patterns calling for the now-discontinued Fibre Company Savannah, which Luma replaced.

Look for Luma in the DK weight section here at the shop!

Back in stock: UKI Supreme weaving yarns.

Posted by Julia on August 19, 2016

It’s been about a year and a half since we placed our first order with UKI Supreme Corporation, a North Carolina company well known for its cotton weaving yarns. We’ve met more and more weavers in that time, and so, our selection of colors and weights of yarn has grown.

We carry Supreme’s mercerized cotton yarn in three weights: 10/2, 5/2, and 3/2, each in 6 oz mini-cones.

The 10/2 is the thinnest of the three, with ~1575 yards per mini-cone, making it a very fine lace weight. It comes on red cones.

The 5/2 mercerized cotton has ~787 yards per mini-cone, making it a light fingering weight. It can be easily identified by its blue cones.

The 3/2 mercerized cotton is the heaviest of the three, with ~450 yards per mini-cone, putting it somewhere between fingering and sport weight. 3/2 comes on white cones.

I’m working with the 3/2 now on my Schacht Cricket Loom, using the finest available reed, 12 dent. I sketched out the stripe sequence with colored pencils til I came up with one I liked for the warp, and am weaving with a pale solid gray throughout. I hope they make cheerful kitchen towels! You can read more about my experience as a beginner weaver on the Schacht blog, if you like.

In weaving, as in knitting and crochet, it’s so important to be able to see the available colors in person. We can’t keep all 100+ colors in stock, but we’re happy to special order, and we keep color cards on hand for Supreme’s mercerized and un-mercerized cottons.

Come by to pick up some yarn for your next weaving project, and as always, don’t hesitate to ask if we can get something special for you from Schacht or Supreme. See you at the shop!

Going-to-Market Sale spotlight: Fibre Company Savannah.

Posted by Julia on May 15, 2016

From May 10th – June 5th, we have Fibre Company Savannah, Colinette and Schulana yarns discounted during our Going-to-Market Sale: single skeins are 30% off, or 40% off when you buy 10 or more! Throughout the sale, I’ll be highlighting some of these yarns and giving ideas for what to make with them. Today: spotlight on Fibre Company Savannah.

Savannah is a sport weight mix of wool, cotton, linen, and soy, a nice combination of elastic animal fiber and cool plant fiber. Each of those fibers takes the dye differently, giving this yarn a rustic heathered look.

There are loads of lovely patterns out there calling for Savannah, from baby things to hats, shawls, and cowls. “Sweet Bunting” is a yoked baby sweater; “Norie” is a textured lace hat, and “Schieffelin Point,” “Currituck Shawl” and “Wicker Cowl” are all free accessory patterns from Kelbourne Woolens, distributors of Fibre Company yarns. Look for more on our “Sport weight” board on Pinterest!

Fibre Company Savannah is a favorite of ours, and we were sad to learn that it’s no longer manufactured. The Fibre Company folks are busy finding a new mill to spin Savannah, and hope to reconfigure and reintroduce this yarn one day. Til then, come and get what’s left of our Savannah stash at 30% off, or 40% off when you buy 10 skeins or more!

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!

Mirasol Samp’a: now on sale!

Posted by Julia on April 5, 2016

Another discontinued yarn has moved to the Sale Trunk here at the shop: Mirasol Samp’a. It’s a lovely yarn, but since it’s no longer manufactured, we’re now offering it at a deep discount of over 25% off the original price!

Mirasol Samp’a is a DK weight 100% organic cotton, naturally dyed in a pleasing palette of pastels, punctuated by a few brights. Consider this yarn for baby sweaters and blankets, washcloths and market bags, summer shawls and tees. Look for more pattern ideas on our “DK weight” Pinterest board!

Though we’re sad to see good yarns go, we love sharing them with you at a discounted price. Come by to pick up some Samp’a at a great price 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!

New colors in Cutthroat Yarn Gradient Cotton.

Posted by Julia on March 27, 2016

A new batch of colors in Cutthroat Yarn Gradient Cotton now graces our shelves.

Cutthroat Yarn’s Gradients have been warmly welcomed by knitters at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, who are snapping them up for lightweight spring and summer shawls, the likes of “Spearmint Tea,” “Everyday Shawl,” and “Wildheart,” to name a few.

When we heard requests for more blues, greens, and neutral shades, we put it to Jeanette at Cutthroat, and she came up with these four colorways for us.

This run of Gradient Cotton, while maintaining the same yardage, weight, and gauge, is dyed on a different base yarn than the last batch. This a 2-ply fingering weight cotton that’s loosely spun for a soft hand and somewhat rustic texture.

Look for Cutthroat Yarn Gradient Cotton and BFL in the fingering weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

Hello, Pairfect Cotton.

Posted by Julia on March 5, 2016

Our latest acquisition here at the shop is one for sock-knitters: meet Schachenmayr Regia Pairfect Cotton.

Pairfect Cotton is a self-patterning fingering weight blend of 72% cotton, 18% nylon, and 10% polyester. You wont usually find fibers like these on our shelves, but for some sock yarns we make an exception to our all-natural-fibers rule. Small percentages of nylon or polyester are often blended into sock yarns for strength, and in this case, also for elasticity.

Occasionally we get requests for a non-wool sock yarn, but we’ve rarely found one that seems to have enough elasticity for sock-making. Though we haven’t knit with it yet, we can feel the elasticity of Pairfect Cotton just by tugging on it a bit; it bounces back in a way 100% cotton never could.

Just like the original woolen version of Pairfect, Pairfect Cotton is designed to make an identical pair of socks, and does so by marking the beginning of the color repeat with a yellow starter thread. Simply cut off the yellow thread at the beginning, cast on and knit a sock, unwind the yarn til you see another stretch of yellow, and repeat.

Look for Pairfect Cotton and other self-patterning Regia sock yarns here at the shop! See you there.

Hello, Cutthroat Yarn Gradient Cotton.

Posted by Julia on February 15, 2016

Last week, we got another shipment from Cutthroat Yarn in Leesburg, Virginia. Meet the newest of our yarns, Gradient Cotton.

Like Cutthroat Yarn Gradient BFL, Gradient Cotton is a hand-dyed fingering weight self-striping yarn, where each shade is many yards long, for wide stripes. The big difference between these two yarns is in fiber content. The mercerized cotton in Gradient Cotton is grown right here in North Carolina, and like all plant fibers, it makes inelastic, drapey fabric that is cool to the touch, perfect for a lightweight spring or summer accessory.

All of the patterns I mentioned in my recent Gradient BFL post are suitable for Gradient Cotton, too. Consider also Tina Whitmore’s “Radiance Shawlette,” Mindy Ross’s “Reverse Psychology,” and Kateryna Golovanova’s “Spearmint Tea.”

Look for Cutthroat Yarn Gradient Cotton in the fingering weight section here at the shop, on a shelf just beneath Gradient BFL. See you there!

Hello, Shibui Rain.

Posted by Julia on February 12, 2016

We’re delighted to announce the arrival of Shibui’s newest yarn, Rain.

Rain is a dk weight mercerized cotton, but it’s unlike any mercerized cotton we’ve seen. First, its chainette construction sets it apart from more traditional plied cottons, adding a bit of elasticity where plant fibers typically have none. Second, its smooth, shiny texture suggests silk more than cotton; this is truly elegant fiber, and it makes up into gently draping fabric.

Shibui’s Spring/Summer 2016 pattern collection makes good use of Rain, along with Shibui’s other warm-weather yarns, Twig and Linen.

With warm weather in mind, most of these garments are loose-fitting tunics and tops, knit at somewhat open gauges for maximum drape.

Some patterns work with just one strand of yarn, while others mix two yarns together for a unique fiber blend.

“Spectrum” is one such pattern, working Rain and Silk Cloud together for a drapey scarf or wrap with a mohair halo. The pattern is free with the purchase of Shibui yarns for the project.

Anne has already begun knitting two of these new designs, eager to get Rain on her needles.

“Nova” is a sleeveless tunic with a neckline suggesting a mandarin collar, for which Anne selected one of her favorite, most-worn colors, “Abyss.”

She’s also begun work on “Horizon,” a colorblock pullover, using Linen and Cima in the unexpected shade of “Apple.” “Equinox” is also on Anne’s to-knit list, I believe; yes, she’s fallen hard for Shibui’s Spring/Summer collection, indeed.

Look for Rain in the DK weight section here at the shop!

Back in stock: Berroco Modern Cotton.

Posted by Julia on January 30, 2016

Earlier this week, a particularly large box arrived from Berroco, filled with over 40 pounds of Modern Cotton. Since its debut in Spring 2014, Modern Cotton has become a staple here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, so we picked up some of the newest colors and replenished our supply of old favorites. We now have an impressive 25 colors on our shelves!

Modern Cotton is a worsted weight blend of 60% cotton and 40% rayon, perfect for warm-weather knit and crochet projects, or year-round for those allergic to wool.

Modern Cotton is soft in the hand, machine-washable, and affordable, to boot. All of those qualities make it well-suited to blanket-making. Knitters, consider “Chevron Baby Blanket,” “Saurey,” “Hydrangea,” or “Super Easy Crib Blanket.” Crocheters, try “Ripple Blanket,” “Vintage Crocheted Throw & Afghan,” “Oh, the Places You’ll Go Baby Blanket,” or “Crochet Super Easy Baby Blanket.”

Beyond blankets, Modern Cotton will do well in any pattern calling for worsted weight yarn where the drape of plant fibers is welcome. For adult garments, check out Berroco Modern Cotton Women, a collection of patterns by Amy Christoffers featuring sweaters and accessories knit in Modern Cotton. Don’t miss “Watson,” “Carioca,” “Sanpoku,” and “Admit,” free patterns from Berroco for three cardigans and a tank, respectively. Follow us on Pinterest for even more worsted weight pattern ideas!

Look for Berroco Modern Cotton in the worsted weight section here at the shop. See you there!

Knitted Knockers.

Posted by Julia on September 26, 2015

A knitter friend of ours came in some months ago seeking Cascade Ultra Pima for a special project. We’re nosy, so we asked, “What are you planning to make?” Her answer surprised us: Knitted Knockers. She went on to explain that Knitted Knockers are soft, comfortable, knit prosthetics for breast cancer survivors, and our surprise turned to delight. What a good, kind use of one’s knitting time.

Ana has since been making bunches of them, and enlisting her knitter friends to do the same. She’s offered to be a liaison between our shop and the UNC Cancer Center, delivering Knitted Knockers collected here at the shop before October 25th.

Here are the first of our collection, knit by Marian in Cascade Ultra Pima. There are a variety of free patterns available on the Knitted Knockers website, so whether you prefer to knit in the round on double points or use magic loop, knit flat and seam, or crochet, there’s a Knitted Knockers pattern for you.

The knit patterns call for Cascade Ultra Pima, a dk weight 100% cotton that comes in a wide range of colors.

Because crochet is inherently thicker than knitting, the crochet pattern calls for Cascade Ultra Pima Fine, a sport weight version of the same soft, smooth cotton.

Come by to pick out some Cascade Ultra Pima or Ultra Pima Fine to make a pair of Knitted Knockers yourself, and bring the completed pair to the shop by October 25th, 2015. See you there!