Hello, Amirisu.

Posted by Julia on June 17, 2017

It’s been a busy month for new and interesting magazines, and another new title has arrived at our door. Let’s take a peek at Amirisu!

Amirisu is a bilingual knitting magazine from Japan, each issue filled with patterns, articles, and interviews. Amirisu provides a glimpse into the textile and knitting culture of Japan, though fiber artists and knitwear designers from around the world are featured.

This issue’s theme is natural dyes, and it grew from a question: what does it mean to be a natural dyer in the 21st century? Japanese indigo dyers at BUAISOU help to answer this question, as does California-based natural dyer Kristine Vejar.

Of course, there are beautiful knitting patterns, too; warm-weather knits are the focus this issue, from lightweight linen tops to openwork shawls.

The sequence-knit shawl above was made with Geilsk Cotton/Wool, a balanced fingering weight blend ideal for summer knitting. Find Cotton/Wool in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and find Amirisu on the teacart as you walk in!

Show and tell: accessories.

Posted by Julia on October 9, 2016

It’s been less than a month since my last “show and tell” blog post, but already there’s so much to share. Here are some of the finished projects that started life as yarn on our shelves!

Above is the “Rise” hat, knit by Robin, who is teaching an upcoming class on the subject here at the shop. She made it with two yarns held together throughout: Shibui’s newest yarn, Drift, and their classic Silk Cloud. This pattern is free with the purchase of Shibui yarns for the project, and features cozy cables and a tidy tubular cast-on.

Below is Robin’s “Rise” cowl, knit with Fibre Company Canopy Worsted and Shibui Silk Cloud held together throughout, an equally luxurious yarn combination for the project.

Here’s the subject of another upcoming class, Marsha’s “Super Fast Mittens,” a pattern she’s made available for sale here at the shop. Made with Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande, they’re quick and cozy, designed with ease of knitting in mind. Join the class for an introduction to double-pointed needles!

Peggy brought two finished accessories in for show and tell; above is her “Basket Whip” cowl, knit in the (sadly discontinued) Fibre Company Savannah, and below is her “Holden” shawl, knit in Geilsk Cotton/Wool. Both yarns are well-balanced blends of plant and animal fibers, lightweight from fibers like linen and cotton, but plush from merino wool.

Ruth knit this “Rhys” scarf in Fibre Company Knightsbridge, a fuzzy heathered blend of llama, merino, and silk. It’s a handsome piece, decorated with cables and texture patterns, and the yarn is so well-suited to a next-to-skin accessory.

Petra has been on a Steve Rousseau kick, knitting and crocheting several of his intricate shawls in a row. Her latest is this “Dimitri Rectangular Shawl,” knit in the lightweight, tweedy Shibui Pebble.

Thanks to everyone who shares their creations with us, those who gamely submit to my photography as well as those who’d rather not. We love seeing what you’re working on, and the pleasure and satisfaction that you derive from your finished projects.

See you at the shop!

Show and tell: shop samples.

Posted by Julia on May 10, 2015

Our walls are covered with knit, crocheted, and woven garments, which are here to inspire and show how our many yarns behave when they’re worked up into fabric. If you’ve been to the shop this week, you may have noticed a few new sample garments hanging on our walls. Anne, Rosi, Marsha, and I each recently finished a new shop sample, highlighting a variety of yarns and projects. Here’s some Hillsborough Yarn Shop show and tell.

Anne knit this Churchmouse “Easy Folded Poncho” with Fibre Company Acadia, a luxurious blend of merino wool, silk, and alpaca. The silk fiber takes the dye differently than wool and alpaca, and stands out from those fibers, creating a tweedy, rustic look. Those silk slubs are what make this truly simple garment a truly special one.

For a while now, we’ve had a few shades of Conjoined Creations Flat Feet here at the shop, occasionally begging the question, “What is this for?”

Flat Feet are machine-knit stretches of sock yarn, which are then hand-painted and ready to be hand-knit into socks directly from the flat.

What might that look like? Rosi’s newest sample helps answer that question.

She also brought in a recent Nordstrom catalog, which shows that socks worn with sandals are the height of fashion. Sock knitters, take note!

Marsha knit this “Bias Scarf” with two skeins of Ella Rae Bamboo Silk, a smooth, drapey worsted weight yarn.

The knitting in the “Bias Scarf” is simple, just knits, purls, increases and decreases. It’s a great beginner project, and Marsha is teaching a class on the subject for those just learning to knit. Read more about all our classes on our website!

Here’s my finished “Jiffy” vest, knit in Geilsk Cotton/Wool. It’s designed to be worn right-side-up or up-side-down, with the drop stitch lace around the collar or around the bottom edge.

Come by the shop to check out all our sample garments, which are here to be touched, tried on, and otherwise inspected. See you there!

Hello, Geilsk Cotton/Wool.

Posted by Julia on February 20, 2015

We’ve welcomed another new yarn to the shop! Meet Geilsk Cotton/Wool.

Cotton/Wool is a fingering weight blend of 55% wool and 45% cotton, a combination that 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.

We spotted Cotton/Wool at market last May, noting that we lacked a fingering weight cotton and wool blend here at the shop. We chose to carry it after knitting a simple swatch, its smooth texture rendering stitch patterns neatly, with nary a snag.

Danish knitwear designer Bente Geil has developed a unique bunch of patterns for Cotton/Wool, ranging from shawls and scarves to vests and larger sweaters.

I’m currently knitting this “Jiffy” vest as a sample for the shop in Cotton/Wool.

You can wear it with the ribbing at the neck or upside down, with the lace at the neck.

Look for Geilsk Cotton/Wool and its accompanying patterns in the fingering weight section at the shop. See you there!