Tag Archives: lace

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.

Malabrigo Ultimate Sock + Mohair KAL.

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We’re delighted to have a fresh supply of Malabrigo Ultimate Sock and Mohair, just in time for Malabrigo’s upcoming KAL!

Lora Marin designed this stunning lace shawl for Malabrigo Ultimate Sock and Mohair, using the yarns separately to highlight the difference in texture.

For this shawl, she used these yarns in the same colorway, Aniversario, though more contrast or variation in colors would also have a nice effect. Here are some color ideas!

Want to join the Malabrigo KAL, which starts in September? Head to their blog to register in order to receive the pattern, and come by our shop to pick out your yarn. You’ll need 2 skeins of Ultimate Sock ($21 each) and 3 skeins of Mohair ($15 each).

We’ve highlighted a few of these color combinations in a display here at the shop – look for it as you walk in.

You can also see our full selection of Malabrigo Ultimate Sock in the fingering weight section, and our full selection of Mohair in the lace weight section. We can’t wait to see your shawls take shape when the Knit-Along begins next month!

Simply Shetland Hapkerchief KAL!

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We are excited to announce that Gudrun Johnston and the Simply Shetland team are hosting their first ever Knit-Along!

Gudrun Johnston’s “Hapkerchief,” knit with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift in Colorway 1

The Hapkerchief Knit-Along is open to knitters worldwide, starting on June 2 and running through June 30 only on Instagram – follow @simply_shetland on Instagram for details about prizes and how to participate.

Gudrun Johnston’s brand new “Hapkerchief” is the featured pattern, a quick, 4-color cowl knit with Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift that introduces Shetland-inspired techniques in a modern, approachable way. Perfect for the adventurous beginner and beyond!

Johnston’s pattern shows the “Hapkerchief” in three Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift colorways, all of which use a mix of light, medium, and dark shades for a balanced look.

Gudrun Johnston’s “Hapkerchief,” knit with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift in Colorway 2

Gudrun Johnston’s “Hapkerchief,” knit with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift in Colorway 3

I knit up a sample “Hapkerchief” myself, in a colorway Anne and I put together.

Gudrun Johnston’s “Hapkerchief,” knit with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift in our own HYS palette

I learned a few things along the way – the German twisted cast-on, a wrap-and-turn technique for working garter stitch in the round without purling, and a purled i-cord bind-off. All of those techniques and more are shown clearly in Johnston’s video tutorials, so you’ll have plenty of support as you knit along!

Look for these “Hapkerchief” yarn bundles here at the shop, and purchase the pattern separately on Ravelry. We have over 150 shades of Spindrift on hand if you want to make your own color combination, of course – can’t wait to see what you come up with!

New colors in Fibre Co. Meadow!

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This week brought us fresh new colors in Fibre Co. Meadow!

Fibre Co. Meadow:

  • lace weight
  • hand-dyed
  • 40% merino, 25% llama, 20% silk, 15% linen
  • 545 yards/100g
  • $29.50 each

Though you’ll find Meadow in our lace weight section, it also works well in light fingering weight patterns, knitting up comfortably on a wide range of needle sizes.

Meadow’s unique and tweedy blend of plant and animal fibers give it loft and drape, perfect attributes for summery shawls. Here are some pattern ideas!

Look for Meadow in our lace weight section, or order online for local pickup or shipping!

New year’s eve.

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What are you working on as 2020 comes to an end? Anne and I have closed up shop for the day, and we’ll be closed tomorrow, Jan. 1, as well. Now’s the time for rest, year-end contemplation, and knitting, of course – here’s a peek at our current projects.

Anne has been busy stitching for her grandchildren all year, and is closing in on this intricate lace pullover, “Leaf Sweater for Kids.”

She’s using a semisolid shade of Malabrigo Sock, which shows off the lace pattern beautifully. I’m looking forward to seeing it after blocking!

I’ve started another “Stasis” pullover, a replacement for one of my most loved sweaters, which I’ve worn out and mended several times – you can see it here, in a long ago show-and-tell blog post. For my second “Stasis,” I’m using a marled shade of Brooklyn Tweed Loft as my main color, and assorted bits and pieces of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift for my contrast colors. It took a bit of sketching and swatching to get to this particular arrangement of colors, which was good fun in and of itself. Below are my first and second drafts, and above is what I settled on.

 

Your kindness and support have meant the world to us this year – wishing health and happiness to you and yours in 2021!

Modern Daily Knitting Field Guide No. 15: Open.

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The fifteenth installment of the Modern Daily Knitting Field Guide series is here! Let’s take a peek inside.

Yes, Ann Shayne and Kaye Gardiner are now Modern Daily Knitting, a welcome name change that they wrote about on their blog. MDK’s series of Field Guides are pocket-sized booklets focused on a particular theme, knitting technique, or designer. This latest one, Open, features five patterns from designer Jeanette Sloan.

Open in this case refers to openwork, the eyelets and negative spaces of lace knitting. Sloan’s designs for Field Guide No. 15 are an invitation to lace knitting for knitters of all levels, building on skills from one pattern to the next.

MDK Field Guides are $14.95 each; order online for local pickup or shipping, and let us know if we can recommend a yarn for any of these patterns – happy to make suggestions and send photos of what we have available!

Show and tell: Brooklyn Tweed Loft.

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Time for another round of show and tell! We love to see what you all are making with yarn from our shop, and when I’m able, I take pictures so that I can share those projects here on the blog. Looking over my current collection of show and tell photos, I spotted a handful in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, which has been featured in our BT Sample of the Month throughout March. With its heathered colors and rustic texture, Loft is worth celebrating – here are a few great ways to use it!

Kathryn designed and knit this “Bradshaw” cardigan for her son using Brooklyn Tweed Loft. This lightweight, woolen spun yarn beautifully shows the cables and gives this sweater a classic look. The pattern comes in a wide range of sizes, covering 0-6 months up to 10 years.

Above is Sidney’s “Perch,” designed by Gudrun Johnston, a triangular half hap featuring “old shale,” a classic lace pattern. I’m always pleased by the flecks of color that pop out of Loft when its knit up – in this case, they’re bright and festive against the overall dark brown color of the yarn.

Nancy knit Bristol Ivy’s “Bayard” hat with two shades of Loft, a high contrast color combination that blurs and blends a bit in one-row stripes and slipped stitches.

Thanks to Kathryn, Sidney, and Nancy for sharing their work with us, and thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Show and tell: lace.

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Time for another round of show and tell! I love to take photos of finished projects when folks bring them into the shop to share with us, and to share them here on our blog. I always seem to have a backlog of photos, thanks to the many productive makers who frequent our shop. Here’s a batch of show and tell with one technique in common: lace.

Ruth came in the other day with this lace shawl to share, “Heartland Lace Shawl,” by Evelyn A. Clark. She knit it with Navia Uno, and reports that the yarn is as sturdy as it is soft, becoming especially so after blocking.

Stella is fond of purplish grays, and selected some Kelbourne Woolens’ Mojave in this color family to knit a shawl. She chose “Tales From the Isle of Purbeck,” by Annie Rowden, which looks especially lovely in a gradient.

Astrid is an avid lace knitter and designer, and often visits us with a recently-completed shawl in hand. This one is “Wild Swan,” by Anne-Lise Maigaard & Nim Teasdale, and Astrid knit it with Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere.

Joanne knit this “Lexington” scarf with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, a yarn she’s come back to again and again. Lightweight and lofty on account of its woolen-spun structure, Shelter shines in lace patterns like this.

Margaretta knit this “Calla” shawl, a pattern that caught her eye in a recent issue of Laine Magazine. It features a striking combination of texture, lace, and cables – a hint at the theme our next show-and-tell post.

Taking stitch definition, softness, and color into account, she chose Kelbourne Woolens Scout for the project, and the result is ideal on all fronts.

Thanks to Ruth, Stella, Astrid, Joanne, and Margaretta for sharing their work with us! We can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Interested in learning more about lace knitting? Check out a few upcoming classes on the subject – Marsha’s Lace Basics is a one-time technique class for folks new to lace knitting. For a bigger project, consider Amy’s Hitofude Cardigan class and Marsha’s Marigold Cardigan class. We’re excited to see the beautiful sweaters that will be coming out of our classroom this fall!

Show and tell: Shibui.

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Time for another round of show-and-tell! I’m always collecting photos of the beautiful finished pieces knitters and crocheters bring in to share with us, garments that started their lives as HYS yarns. With Shibui yarns featured and discounted for tomorrow’s Local Yarn Store Day, I thought I’d share a group of projects made with some of these special yarns.

Michele knit this “Nasreen” top with Shibui Staccato held double to get the gauge she needed with the yarn she loved. Always pushing herself to try different knitting techniques and a big fan of stripes, this pattern spoke to her, and she made good use of the Staccato she had stashed away.

Shibui has a lot of fans, and Cindy is among the most ardent admirers we know. Here she is in her “Quicksilver” shawl, knit with Shibui Echo.

Astrid designed this intricate lace shawl with Shibui Silk Cloud, a lace weight mohair and silk blend. Look for her pattern, “Blue Winter Flower,” on Ravelry!

Maria visited our shop from out of town last year, and picked up some Silk Cloud for a “Gradient” cowl. We were touched that she thought of us when she was in town again last month, bringing the finished piece to show us, no less!

Last but not least, our own Anne has finished a Shibui project this week, “Amos.”

This summer tee is knit with Shibui Vine and Fern, and is even more striking in person. Look for it hanging on the wall here at our shop!

Thanks to everyone who shares their projects with us, whether at the outset, after all the ends are woven in, or somewhere along the way. We can’t wait to see what you make next!

Come by tomorrow, Saturday, April 27th, to celebrate Local Yarn Store Day with 15% off all in-stock Shibui!

 

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted items; there will be no exchanges or returns. Thanks!

Alchemy kits.

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Our Roadside Beanie Kits aren’t the only new kit in the shop – we’ve also made up kits featuring Alchemy yarns and patterns, designed and lovingly hand-dyed by designer Gina Wilde. These are truly unique yarns made of luxurious silk, sometimes blended with merino wool, sometimes with an added metallic sparkle.

The lacy “Simple Shibori Cowl” is knit with Alchemy Silken Straw and Sanctuary in a straightforward feather and fan pattern, then (gulp) thrown into the washing machine to be felted. The Sanctuary felts because of its merino wool content, shrinking into a fuzzy, velvety stripe whose individual stitches are no longer distinguishable. Meanwhile, the Silken Straw stretches out, becoming softer and draping gently.

The “Sparky Serpentine Scarf” is simple and elegant, a decorative accessory and a nice small project for trying Alchemy Sparky. The mesh lace pattern is easily memorized, and sparkles in this silk yarn, which is wrapped in a metallic thread.

Look for these kits and our full selection of Alchemy yarns here at the shop!