Koigu Collector’s Club: Ocean.

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.

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.

Each 50 gram skein has 170 yards, so 1 makes a Purl Soho “Purl Beret” or pair of Churchmouse “Turkish Bed Socks,” 2 make an average pair of socks or “Barb’s Koigu Ruffle,” while 3 or 4 make a nice sized shawl, the likes of Martian Behm’s “Hitchhiker” or “Trillian.”

This variegated mix of blues and greens is streaked with bits of orange, purple, and white, a tropical combination that Koigu has named Ocean.

Look for this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

Dream in Color Pop Up! Club: March.

Dream in Color’s Pop Up! Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tuscon-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. March’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Smooshy with Cashmere is the featured yarn again this month, dyed in a limited edition variegated colorway, streaked with shades of green: kelly green, emerald and moss.

This yarn is deliciously soft and squishy, perfect for next-to-skin wear, and makes an amazing pair of socks or a special scarf, shawl, or cowl. Look for pattern ideas on our “Fingering weight” board over on Pinterest.

You’ll find this limited edition colorway in the fingering weight section here at our shop, and hurry in if you want to snag one – these special Dream in Color shades don’t last long!

Hello, Malabrigo Quinteto.

This week brought another enormous Malabrigo order to our shop, two heavy boxes bursting with vivid hand-dyed color. It was packed primarily with bags of Rios, Sock, and Washted, but we snuck in a little something new, too. Meet Quinteto!

Quinteto is a pack of five speckled colors in Mechita, Malabrigo’s fingering weight, single ply, superwash merino.

Each colorway is named for an instrument: Piano, Double Bass, Cello, Viola, and Violin, and the colors fade harmoniously from skein to skein, from light blue to fuschia, then purple, then burgundy flecked with black.

What to do with 2100 yards of soft, speckled fingering weight yarn? Joji Locatelli’s “Fading Point” is a good fit, as is Stephen West’s “Dotted Rays,” and Andrea Mowry’s “So Faded” or “So Faded Pint Sized.”

Look for Malabrigo Quinteto in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial Trunk Show!

Another Trunk Show is here to decorate our walls for a while, featuring garments knit with Kelbourne Woolens Perennial!

Perennial is a light fingering weight blend of superwash merino, Suri alpaca, and nylon, a combination that’s both soft and sturdy, suitable for all kinds of projects.

The Trunk Show features sweaters for babies and adults and a pair of lace shawls.

Some of the patterns might look familiar, as they were initially designed by the Kelbourne Woolens team for other yarns a few years ago. It’s nice to see them again in a new light, knit with new yarn, and in such vibrant colors!

Come by the shop this week to see the Kelbourne Woolens Perennial Trunk Show before we have to send it on to the next shop – we’ll have it on display until Sunday, March 10th, and are offering 10% off Perennial during that time.

See you at the shop!

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

Koigu Collector’s Club: Vitamin D.

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.

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.

February’s colorway came late in the month, an electrifying blend of orange shades with dashes of white, blue, purple, yellow, and red. It was designed to brighten the cold, gray days February is known for, and it has certainly brightened our shelves.

Look for this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

Show and tell: Brooklyn Tweed Peerie.

I’m back with more show and tell, focused this time on accessories and garments knit with Brooklyn Tweed Peerie. Peerie is one of the four yarns featured in our current BT Wool People 12 Trunk Show, so it seems fitting to share some of the projects folks are making with this special yarn.

Kathryn knit this “Lucerne” hat with Peerie, enlisting her young daughter’s help in selecting colors. I love what they came up with, as well as Kathryn’s description of Peerie – “supernaturally springy.”

Elsbeth knit this “Architexture” scarf with Peerie and came back for more to make another one, an excellent endorsement of yarn and pattern alike. Peerie’s smooth, round texture is perfect for showing off knit and purl texture patterns like those featured here.

Margaretta has also been charmed by Peerie, having used it to knit both the “Afton” scarf above and the “Hazelfern” socks below.

Both of these texture-rich patterns were thoughtfully designed by Jared Flood, and Margaretta appreciated the quality and clarity of the patterns as much as the yarn.

Jane knit this impressive “Butterfly / Papillon” shawl with six shades of Peerie during Nancy’s recent class here at the shop.

I’m particularly struck by Jane’s unique color combination, a balance of warm and cool colors, light and dark. Well done, Jane!

Here’s Ruth in her “Boardwalk,” knit with Peerie in a cheery pink shade. This pattern has been a popular one, whether knit in Peerie or in Loft, in part because of how wearable it is. The design is clever and flattering, a layer that manages to look both smart and casual.

Thanks to Kathryn, Elsbeth, Margaretta, Jane, and Ruth for sharing these knits with us, and to everyone whose projects begin with trips to our shop.

Come by before March 3rd to see the Wool People 12 Trunk Show and get 10% off Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, Loft, Vale, and Arbor. See you there!

 

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

 

Brooklyn Tweed Wool People 12 Trunk Show!

We are delighted to announce that a new trunk show from Brooklyn Tweed is here to spend a couple of weeks at our shop. Come by before March 3rd to see the Wool People 12 collection!

Wool People is an annual collaboration between Brooklyn Tweed and a variety of independent knitwear designers from around the world. Some of their names are familiar, like Shannon Cook, Isabell Kraemer, Melissa Wehrle, and Emily Greene, but many are new to me. Those designers bring their own vision and aesthetic to Brooklyn Tweed’s breed-specific wool yarns, a combination that offers an exciting array of new designs.

Brooklyn Tweed’s lightest weight yarns are featured in these designs: the lace weight Vale, fingering weight Loft and Peerie, and DK weight Arbor, all of which are 10% off during the Trunk Show.

Though there are plenty of cables and other texture patterns on display, there’s a special preponderance of lace in this collection – delicate pullovers with lace yokes, garter stitch shawls with lace edgings, a turtleneck covered in eyelet linework, an allover mesh-lace pullover, and others. If you are a lace lover or curious about the technique, this show is a must-see!

Come by the shop before March 3rd to see Wool People 12 and get featured Brooklyn Tweed yarns at 10% off!

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

Hello, Kelbourne Woolens Perennial.

Kelbourne Woolens’ new yarn is here! Meet Perennial.

Perennial is a light fingering weight blend of superwash merino, Suri alpaca, and nylon. Each 100 gram skein boasts 497 yards, enough for a pair of socks or mitts, a cowl, hat, or small shawl.

The women of Kelbourne Woolens have designed this yarn to be something of a staple – soft from the alpaca but sturdy from the nylon, easy care on account of the superwash merino, suitable for all kinds of projects.

The color palette was also devised with variety in mind, with a wide range of neutrals, jewel tones, neons, and primary colors. Combine them with each other or with a wild variegated skein from your stash – Perennial plays well with others!

We’re looking forward to Kelbourne Woolens’ upcoming pattern collection for Perennial, but in the meantime, look to our “Fingering weight” Pinterest board for project ideas. Come by the shop to give Perennial a squeeze and plan your next project!

Dream in Color Pop Up! Club: February.

Dream in Color’s Pop Up! Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tuscon-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. February’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Smooshy with Cashmere is the featured yarn again this month, dyed in a limited edition variegated colorway, streaked with cherry pink, chocolate brown, fuschia, and coral.

A skein like this would make a great “Starshower,” “Pebble Beach Shawl,” “Sockhead Slouch Hat” or “Sockhead Cowl,” all patterns that do well with variegated yarn. Look for more pattern ideas on our “Fingering weight” board over on Pinterest.

You’ll find this limited edition colorway in the fingering weight section here at our shop, and hurry in if you want to snag one – these special Dream in Color shades don’t last long!

Back in stock, show and tell: Isager Alpaca 2.

Among all the lovely Isager yarns, Alpaca 2 has been a favorite here at our shop, so we make sure to keep every available color in stock.

Isager Alpaca 2 is a light fingering weight blend of merino wool and alpaca, with 275 yards on each 50 gram skein. Our seasoned “Stole” sample has hung on the wall for years now, yet it regularly catches the eye of knitters seeking a soothing, repetitive project, one that’s easy to execute, but with graceful results.

We’ve seen all manner of “Stole” variations, and whether they’re knit in the pattern’s recommended nine shades or a kaleidoscope of unique combinations, slimmed down into scarves or expanded into blankets, everything seems to work. Unpacking this shipment, I lapsed into a familiar game, picking colors for the “Stole.”

There are many other things to knit with Alpaca 2, of course; here are a couple of ideas from knitters we know, a bit of show and tell.

Here is Carribeth’s “Spectrum,” another soothing knit in stockinette. She paired Alpaca 2 with a matching shade of Alpaca 1 to create the slightly transparent stripes, an elegant effect that photos don’t do justice.

Winnie knit this “Feathers” shawl with Alpaca 2, and has already come back for more of the same to knit another.

This is a lovely example of Alpaca 2 in a lace pattern, a very good match of yarn and pattern, indeed.

Thanks to Carribeth, Winnie, and countless others who start their projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – we love to see what you’re working on!