Shetland show and tell.

Posted by Julia on July 23, 2015

Here’s another bunch of show and tell! All of these projects started their lives as yarns here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and all those yarns have something in common: they’re all composed of 100% Shetland wool, the somewhat prickly stuff that I love so much. It’s not merino-soft, but Shetland wool maintains its shape over time, even as it softens with washing and wearing. Let’s see how these Hillsborough Yarn Shoppers are using it.

Paula came in recently with her finished “Solo,” knit from a Hanne Falkenberg kit. Those of you who have tackled Falkenberg kits know what an accomplishment this is; Falkbenberg’s signature Shetland yarn is a fine gauge, all in garter stitch, which can feel tedious after a while. What’s more, her designs are cleverly, unconventionally constructed, and it’s important to have a good system for tracking row count, increases and decreases. Paula worked diligently on the knitting and the note-keeping, making her “Solo” a real success!

Paula had another bit of Shetland show and tell with her that day, a fair isle tam knit in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

The pattern is from Mary Rowe’s Knitting Tams, a collection of fair isle tams that Paula is finding somewhat addictive. She left the shop after this visit with the makings of at least two more tams, which I hope I can share with you here on the blog as they’re completed.

I recently finished a Shetland sweater, myself, which you wont be surprised to learn is from Kate Davies’ Yokes, a book I can’t stop talking about.

I knit this “Cockatoo Brae” cardigan in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, which behaved perfectly in the colorwork and showed no inclination to unravel after I cut the steek.

My only modifications to the pattern were a change in colorway and in buttonband construction. I used Anna Zilboorg’s “perfect buttonhole” technique, from her Knitting for Anarchists and Splendid Apparel books, which was somewhat fiddly but entirely worthwhile. I practiced reinforcing and cutting the steek on my swatch, then picked up along the cut edge to work a few practice buttonholes, which helped me get the hang of it.

A few months ago, I wrote about our ever-expanding selection of colors in Shetland Spindrift, and how each new group of shades reminds me of a particular knitter and project they were special-ordered for. I was so delighted when Anne sent me this photo of one of those projects, now completed. Here’s Stan in his striped sweater, a self-designed recreation of a favorite, well-worn sweater. He dropped in the other day with process swatches for another Shetland project in the works… I can’t wait to see what he makes next.

A hearty thanks to all the fiber artists who start their projects here and share their work with us! We love to see our yarns grow up into finished garments, and are so inspired by the work you do. See you at the shop!

Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Show.

Posted by Julia on October 23, 2014

We’re thrilled to announce that the Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Show arrived early, giving us more time to enjoy these ten beautiful garments!

Hanne Falkenberg is a Danish designer whose patterns come in kits with her signature Shetland yarn, and are often made in garter stitch with flattering short-row shaping and colorful stripes. They are always constructed in surprising ways to intrigue the knitter and compliment the wearer.

Over the years, we’ve had a few Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Shows, each time getting different designs in different colorways. This group includes Falkenberg’s very newest, “Ypsilon,” a short sleeved cardigan decorated with flattering vertical stripes.

We always have a handful of Falkenberg kits in stock at the shop, though the selection changes from time to time.

As I’m writing this, we have “Lascala,” “Luna,” “Lastrada,” and “Mariager” on the shelf, and now “Ypsilon” joins the ranks, in three different color combinations.

There may well be another Falkenberg design you like, or a colorway you prefer; we’re more than happy to order it for you. In fact, during the Trunk Show, we’re offering a 20% discount to those who prepay for their Hanne Falkenberg kit orders!

Come by the shop before November 9th to admire these clever garments, try them on, and place your order!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges and no returns. Discount applies only to in-store purchases. Thanks!

Hanne Falkenberg hat kits.

Posted by Julia on July 18, 2013

Hanne Falkenberg is a Danish knitwear designer whose patterns come in kits with her signature shetland wool yarn. You may have seen some of her designs in person at our Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Show last Fall, when a group of finished garments were lent to us so that knitters interested in Falkenberg kits could admire the sweaters and try them on for size. Her colorful Lascala scarf has been hanging on our wall for some time now, intriguing knitters with its garter and slip stitch colorwork. Here is the smallest Hanne Falkenberg project yet: a hat, perfect for dipping your toe into Falkenberg’s clever designs.

The body of the hat is knit in stripes, though you can’t see it in this picture; the black stripes are knit in reverse stockinette, and the blue stripes are knit in stockinette, which recedes behind the reverse stockinette stripes like an accordion.

The result is a cozy, stretchy, textured hat that fits snugly and is long enough to pull down over your ears to keep the cold away. Winter accessories like this make for great summer knitting, if seemingly counterintuitive. It’s small enough not to feel heavy as you work on it, and will certainly be ready to wear when the cold weather reappears.

We recently got a shipment of kits to make these hats in all manner of color combinations, from the subdued to the whimsical.

Come by the shop to try the hat on for yourself, and get one of the kits at 15% off during our Annual Inventory Sale!

Show and tell: sweaters, shawl, and socks.

Posted by Julia on February 11, 2013

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “show and tell” post, not because there’s nothing to show or tell, but because my camera is not always handy when some finished piece is held out for Anne and I to admire. I’d like to photograph them all; here are the few I’ve captured of late.

Anne took a trip to New York last weekend to visit with family, and managed to finish this adorable sweater for her granddaughter just in time. It’s made in Fibre Company’s Acadia, a sport weight blend of merino wool, alpaca and silk–nothing but the best for baby Willa. She used the leftover yarn to improvise baby mittens, and spent her flight to NY knitting i-cord to connect them.

Here, Margie models a colorwork sweater she made in a variety of fingering weight yarns, some solid and some variegated, the likes of Marion Foale 3-ply, Isager Alpaca 2, Classic Elite Alpaca Sox, and Colinette Jitterbug. It’s a unique take on a pattern from Vogue Knitting Magazine a few years back, one that Margie modified heavily to create exactly the sweater she wanted.

Marion came in on Saturday wearing her completed Promenade shawl, a Hanne Falkenberg kit purchased at September’s trunk show. Promenade is a large shawl knit in garter stitch on small needles; to finish knitting it is an enormous accomplishment.

Congratulations, Marion!

Margaretta completed the first in a pair of French Market Socks, from a pattern by Nancy Bush in Sock Knitting Master Class. For this pair, she used Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Weight, a sturdy Shetland wool that is perfectly suited to stranded colorwork like this. Any adventurous sock-knitters out there who haven’t flipped through Sock Knitting Master Class ought to come in and do so; there are all sorts of intriguing patterns there, from the cable-crossed to the lace-covered, not to mention socks featuring entrelac, shadow knitting, and traveling twisted stitches.

Thanks to all for the show and tell, whether it makes it to the blog or not! Looking forward to seeing all that comes off your needles.

Show and tell: blanket, shawl, and sweater.

Posted by Julia on November 24, 2012

The last three show and tell photos I’ve collected at the shop have been large-scale projects, long haul knits whose completion is cause for excitement. That excitement made its way to the shop to be shared with us, and now I’ll pass it along to you.

Betsy has been working on a lace patterned blanket in Jitterbug for some time now; it’s warmed her knees as she knit it. Now it is complete–a feat in this colorful fingering weight yarn.

Ever since our Hanne Falkenberg trunk show, Frances has been knitting away on her Promenade, a shawl kit designed by Falkenberg. At times, she had hundreds of stitches on her needle, more than one circular alone could hold. You can see why she’s thrilled to be done with this incredible piece; it’s a real accomplishment.

Margaretta brought a completed sweater in for show and tell, a New Zealand Pullover made in Swans Island Organic Merino Fingering. The pattern is from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knit One, Knit All, a collection of designs that make clever use of garter stitch. The New Zealand Pullover is no exception, a simple sweater full of smart details: short row shaping, underarm gussets, phony seams, etc.

Thanks to all for the impressive show and tell!

Lascala.

Posted by Julia on October 5, 2012

The Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Show has come and gone, but for the Falkenberg-curious, we still have one garment on loan. Behold: Lascala, a colorful scarf worked in garter and slip stitch patterns.

Lascala is generous in width and length, but lightweight, due to the fine shetland wool that comes in Falkenberg’s kits. It’s knit in two pieces, then sewn together with the color sequence inverted at the seam.

Intrigued? Come by the shop to admire the sample, and pick up a Lascala kit of your own.

Hanne Falkenberg Trunk Show.

Posted by Julia on September 20, 2012

The Amimono 3 Trunk Show has only been with us for five days, and already the next Trunk Show has arrived, to our delight. We weren’t expecting it for another couple of days, but yesterday, we were thrilled to open a box of ten garments designed by Hanne Falkenberg. Here they are, hanging on a coat rack by the desk, waiting for some curious knitter to try them on.

Hanne Falkenberg’s designs come in kits with her signature yarns, and are often made in garter stitch with flattering short-row shaping and colorful stripes. They are always constructed in surprising ways to intrigue the knitter and compliment the wearer.

Everyone in the shop had a great time playing dress-up, trying each sweater on for size and picking a favorite colorway. Anne’s mother modeled for us, too.

During the Trunk Show, we’re offering a 20% discount to those who prepay for their Hanne Falkenberg kit orders. Come by the shop before the end of the month to admire these clever garments, try them on, and place your order!