Back in stock: Malabrigo.

Posted by Julia on June 24, 2015

Malabrigo is a small yarn company out of Uruguay that is well known for its soft merino yarns, and their vivid, hand-dyed colorways.

We stock many of their yarns here at the shop, and their popularity means we order and reorder from Malabrigo with some frequency. Our most recent Malabrigo order was a particularly large one, filling cubbies of Mechita, Arroyo, Rios, Mecha, and Rasta.

Mechita is Malabrigo’s newest yarn, a single-ply superwash merino wool in fingering weight. Consider pairing a semi-solid shade with a wildly variegated one in a stripe or slip-stitch pattern.

Arroyo is a sport weight superwash merino, sturdy and smooth because of its tightly-plied nature. It’s ideal for baby and children’s things, and a nice weight for adult sweaters, too.

Rios is the worsted weight version of Arroyo, all the same qualities at about 5 stitches per inch on a US 7 or 8. This is a popular yarn for all kinds of projects, from cowls and hats to sweaters, blankets, slipper socks, and beyond.

Mecha is a bulky weight single-ply superwash merino, useful for quick, cozy stitching. We tried to pick colors that we hadn’t seen in this yarn before, and the results range from subdued to bright as can be.

For seriously quick projects, look to Rasta, a slightly felted single-ply merino calling for size US 13 – 15 needles. We more than doubled our inventory of Rasta with this order, adding loads of new colors, and filling two cubbies with the stuff.

We’re always happy to fill our shelves with Malabrigo yarns. These new colors and quantities are already going fast, though, due to that particular Malabrigo combination of beauty, softness, easy-care, and good value. If you’re hoping to put your hands on specific colorways, feel free to call ahead and check that we still have them in your desired quantity. See you at the shop!

New colors in Vivacious 4ply.

Posted by Julia on June 16, 2015

We received a lovely bundle from Fyberspates last week, bursting with bags of their Vivacious 4ply yarn. Vivacious 4ply is a high twist, superwash merino wool in a fingering weight. Though we just started stocking this yarn in February, a reorder was already necessary, and their newest shades tempted us, too.

Each 100 gram skein has 399 yards, enough for a pair of socks or mitts, a hat, scarf, or shawlette. Vivacious 4ply is hand-dyed, so each skein is unique, even from the same dye-lot; remember you can alternate skeins to blend hand-dyed yarns in larger projects.

We were also delighted to see these two new books from Fyberspates. Vivacious Kids is a collection of garments and accessories for children ages 2-10, a range for which it is sometimes surprisingly hard to find knitwear designs. CoopKnits Socks Vol. 2 is a pleasing and diverse collection of sock patterns, from the simple to the ornate.

Look for Vivacious 4ply in the fingering weight section of the shop!

New colors from Alchemy.

Posted by Julia on April 18, 2015

We recently freshened up our supply of Alchemy yarns, starting with one new colorway, shown here in Sanctuary, Sparky, and Lust.

Sanctuary is a sport weight blend of wool and silk, which, like all Alchemy yarns, is lovingly hand-dyed by designer Gina Wilde.

Anne picked six new shades of this sumptuous stuff, filling out our color selection nicely.

Use Sanctuary on its own, or in combination with Silken Straw or Sparky for Alchemy’s signature shibori-felted designs, like the “Wisdom Wrap” or “Simple Shibori Cowl,” both of which are on display at the shop.

Not long ago, Rosi finished this “Sparky Serpentine Scarf” knit in Sparky, a sample that now hangs on the wall here at the shop. The mesh lace pattern is easily memorized, and sparkles in this silk yarn, which is wrapped in a metallic thread.

Look for Alchemy yarns in the sport weight section of our shop, and don’t miss Lust in the fingering weight section! See you there.

Hello, MJ Opulent Fingering.

Posted by Julia on March 31, 2015

Another new yarn has found its way to the shop this Spring: meet MJ Opulent Fingering.

Based in Lafayette, Colorado, MJ Yarns specializes in variegated and semi-solid colorways, with short color runs to minimize pooling.

Opulent Fingering is a tightly-plied blend of 80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, and 10% nylon, with 416 yards on each 100 gram skein. It’s perfect for a special pair of socks, a cowl, shawl, or pair of mitts.

MJ Yarns offers a selection of free patterns on their website; consider also the “Willow Cowl,” “Starshower” cowl, and “Multnomah” shawlette, all of which are well-suited to variegated fingering weight yarns. Look for more pattern inspiration on the “Fingering weight” board on the HYS Pinterest page. See you at the shop!

Back in stock: Classy mini-skeins.

Posted by Julia on March 24, 2015

Back in August, we got a bundle of mini-skeins from Dream in Color and a fun, simple pattern to go with: the “Technicolor Cowl.” We all had fun putting wild colorways together, and before we knew it, they were sold out. I’m happy to report that we were finally able to get Dream in Color Classy mini-skeins back in stock!

Dream in Color Classy is a worsted weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in Chicago, IL. Each of these mini-skeins comes with about 50 yards of yarn.

Nancy Leuer’s “Technicolor Cowl” calls for 8 mini-skeins.

We’ve seen so many kinds of color combinations made from these mini-skeins, and they all look great. Some are gradients, pulling 8 shades from one or two color families. Some are brightly colored, with high contrast shades side by side in each stripe. Some feature duplicate skeins of one main color studded with only a few contrasting shades, for a less colorful but no less interesting look.

Come by the shop to put together a “Technicolor Cowl” colorway of your own!

String Theory: new colors, show and tell.

Posted by Julia on March 4, 2015

Another shipment from String Theory arrived at the shop last week, a box filled with Bluestocking and Merino DK. We also happened to see these two yarns in a couple of beautiful finished projects recently, so I thought I’d share show and tell along with the news of new colors.

Bluestocking is a soft, sturdy fingering weight yarn composed of 80% Bluefaced Leicester wool and 20% nylon. Bluefaced Leicester wool is known for its long fibers, which make for sturdy, lustrous yarn with a bit of a fuzzy halo. Bluestocking is excellent for socks, but just as nice for scarves, shawls, mitts, and other accessories.

Pete knit this “North Arrow” with two shades of Bluestocking, one variegated and one semisolid. I love seeing how two colors interact when knit up into thin stripes; they can blend into one another or pop out in contrast, and you can’t be quite sure how they’ll behave until they’re on your needles. Pete’s color choice came out beautifully, and I’m flattered to say that she’s planning to knit a second “North Arrow” in Caper Sock!

Last week’s box came with three new shades of String Theory Merino DK, a soft and smooth superwash merino yarn in a DK weight. Merino DK is springy and dependable, has sharp stitch definition, and comes in rich, hand-dyed colorways. I’m a big fan of this yarn, having used it for all kinds of projects: two cowls, a hat, a sweater, and a pair of mitts.

Mary recently pulled a skein of String Theory Merino DK out of her stash to make a “Hermes Baby” hat from the Vivacious Volume One booklet. The simplicity of the stitch pattern gives this particularly variegated colorway room to shine.

Come by the shop to see our full selection of String Theory yarns, and plan your next project!

Hello, Malabrigo Mechita.

Posted by Julia on February 23, 2015

We’re happy to announce the arrival of a brand new yarn from Malabrigo: hello, Mechita.

Mechita is a single ply superwash merino in a fingering weight, with a generous 420 yards on each 100 gram skein.

This hand-dyed yarn comes in a wide range of colorways from semisolid to variegated, including many old favorites and some new shades, too.

Mechita seems made for next-to-skin accessories like shawls, scarves, and cowls. As I was photographing these colorful skeins, I paired up semisolid shades with variegates, thinking of the many popular two-color patterns that call for fingering weight yarns. “Daybreak,” “Spectra,” or “Clockwork” from Stephen West…

“Bolt,” “Different Lines,” or “Stripe Study” from Veera Välimäki…

“Whippoorwill” or “Catkin” from Carina Spencer…

Louise Zass-Bangham’s “Foolproof” cowl, Laura Ayler’s “Faberge,” or Robin Ulrich’s “Sothia”…

In short, you can use Mechita in just about any pattern that calls for fingering weight yarn, and there are plenty out there. Our Pinterest page has a “Fingering Weight” board, collecting inspiring stitches in fingering weight yarns like Mechita; check there for even more ideas.

Come by the shop to meet Malabrigo’s newest yarn, and visit us before March 6th to see the Malabrigo Trunk Show. See you there!

New colors in Smooshy with Cashmere.

Posted by Julia on February 15, 2015

We recently restocked our cubby of Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere, a luxurious blend of merino, cashmere, and nylon.

At 20% cashmere, Smooshy with Cashmere has more cashmere content than many other merino/cashmere/nylon blends we’ve run into. It’s a treat for the hands as you’re stitching, and makes a particularly plush finished product.

Hand-dyed in semi-solid and variegated colorways, Smooshy with Cashmere is a special skein for special projects: an heirloom baby garment, a cuddly pair of socks or mitts, a comforting cowl or shawl.

When it really needs to be soft as can be, consider Smooshy with Cashmere. Come by the shop to take a look; you’ll find it in the fingering weight section. See you there!

Back in stock: Caper Sock.

Posted by Julia on February 9, 2015

We’re so glad to have new colors in String Theory Caper Sock!

Caper Sock is a fingering weight blend of superwash merino wool, cashmere, and nylon. It’s sturdy enough for sock-knitting, as its name suggests, but soft enough for shawls, scarves, cowls, hats, or mitts–just about anything you’d wear next-to-skin.

Each skein boasts 400 yards, enough to make a variety of small projects. Searching patterns on Ravelry, I found that one skein of Caper Sock will make just about any pair of socks, Joji Locatelli’s “To infinity and beyond” cowl, Jennifer Dassau’s “Picabeau” shawlette, or Stephen West’s “Pogona” shawlette. Can’t decide on just one color? Two will make Carina Spencer’s “Catkin” shawl, Veera Välimäki’s “Halfway Wrap,” or my own “North Arrow” scarf.

Come by the shop to pick up a skein or two or String Theory Caper Sock! You’ll find Caper Sock in the fingering weight section, with lots of other tempting hand-dyed yarns.

Hello, Vivacious 4ply.

Posted by Julia on February 1, 2015

This week, we welcomed a new yarn into the shop: Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply.

Vivacious 4ply is a high twist, superwash merino wool in a fingering weight.

For pattern inspiration and a sense of how these colorways might work up in knitted fabric, check out Vivacious Volume One. Inside, you’ll find accessory and garment patterns for fingering and dk weight yarns. Here are a few in Vivacious 4ply.

Check out the “Inspiring Stitches” board on our Pinterest page for more projects in Vivacious 4ply, and come by the shop to see this yarn for yourself. Look for Vivacious 4ply and Vivacious Volume One in the fingering weight section. See you there!