Back in stock: Fibre Co. Acadia!

Posted by Julia on September 20, 2022

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!

“Acadia Loop,” by Elizabeth Smith – unisex hemmed neckwarmer
“Copenhagen calling,” by Isabell Kraemer – 2 color mosaic and lace cowl
“Mended Plaid Cowl,” by Jamie Lomax – stranded and textured cowl
“Anker’s Hat,” by PetiteKnit – ribbed beanie
“Norie,” by Gudrun Johnston – slouchy textured lace beanie
“Simple Gifts,” by Dee O’Keefe – triangular shawl with leaf lace panel
“One Sweater DK,” by Becky Baker – basic stockinette raglan pullover in 15 sizes from Age 1-2 – 64″ chest circumference
“Beekeeper Cardigan,” by Marie Greene – textured saddle shoulder cardigan

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.

3 Color Cashmere Cowl.

Posted by Julia on June 25, 2016

I just finished knitting a new shop sample in the luxurious Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, Joji Locatelli’s “3 Color Cashmere Cowl.”

The “3 Color Cashmere Cowl” is narrow but very deep, designed to scrunch cozily around one’s neck, so it does well in a yarn with good drape. It’s a fun knit, simple enough to be near-mindless, but with enough changes here and there to stave off boredom. I had fun watching the colors come together; they seem to behave differently depending upon the thickness of the stripes.

Our friend Catherine spotted the “3 Color Cashmere Cowl” on my needles and became smitten with the pattern.

She quickly knit the cowl above in Canopy Fingering, brought it in for show and tell, and left that day with enough Shibui Staccato to make two more. I’d only just hung mine on the wall when she came in with two more completed cowls, another on the needles, and plans for several more in Staccato and one in Isager Alpaca 2.

Catherine has begun to adjust the pattern to suit her preferences, omitting a lace section here, shortening a striped section there, and sometimes rearranging the order of those sections.

Look for my “3 Color Cashmere Cowl” on the wall here at the shop, and feel free to try it on for size. We have Canopy Fingering in a nice selection of colors, and even more in Staccato and Alpaca 2. Come by the shop to play the color game, and make a “3 Color Cashmere Cowl” of your own!

TNNA snapshot: Fibre Company.

Posted by Julia on June 12, 2016

Last month, our sales rep gave us a sneak preview of Arranmore, the newest Fibre Company yarn, so Anne placed our order long before the show. Still, somehow we found ourselves at their booth today for more: skeins for sample sweaters, reorders on dwindling colors, and perhaps, just maybe, a new yarn. Now the show floor has closed for the day, and we’re sipping drinks and plotting dinner. Til tomorrow!

The Acadia Collection.

Posted by Julia on March 21, 2016

We just got a new pattern collection from Kelbourne Woolens, designers and distributors of Fibre Company yarns. This group is named for the yarn it features, a yarn that has become a classic in the few years we’ve stocked it: meet the Acadia Collection.

Fibre Company Acadia is a dk weight yarn made of merino wool, alpaca, and silk.

The silk fiber takes the dye differently than wool and alpaca, and stands out from those fibers, creating a tweedy, rustic look. The feel of this yarn is far from rustic, however; Acadia is just as soft as its fiber content suggests.

The Acadia Collection celebrates this special yarn in its natural undyed shades with classic garments that walk the line between casual and elegant.

Look for Acadia in the DK weight section here at the shop, and peruse the Acadia Collection while you’re here!

Hello, Fibre Company Cumbria Fingering.

Posted by Julia on February 1, 2016

We’re delighted to welcome a brand new yarn from the Fibre Company: meet Cumbria Fingering.

Like its big sister, Cumbria Worsted, Cumbria Fingering is a soft and sturdy blend of 60% merino wool, 30% masham wool, and 10% mohair. The soft white merino is blended with the dark gray masham, creating a natural heathered base color over which all the other colorways are dyed. Each 100 gram skein boasts 328 yards, enough for a hat, pair of mitts, or small cowl.

Cumbria Fingering is designed with longevity in mind, and as such, is constructed with 4 plies tightly twisted around one another. Sweaters and accessories knit in Cumbria Fingering should weather regular use and look great for years to come. This 4-ply construction also gives the yarn a very smooth texture, which suggests sharp stitch definition for cables and texture patterns.

Though I haven’t knit a stitch with it yet, I’m already daydreaming about a sweater in Cumbria Fingering. Kelbourne Woolens, designers and distributors for Fibre Company yarns, let us know that a small collection of sweater patterns by Bristol Ivy are forthcoming. In the meantime, I’m looking for pattern ideas in all the usual places: CoopKnits Toasty Vol. 1, Kate Davies’ Yokes and Colors of Shetland, Brooklyn Tweed patterns that call for Loft, and our own HYS “Fingering weight” board on Pinterest. I can’t wait to get my hands on this stuff!

Look for Cumbria Fingering in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and while you’re here, check out all the other lovely Fibre Company yarns we keep on hand: Meadow, Road to China Lace, Canopy Fingering, Savannah, Acadia, Knightsbridge, Canopy Worsted, and Cumbria Worsted. See you at the shop!

Weekenders Trunk Show.

Posted by Julia on November 26, 2014

It’s been a season of trunk shows here at the shop. Since September, we’ve shown garments from Shibui, Hanne Falkenberg, and Swans Island, inspiring knitters along the way. I’m happy to report that our next trunk show has arrived!

Here is a trunk show from Fibre Company, featuring all five garments from the Weekenders pattern collection, three hats and two cowls. Each of the accessories in this collection are knit with just one skein of Fibre Company Canopy Worsted, a soft and lustrous blend of merino, alpaca, and bamboo.

An accessory show like this one seems especially well-suited to the season, as many of us are planning small projects to give as holiday gifts. A skein of this special yarn and a copy of Weekenders would make a great gift for a knitter, too.

Come by during the Trunk Show to see the garments for yourself and plan your next project. We’re closed Thursday, November 27th, for Thanksgiving, but we’ll have the Weekenders Trunk Show on display until December 17th. Have a great holiday; see you at the shop!

Show and tell: anniversary edition, part 2.

Posted by Julia on October 17, 2014

As you may remember from years past, or may have seen in our most recent email newsletter, October 18th marks the eight-year anniversary of the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We are so grateful to all of you for your support over the years, for shopping and learning and sharing with us. We’ll celebrate another year in business in our usual way: an anniversary sale! From Friday October 17th – Sunday October 19th, everything in the shop will be discounted by 15%, with the exception of classes and that which is already discounted.

Here on the blog, I’m celebrating all of you with another batch of show and tell.

Joanne came in the other day with a colorful project to share. Above, she models her “Technicolor Cowl” knit in the decadent Alchemy Sanctuary, a velvety blend of merino wool and silk.

Paula’s needles have been busy lately; she recently brought in two finished projects to share with us! Above is her “Thicket” beret, from Alana Dakos’ Botanical Knits 2, knit in Fibre Company Acadia.

Paula also knit this “Mix No. 26” with Shibui Pebble, a different yarn, but a nice match for her “Thicket” beret. I love it in these low-contrast colors, a soft beige against wintry white.

Emily came in wearing this “Côte-Nord Cap,” a pattern by Amy Christoffers from last winter’s Interweave Knits, Winter 2014. She used a skein of the new Swans Island All American Worsted in a rich blue hue.

Thanks to everyone who starts and shares their projects at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We find your stitches so inspiring, and your support of the shop is so appreciated. Keep your eyes on the blog for another “show and tell” post soon, and visit us this weekend to take advantage of our Anniversary Sale!

(A reminder: all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Discount applies only to in-store purchases. Thanks!)

New American Knits.

Posted by Julia on July 3, 2014

Meet the newest book to arrive on our teacart: Amy Christoffers’ New American Knits.

Inspired by American artists like Georgia O’Keefe, Richard Serra, and Jasper Johns, Christoffers has designed a collection of sweaters and accessories to knit and wear.

The wearability of these garments was clearly first and foremost in Christoffers’ mind; they all look like wardrobe staples, comfortable and timeless.

Many of these designs are made in yarns we carry at the shop, favorites, no less–the likes of Swans Island Organic Merino Worsted, Fibre Company Acadia and Savannah, Berroco Ultra Alpaca, and Sincere Sheep Equity Sport.

Look for New American Knits among the newest books and magazines at the shop, and come in during July to get it at 15% off!

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted items. There can be no returns or exchanges, nor special orders–the discount applies only to what we currently have in stock.

Fibre Company Trunk Show!

Posted by Julia on October 4, 2013

We are delighted to announce that we’re hosting a Fibre Company Trunk Show, now through October 20th!

These 8 shawls and scarves make up designer Grace Anna Farrow’s Allium Collection.

All are designed for and knit with Fibre Company’s newest yarn, Meadow, a lace weight blend of merino wool, llama, silk, and linen. This bewitching combination of plant and animal fibers is typical of the Fibre Company, who seem to always be seeking new and interesting fiber combinations.

The yarn itself is scheduled to arrive soon, along with all 8 patterns of the Allium Collection–though they are also available as Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sales, so we can always get you a copy that way.

Come by the shop to see the Allium Collection for yourself, and if you’d like to sample Meadow and three other Fibre Company yarns, sign up for the upcoming Fibre Company Yarn Tasting! It promises to be a delightful and inspiring morning of stitching, sipping, and munching. We’d love to see you there!