Tag Archives: fingering weight

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!

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: Montauk & Acrid.

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Dream in Color’s Pop-Up Club is back! Each month, we get 10 skeins 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

Montauk arrived in April, a soft variegated mix of cream, lavender, peach, and dove gray.

Two skeins of Montauk makes Lena Skvagerson’s “Shoreline Shawl,” a shallow crescent shaped shawl with lace and stockinette.

Acrid popped up earlier this month, a sunny aqua colorway streaked with marigold.

Jenny Noto designed her “Garden Shawl” for two skeins of Acrid, a half circle shawl with eyelets and slip stitches.

Our friend Margaretta recently knit this lovely pair of “Avena” socks with Smooshy Cashmere in Fen.

It’s great to see variegated skeins like this one knit up – this intricate twisted stitch pattern breaks up the color pooling in a lovely and intriguing way. Pattern by Natalia Vasilieva.

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

“Norma Sweater” kits and colorways.

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Since we opened our online store in September, we’ve noticed a trend in orders. A particular combination of Isager yarns kept popping up in a particular combination of colors.

Having hosted an Isager Archives Knit-Along last spring, we knew exactly what pattern these folks had in mind: “Norma Sweater,” by My Favourite Things Knitwear.

We decided to make it easier on all the knitters out there wanting to make a “Norma Sweater” of their own, and put these special colors together in a kit – look for it in our online store!

If you, too, have fallen for My Favourite Things’ captivating color combination, you can buy all the yarn you need in our Norma Sweater Kit. Just pick the size you want to make and add it to your cart!

You can always pick your own colors, of course – Bailey and I were inspired to do just that as these kits came together. Here are a few other colorways for the “Norma Sweater,” using Isager Tweed, Silk Mohair, and Tvinni.

Look for Isager Tweed, Silk Mohair, and Tvinni here at HYS, and explore all our kits in our online store!

Hello, Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée!

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For years now, Anne has been on the lookout for her ideal merino and silk blend. She hoped it would be fingering weight, tightly plied for strength, and non-superwash for elasticity. I’m delighted to report that she’s found it: meet Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée, a brand new yarn to HYS!

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

Julie and Jean-François are the craftspeople behind Julie Asselin Yarns, hand dyers based in Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada). Ethical sourcing is important to them, and they keep the process as close to home as possible by working exclusively with yarn mills in Canada and the US.

Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée is smooth and soft, as its fiber content suggests, but also springy and sturdy. In the knitted fabric, this means sharp stitch definition for showing off texture patterns, and a balance of drape and structure. Leizu Fingering Non Traitée looks like a lovely choice for sweater- and accessory-making alike. Here are some pattern ideas!

  • “Mara,” by Audrey Borrego – sideways-knit ribbed scarf/shawl with eyelets
  • “Rose Petals,” by Janina Kallio – triangular lace shawl
  • “Go Go Dynamo,” by Stephen West – a “geometric adventure” with modular sections, brioche, stripes, and more
  • “Pampas Tee,” by Samantha Guerin – circular yoke tee with lace motif
  • “Moon Mint,” by Andrea Mowry – 2-color slip stitch pullover
  • “Alden,” by Jennifer Steingass – colorwork yoke pullover

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

Limited edition colors from Koigu & Dream in Color.

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Koigu & Dream in Color are two of our favorite hand-dyers, and we love to see the special limited edition colorways they come up with each month.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 grams

Rococo is the latest shade from Koigu Collector’s Club, a subtle mix of salmon pink and terracotta, with mini streaks of ivory and deep blue. New Koigu colorways always make us think of PetiteKnit’s “Sophie Scarf” – KPPPM held together with a strand of lace weight mohair is a magical blend!

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

Dream in Color’s new Pop-Up Club colorway is Inflorescence, a wild rainbow mix of neon colors. One skein is enough for a “Prism Twist Reversible Hat” – two layers in different stitch patterns makes a two-in-one accessory!

Look for Koigu KPPPM and Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at the shop!