Tag Archives: lady dye yarns

Yarn ideas for Stephen West’s “Shawlography” MKAL.

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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 “Shawlography” is the pattern-to-be. It calls for five colors of fingering weight yarn, 100g each, and West’s motto for yarn selection this year is, “Say yes, don’t stress!” – as in, all kinds of fingering weight yarns are welcome here, and we have tons to choose from at the shop!

Lady Dye Superwash Fingering, $32 each

Stephen West made a very helpful video about color selection, and I watched it carefully before putting these combinations together. He suggests sticking with solid or semi-solid yarns for maximum contrast, though speckles may be used sparingly.

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock, $34 each

It’s important to have some light colors, some medium, and some dark for this design – this provides contrast as the colors interact with one another throughout the shawl.

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial, $26 each

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial, $26 each

One strategy West recommends is selecting five shades from one color family, being sure to include lights, mediums, and darks.

Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, $15.25 each

Kelbourne Woolens Camper, $9.50 each

Another way to approach it – pick a gradient of neutral colors and one or two bright color pops.

Kelbourne Woolens Camper, $9.50 each

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.

Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, $15.25 each

Yarn ideas for “Summernight Sky,” by Lisa Hannes.

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Lisa Hannes’ latest design has us playing the color game… here are some yarn ideas for “Summernight Sky,” a two color mosaic shawl.

Hannes uses a fingering weight, single ply, superwash merino – one shade is semi-solid, and the other variegated. A high contrast color combination will ensure that the mosaic pattern shows.

Lady Dye Superwash Fingering: fingering weight, hand-dyed, single ply, 100% superwash merino wool, 425 yards/100g; $32 each

Punta del Este Mericash Solid: fingering weight, single ply, 80% merino, 20% cashmere, 264 yards/50 gm; $18 each

Koigu KPPPM: fingering weight, hand-dyed, 100% superwash merino, 175 yards/50 g; $15.50 each

Kelbourne Woolens Camper: fingering weight, 100% wool, 200 yards/50g; $9 each

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 a “Summernight Sky” shawl of your own! You can also come by the shop to browse in person – we’re open for drop-in shopping from 11 am – 5 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays.

Laine Magazine, No. 11.

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Laine Magazine is back with their 11th issue!

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers as its focus, and a reputation for beautiful designs and tantalizing photography.

Issue 11 features patterns from an amazing group of designers, the likes of Gudrun Johnston, Paula Pereira, Stephen West, Eri Shimizu, and more.

Beyond the patterns, there are seasonal recipes and plenty of good reading – I’m particularly excited to read Jeanette Sloan’s interview with Diane Ivey, the dyer behind Lady Dye Yarns. We’re proud to have her Superwash Fingering and SW Merino DK on our shelves here at the shop.

Laine No. 10 is $30 each – order online for local pickup or shipping! We also have Laine No. 8 and No. 10 in stock, and Laine’s most recent books, Fair Isle Weekend, Strands of Joy, and 52 Weeks of Shawls.

Dream in Color Pop-Up! Club: February.

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Dream in Color’s Pop Up! Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tucson-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. February’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100g
  • $34 each

Smooshy with Cashmere is a super soft blend of superwash merino wool, cashmere, and nylon – perfect for a special shawl or pair of socks. A skein like this would make a great “Starshower,” “Pebble Beach Shawl,” “Sockhead Slouch Hat” or “Sockhead Cowl,” all patterns that do well with variegated yarn.

As I was unpacking these vibrant skeins, I noticed how well they played with the brightest shades of Lady Dye Superwash Fingering – these three skeins would make a striking “Free Your Fade,” by Andrea Mowry!

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship these pretty skeins directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront remains closed to walk-ins!

Hello, Lady Dye SW Merino DK.

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Members of the HYS Hat Club got a special treat this month – a brand new yarn!

Back when we received our first order from Lady Dye Yarns, we squirreled away the limited amount of DK weight superwash merino. Though most of it went out with our HYS Hat Club, we still have a few skeins left!

Lady Dye SW Merino DK:

  • DK weight
  • hand-dyed in tonal and variegated colorways
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 231 yards/100g
  • $30 each

What to make with SW Merino DK? Our club members are busy knitting Dawn Henderson’s “Serendipitous Hat,” a cable ribbed beanie in three sizes. Here are a few more ideas that take just one skein:

Again, we have limited quantities of this yarn at the moment – just a handful of skeins in each of these colors, so act fast if you’d like to snag some. Order online for local pickup or shipping!

Hello, Lady Dye Yarns!

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We are over the moon – Lady Dye Yarns are now in stock here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

LDY owner Diane Ivey is an indie dyer based in Boston, MA. As one of the cofounders of the emPower People project, she’s as well known for her vibrant colorways as she is for her craftivism.

Our first LDY order arrived this week, bursting with lively shades of Superwash Fingering, along with a surprise that we’re tucking away for members of our HYS Hat Club in the upcoming Quarter 2.

Lady Dye Superwash Fingering:

  • fingering weight
  • single ply
  • hand-dyed in semisolid and variegated colorways
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 425 yards/100g
  • $32 each

Lady Dye Superwash Fingering has a merino softness and single-ply texture comparable to Malabrigo Mechita, but the color palette has its own personality – the semisolid shades are clear and bright, and the variegated colorways are unique.

What to make with these stunning skeins? Here are some patterns designed for Lady Dye Superwash Fingering – check them out for inspiration and to see how this yarn looks when knit and crocheted!

As I photographed this yarn, I found myself instinctively creating color trios from solid and variegated shades that seemed to speak to one another. Below are some three-color pattern ideas, in case any of these combinations speak to you:

Head to our online order form to get some Lady Dye Superwash Fingering of your very own! Available for local pickup or shipping, as we remain closed to walk-in visits.