NFC Loft + fingering weight.

There are so many popular patterns that call for a lace weight mohair paired with fingering weight wool – sometimes in a matching color, sometimes a contrasting one, always creating an enticing fuzzy fabric. Neighborhood Fibre Co. Loft is just the yarn for this, and we’ve got loads of options in the fingering weight section here at our shop – you’ll find a few ideas below, and keep scrolling for patterns!

  • Brooklyn Tweed Peerie: fingering weight, 100% merino wool, 210 yards/50 grams, $17.25 each

Sweaters:

Accessories:

It can be tricky to visualize how different colors and textures of yarn will look when knit together – Tin Can Knits has a super helpful blog post about just that, “Layering With Mohair.” Read it and you are sure to be inspired – we can’t wait to see what yarn and color combinations you come up with!

Hello, Germantown Bulky!

The weather is finally cooling down, and it has us reaching for cozier yarn. Meet the newest yarn in our shop, Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky!

Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky:

  • bulky weight
  • 4ply, worsted spun
  • 100% North American wool
  • 123 yards/100g
  • $16 each

Like the worsted weight Germantown before it, Germantown Bulky is smooth and sturdy, a classic and versatile worsted spun wool yarn. Germantown Bulky feels softer to our hands, squishy and springy and absolutely ideal for cold weather accessories.

“Wister Hat,” by Courtney Kelley. Photos by Linette Kielinski © Kelbourne Woolens

One skein is enough for a hat, and the folks at Kelbourne Woolens are designing one for every month of this year. Even better, every one of these patterns is free to download from Ravelry – look there for the “Wister Hat” above, the “Upsala Hat,” “Sedgwick Hat”, and “Fernhill Hat” below, among others. Stay tuned for the rest of their Year of Bulky Hats!

“Upsala Hat,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn. Photos by Linette Kielinski © Kelbourne Woolens

“Sedgwick Hat,” by Courtney Kelley. Photos by Linette Kielinski © Kelbourne Woolens

“Fernhill Hat,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn. Photos by Linette Kielinski © Kelbourne Woolens

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky in the bulky weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays, and also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping. We do require masks for in-store shopping – thanks for your participation!

Pom Pom Quarterly: Autumn 2022.

The latest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly is here!

Abundance is the theme of this Autumn 2022 issue, expressed in plentiful cables, colors, and textures, all of which are showcased beautifully in the magazine’s new large format.

I spotted a few familiar yarns in this issue – Olivia Szepanik’s “Winnow” cardigan makes good use of Kelbourne Woolens Scout, one of our go-to sweater yarns in the DK weight section, and Maria Walters’ “Polonyna” pullover shines in fingering weight Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

We may not have all the yarns shown in these patterns, but we love finding just the right substitute!

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 the Summer 2019, Autumn 2019Summer 2020Autumn 2020Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Winter 2021Spring 2022, and 10th Anniversary issues in stock – preview them on our blog and get in touch if you’d like to add them to your Pom Pom collection!

WestKnits MKAL 2022!

We know many of you are fans of designer Stephen West and often participate in his annual Mystery Knit-Alongs – it’s that time of year again, and “Twists & Turns” is the pattern-to-be. It calls for 3 colors of fingering weight yarn: 780 yards of a Main Color, 780 yards of a Contrast Color, and 390 yards of an Accent color. We have tons of fingering weight yarns to choose from here at the shop, from saturated hand-dyes to muted heathers, fuzzy alpaca to smooth superwash merino, and so much more. Here are some color ideas!

  • Kelbourne Woolens Perennial: light fingering weight, 60% superwash merino, 25% suri alpaca, 15% nylon, 497 yards/100 g; $26 each, or $130 for “Twists & Turns”

  • Shibui Koan: fingering weight, 70% linen, 30% silk, 248 yards/50 grams; $22 each, or $220 for “Twists & Turns”

Join WestKnits MKAL 2022 by purchasing the pattern on Ravelry – you’ll get an introductory PDF with all the details, so you’ll be ready to cast on when the first clue arrives on October 6.

We’d love to help you find the perfect yarn for your “Twists & Turns” shawl! There are so many possibilities here at our shop – come by between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays, and we’ll be happy to show you around. We’re still taking online orders for local pickup or shipping, too; just fill out our online form. Hope to see you at the shop!

Back in stock: Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and Lucky Tweed.

Kelbourne Woolens is the source of some of our most popular yarns, beloved for the variety of high quality fibers they produce and the accessible price. Some of their yarns are super soft and luxurious, others are rustic and hard wearing, and each one has its own unique color palette. We’ve restocked Perennial and Lucky Tweed – let’s take a look!

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial:

  • light fingering weight
  • 60% superwash merino, 25% Suri alpaca, 15% nylon
  • 497 yards/100g
  • $26 each

The folks at Kelbourne Woolens have designed Perennial to be something of a staple: soft from the alpaca but sturdy from the nylon, easy care on account of the superwash merino, suitable for all kinds of projects.

We’ve seen beautiful sweaters, shawls, and baby things made in Perennial – here are some pattern ideas!

Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed:

  • aran weight
  • tweed
  • 100% merino wool
  • 210 yards/100g
  • $20 each

Lucky Tweed is manufactured in Donegal, Ireland, for an authentic tweed look and soft hand. Folks who have tried it often come back for more, exclaiming how soft and lightweight it is for a yarn at this gauge. If you’re looking to knit a cozy new sweater this fall, consider Lucky Tweed!

Here are some cozy patterns ideal for Lucky Tweed:

Look for Perennial and Lucky Tweed here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, along with these other Kelbourne Woolens yarns – Camper, Andorra, Scout, and Germantown!

Yarn ideas for “Inclinations Cowl,” by Andrea Mowry.

Andrea Mowry’s latest design and knit-along has us playing the color game… “Inclinations Cowl” is designed to look like an asymmetrical triangular shawl when worn, but slips over the head easily. Like her “Inclinations Shawl” before, it’s all in half fisherman’s rib, which makes a bouncy, easy to knit fabric.

“Inclinations Cowl,” by Andrea Mowry, photo © Andrea Mowry

Mowry calls for two shades of yarn, 360 yards each, though the pattern lends itself to using up smaller quantities of yarn in multiple colors – check out the projects on Ravelry to get a sense of the possibilities!

Here are a few ideas from our own sport weight section here at the shop.

  • Kelbourne Woolens Andorra: sport weight, 60% merino, 20% highland wool, 20% mohair, 185 yards/50 g; $12 each
  • Malabrigo Arroyo: sport weight, hand-dyed, 100% superwash merino wool, 335 yards/100g; $20 each

  • Ewe Ewe Sporty: sport weight, 100% superwash merino wool, 145 yards/50 grams; $11 each
  • Alchemy Sanctuary: sport weight, hand-dyed, 70% wool, 30% silk, 125 yards/50g; $34 each

  • Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light: sport weight, 50% wool, 50% alpaca, 144 yards/50 g; $8 each
  • Schoppel-Wolle Zauberwolle: sport weight, marled, self-striping, 100% merino wool, 273 yards/100 g; $23 each

Swing by the shop or reach out if any of these combinations catches your eye – we’re happy to help calculate yardage or answer any questions that come up as you plan an “Inclinations Cowl” of your own!

Koigu Collector’s Club: The Marsh.

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

This month’s limited edition shade is The Marsh, a beachy colorway streaked with shades of aqua, cream, and gray.

Anne spotted the perfect pattern for this or any shade of Koigu KPPPM – Churchmouse’s “Linen Stitch Loop,” a two color cowl that pairs variegated and solid shades for a pixelated effect.

“Linen Stitch Loop,” by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas, photo © Churchmouse Yarns and Teas

There are so many yarns in our fingering weight section here at the shop – here are a few that complement The Marsh!

  • Kelbourne Woolens Perennial: light fingering weight, 60% superwash merino, 25% suri alpaca, 15% nylon, 497 yards/100 g; $26 each
  • Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering: fingering weight, 100% superwash merino, 200 yards/50 g; $11 each

  • Punta del Este Mericash Solid: fingering weight, single ply, 80% merino, 20% cashmere, 264 yards/50 gm; $18 each
  • Isager Merilinlight fingering weight, 80% wool, 20% linen, 228 yards/50 g; $11 each

  • Baa Ram Ewe Titus: fingering weight, 70% wool, 30% alpaca, 350 yards/100 g, $29 each
  • Fibre Co. Amble: fingering weight, 70% Easy-wash merino wool, 20% Easy-wash alpaca, and 10% recycled nylon, 355 yards/100g; $23 each

 

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, along with Perennial, Fluffy Fingering, Mericash Solid, Merilin, Titus, Amble, and so much more – see you there!

Show and tell: sweaters!

Back with more show and tell! Here’s another batch of completed projects made with yarns from our shop, focusing this time on sweaters. If you follow us on Instagram, some of these may look familiar – let’s take a closer look at these beautiful knits.

Anne recently knit this sweet little “Dog Star” sweater as a shop sample, showing off CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK. This Tin Can Knits pattern is one we often make and recommend for baby and kid knits, though it comes in adult sizes, as well – have you made one yet?

Here’s Karin in her first ever sweater, Andrea Mowry’s “Vellichor.” She chose three shades of Brooklyn Tweed Loft for this project, a lightweight woolen-spun yarn with nice structure for garment-making.

Molly knit this “Thistle” sweater for her mom, who models it here. The pattern comes from Anna Johanna’s Strands of Joy, a beautiful collection of modern colorwork sweaters. Molly used Tukuwool Fingering for this garment, another woolen-spun fingering weight yarn.

Above is Gail’s “Divide” pullover, knit with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, a smooth and springy yarn perfectly suited to this intricate texture. Pattern by Emily Greene.

April came in last week wearing her brand new “Trove” pullover, knit with Kelbourne Woolens Andorra. We love that joyful new-sweater feeling!

Pattern by Emma Ducher for Pom Pom Quarterly 30 – we still have copies of this issue in stock, if you’re tempted to follow April’s lead and make a “Trove” of your own!

Thanks to Anne, Karin, Molly, Gail, and April 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.

Back in stock with new colors: Kelbourne Woolens Germantown!

Last week, a giant box arrived from Kelbourne Woolens, packed full of their worsted weight wool, Germantown. Inside were no less than 10 new colors, plus a handful of colors we’d sold out of. We now have 35 shades in stock, including a few marled Germantown Unicorns – enough to warrant a new display!

Kelbourne Woolens Germantown:

  • worsted weight
  • 4ply, worsted spun
  • 100% North American wool
  • 220 yards/100g
  • $16 each; Germantown Unicorns are $16 each

Germantown is a recreation of a classic wool that had been produced in Germantown, Pennsylvania, under a few different brand names since the mid-to-late 19th century. Made of 100% North American wool, Germantown is a worsted spun, worsted weight yarn with a smooth texture, soft hand, and nice elasticity.

One skein is enough for a hat, and the folks at Kelbourne Woolens have designed one for every month of the year. Even better, every one of these patterns is free to download from Ravelry – look there for an entire Year of Hats!

Here are some more pattern ideas for Germantown:

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Germantown in the worsted weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays, and also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping.

Zauberwolle + solid colors.

Schoppel-Wolle Zauberwolle is the latest arrival here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, a marled self-striping merino wool. I wrote in its introductory post about mixing two contrasting colors, but Zauberwolle plays well with solid colors, too. Read on for some color and pattern ideas!

Here, I’ve paired Zauberwolle with Swans Island All American Sport – a hand-dyed yarn, so you can expect a little bit of variation in the skein, but an overall semisolid effect.

Swans Island All American Sport: sport weight, hand-dyed, 100% Rambouillet wool, 185 yards/40 g; $12.50 each

Kelbourne Woolens Andorra is a great playmate for Zauberwolle, too – a soft and slightly fuzzy blend of merino and highland wool with a dash of mohair.

Kelbourne Woolens Andorra: sport weight, 60% merino, 20% highland wool, 20% mohair, 185 yards/50 g; $12 each

What to make with these color pairs? Here are some ideas!

Sweaters:

Accessories:

Look for Zauberwolle, All American Sport, and Andorra in the sport weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – we’re open from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays! We’re still taking online orders for local pickup or shipping, as well.