Tag Archives: kelbourne woolens

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!

Hello, Kelbourne Woolens Erin.

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Brand new from Kelbourne Woolens: meet Erin!

Kelbourne Woolens Erin:

  • bulky weight
  • heathered
  • 60% fine Irish wool, 40% New Zealand wool
  • 158 yards/100 grams
  • $18 each

Erin is a bulky weight wool made in Donegal, Ireland, from a hearty blend of 60% fine Irish wool and 40% New Zealand wool. This rustic, toothy wool is ideal for making rugged sweaters and accessories.

So far, only one pattern has been published for Kelbourne Woolens Erin, a stunning cabled cardigan designed by KW cofounder Kate Gagnon Osborn, “Winter Sweater.”

“Winter Sweater,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn, knit with Kelbourne Woolens Erin. Photo © Kelbourne Woolens

The folks at Kelbourne Woolens are hard at work on a full pattern collection for Erin, and I’m predicting more classic cables – in the meantime, here are some other great ways to use Erin!

Look for Erin in the bulky weight section here at HYS, along with Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky!

Show and tell: gifts from Anne’s needles.

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I’m always amazed at how much knitting Anne does, between shop and class samples, gifts for her family, and the occasional sweater for herself. Today I want to share some of the knitting she’s done for her grandchildren throughout the year, “with love in every stitch,” in her words.

For her youngest grandson, Anne knit this “Daydreamer,” by Jennifer Steingass. The whimsical rainbow colors come from Brooklyn Tweed, a mix of Loft and Tones Light.

Her granddaughters picked their own patterns this year, and helped arrange the colors over Zoom.

This is Jessica McDonald’s “Little Abloom,” knit with Kelbourne Woolens Camper for the main color and a few precious skeins of the discontinued Shibui Pebble for the contrast colors.

This is Anna Johanna’s “Helianthus,” knit with another discontinued yarn, Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, with a few other yarns from Anne’s stash to fill out the color palette.

For her eldest twin grandsons, Anne made these cozy bed-sized blankets with Malabrigo Mecha, and got them done before Hanukkah, no less. What a feat!

Amidst all those significant projects, she still managed this bundle of hats! From left to right: a “Winter King Hat” in Brooklyn Tweed Quarry, a Super Simple Circular Hat Calculator in Noro Bonbori and Isager Silk Mohair, and a couple “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” knit with Kelbourne Woolens Perennial, Malabrigo Mohair, Sandnes Garn Sunday, and Isager Silk Mohair. 

Thanks to Anne for sharing all her projects with us, and for keeping the shop filled with exciting and inspiring yarns!

Pom Pom Quarterly: Winter 2023.

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The penultimate issue of Pom Pom Quarterly is here!

We are so sad to hear that they’re closing up shop after the Spring 2024 issue comes out in January; PPQ has been an inspiring resource for so many years. In the meantime, this new Winter 2023 issue is full of artful and intriguing knits in monochrome colorways.

“We love colour so much that often we try and get as much of it into each piece as we can,” the PPQ editors write, “but for this monochrome-themed issue we wanted to see what could be done with fabrics that used more subtle tonal differences within a single hue, or closely related ones.”

Pom Pom has always been a champion of new and emerging designers and indie dyers, introducing us to new names with every issue. We don’t carry all the yarns shown in their pages, but we have many lovely substitutes and are happy to help you find just the right one for your project! Above are a few shades of Brooklyn Tweed Tones and Shelter, reminiscent of Catie Robbins’ intarsia “Redware” shawl.

The dimensional texture of Alessandra Gropazzi’s “Chiaroscuro” scarf caught my eye right away – it’s made with a fingering weight wool and lace weight mohair/silk blend held together throughout. Kelbourne Woolens Camper and Isager Silk Mohair fit the bill, and we have new colors in both of those yarns!

Sara Ottosson’s “Celadon” hat uses a fingering weight wool as a base yarn throughout, and alternates between two shades of fuzzy lace weight yarn to create a subtle colorwork pattern. We have so many yarns that would work well for this, but Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering and Fyberspates Cumulus have the perfect colors to match the pattern photo!

Pom Pom Quarterly is $25.50 – come by to snag a copy between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. We’re also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping. Along with this issue, we have a cubby full of back issues available, now marked down 50%. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: openwork.

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As you may have read in our most recent newsletter, the shop will be closed for our usual Thanksgiving break from November 22 – 27. Feel free to place online orders or email inquiries during that time, but know that we won’t be monitoring our inbox until we’re back in the shop on November 28! We wish you all a peaceful and safe holiday.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy some show and tell!

As I was going through recent photos, I spotted a theme: openwork! Here are some beautiful projects adorned with eyelets.

Above is Edie’s “Holden” shawl, knit with Koigu KPPPM. It’s great to see lace knit up with variegated yarn! Pattern by Mindy Wilkes.

Teresa knit this delicate “Salty Air Tee” with Isager Bomulin, a good example of how lace looks in plant fiber yarns – in a word, lovely! Pattern by Samantha Guerin.

Anne jumped on the “Ranunculus” bandwagon, and knit the sweater above as a gift for a lifelong friend. She held Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03 together with Fibre Co. Meadow, a low contrast combination that gave just a little dimension to the color and texture of the knitted fabric. Pattern by Midori Hirose.

Lace looks great in thicker yarns, too, showing off the stitch patterns at a larger scale and proving that openwork can be cozy. Above is Ruth in her “Elah” cardigan, knit with worsted weight Kelbourne Woolens Germantown. Pattern by Isabell Kraemer.

Margaretta is a prolific lace knitter – I’ve lost track of how many “Umaro” blankets she’s made! The one above is a baby blanket, knit with worsted weight Berroco Ultra Wool. Pattern by Jared Flood.

The shawl below is also one of Margaretta’s, “Sakura,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft. Pattern by Leila Raven.

Thanks to Edie, Teresa, Anne, Ruth, and Margaretta for sharing their work with us! We love to see what you make with our yarns, and can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Seasonless: Patterns for Life, by Karen Templer + Amirisu.

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A new book has arrived to inspire your knitting this fall and beyond – let’s look inside Seasonless: Patterns for Life ($28), by Karen Templer + Amirisu!

You may recognize Karen Templer’s name from her years of slow-fashion blogging, or from Fringe Supply Co., where she used to sell wildly popular project bags. She’s a knitwear designer, too – perhaps you’ve knit her “Log Cabin Mitts,” “Improv” sweater, or “Anna Vest.”

For this new collection, a collaboration with Amirisu, Templer wanted to create “patterns that are endlessly adaptable and, therefore, priceless, while also presenting the opportunity for a newer knitter to build skills along the way.”

Seasonless: Patterns for Life features 5 fundamental patterns: fingerless mitts, a hat, a vest, a pullover, and a cardigan. For each of these accessories and garments, Templer + Amirisu offer 4 stitch pattern variations, multiple finishing and shaping options, and thoughts on yarn substitution.

 

Each pattern is knit at a worsted weight gauge, and Kelbourne Woolens Germantown is one of the featured yarns. There are so many others we carry and love – think Berroco Ultra Alpaca, Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted, Malabrigo Rios, Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, Tones, and Imbue Worsted.

Look for Seasonless: Patterns for Life ($28) here at HYS, or order online for local pickup or shipping!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Azurite.

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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 g
  • $15.50 each

Azurite is a saturated mix of blue and purple, with lively streaks of aqua, lavender, and lime.

As soon as Amy Christoffers released her new “Pressed Flowers Socks” pattern, my mind went to Koigu – Anne used it in her “Pressed Flowers Hat” earlier this year, and the variegated yarn was perfect in this floral mosaic pattern.

“Pressed Flowers Socks,” by Amy Christoffers, photo © Amy Christoffers

Here are “Pressed Flowers Socks” color combinations pairing Azurite with Kelbourne Woolens Perennial, one of our go-to solid sock yarns.

I couldn’t stop there, of course – it’s too fun to play the color game!

If any of these combinations speaks to you, you can order online for local pickup or shipping. Prefer to shop in person? Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with many others! We’re here from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

New colors in Kelbourne Woolens Scout!

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We recently unpacked a giant box from Kelbourne Woolens, refilling our bins of Cricket, Perennial, Camper, Skipper, and Andorra. However, the KW yarn we ordered the very most of was Scout, a soft and sturdy wool that’s become a staple in our DK weight section.

Kelbourne Woolens Scout

  • DK weight
  • 2ply, worsted spun
  • 100% wool
  • 274 yards/100 grams
  • $18 each

This order brought us four new colors as well as old favorites, rounding out Scout’s color palette in a satisfying way.

This soft yet unfussy DK weight wool works up beautifully in everything from colorwork and cables to simple stockinette – here’s a fresh batch of pattern ideas!

Garments:

Accessories:

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Scout in the DK weight section here at our shop – we’re open from 11:00 am – 5:30 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry. You can also order online for local pickup or shipping – just use our online order form!

Show and tell: sweaters.

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We’re closing the shop for a summer vacation from August 17 – 28, reopening at our usual hours on Tuesday, August 29. In the meantime, enjoy another round of show and tell, featuring the juiciest of knitting projects: sweaters!

Here’s April’s “Little Love,” by Ankestrick, a textured cardigan knit with Kelbourne Woolens Cricket. April has also made Ankestrick’s “Big Love,” a heavier version in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, and can vouch for the pleasure of knitting and wearing these designs!

Anne began this “Kirigami” years ago, when Brooklyn Tweed first launched Dapple, but then put it aside while she worked on other things. When the most recent new colors came out in Dapple, she returned to it and was delighted to discover it was nearly finished! Look for it hanging on the wall here at our shop.

Linda finished her “Kirigami” recently, too, using Brooklyn Tweed Arbor. I love how crisp Gudrun Johnston’s highly textured design is in this yarn!

In fact, I made a “Kirigami” in Arbor a few years ago, and though it never made an appearance on the blog, I wear it frequently and love it so.

Here’s a more recent project of mine, a PetiteKnit “Anker’s Summer Shirt” in Sandnes Garn Line. This one is up on display at the shop, and seems to have inspired many of you to pick up Line for an “Anker’s Summer Shirt” of your own – I can’t wait to see them take shape!

Connie knit this “Kaav” cardigan in a recent class here at our shop, where a small group of knitters all tackled Kate Davie’s lovely design, along with their very first steeks. Connie modified the pattern a bit, omitting the colorwork from the sleeves, and used the super soft Kelbourne Woolens Scout.

 

Thanks to April, Anne, Linda, and Connie for sharing your projects with us, and thank you all for letting me show and tell, too! Looking forward to seeing you and your projects after our summer break!