Cumulus and friends.

Fyberspates Cumulus is the newest yarn here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, a soft and fluffy lace weight alpaca/silk blend. Though it’s lovely on its own, it plays well with others – here are some yarn and pattern ideas for holding Cumulus together with heavier yarns!

Cumulus + fingering weight:

Cumulus is shown here with Isager Alpaca 2 and Kelbourne Woolens Cricket (above) and Isager Merilin and Kelbourne Woolens Perennial (below).

Cumulus + DK weight:

Cumulus is shown here with Fibre Co. Acadia and Brooklyn Tweed Arbor (above), and Kelbourne Woolens Scout and Isager Jensen (below).

Cumulus + worsted weight:

Cumulus is shown here with Malabrigo Rios and Berroco Ultra Alpaca (above), and Brooklyn Tweed Tones and Shelter (below). 

We can’t wait to see what other color and yarn combinations you come up with – see you at the shop!

Back in stock: Kelbourne Woolens Perennial.

We’ve got a fresh supply of Kelbourne Woolens Perennial, a super soft merino/alpaca blend that comes in juicy bright colors!

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial:

  • light fingering weight
  • 60% superwash merino, 25% Suri alpaca, 15% nylon
  • 497 yards/100g
  • $26 each

The folks at Kelbourne Woolens have designed Perennial 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.

We’ve seen beautiful sweaters, shawls, and baby things made in Perennial – here are some pattern ideas!

Look for Perennial here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, along with these other Kelbourne Woolens yarns – Camper, Cricket, Andorra, MojaveScoutGermantown, Lucky Tweed, and Germantown Bulky!

Koigu Collector’s Club: The Wool Shed.

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.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

The Wool Shed is a variegated mix of greens with subtle flourishes of raspberry, auburn, and cream.

“Pressed Flowers Hat,” by Amy Christoffers. Photo © Amy Christoffers

Anne has had her eye on Amy Christoffers’ “Pressed Flowers Hat” for a while now, so when this Collector’s Club colorway came in, I thought I’d put together some color combinations. 

I’ve paired Koigu KPPPM with semisolid shades of Neighborhood Fiber Co. Capital Luxury Sport, a blend of merino, cashmere, and silk that is relatively new to our shop. One skein of each should make two hats, with NFC Capital Luxury Sport as the main color and Koigu KPPPM as the contrast color.

If any of these combinations speaks to you, you can order online for local pickup or shipping. Prefer to shop in person? Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with many others! We’re here from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: December 2022.

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

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

December’s special colorway is vibrant and variegated, a mix of turquoise, cobalt, purple and ice blue.

Variegated skeins like these are beautiful on their own – one skein makes a “Sockhead Slouch” hat or “Reyna” shawl – but they always inspire me to create color combinations. Here are a few I put together with the “Temperance Shawl” in mind, a three color garter stitch and eyelet pattern that works well in low, medium, and high contrast color combinations.

Isager Sock Yarn: fingering weight, 40% Easy Wash alpaca, 40% Easy Wash merino wool, 20% recycled nylon, 423 yards/100g; $20 each

  • Malabrigo Ultimate Sock: fingering weight, hand dyed, variegated and semi-solid colorways, 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon, 420 yards/100g; $20 each
  • Kelbourne Woolens Perennial: light fingering weight, 60% superwash merino, 25% suri alpaca, 15% nylon, 497 yards/100 g; $26 each

Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We’ll be closed December 24-26, then reopening at our regular business hours, 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesday – Saturday. You can still order online for local pickup or shipping, as well.

NFC Loft + fingering weight.

There are so many popular patterns that call for a lace weight mohair paired with fingering weight wool – sometimes in a matching color, sometimes a contrasting one, always creating an enticing fuzzy fabric. Neighborhood Fibre Co. Loft is just the yarn for this, and we’ve got loads of options in the fingering weight section here at our shop – you’ll find a few ideas below, and keep scrolling for patterns!

  • Brooklyn Tweed Peerie: fingering weight, 100% merino wool, 210 yards/50 grams, $17.25 each

Sweaters:

Accessories:

It can be tricky to visualize how different colors and textures of yarn will look when knit together – Tin Can Knits has a super helpful blog post about just that, “Layering With Mohair.” Read it and you are sure to be inspired – we can’t wait to see what yarn and color combinations you come up with!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Maie Landra’s Original Paintings.

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.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

This month’s limited edition shade is Maie Landra’s Original Paintings, a variegated mix of deep blues and purples, streaked with shades of gold, berry, and sky blue.

Above is one of Koigu founder Maie Landra’s paintings – head to the Koigu blog to see more, and learn about Landra herself!

We have quite a collection of Koigu KPPPM right now, so much that the yarn has outgrown its cubby – here it is freshly reorganized, a tantalizing color palette. It got me thinking about Churchmouse’s “Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf” pattern, which blends disparate variegated shades into a harmonious fabric that almost looks woven. Here are a few color combinations using Maie Landra’s Original Paintings along with other Koigu Collector’s Club colorways!

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with many others! We’re here from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: October 2022.

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

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

October’s special colorway is a semisolid teal that plays well with other solid or variegated skeins – it particularly favors a recent Koigu Collector’s Club colorway, The Pond.

These three shades would make a striking “Temperance Shawl,” or a “Free Your Fade,” by Andrea Mowry!

Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We are open between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; you can still order online for local pickup or shipping, as well.

Koigu Collector’s Club: Hay.

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.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

This month’s limited edition shade is Hay, a creamy neutral colorway with streaks of pumpkin and bronze, and the occasional charcoal speckle. It happens to look a lot like the yarn used in Joji Locatelli’s “The Lone Skein Shawl,” though you’d need 3 skeins of KPPPM for that lovely project.

Hay is a natural match with Caramel, in Malabrigo Ultimate Sock – together, they’d make a lovely autumnal “Moonflowers Shawl,” by Ambah O’Brien.

Here are a few more color combinations for this new mosaic shawl pattern, using other Koigu Collector’s Club colorways – Space Exploration, Red Brick House, The Pond, and Tapestry.

Want to make your own “Moonflowers Shawl” combination, or pick up a special lone skein for “The Lone Skein Shawl?” Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with many others! We’re here from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: September 2022.

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

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

September’s special colorway is a peachy pink with streaks of deep teal and charcoal – an unusual and striking combination.

We’ve had WestKnits MKAL colorways on our minds – here’s one using this month’s Pop Up Club colorway with another solid shade of Smooshy Cashmere, and a skein of Malabrigo Ultimate Sock.

Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We are open between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; you can still order online for local pickup or shipping, as well.

What to knit with BT Tones Light?

Brooklyn Tweed’s new yarn, Tones Light, is already turning heads here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. What to knit with this colorful stuff? Here are some ideas!

Jared Flood designed two new patterns especially for this yarn, “Shadow Stripe Pullover” and “All Ways Hat.”

“Shadow Stripe Pullover,” by Jared Flood, photo © Brooklyn Tweed

“All Ways Hat,” by Jared Flood, photo © Brooklyn Tweed

Because Tones Light can easily substitute for Loft or Peerie, there’s a world of patterns to choose from; here are some ideas from both the Brooklyn Tweed pattern archive and independent designers!

Garments:

“The Weekender Light,” by Andrea Mowry – reverse stockinette pullover with slip stitch detail

“Bract,” by Sarah Shephard – colorwork yoke pullover with triangle motif

“Stasis,” by Leila Raven – colorwork yoke pullover with geometric motif

“Birkin,” by Caitlin Hunter – colorwork yoke pullover with floral motif

“Hello From My Colors Crop,” by Jessie Maed – short sleeved pullover with all over stranded colorwork

“Berenice,” by Julie Hoover – lace and cable pullover

“Culm,” by Fiona Alice – textured dolman-sleeved pullover

“Woodblock,” by Emily Greene – textured short-sleeved pullover

“Wool & Honey,” by Andrea Mowry – honeycomb cable yoke pullover

Accessories:

“Skipp,” by Jared Flood – brioche hat

“Seeds,” by Jared Flood – colorwork hat

“Ensata Scarf & Cowl,” by Amy van de Laar – lace and ribbing

“Nysa,” by Jared Flood – garter stitch and eyelet shawl

“SSP (slip stitch party) shawl,” by Isabell Kraemer – six color slip stitch shawl

“Lunae,” by Natasja Hornby – two color slip stitch shawl

I’m the lucky knitter with the assignment of making a shop sample in Tones Light, and all of these vibrant colors had me thinking of Stephen West. I picked “Painting Parallelograms” from Painting Shawls, a slip stitch scarf whose shape and texture intrigued me. I picked three shades of Tones Light for the contrast colors, and a speckled skein of Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock for the main – here’s a peek at my progress so far.

Look for BT Tones Light in the fingering weight section here at HYS – see you at the shop!