Tag Archives: fingering weight

Hello, Knitting for Olive Cotton Merino.

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Thank you all for the warm welcome you’ve given Knitting for Olive! We’re thrilled to bring yarn into the shop that you’re as excited to see in person as you are to work with. Last week I wrote about Pure Silk on the blog – now it’s time to put Cotton Merino in the spotlight!

Knitting for Olive Cotton Merino:

  • light fingering weight
  • 70% organic OCS certified cotton, 30% RWS certified Merino wool
  • 273 yards (250 meters) / 50 grams
  • hand wash in cool water, lay flat to dry
  • gauge: 28 stitches = 4″
  • neeedles: US 2.5 (3 mm)

Cotton Merino is a soft and smooth yarn named simply for its fiber content – organic cotton and fine merino wool. The cotton is cool and breathable, while the wool brings a little elasticity, making a balanced blend that’s light enough for summertime wear.

As with all of their yarns, Knitting for Olive is mindful about the sustainability of Cotton Merino, using OCS certified organic cotton and RWS certified wool. RWS is short for Responsible Wool Standard and the certification ensures that animals, farmers and the environment are all treated respectfully. Along with protecting soil health, biodiversity, and safe working conditions, RWS certification protects the Five Freedoms of animal welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear and distress. In other words, happy and healthy sheep!

Bailey knit the swatch above with Cotton Merino on US 2.5 needles, and we all admired the fine fabric. Then she held Cotton Merino and Pure Silk together on US 6 needles, and we loved the colorful marl even more!

Last week’s blog post has plenty of pattern ideas for a single strand of these yarns – today, let’s look at patterns for two strands held together.

Look for Knitting for Olive in the fingering weight section here at HYS – we can’t wait to see what you make with it!

Hello, Knitting for Olive Pure Silk.

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We are overjoyed to have Knitting for Olive on our shelves!

Knitting for Olive is a small family-run yarn company based in Denmark, specializing in high quality natural fibers. Sustainability, responsibility and care are as important to them as beautiful colors – each of their yarns is created with respect for animals, workers and our environment.

We’ve added two Knitting for Olive yarns to our collection here at HYS – Pure Silk and Cotton Merino. These yarns are identical in weight, yardage and gauge, so can be used interchangeably. Today, we’ll look more closely at Pure Silk. Keep an eye out for more on Cotton Merino next week!

Knitting for Olive Pure Silk:

  • fingering weight
  • 100% Bourette Silk
  • 273 yards (250 meters) / 50 grams
  • hand wash in cool water, lay flat to dry
  • gauge: 28 stitches = 4″
  • needles: US 2.5 (3 mm)

Knitting for Olive first caught our eye because of its lovely color palette. From subtle neutrals to vivid brights, their yarn comes in colors we want to wear, and colors we often see knitters reaching for.

Knitting for Olive Pure Silk is made from waste created during silk processing, called bourette. In conventional silk production, the silk worm cocoons are boiled, preserving the thread, but killing the silk worms. Knitting for Olive’s silk is made of threads from broken cocoons, allowing the silk worms to complete their life cycle. The short, leftover silk fibers are spun into a cruelty-free yarn with a rustic look and matte finish. The fabric it makes is as soft and cool to the touch as any silk, however – come in and pet this swatch to see for yourself!

Pure Silk is all drape and no elasticity, perfect for the lightest warm weather accessories and garments. It may take tiny needles and a long time to knit a garment with a single strand of this yarn, but the results are compelling – here are some pattern ideas for either Pure Silk or Cotton Merino!

Knitting with two strands of Pure Silk or Cotton Merino would be faster, and still not too heavy for spring… stay tuned for double-strand pattern ideas next week! In the meantime you’ll find both of our Knitting for Olive yarns in the fingering weight section here at HYS.

Malabrigo Aura Collection + Orienta shawl KAL.

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We’re delighted to have a new color palette in Malabrigo Sock, just in time for Malabrigo’s upcoming KAL!

This Malabrigo KAL features “Orienta,” by Cory Boberg, a shawl full of movement, texture, and color play. “Orienta” combines graceful shaping with engaging stitchwork, making it ideal for knitters who love seeing texture and color interact on their needles.

Because the mosaic motif relies on color contrast to shine, we recommend pairing high-contrast shades to really make the pattern pop. The shawl is shown in the colors Fulgor and Three Little Pigs, a bold mix of variegated and solid shades. We’ve paired Sock in Fulgor and Elegancia for a similar look.

Here are a few more “Orienta” color ideas, mixing Sock and Ultimate Sock!

Want to join the Malabrigo KAL, which starts on April 3? Head to their blog to sign up, and come by our shop to pick out your yarn. You’ll need 2 skeins of Sock or Ultimate Sock in your main color and 1 skein in your contrast color.

Look for Sock and other Malabrigo yarns here at HYS – we can’t wait to see your shawls take shape when the Knit-Along begins next month!

Back in stock: Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée.

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We have new shades in Julie Asselin’s elegant Leizu Fingering Non Traitée!

We’re so happy to have these skeins at the shop at last – shipping and sourcing delays made our wait a little longer than usual, but this subtle hand dyed merino/silk blend is worth the wait.

Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée:

  • fingering weight
  • 3 ply
  • hand dyed; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in larger projects
  • 90% non-superwash merino wool, 10% silk
  • 420 yards/115 grams (4oz)
  • hand wash cold, lay flat to dry

Our friend and teacher Katherine fell especially hard for this smooth and springy yarn when it first landed at our shop a year ago.

She crocheted Saskia Paulich’s “Crochet Shawl CLEO” with Leizu Fingering Non Traitée, and came back for a sweater quantity.

Above is Katherine’s “Plain Yoke Tee 20” in progress, using a strand of fuzzy Isager Silk Mohair to bring Leizu Fingering Non Traitée up to gauge. The combination is delicious – soft and smooth, drapey but substantial, with a little flicker of contrast between the colors.

She loved this yarn blend so much that she cast on with it again – here’s her “Eloïse Shawl” in progress, rich with cables and illustrating the stellar stitch definition of Leizu Fingering Non Traitée.

Katherine’s “Crochet Shawl CLEO” is on display here at the shop, and it’s a good example of why we have so many samples – the finished shawl is so much softer than the yarn in the skein! In part this is because the skein is tightly twisted, putting a little tension on the yarn that relaxes beautifully when it’s wound and stitched into fabric. Come by and give it a squeeze to see what I mean.

Look for Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and in our online store!

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: Ruby Dusk & Fire Kissed.

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Dream in Color’s Pop-Up Club is back! Each month, we get a small batch of Smooshy Cashmere in a limited edition colorway, hand-dyed in Texas. They’re always popular for Ysolda Teague’s “Musselburgh” hat, Andrea Mowry’s “Free Your Fade” shawl, or a special pair of socks.

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, each skein is unique; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in a larger project
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100 grams
  • machine wash cool on gentle/hand wash setting, lay flat to dry

Ruby Dusk arrived in December, a high-contrast variegated colorway with streaks of poppy red, maroon, and ivory. One skein makes a “Caldera Cowl or Hat” – grab 2 skeins to make the set!

Fire Kissed just arrived earlier this month, in shades of steely gray with flickers of deep orange.

One skein makes the “Kindling Fingerless Mitts,” a cozy accessory that shows off this moody colorway.

Inspired to cast on? Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and in our online store!

Back in stock: WYS Signature 4ply.

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It’s been a long time since we had a nice supply of self-patterning sock yarn in stock, and West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply is such a good one. We’re glad to have it back!

West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply:

  • fingering weight
  • 75% Wool / 25% Nylon
  • 437 yards/100 grams
  • 28st = 4in (3.25mm/US 3)
  • Machine wash cold. Do not tumble dry. Iron on low heat.

West Yorkshire Spinners is a yarn company in the UK focused on producing high quality yarns from British wool, and revitalizing the textile industry in their home of Yorkshire.

Signature 4ply is their self-patterning sock yarn, composed of machine-washable bluefaced leicester wool and nylon, for strength. These colorful skeins are dyed in such a way that the yarn creates a color pattern when you knit it in a small width or circumference, such as a scarf, pair of socks or mitts. No matter what stitch pattern you use, stripes or colorwork comes out as you knit, entertaining you as you knit or crochet even the simplest of projects.

Above are the “Ember Crochet Socks,” by Anna Nikipirowicz, made with the Signature Sparkle 4ply, a metallic version of the same yarn that comes in a few limited edition holiday colorways. They’re going fast, just a handful of skeins left!

Above is a knit version in the same colorway – “Noëlle Knitted Socks,” by Winwick Mum. What else to make with Signature 4ply? Winwick Mum also designed “Basic 4ply Knee High Socks” and “Basic 4ply Children’s Socks” for this yarn, and there’s always Ysolda Teague’s popular “Musselburgh” hat.

Look for WYS Signature 4ply in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

Hello, Harrisville Designs Shetland!

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Fall is a busy time here at HYS, rich with classes, events, and new yarns galore. This yarn in particular has been the subject of our eager anticipation for the past few months – meet Shetland, from Harrisville Designs!

Harrisville Designs Shetland:

  • fingering weight
  • 100% wool
  • 217 yards / 50 grams
  • needle size: 2-4 US (3.0-3.5mm)
  • gauge: 26 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

First things first: though its name suggests otherwise, Shetland is not a Shetland wool. “Shetland,” in this case, refers to the size of the yarn and not the fiber content. This fingering weight yarn is a blend of an Australian fine wool and a hearty New Zealand wool, which gives Shetland a little luster. 

Shetland is a finer version of Harrisville Highland, so they have much in common. Woolen spun yet tightly plied, Shetland is lofty and sturdy, a classic yarn for sweaters and accessories alike.

Shetland is available in the same saturated palette of 64 tweedy, heathered colors as Highland, and we had fun picking some shades we hadn’t stocked before, curating a unique palette for this fingering weight yarn.

Shetland shines in cables, lace, texture patterns, and simple stockinette, but is especially well suited to colorwork. Anne has already cast on with Shetland for Isabell Kraemer’s “Heimathafen” pullover, with its subtle dip-stitch colorwork stripes. She’s teaching a class on it in the new year – head to our Classes page to read more about it.

Here are some more colorful pattern ideas for Shetland!

Look for Harrisville Designs Shetland in the fingering weight section here at HYS. We also have nightshades & daylights in our DK section, and Highland in worsted weight – more Harrisville than ever!

Hello again, BC Garn Bio Balance!

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It’s been so long since we’ve had a fresh batch of this yarn that I thought it deserved a fresh introduction – meet BC Garn Bio Balance!

BC Garn Bio Balance

  • fingering weight
  • 55% wool, 45% cotton – GOTS certified organic
  • 246 yards (225 meters) / 50 gram hank
  • gauge: 24-25 stitches = 4″
  • needle size: US 2.5 (3mm) – 6 (4mm)
  • hand wash cool, lay flat to dry

BC Garn is a family-owned, ecologically-minded yarn company out of Denmark. Many of their yarns are certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), so we feel confident that they are produced safely and responsibly, from the fiber to the dye. The raw wool in Bio Balance comes from mulesing-free farms in South America. The cotton is grown in Turkey, where the yarn is spun, too.

Bio Balance is a fingering weight blend of 55% wool and 45% cotton. This combination brings the best of both fibers to the yarn. The wool lends elasticity and loftiness to the cool, soft cotton, and the result is a nice balance of animal and plant fibers, and smooth, well-behaved fabric.

This makes it an excellent sweater yarn, especially in our warm climate. A browse through Bio Balance projects on Ravelry shows that many knitters use it for sweater-making – here are few patterns to consider:

Look for BC Garn Bio Balance in the fingering weight section here at HYS!

Hello, Biches & Bûches!

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We’re excited to welcome another new brand to HYS – meet Biches & Bûches!

Biches & Bûches is a small yarn company based in Burgundy, France, run by Danish designer Astrid Troland. She traces her love of knitting back to her Scandinavian heritage, a passion that has brought her to pattern design as well as wool production.

“Afterparty,” by Astrid Troland, photo © Astrid Troland

Our first Biches & Bûches yarn is Le Petit Lambswool, a fingering weight wool spun and dyed in Scotland. It’s soft, lofty, and light as a feather due to its woolen-spun construction.

Biches & Bûches Le Petit Lambswool

  • fingering weight
  • woolen spun, 2ply
  • 100% lambswool, made in the UK
  • 270 yards / 50 grams
  • gauge: 22-24 sts and 32 rows = 4″ (10cm)
  • needle size: US 2.5-US 4 (3-3.5mm)
  • hand wash cool, lay flat to dry

Le Petit Lambswool has the widest color palette among their wools, so we had fun selecting these 16 shades to start with. We paid special attention to the most intriguing heathers, made by blending brilliantly dyed hues of unspun wool, like an artist mixing paints. When spun, these solid colors mingle into richly heathered shades that are harmonious across the entire palette – ideal for stripes and colorwork!

What to knit with Le Petit Lambswool? Here are a few accessories that caught my eye…

“Isla Shawl,” by Astrid Troland, photo © Astrid Troland

…and a bunch of sweaters, of course!

Look for Biches & Bûches Le Petit Lambswool in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and in our online store!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Folk Festival and Dolled Up.

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The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we 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 grams

Folk Festival and Dolled Up are the two most recent Collector’s Club shades, both variegated and bright. They made me think of Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering right away, a springy superwash merino that favors Koigu KPPPM in structure, but comes in clear solid colors.

What to knit with these playful pairs? Here are a few ideas!

Fuzzy lace weight yarn is another irresistible pairing for variegated wool – some of our newest shades of Fyberspates Cumulus matched these Koigu colorways perfectly. Here are a few patterns to try:

Look for Koigu KPPPM and Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and check out the lace weight section to see Fyberspates Cumulus!