Tag Archives: hand maiden

Show and tell: stripes.

Posted by on

Time for another round of show and tell! Today’s projects all feature stripes, whether high-contrast or low, many-colored or few.

First up, Margaretta’s “Chevron Cloud,” knit with Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Alpaca 2. Pattern by Espace Tricot.

The color and yarn combination here is subtle, but exquisite – variegated mohair creates painterly stripes, and Margaretta picked a shade of sage green Alpaca 2 that matches without blending in or disappearing.

Karin came by the shop wearing her “DRK Everyday Cowl,” by Andrea Mowry, knit with Malabrigo Arroyo. The solid Natural is a perfect complement to the wildly variegated Aniversario.

Here’s the “Versa Cowl” I knit as a shop sample with Malabrigo Seis Cabos. Pattern by Aimee Pelletier.

People often ask how hard the slip stitch pattern is, and I’m happy to say that it’s neither hard nor a slip stitch pattern – just knits, purls, and stripes!

Last but not least, here’s Kristin’s “Stole” in Isager Merilin. Like Anne, she used just five colors to make a narrower wrap that’s just right for spring.

Many thanks to the knitters who shared their stripes 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!

“Cumulus Blouse” in Superkid Silk + Silk Mohair.

Posted by on

Bailey’s most recent shop sample is a showstopper – a PetiteKnit “Cumulus Blouse” knit with Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Silk Mohair held together.

This mix of hand dyed and solid lace weight yarn creates a painterly fabric, lightweight and ideal for cool spring days.

Before casting on for her “Cumulus Blouse,” Bailey swatched Superkid Silk in Swan Lake with six different shades of Silk Mohair, each one striking a different tone. It was hard to choose, but she went with Silk Mohair in 62, a blush pink that let the blue streaks in Swan Lake stand out.

Hand dyed yarn is some of the hardest to picture in a finished project. In the skein, we see big swaths of color, but in the knitted fabric, these vibrant colorways transform depending on the stitch pattern and the number of stitches cast on.

To balance the color pooling, Bailey carefully alternated skeins of Superkid Silk, working two row stripes with two or three different balls of yarn, all while carrying along a strand of solid Silk Mohair. It involved some ripping out and re-knitting, but was worth it for this harmonious fabric that lets each color shine.

Look for Bailey’s “Cumulus Blouse” on display here at the shop – it’s here to admire, inspire, and try on! We have all of her swatches on display, too, to give you a sense of how solid and variegated mohair colorways can come together.

If you’re inspired to make a “Cumulus Blouse” of your own, we’re here to help you find the perfect yarn blend, with more mohair and brushed alpaca to choose from than ever before. Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Silk Mohair, yes, but also Malabrigo Mohair, Kelbourne Woolens Harmony, Isager Soft Fine, Fyberspates Cumulus, and Sandnes Garn Tynn Silk Mohair… look for them all in our lace weight section!

“Sophie Hood” in Sport, Superkid Silk, and Silk Mohair.

Posted by on

Anne cast on for her PetiteKnit “Sophie Hood” on one of the coldest days of winter, suddenly recognizing the urgent need for just such an accessory. She finished it just when the weather warmed up again, and thought she might have missed the window to wear it. But winter’s not yet over, and when the temperature dipped again, she had her chance!

Anne knit her little red “Sophie Hood” with three strands of yarn held together. For structure, she used Briggs & Little Sport, a single ply wool. For added softness, warmth, and color, she added Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Silk Mohair.

We are all smitten with the resulting fabric, a vibrant red with subtle streaks of orange, fuchsia, and burgundy that liven up this simple garter stitch hood.

We couldn’t resist picking out alternate colorways in the same magical trio of yarns – here are some ideas!

 

If you prefer to work with a single strand of yarn for your “Sophie Hood,” check out Isager Soft and Alpaca 3, Fibre Co. & Make Aran, and Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed in our aran weight section.

See you at the shop!

Show and tell: soothing stockinette.

Posted by on

Sometimes there’s nothing more pleasing than plain old stockinette stitch, its soothing rhythm and smooth surface. Here are some soothing stockinette projects from knitters in our community!

First up, here’s Katherine’s “Stockholm Slipover” in Fibre Co. Cumbria. Though PetiteKnit’s pattern calls for DK and lace weight yarns held together, Katherine cleverly picked a single worsted weight yarn that knits up to the same gauge all by itself.

Here I am in my “Melange Sweater” – coincidentally, almost all of today’s show and tell was knit from PetiteKnit patterns! I held two contrasting shades of Sandnes Garn Sunday together, cobalt blue and light beige; check out this blog post for more color ideas. I knit this over a year ago, but never shared a photo of the finished sweater, though it’s become one of my most worn.

Kay is a serial “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition” maker, and I know these aren’t the last ones we’ll see from her! Above and below, she combined Isager Alpaca 2 with either Soft Fine or Silk Mohair.

Yep, Kay made this third “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” too! This may be my favorite of her color combinations yet, Kelbourne Woolens Camper and Isager Silk Mohair.

Here’s Hyesol’s “Monday Sweater,” knit with Sandnes Garn Sunday and Hand Maiden Superkid Silk held together. Photos just don’t do this justice – ever since she brought it in, I’ve been daydreaming about knitting a stockinette raglan for myself.

Joanne held Koigu KPPPM and Lang Cashmere Premium together for one super squishy hat! The pattern is Ysolda Teague’s “Musselburgh,” which is knit with two layers, even more stockinette to enjoy.

Many thanks to Katherine, Kay, Hyesol, and Joanne for sharing their handiwork with us! We really appreciate everyone whose projects begin with a trip to HYS, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: Petrichor.

Posted by on

Dream in Color’s Pop-Up Club is back! Original owners Nancy and Veronica handed their company over to Maddytosh earlier this year, who are capably continuing the Dream in Color brand. Their yarn is now hand-dyed in Texas by a team trained by Veronica, and the skeins of Smooshy Cashmere are just as vibrant as ever.

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, each skein is unique; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in a larger project
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100 grams
  • machine wash cool on gentle/hand wash setting, lay flat to dry

Petrichor is a highly variegated skein, blending ivory, brick red, burgundy, and olive green in a high contrast colorway.

This limited edition autumnal shade got me thinking about our latest batch of Hand Maiden Superkid Silk. These shades of light pink, sage, and bronze pair beautifully with Petrichor, perhaps for a “Cheri Chevron Shawl,” by Ambah O’Brien.

Inspired to cast on? Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and in our new online store!

Hello, Hand Maiden Flyss.

Posted by on

We’re thrilled to have another yarn from Hand Maiden! Meet Flyss.

Hand Maiden Flyss:

  • fingering weight
  • plied
  • hand-dyed, every skein is unique
  • 65% silk, 35% linen
  • 437 yards/3.5 oz
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Hand Maiden yarns are dyed entirely by hand in tiny batches – just enough for a single sweater at a time – in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The folks at Hand Maiden are especially known for their silk blends, and Flyss is one, a lustrous combination of silk and linen.

Back when we ordered our first batch of Superkid Silk, Anne included a few skeins of Flyss for herself, and cast on for Isabell Kraemer’s “Tresoro” tee. She promptly fell in love with Flyss, admiring the softness, drape, and the fact that it doesn’t split as she knits! We couldn’t wait to pick out a palette for the shop.

For this batch of Flyss, we picked a mix of semisolid and variegated shades, some subdued and others vibrant.

What to make with these gorgeous skeins? Here are some ideas!

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

Show and tell: mohair magic.

Posted by on

Back with more show and tell! We love the fuzzy halo of mohair, and the magical way it can enhance whatever yarn it’s paired with. Here are some recent projects folks have made with mohair from HYS.

Linda has been on a “Sophie Scarf” streak – here’s one she made holding Malabrigo Caprino and Isager Silk Mohair together. This enchanting combination shows how even high contrast colors can blend together when one of the yarns is lace weight mohair, letting the thicker speckled yarn shine through. Pattern by PetiteKnit.

Here’s Hyesol in her “Sweater No. 29,” knit with Isager Jensen and Silk Mohair held together – thanks for modeling a mohair sweater in this summer heat, Hyesol!

The combination of sturdy Jensen and soft Silk Mohair is perfect for a cozy sweater, and this butter yellow color shows off the cable pattern beautifully. Pattern by My Favorite Things Knitwear.

Margaretta knit this “Helli” slipover with another blend of rustic and soft – Kelbourne Woolens Cricket and Malabrigo Mohair. Pattern by Tiia Reho.

Here’s a close up with the yarn she used, so you can see the ingredients in this unique combination, a single ply tweed and a hand-dyed mohair/silk – we love the result!

Stephanie made this “FairTee,” blending Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Berroco Ultra Wool DK. The low contrast color combination of a pale speckled mohair and a solid cream wool creates an elegant, subtle colorway well suited to the pattern by Trine Knitwear.

Thanks to Linda, Hyesol, Margaretta, and Stephanie for sharing your mohair magic with us!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Wedding Season.

Posted by on

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 grams

This month’s limited edition shade is inspired by Bridgerton – soft floral colours on a lavender-grey background evoke the dresses, balls, and decor of the show.

I can never resist pairing Koigu with mohair, brushed alpaca, or other fuzzy lace weight fibers  – here are a few combinations to consider for your next “Sophie Scarf” or “Oslo Hat – mohair edition.”

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and check out the lace weight section to see all the fluffy yarns shown here and more!

Hello, Hand Maiden Superkid Silk.

Posted by on

We’re so excited to welcome a brand new yarn company to our collection here at Hillsborough Yarn Shop – hello, Hand Maiden!

Hand Maiden Superkid Silk:

  • lace weight
  • fuzzy
  • hand-dyed, every skein is unique
  • 70% mohair, 30% silk
  • 437 yards/50 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry
  • $26 each

Hand Maiden yarns are dyed entirely by hand in tiny batches – just enough for a single sweater at a time – in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Our first yarn from Hand Maiden is Superkid Silk, an ethereal blend of fuzzy mohair and luminous silk.

We picked a quiet palette to start with, thinking of cool coastal colors, pastels and speckles that are missing from our other mohair/silk yarns.

Lace weight mohair is often carried along with other yarns, adding a soft halo to the knitted fabric – think Ankestrick’s “Garden Cardigan,” Tin Can Knits’ “Love Note,” My Favorite Things’ “Sweater No. 18,” or PetiteKnit’s “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” “Novice Slipover,” and “No Frills Sweater.”

Vareigated mohair tints whatever yarn it’s held with in a particularly magical way. Even a high contrast color combination can blend, bringing depth and interest to the finished knit. We had fun brainstorming yarn combinations for these skeins of Superkid Silk – the possibilities are endless!

Come by the shop to see and touch Superkid Silk for yourself, and to plan your next project!