Tag Archives: hats

“Norma Beanie” in Isager Spinni & Soft Fine.

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I recently finished knitting a new shop sample, and putting together kits so you can make one, too – check out the “Norma Beanie,” by My Favourite Things Knitwear.

This cozy double layered hat has a deep folded brim and a colorwork stripe motif – you may recognize it from the ever popular “Norma Sweater,” or “New Norma.”

Photo © My Favourite Things Knitwear

Three strands of Isager yarn are knit together for a fluffy, chunky fabric: one strand of Isager Spinni, a single ply wool, and two strands of Isager Soft Fine, a fuzzy alpaca, yak, and silk blend.

Bailey and I had fun picking out this combination of burgundy and beige, spiked with chartreuse.

The pattern calls for just a few grams of yarn in the contrast colors, so I wound up little bobbins for the kits. That way you don’t have to buy full skeins!

I also made “Norma Beanie” kits in the original My Favourite Things colorway, all neutrals.

Look for “Norma Beanie” kits here at HYS, or check out our lace weight section to make a colorway of your own – we have plenty of Spinni and Soft Fine to pair up!

Show and tell: cozy hats.

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We love to see finished projects that started life as yarn on our shelves, and when I’m able, I love to photograph them and share them here on the blog. At the moment, I have enough photos stockpiled for at least four blog posts – for today, let’s look at hats!

First up are a couple of intricate hats knit by Rosi. Above is her “Tjärn – hat,” by Tina Hauglund, knit with Berroco Ultra Wool DK.

Here’s Rosi’s “Snowfall Hat,” by Susan Rainey, knit with Ewe Ewe Sporty and beautifully embellished with beads.

Anne has taught Ellen Bartz’s “Ardelle Hat” several times now, a next step for her Beginning Knitting graduates. It packs a punch in terms of new techniques – provisional cast-on, cables, grafting, picking up stitches and more. Here’s a recent version she knit with Kelbourne Woolens Erin.

Nancy also has a hat to share in Kelbourne Woolens yarn – here’s her “Fernhill,” from KW’s Year of Bulky Hats, knit with the now discontinued (and on sale!) Germantown Bulky.

Last but not least, here’s another of Nancy’s hats, “Aal Ower Toorie,” designed by Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers for Shetland Wool Week 2025.

Inspired to make one of your own? Check out our kits, featuring 8 shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift!

Thanks to the knitters, crocheters, and weavers who bring in their work to show us what they’ve made! You inspire and amaze us, and we can’t wait to see what you get into next.

Show and tell: soothing stockinette.

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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!

Kristin came in wearing her lovely “Novice Slipover,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Dapple (sadly discontinued) and Fyberspates Cumulus – such a cuddly combination. Pattern by PetiteKnit.

Here’s Pam in her “Stevie,” knit with the aptly-named Isager Soft. She extended the sleeves of Elizabeth Smith’s pattern to the perfect three quarter length.

Alberto finished his PetiteKnit “Oslo Hat” in just a week, using the Lead + Onyx colorway of our Oslo Hat Kit. I love how these shades of gray blend together in Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and Fyberspates Cumulus!

 

Here’s one of Katherine’s several “Plain Yoke Tee 20” sweaters, modified to lengthen the sleeves and add a nice ribbed neckband.

She knit this one in a vibrant semisolid shade of Malabrigo Seis Cabos – sign up for one of her classes here at HYS and you might just see her wearing it! Pattern by Lene Holme Samsøe.

Here I am wearing my “Minimal Raglan Sweater,” a simple but thoughtful pattern by Noriko Ichikawa. I used Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, and look forward to knitting with it again – I loved the springiness, the sharp stitch definition, and the lovely heathered colors.

Josie knit this cherry red “Aura Top” with Isager Silk Mohair, and the result is ethereal. Pattern by Rows Knitwear – next time you’re here, check out the one Bailey made as a shop sample!

Michele made this wonderful “Cloud Sweater” with a mix of yarn from her stash and yarn from our sale trunk – a light gray fingering weight wool, and a variegated shade of Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Infusion Kid Mohair, to be precise. Love the result!

Many thanks to Kristin, Pam, Alberto, Katherine, Josie, and Michele 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.

“Baa-ble Hat” in Harrisville Highland.

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Donna Smith’s “Baa-ble Hat” has been charming knitters since it was first published for Shetland Wool Week back in 2015. We’ve seen it knit up in many different yarns and colorways over the years – I’ve just knit my third “Baa-ble Hat,” myself! I used the wonderfully wooly Harrisville Highland, a great choice for this now-classic pattern.

I had fun picking colors for this one, and noticing the subtle variations in the heathered shades as I knit. Loden Blue has bright teal fibers mixed in with the darker ones, and Cornflower blends sky and lavender for a unique blue.

I picked out six more color combinations besides, and doodled them for a preview of the hats I hope they become!

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Inspired to make a “Baa-ble Hat” of your own? Come by the shop and see all the options in our worsted weight section, from Harrisville and others!

“Weekend Hat” in Jensen + Harmony.

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Not long ago, I finished up a shop sample in Kelbourne Woolens’ latest yarn, Harmony – here’s my “Weekend Hat,” another simple but clever pattern by PetiteKnit.

I paired Harmony with Isager Jensen for this “Weekend Hat,” a perfect balance of softness and structure.

As in PetiteKnit’s “Oslo Hat,” there are 3 layers of fabric at the brim, making for a super cozy hat. The “Weekend Hat” also features a few rows of double knitting at the folds to keep it in place, a nice detail.

I love the way the heathered Jensen shows through Harmony‘s halo, and the satisfaction that comes with finding a close color match. Here are more “Weekend Hat” pairs, making use of both Harmony and Isager Silk Mohair‘s extensive color palette!

Ready to make a “Weekend Hat” of your own? Shop online for local pickup or shipping, or come by the shop to put your own colors together – we can’t wait to see what you dream up! Look for Isager Jensen in the DK weight section, and Kelbourne Woolens Harmony and Isager Silk Mohair in the lace weight section. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: Kelbourne Woolens.

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Time for another round of show and tell! Today I have a bunch of projects to share that were made with Kelbourne Woolens yarns. KW makes some of the best loved and best selling yarns at our shop, covering a wide range of gauges and fibers. Let’s see what folks are making with them!

Sandra made her “mayflower jumper” in Katherine’s recent class here at the shop, using Kelbourne Woolens’ DK weight wool, Scout. She added a slip of Hand Maiden Superkid Silk to a few of these motifs, giving them extra depth and a fuzzy halo. Pattern by thepetiteknitter.

Jill knit these “Shetland Solstice” hats for her granddaughters with KW Camper, a fingering weight version of Scout that’s superb for colorwork. Pattern by Gudrun Johnston.

Jill returned to Kelbourne Woolens for her “August Hat,” a free pattern from KW’s Year of Hats. This one was made with Germantown, a sturdy worsted weight wool. Pattern by Sarah Solomon.

Not long ago, I completed a sample for the shop with KW Erin, a bulky weight Donegal wool. Here’s my “Orla” vest, designed by Kathleen Meehan.

Jaime knit this incredible “Powdermill” cardigan using KW Camper.

Kate Davies’ pattern shines in Jaime’s color palette!

Jaime also used Kelbourne Woolens yarn in her “Tessellated Cardigan,” knit during Nancy’s recent class on Andrea Mowry’s pattern. Jaime used KW Andorra along with Isager Silk Mohair and a few special skeins of her very own handspun.

Thanks to Sandra, Jill, Jaime, and everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We love hearing your ideas and helping you find just the right yarns and tools to realize them. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: PetiteKnit “Oslo Hats.”

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PetiteKnit’s oh-so-popular “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition” is a contemporary classic. It’s simple and wearable, with thoughtful details that make it fun to knit and easy to gift. Here are some that we’ve had the pleasure of seeing in person, made with yarns from HYS!

Diana knit this “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition” with Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and Fyberspates Cumulus held together, inspired by our well-loved shop sample.

She loved the pattern, and came back for more yarn, intrigued by the color and yarn blending possibilities. The “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition” on the left is made with a marled sock yarn from our sale trunk, held together with Isager Silk Mohair. Diana made the hat on the right with Malabrigo Arroyo and Cumulus held together.

Kay is another serial “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition” maker, and I know these aren’t the last ones we’ll see from her! Above, she combined Fibre Co. Amble and Cumulus, and below, Isager Alpaca 2 and Silk Mohair.

Hyesol chose Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Crazy for her “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” and gave this self-striping yarn a fuzzy halo with Isager Silk Mohair.

Thanks to Diana, Kay, and Hyesol for sharing their hats with us – we love seeing what you make. If these lovely projects inspired you to make your own “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” come by the shop to see all the lace and fingering weight yarns we have to choose from!

Islesburgh Toorie.

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We’re so excited about “Islesburgh Toorie,” Shetland Wool Week’s featured pattern for 2024!

This five-color fair isle hat pattern is available to purchase from the Shetland Wool Week website. A new Shetland Wool Week hat pattern is something Anne and I look forward to every year, so we purchased it as soon as it was available, and then went straight to our Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift to play the color game. I spent some time putting together “Islesburgh Toorie” colorways inspired by those shown in the pattern, as well as one of my own!

“Islesburgh Toorie,” by the Doull Family, shown in Colourway 1

“Islesburgh Toorie,” by the Doull Family, shown in Colourway 2

“Islesburgh Toorie,” by the Doull Family, shown in Colourway 3

Lastly, here’s my own Hillsborough Yarn Shop Palette!

“Islesburgh Toorie,” by the Doull Family, shown in Hillsborough Yarn Shop Palette

Yarn bundles for “Islesburgh Toorie” are $56, and include 6 balls of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift – pattern is sold separately to support Shetland Wool Week. We’re also happy to help you put together your own color combinations from our generous supply of Spindrift – we have over 150 colors in stock!

Come see us or get in touch if you’d like to order a “Islesburgh Toorie” yarn bundle!

Show and tell: Bailey’s samples.

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Since Bailey began working here at the shop, her hands have been busy knitting samples. Anne and I love seeing the patterns, designers, and color combinations she selects, and so does everyone who comes to the shop for inspiration! If you’ve been keeping up with our blog, you’ve already seen Bailey’s “Static Mittens” in Sandnes Garn Double Sunday – let’s take a closer look at what else she’s been making.

The ephemeral mohair sweater in the middle is Bailey’s “Aura Top,” knit with Malabrigo Mohair. We so often see mohair held together with other yarns, but it’s dreamy on its own, too! Pattern by Rows Knitwear.

Above is “Berlin,” a cowl designed by Helga Isager and knit with Isager Alpaca 3, a lofty chainette yarn composed of alpaca and wool.

Bailey knit this chic “Best Beret” with a skein of Kelbourne Woolens Germantown, a smooth and sturdy worsted weight wool that’s ideal for creating a structured accessory like this one. Pattern by James N Watts.

Most recently, Bailey made this “ribblesdale vest,” by Lily Kate France, a brioche waistcoat knit with Kelbourne Woolens Scout.

Look for all of these samples here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, along with plenty of yarn to make them. We hope you find inspiration here!

“Shetland Solstice” in Kelbourne Woolens Camper.

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Gudrun Johnston’s “Shetland Solstice” hat caught my eye when Simply Shetland released Gudrun’s Holiday Hat kits featuring Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift back in November.

“Shetland Solstice,” by Gudrun Johnston, knit with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. Photo © Gudrun Johnston

I adore knitting with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, but toothy Shetland wool isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Luckily, any fingering weight wool can be used for Johnston’s pattern, and we have a nice, soft substitute in Kelbourne Woolens Camper. There aren’t quite as many colors in Camper as there are in Spindrift, but the palette is robust enough for some serious colorwork – below is a close approximation of Gudrun Johnston’s first “Shetland Solstice” colorway, shown in the hat pictured above.

“Shetland Solstice,” by Gudrun Johnston, knit with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. Photo © Gudrun Johnston

I was pleased to approximate Johnston’s second “Shetland Solstice” colorway in Camper, too!

Camper is what I used to make my own “Shetland Solstice” hat for the shop, and I love the result: classic looking fair isle with a soft and cuddly feel.

We recently got a fresh supply of Camper along with a few new colors – here are some more “Shetland Solstice” color ideas I came up with.

 

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Camper and Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift in our fingering weight section here at the shop, and pet our knit samples to pick the perfect yarn for you!