Hello, Berroco Ultra Wool DK.

Meet the latest addition to our shop, Berroco Ultra Wool DK!

Berroco Ultra Wool DK is lighter version of the well-loved, worsted weight Ultra Wool – a smooth and sturdy superwash wool, one of the few that suggests “tumble dry low” rather than “lay flat to dry.” That makes it a truly easy-care yarn, perfect for baby and children’s garments, blankets, and everyday accessories.

Each 100 gram ball boasts 292 yards, already wound into a center-pull skein, no less. The center-pull end is neatly tucked into the label, so you don’t have to reach into the depths of the skein to fumble for it, one of the pleasing features of Ultra Wool in both worsted and DK weight.

Look for Ultra Wool DK in our DK weight section here at the shop, and check out all the new colors we got in Ultra Wool worsted, too!

Kelbourne Woolens Pop Collection Trunk Show!

We’re pleased to present our latest Trunk Show: Kelbourne Woolens’ Pop Collection, featuring Fibre Company Arranmore Light!

Kelbourne Woolens is our US distributor of Fibre Company yarns, and as such, they often develop pattern collections for those yarns. The Pop Collection is what they dreamed up this season for Arranmore Light, inspired by fashion, music, and youth culture of the 1960’s.

Arranmore Light is a DK weight tweed, composed of 80% merino, 10% cashmere, and 10% silk.

We’re offering a 10% discount on Arranmore Light for as long as this Trunk Show is on display, so be sure to visit us before December 10th to take advantage of that!

A reminder: discounted yarns are considered final sale, meaning no returns or exchanges can be made after purchase. Thanks!

Fibre Company Trunk Show!

Our latest trunk show arrived a few days earlier than expected, a pleasant surprise that has filled our walls with beautiful handknits. Come by the shop to see an excerpt from Fibre Company’s Fell Garth II collection, all knit with Arranmore Light!

Arranmore Light is a DK weight tweed, composed of 80% merino, 10% cashmere, and 10% silk. Each 100 gram skein has a generous 328 yards, so that most sizes of these sweaters can be made with just 4 – 6 skeins.

We don’t have print copies of these patterns, but they’re all available individually on Ravelry:

Come by the shop soon to see this collection for yourself! It’s such a treat to try them on for size and admire the stitching up close. We’re offering a 10% discount on Arranmore Light during the show, too – hope to see you there!

A reminder: discounted yarns are considered final sale, meaning no returns or exchanges can be made after purchase. Thanks!

Hello, CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK.

We’re excited to announce the arrival of another new fall yarn: meet CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK!

Socks Yeah! DK is a thicker version of CoopKnits Socks Yeah!, from designer Rachel Coopey. Both yarns are smooth, tightly plied blends of superwash merino and nylon, which make them perfect for sock-making, as the name suggests. To that end, Coopey has so far published one pattern for this new yarn, a two-tone pair of socks called “Bob.”

But soft, easy-care DK weight yarns have plenty of applications beyond socks. Baby and children’s things come to mind, little sweaters like Dani Sunshine’s “Pixie Dust,” tincanknits’ “Peanut” and “Tenderheart,” and all the squeezable toys from Ella Austin’s Dovestone Smallholding collection. Also consider Socks Yeah! DK for everyday accessories, like Churchmouse’s classic “Welted Fingerless Gloves” and “Welted Cowl & Infinity Loop,” or Sarah Young’s “Rikke Hat.” 

Look for more pattern ideas on our “DK weight” Pinterest board, and look for CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK in our DK weight section here at the shop. See you there!

Hello, Isager Jensen Yarn.

A brand new yarn has arrived from Isager in Denmark! Meet Jensen Yarn.

Jensen Yarn is named for Danish knitwear designer Ase Lund Jensen, the subject of Marianne Isager’s latest book. It’s a DK weight wool sourced and spun entirely in Denmark, with about 275 yards on each 100 gram skein.

Jensen Yarn is smooth and round, which will give excellent stitch definition for texture and cable patterns. Wooly and toothsome, Jensen Yarn is not the softest fiber in our shop, but it’s sturdy and full of character, sure to wear well for years to come. I can’t wait to work with it!

Look for pattern ideas on our “DK weight” Pinterest board, and look for Jensen Yarn in the DK weight section here at the shop!

Hello, Fibre Co. Arranmore Light.

We’re excited to announce that the newest yarn from Fibre Company is here: meet Arranmore Light!

A thinner version of the popular Arranmore, Arranmore Light is a DK weight tweed, composed of 80% merino, 10% cashmere, and 10% silk. Both Arranmore yarns are spun in a mill that traces its roots to the tweed industry of 19th century County Donegal in Ireland.

Like any classic tweed, Arranmore Light is dotted with flecks of fiber in contrasting colors, and like any Fibre Company yarn, its colorways and fiber content have been thoughtfully fashioned.

Where Arranmore was lofty for its bulky gauge, Arranmore Light has drape for all-seasons garments and precision for cable and colorwork accessories.

Anne knit one such accessory with sample skeins acquired in advance of our order, thanks to Kelbourne Woolens, our US distributor of Fibre Company yarns.

“Candy Darling” is a hat and mitten set in high contrast colors, with stripes in all directions and playful geometric motifs. It’s part of the Kelbourne Woolens Pop Collection for Arranmore Light, inspired by fashion, music, and youth culture of the 1960’s. The Fibre Company themselves have come out with a new pattern collection: Fell Garth II. Look there for more sweaters knit with Arranmore Light and other Fibre Company yarns, and yet more pattern inspiration on our “DK weight” Pinterest board!

Come by the shop to plan your next project, and head straight for the DK weight section to admire Arranmore Light. See you there!

Dovestone Smallholding Trunk Show!

We were delighted to receive our latest trunk show early – come by the shop between now and the end of August to see the Dovestone Smallholding Trunk Show!

Ella Austin’s Dovestone Smallholding is a book of stuffed toys knit with Baa Ram Ewe Dovestone DK, a soft and beautiful blend of British wools.

We have four of the creatures from the book on display: “Wensleydale Lamb,” “Shetland Pony,” “Plum Pudding Pig,” and “Moggy” the cabled cat.

Anne and I have each made a “Fancy Hen” from this collection and admired many others. If you love or aspire to knit stuffed toys, come by the shop to see these sweet creatures in person! Do so before the end of July and you can get the materials to make them at 15% off. Look for them in the DK weight section!

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

Show and tell: BT Arbor.

We always love to see what you’re making with HYS yarns, and I love to take photos of your beautiful finished pieces to share here on the blog. I have a nice collection to share at the moment, enough for at least three blog posts. Today’s group all happen to be made in the same wonderful yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, a DK weight Targhee wool.

Above is Judy’s “Celtic Myths” shawl, a stockinette crescent with an intricate knitted-on cabled border. This delicious shade of gray is called “Heron,” and like nearly all colors, it’s tricky to photograph accurately, and far more beautiful in person.

One of Arbor’s distinguishing features is its crisp stitch definition, which makes cables, lace, and texture patterns shine. You can clearly see that quality in Judy’s beautifully-knit shawl, and you’ll also see it in each of the garments that follow.

Here’s my “Hirombe” hat in the color “Firebrush,” a shop sample which nicely illustrates another of Arbor’s special qualities: its tremendous elasticity. This is one of my favorite yarn characteristics, and one that suggests good long-term wear. Garments knit with Arbor should wear well and look sharp for years to come. I thoroughly enjoyed Jared Flood’s pattern, as well, especially because it taught me at least three new techniques: a cast-on, an increase, and a decrease I’d never tried before. The twisted stitch pattern is fully reversible; below is the “wrong-side” view, which I think I prefer.

Anne knit a little something with Arbor recently, too: this pair of Churchmouse “Welted Fingerless Gloves” was a Mother’s Day gift for Phyllis, Anne’s mom who recently turned 100. This quick-to-knit gift was well-received; Phyllis reportedly put them right on and said, “They fit like a glove!”

This soft, warm gray is called “Gale,” and one skein of Arbor was plenty for a pair, making this a great pattern for trying out this special yarn.

Above is Glen’s “Herringbone Hat,” knit with Arbor in the excellent high-contrast combination of “Black Fig” and “Hammock,” demonstrating that this yarn is perfect for stranded colorwork, too!

 

Barbara knit not one, but two “Byway” scarves during Marsha’s class on the subject. The purple one on the left is knit with Rowan Pure Wool Worsted, and the white one on the right is Arbor in the color “Hammock.” Though the pattern calls for bulky weight yarn, Barbara knit hers in a worsted and a DK, wanting a narrower finished product.

Thanks to everyone who starts their projects at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and to those who share their progress with us. Come by the shop to pick up some Brooklyn Tweed Arbor for your next project!

Shibui Sample of the Month: Spectrum.

June is here, and with it, a new Shibui Sample of the Month! We offer a 10% discount on Shibui yarn purchased for our featured sample til the end of the month.

This month’s featured sample is “Spectrum,” by Shellie Anderson, a rectangular wrap with sheer stripes. The pattern is free when you purchase Shibui yarns for the project here at our shop. It offers instruction for a scarf size, as well, if it’s a slimmer accessory you’re after.

Two Shibui yarns are paired for this design: Rain, a dk weight cotton, and Silk Cloud, Shibui’s signature lace weight blend of mohair and silk.

Shibui Rain and Silk Cloud in “Ash.”

Pick matching shades, or try a near match for a marled effect.

Left to right: Shibui Rain and Silk Cloud in “Blueprint,” “Apple,” and “Ivory.”

Left to right: Shibui Rain in “Brick” paired with Silk Cloud in “Poppy,” “Brownstone,” and “Rust.”

We’re offering a 10% discount on Shibui Rain and Silk Cloud purchased for this project til the end of the month. Come by the shop to start a “Spectrum” of your own before June 30th!

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

Another Baa Ram Ewe Trunk Show!

Our newest Trunk Show has arrived, another gorgeous group of knits from Baa Ram Ewe! Here are four pieces from the Yorkshire Shores collection, knit with Dovestone DK.

Dovestone DK is a blend of masham, wensleydale, and bluefaced leicester wools, all sourced and spun in the UK, an effort to revitalize the textile industry of Yorkshire.

I have a special fondness for this yarn, having knit a cardigan with it last year; it’s sturdy and soft, a good combination for sweaters and home accessories alike.

Yorkshire Shores is a beautiful collection of garments and accessories inspired by Yorkshire ganseys. The shapes are modern, casual and intended for day-to-day wear, but the stitch patterns are traditional – note the detail on the back collar of the “Flamborough” cardigan.

We’ll have the Yorkshire Shores collection on display here at the shop throughout May, and are offering Baa Ram Ewe Dovestone DK at 10% off during the show. Hurry in to see the show, try on the garments, and plan your next project!

 

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!