Tag Archives: cowls

Cima + Kinetic.

Posted by on

“Kinetic” is a mistake-rib cowl designed by Antonia Shankland, where two colors are blended together at the center, making a marled fade.

It’s knit with two strands of Cima held together, making a super soft and springy fabric that’s perfect for wrapping up in. My very favorite cowl was knit with 2 strands of Cima held together, so I can attest to its coziness – it’s years old now, but still the one I reach for all fall and winter!

The “Kinetic” pattern is free from Shibui – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order. You’ll need 3 skeins each in two colors.

Shibui Cima:

  • lace weight
  • 70% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool
  • 328 yards/50 g
  • $16.50 each

We have a big selection of colors available in Cima, and there are lots of intriguing ways to combine them – here are a few that caught my eye.

 

If any of these color combinations grabs you, order online for local pickup or shipping! We’re also happy to help put together a custom colorway just for you – just let us know what shades you love!

 

Nest + Silk Cloud + Standing Tall!

Posted by on

 

Here’s another soft and squishy Shibui yarn pairing, a bit like the “Helix” hat I wrote about earlier this month, but with a twist.

In her “Standing Tall, Hat & Cowl Collection,” designer Lucinda Iglesias matches Shibui Nest with Shibui Silk Cloud, a delightful combination that’s just right for a cozy hat or cowl.

The pattern includes instructions for two hats and cowls – a simpler set as well as a cabled variation. The simpler version is shown here in gray, mostly stockinette with a swath of ribbing; the cabled one is below, in red.

 

 

Shibui Nest:  DK weight, 75% fine Highland wool, 25% alpaca, 175 yards/50 g; $20 each ($22 for Julie Hoover colorways)

Shibui Silk Cloud:  lace weight, 60% mohair, 40% silk, 330 yards/25 g; $26.50 each ($28.50 for Julie Hoover colorways)

 

  • For either of the hats: 1 skein each of Nest and Silk Cloud
  • For either of the cowls: 2 skeins of Nest and 1 skein of Silk Cloud
  • For a matching set: 3 skeins of Nest and 2 skeins of Silk Cloud

Shibui’s colorways are the same from yarn to yarn, though each shade looks a little different depending on the fibers in play. Most of these pairs are made from matching colorways, but a few are near matches, which will bring a little more depth to the resulting fabric.

The pattern is free when you buy 1 skein each of Nest and Silk Cloud – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order.

Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Comfy Cozy and Admit One.

Posted by on

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. This month, we got not one, but TWO new colorways!

Koigu KPPPM:

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

Comfy Cozy is dyed on KPPPM, Koigu’s classic fingering weight merino that we’ve come to know so well throughout the Collector’s Club.

Koigu Sparkle:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 94% merino wool, 6% lurex – silver metallic
  • 164 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

Admit One is a playful pastel colorway with streaks of brighter shades and a silver shimmer. It’s dyed on Sparkle, Koigu’s metallic cousin to KPPPM.

What to make with all these Koigu Collector’s Club colorways? Just as we have two new colorways, we also have two pattern suggestions with color combinations – Anne and I each had an idea this time, and we both happened to pair up Koigu with a Brooklyn Tweed yarn!

Ankestrick’s new “Sydvester” pullover caught Anne’s eye, an intriguing slip stitch pattern combining fingering and worsted weight yarns. She suggests Brooklyn Tweed Shelter and Koigu for this project, her interest piqued by the interplay of rustic heathers and playful variegates.

I had Francoise Danoy’s “Ocean Pathways Cowl” in mind for the following combinations.

For this pattern, I selected three shades of Koigu KPPPM or Sparkle for the contrast colors, and a darker shade of Brooklyn Tweed Peerie for the background color.

Order online to snag any of the Collector’s Club colorways pictured above, with or without their Brooklyn Tweed counterparts! They’re all available for local pickup or shipping while supplies last.

Cody + Arroyo + The Shift.

Posted by on

We’re so pleased to have a new bundle of Malabrigo Arroyo in stock!

Malabrigo Arroyo:

  • sport weight
  • hand-dyed
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 335 yards/100g
  • $18.40 each

Unpacking and arranging the Arroyo had me daydreaming about Andrea Mowry’s “The Shift” again, thinking about what other sport weight yarns would play well with Arroyo in this slip stitch cowl. That brought me to Mountain Meadow Wool Cody, a springy and soft 2-ply merino.

Mountain Meadow Wool Cody:

  • sport weight
  • hand-dyed
  • 100% nonsuperwash merino wool
  • 200 yards/50 g
  • $9.80 each

Mountain Meadow Wool is a small yarn company out of Wyoming that is dedicated to producing locally sourced and naturally processed yarns. Run by co-owners Karen Hostetler and Valerie Spanos, Mountain Meadow Wool seeks to support the ranching industry, thereby preserving the open spaces of the American West. Thinking of those open spaces and others, I’ve named each of these “The Shift” colorways for mountain ranges around the country.

Order online if one of these colorways sparks your curiosity, or if you’d like to see a special combination just for you! We’re happy to help you plan your next project, and can ship your order or hold it here at the shop for local pickup. Thanks for all your support through our temporary closure to walk-ins!

Wooly Worsted + Yipes Stripes Cowl.

Posted by on

Along with our recent Ewe Ewe Sporty restock, we also replenished our supply of Wooly Worsted. This plush worsted weight superwash merino is a staple here at our shop, whether for baby blankets, children’s sweaters, or accessories for all ages.

Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted:

  • worsted weight
  • solid colors
  • 100% superwash merino
  • 95 yards/50 g
  • $10 each

Anne has used Wooly Worsted many times – here’s her “Yipes Stripes Cowl,” designed by Ann Weaver.

There are all kinds of knitting techniques tucked into this one little project, from a turned hem to two- and three-color braids, with stripes and slipped stitches in between. All these ways of playing with color make for an engaging knit. Want to make a “Yipes Stripes Cowl” of your own? Here are some colorways to choose from!

Order online if one of these colorways sparks your curiosity, or if you’d like to see a special combination just for you! We’re happy to help you plan your next project, and can ship your order or hold it here at the shop for local pickup. Thanks for all your support through our temporary closure!

Sporty + Arroyo + The Shift.

Posted by on

Ewe Ewe Sporty is back in stock! This sport weight superwash merino has been popular lately, especially for Heather Walpole’s free “Temperature Tee,” so we’re pleased to have refreshed our supply.

Ewe Ewe Sporty:

  • sport weight
  • solid colors
  • 100% superwash merino
  • 145 yards/50 grams
  • $10 each

Sporty is a good fit for Andrea Mowry’s “The Shift,” a cousin of her popular “Nightshift” shawl. “The Shift” is smaller in gauge and in scale, and while it looks like a triangular shawl wrapped around the neck, it’s actually a cowl, which many find easier to wear. You’ll need 200 yards each in three colors, and while there are plenty of tempting combinations in Sporty, I couldn’t resist adding some Malabrigo Arroyo to the mix. These two yarns match in terms of gauge and fiber content, and they bring out the best in one another – here are a few color combinations for “The Shift” cowl!

Malabrigo Arroyo:

  • sport weight
  • hand-dyed, speckled and variegated colorways
  • 100% superwash merino
  • 335 yards/100 g
  • $18.60 each

Order online if one of these colorways sparks your curiosity, or if you’d like to see a special combination just for you! We’re happy to help you plan your next project, and can ship your order or hold it here at the shop for local pickup. Thanks for all your support through our temporary closure!

Julie Hoover + Shibui Knits, Winter 2020.

Posted by on

Designer Julie Hoover has collaborated on something special with Shibui this season – a pattern collection and three special colorways which we are thrilled to have on our shelves now!

Hoover’s three shades are Glacier, Vintage Rose, and Black Plum, an icy pale blue, a pink, and a deep purple. They fit beautifully in Shibui’s existing color palate, but represent distinctly new additions.

These three shades are available in five Shibui yarns: the lace weight Pebble, Silk Cloud, and Tweed Silk Cloud, sport weight Twig, and DK weight Nest.

Julie Hoover has made beautiful use of these yarns in this Winter 2020 collection, combining them to make unique fiber blends and sumptuous textures. She’s brought her signature attention to detail to each one, offering options for customizing many of them.

“Wells” is a cowl that comes in two lengths, for example, and the “Layton” pullover has optional cuffs.

“Blume” is perhaps the most customizable – this sweater comes in a sleeveless style as well as long sleeved, and can be made with Twig alone for a summery feel, or with Twig and Silk Cloud together for more warmth.

We have sample copies of all five patterns available for your perusal; you can purchase any of them on Ravelry. Come by to see these tempting yarns and patterns for yourself!

Sindi.

Posted by on

“Sindi” is a new cowl design from Shibui for their very newest yarn, Nest.

It’s a simple stockinette tube, with a bit of reverse stockinette at the top and bottom, but it’s still an entertaining knit on account of the yarn itself.

“Sindi” is knit holding one strand of Nest together with two strands of Silk Cloud, changing which shades of Silk Cloud are in the mix as you go. This creates a subtle gradient from light to dark, and a luxuriously fuzzy texture. 

Nest in Ivory, Silk Cloud in Ivory, Ash, and Graphite.

I knit our sample “Sindi” using Nest in Ivory and Silk Cloud in Ivory, Ash, and Graphite, a grayscale colorway, but there are so many other options between the Nest and Silk Cloud color palettes. One knitter who saw me working on the sample cleverly came up with a darker gray colorway, for her daughter who loves to wear black. I can’t wait to see it knit up!

Nest in Abyss, Silk Cloud in Ash, Graphite, and Abyss.

Here are a few others I dreamed up as I was photographing the yarn the other day.

Nest in Dusk, Silk Cloud in Ash, Twilight, and Dusk.

Nest in Cove, Silk Cloud in Ash, Fjord, and Cove.

Nest in Suit, Silk Cloud in Shore, Blueprint, and Suit.

Nest in Bordeaux, Silk Cloud in Tango, Bordeaux, and Velvet.

Come by the shop to create your own “Sindi” color combination – we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Nest in Pollen, Silk Cloud in White, Caffeine, and Pollen.

Back in stock: our favorite MDK Field Guides.

Posted by on

The eleventh installment of the Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guide series was a popular one – we ordered and reordered Wanderlust and on both occasions, sold out in no time. For our third order, we decided to bring back some of our other favorite MDK Field Guides, just in case anyone had missed out on them the first time around.

Ann Shayne and Kaye Gardiner’s series of Field Guides are pocket-sized booklets focused on a particular theme or knitting technique. The theme of this eleventh Field Guide is Wanderlust, interpreted by designer Wendy Bernard as a choose-your-own-adventure approach to sock knitting. Summer is a perfect time for a small, portable project like socks – no wonder this Field Guide has been so popular!

Also back in stock is MDK Field Guide No. 5: Sequences, drawing on the inspired work of designer Cecelia Campochiaro. Back in 2017, Anne knit the “Swirl Hat” from this book using Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, a larger gauge than suggested to accommodate the size of her son-in-law’s head – you can read more about that in our original blog post.

Veronik Avery’s “Hadley Pullover” in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter was part of what made MDK Field Guide No. 2 so sought-after. This one focused on Fair Isle knitting, a favorite technique of mine, and Anne’s, too; if you’re intrigued, this little book is a fine and friendly introduction.

We’ve also restocked MDK Field Guide No. 1, a meditation on stripes which features the “Breton Cowl,” knit with the decadent combination of Shibui Drift and Silk Cloud.

Look for these Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guides here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – we hope you find inspiration here!

Shibui Sample of the Month: Gradient.

Posted by on

June is here, and with it, a new Shibui Sample of the Month! Shibui sends us a new sample to share with you every month, and we offer a 10% discount on Shibui yarn purchased for that featured sample while it’s here.

June’s Shibui Sample of the Month is “Gradient,” knit with four shades of Shibui Silk Cloud, a lace weight blend of silk and mohair. The pattern is free when you purchase the yarn from our shop.

In the spirit of the Shibui Mix concept, which encourages the combining of Shibui yarns two or three strands at a time, “Gradient” is worked with three strands of Silk Cloud held together. Periodically, one of those three strands is switched out for a different color, which makes a gentle transition from one color to the next.

Here are a few color combinations I came up with, but there are so many more possibilities – we have over 25 shades of Silk Cloud in stock!

Inspired to make a “Gradient” cowl of your own? I can’t wait to see what other color combinations you creative knitters will come up with. Look for Shibui Silk Cloud in the lace weight section here at the shop, and come by before June 23 to get it at 10% off. See you there!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges, returns, or special orders. Thanks!