Tag Archives: linen

Hello, BC Garn Allino.

Posted by on

As winter began to thaw, we went looking for a new plant fiber yarn – something crisp and cool, in joyful colors – and found it in BC Garn Allino.

BC Garn Allino:

  • DK weight
  • subtly marled, solid colors
  • 50% linen, 50% cotton
  • 137 yards/50 grams
  • gauge: 22 stitches = 4″ (10 cm)
  • suggested needle size: US 2.5-4 (3-3.5 mm)
  • machine wash cold, lay flat to dry

Allino caught our eye because of its subtle marled look, a result of the different ways that linen and cotton absorb dyes. One ply is muted, and the other is slightly glossy, which makes for a lively fabric without distracting from your stitch pattern.

Allino is popular for tees, tanks, and relaxed long-sleeved layers. Here are a few ideas!

Look for BC Garn Allino in the DK weight section here at HYS!

Show and tell: summer stitching.

Posted by on

Time for another round of show and tell! As summer comes to a close, let’s look at projects knit with cool plant fibers, like cotton, linen, and viscose.

Liz knit this “Crumpet Cardigan” with Cascade Ultra Pima, a DK weight mercerized cotton with sharp stitch definition and a bit of shine. Pattern by Park Williams.

Katherine’s been knitting with Cascade Ultra Pima, too – here’s her “SABAI Top,” a popular tank designed by Susanne Müller.

Cascade makes many of our favorite cotton yarns – here’s a project that shows off another!

Teresa knit this lacy little “Petaluma Kerchief” with Cascade Botanika. This sport weight organic cotton is smooth and soft, dyed with natural pigments. Pattern by Bobbi IntVeld.

Michele came in recently wearing her “Musling Tee,” a popular pattern knit with an even more popular yarn – Sandnes Garn Line. Love it in this summery shade of green! Pattern by Lene Holme Samsøe.

Above is Margaretta’s “Lacey Loop Tee,” designed by Other Loops. She knit it with Isager Bomulin and Merilin held together for a perfect blend of plant and animal fibers.

Thanks to everyone who begins their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We love seeing what you make.

Hello, Isager Trio 1!

Posted by on

New from Isager! Meet Trio 1, a delicate plant fiber yarn. Blending linen, cotton, and bamboo, Trio 1 is cool and crisp, a welcome addition to our lace weight section.

Isager Trio 1:

  • lace weight
  • 50% linen, 30% cotton, 20% lyocell
  • 383 yards/50 grams
  • hand wash cool, lay flat to dry

  • common gauges:

    • Trio 1 – 1 strand: 2.5 – 3 mm (US 1.5-2.5) needles = 28 sts / 36 rows

    • Trio 1 – 2 strands: 3 mm (US 2.5) needles = 26 sts / 34 rows

    • Trio 1 + Alpaca 1: 3 mm (US 2.5) needles = 26 sts / 34 rows

    • Trio 1 + Alpaca 2: 3.5 mm (US 4) needles = 24 sts / 32 rows

    • Trio 1 + Silk Mohair: 3.5 mm (US 4) needles = 22 sts / 28 rows 

Most patterns we’ve seen for Trio 1 use it in combination with other yarns for a unique fiber blend. Hold Trio 1 with Merilin for Noriko Ichikawa’s “Everyday Round Vest,” aegyoknit’s “umma top,” or Natsuko Iida’s “Honoka.”

Pair it with Alpaca 1 for Helga Isager’s “Helga Cardigan,” “Lemon,” or “Field” sweaters.

I noticed several PetiteKnit “Cumulus Blouses” on Ravelry that mix Trio 1 and Silk Mohair for a fuzzy, drapey fabric – it would be a nice combination for Midori Hirose’s “Ranunculus,” too.

We can’t wait to see what else you come up with! Look for Trio 1 in the lace weight section here at HYS.

Hello, Hand Maiden Flyss.

Posted by on

We’re thrilled to have another yarn from Hand Maiden! Meet Flyss.

Hand Maiden Flyss:

  • fingering weight
  • plied
  • hand-dyed, every skein is unique
  • 65% silk, 35% linen
  • 437 yards/3.5 oz
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Hand Maiden yarns are dyed entirely by hand in tiny batches – just enough for a single sweater at a time – in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The folks at Hand Maiden are especially known for their silk blends, and Flyss is one, a lustrous combination of silk and linen.

Back when we ordered our first batch of Superkid Silk, Anne included a few skeins of Flyss for herself, and cast on for Isabell Kraemer’s “Tresoro” tee. She promptly fell in love with Flyss, admiring the softness, drape, and the fact that it doesn’t split as she knits! We couldn’t wait to pick out a palette for the shop.

For this batch of Flyss, we picked a mix of semisolid and variegated shades, some subdued and others vibrant.

What to make with these gorgeous skeins? Here are some ideas!

Look for Flyss in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and click here to check it out on our new online store!

“Stole” in Isager Merilin.

Posted by on

For over a decade now, Theresa Gaffey’s “Stole” has been a popular project here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Years ago, Anne knit one in Isager Alpaca 2 that still regularly catches the eye of knitters seeking a soothing, repetitive project.

Now, she’s making a narrower “Stole” with a different Isager yarn, Merilin.

Simplicity is part of the “Stole’s” appeal – it’s easy to execute, but with graceful results. The wide ribbing has a pleasing rhythm, and the wide stripes make color selection particularly fun.

It’s easy to adjust the thickness of the stripes or the size of the piece, making it narrower or wider than the pattern dictates. Rather than work each stripe to a specific measurement or number of rows, Anne is knitting until each ball of yarn runs out, then beginning the next color, using only 5 shades, rather than the suggested 9.

Here are some more Merilin quintets to consider!

Look for Isager Merilin and Alpaca 2 in our fingering weight section here at HYS, along with many other “Stole”-worthy yarns!

Hello, Sandnes Garn Tynn Line.

Posted by on

We’re pleased to welcome another yarn from Sandnes Garn in Norway: meet Tynn Line!

Sandnes Garn Tynn Line:

  • light fingering weight
  • 3-ply
  • 53% cotton, 33% viscose, 14% linen
  • 240 yards/50g
  • $7.50 each

Like Sandnes Garn Line, Tynn Line is composed of a unique blend of plant fibers, making it perfect for a variety of knit and crochet projects. It’s cool and breathable for warm weather garments, comfortable and absorbent for homeware items – all in all, a lovely addition to our fingering weight section.

What to make with Tynn Line? Here are some pattern ideas!

Garments:

Homewares:

Look for Sandnes Garn Tynn Line in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and check out other Sandnes Garn yarns while you’re here – find Tynn Silk Mohair in the lace weight section, Sunday in the fingering weight section, Double Sunday in the DK weight section, and Line in the worsted weight section.

Back in stock: Isager Merilin.

Posted by on

We’re pleased to have Isager Merilin back in stock, with more colors than ever!

Isager Merilin:

  • fingering weight
  • 80% wool, 20% linen
  • 228 yards/50 g
  • $11 each

We’re always on the lookout for plant and animal fiber blends, since they offer the best of both worlds: elasticity and drape, structure and coolness.

Merilin blends merino wool and linen, fibers that take the dye differently, giving the yarn a heathered quality more pronounced in the darker shades.

Years ago, I knit this little swatch showing Merilin on a range of needle sizes, but I have my eye on a bigger project as soon as time allows – a narrower version of Theresa Gaffey’s now-classic “stole.” I can’t wait to pick out colors!

Til then, what else to make with Merilin? Here are a few ideas…

Look for Merilin in the fingering weight section here at the shop, where you may well find your next project. See you there!

Back in stock: Sandnes Garn Line.

Posted by on

Sandnes Garn Line has become a staple since we introduced it last March – we’re delighted to have a fresh supply and loads of new colors, just in time for spring!

Sandnes Garn Line:

  • light worsted weight
  • 53% cotton, 33% viscose, 14% linen
  • 120 yards/50g
  • $7.50 each

Line is a light worsted weight plant fiber blend that knits up at 5 stitches per inch on a US 6 needle.

It’s soft, cool, machine washable, and drapes beautifully, qualities that make it ideal for warm weather garments.

Above is my “Anker’s Summer Shirt,” a top-down, seamless PetiteKnit pattern, suitable for a knitter’s first sweater. Here are more pattern ideas for Line:

Look for my “Anker’s Summer Shirt” on display at the shop, and find Sandnes Garn Line in our worsted weight section!

Back in stock: Isager Bomulin.

Posted by on

Warm weather calls for plant fiber and lightweight yarns, so we’ve stocked up on Isager Bomulin, a light fingering weight blend of cotton and linen.

Isager Bomulin:

  • light fingering weight
  • 65% cotton, 35% linen
  • 230 yards/50g
  • $11 each

Plant fibers like these have little elasticity and a lot of drape, making them perfect for spring shawls and scarves, or loose-fitting warm-weather garments.

I’m a little late to the party, but I’ve just knit a “Ranunculus” as a sample for the shop, Midori Hirose’s always-popular textured yoke pullover. I picked a salmon pink shade of Isager Bomulin, holding it together with slightly lighter pink Isager Highland Wool for a bit of added softness, structure, and variation in color.

I’m really pleased with how these close-but-not-matching shades blend together in this garment, looking solid from a distance but gently marled upon closer inspection. Here are some more color combinations in Bomulin and Highland Wool that should have a similar effect!

Isager Merilin, a merino/linen blend, would also play well with Bomulin; here are four more low contrast combinations to consider for a “Ranunculus” of your own, or perhaps a PetiteKnit “Breeze Bag,” which calls for a similar combination of yarns.

Here’s Margaretta’s recently completed “Breeze Bag,” knit with Bomulin and Merilin held together throughout – perfect for farmer’s market flowers!

What else to knit with Bomulin? Here are a few ideas!

Look for Isager Bomulin, Highland Wool, and Merilin in the fingering weight section here at HYS!

Hello, Sandnes Garn Line!

Posted by on

Spring weather is here, which means it’s time for plant fibers – meet the newest addition here at our shop, Sandnes Garn Line!

Sandnes Garn Line:

  • light worsted weight
  • 53% cotton, 33% viscose, 14% linen
  • 120 yards/50g
  • $7.50 each

Line is a light worsted weight plant fiber blend that knits up at 5 stitches per inch on a US 6 needle.

It’s soft, cool, machine washable, and drapes beautifully, qualities that make it ideal for warm weather garments.

“Anker’s Summer Shirt,” by PetiteKnit, photo © PetiteKnit

I’ve cast on for a shop sample in Line, PetiteKnit’s “Anker’s Summer Shirt.” Like every PetiteKnit pattern I’ve tried so far, it’s approachable, practical, and appealing, both to knit and to wear.

Here are some other patterns that would be lovely in Line:

Look for Sandnes Garn Line in our worsted weight section!