Tag Archives: fleece artist

Show and tell: Fleece Artist / Handmaiden.

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Time for another round of show and tell! I’ve been collecting photos of your finished projects, as usual, and noticed a colorful little cluster of hand knits all made with Fleece Artist / Handmaiden yarns. These yarns are dyed entirely by hand in tiny batches – just enough for a single sweater at a time – and have become favorites here at HYS in the short time we’ve stocked them. Let’s see what folks are making…

Here’s a close up on Kristin’s PetiteKnit “Sophie Hood,” knit with Briggs & Little Sport in Washed White, Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Fire Opal, and Isager Silk Mohair in 0. This color and fiber blend is magical!

Victoria’s “Malva” sweater is another magical blend, knit with Kelbourne Woolens Scout in Burnt Orange Heather and Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Cranberry Chutney. Pattern by Tiia Reho, from Laine Finnish Knits.

Anne blended Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Mineral with the sadly discontinued Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted in this “Lento” sweater. Pattern by Jonna Helin.

This fiber blend is particularly velvety, with just enough drape – come by the shop to touch and admire it, as Anne has put it up for display until the weather cools down!

Margaretta has been experimenting with variegated sock yarn lately, working with texture patterns that break up the color pooling in lovely and intriguing ways. Shown here: Mone Dräger’s “Chains Socks” and Yvette Noel’s “Papillotes,” both in Fleece Artist Bluenose Socks. Colorways shown are Lupins and Bullrush, respectively.

Many thanks to the knitters who shared their projects with us today, and to everyone who starts their project with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We are inspired by your stitches and can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Hello, Fleece Artist Bluenose Socks!

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We’re thrilled to introduce our newest arrival, from Hand Maiden’s sister brand, Fleece Artist – meet Bluenose Socks!

Fleece Artist Bluenose Socks:

  • fingering weight
  • 2ply
  • hand-dyed
  • each skein is unique; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in a larger project
  • 75% treated bluefaced leicester wool, 25% nylon
  • 440 yards / 100g
  • suggested needle size & gauge: US 2/2.75mm; 32st/4″
  • machine wash cold, lay flat to dry

Fleece Artist is a small family run company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The folks at Fleece Artist are dedicated to breed specific fibers such as bluefaced leicester, fine kid mohair, merino and other fuzzy beasts. Bluenose Socks is a great example of this, a practical and hardwearing sock yarn made of treated bluefaced leicester wool – BFL, for short.

BFL is known for its strength, luster, and drape, a combination of qualities that makes it quite versatile – socks, hats, mitts, and shawls would all be good uses for Bluenose Socks.

I went searching for new-to-me sock patterns that have a little bit of texture, enough to keep the knitting interesting but not so complex that the stitch pattern gets lost in variegated colorways. Summer Lee has a few that fit this description perfectly: check out “The Daily Socks,” “Hibernal Socks,” “Stillwater Socks,” “Mermaid Avenue Socks,” and the especially whimsical “Classic Bobble Sock Set.”

Look for Bluenose Socks in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and click here to check it out on our online store!