Back in stock: Malabrigo Rios.

Posted by Julia on August 17, 2015

The July sale put a big dent in our inventory of Malabrigo Rios. It’s no surprise so many knitters took the opportunity to stock up at a discount; Rios is beautifully hand-dyed in rich, memorable colors, soft and springy in the hand, and machine-washable, no less. We’re delighted to have bunches more of the stuff on our shelves after a big reorder.

A superwash worsted weight wool is a versatile kind of yarn, good for garments and accessories alike. We’ve noticed that Rios is particularly beloved for baby blankets, and it was Purl Soho’s generous collection of free baby blanket patterns that came to mind as I unpacked this shipment.

The Purl Soho “Super Easy Crib Blanket” calls for seven colors, and I had fun putting a few colorways together in Rios. There’s a “Crochet Super Easy Baby Blanket,” too!

The classic colors in their “Hudson Bay Inspired Crib Blanket” pattern are easy to approximate in Rios.

I also like the “Shadow Stripe Baby Blanket,” which looks like a good, easy project for learning intarsia. It’s shown in three colors, a white background with two-tone stripes.

Also consider the Purl Soho “Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket,” “Mosaic Blanket,” and “Forever Baby Blanket,” all of which would look great in Malabrigo Rios.

We also replenished our supply of Malabrigo Sock, for those that prefer a smaller gauge yarn. Come by the shop to plan your next project, and remember Rios next time a baby blanket appears on your to-do list!

Summer show and tell.

Posted by Julia on July 21, 2015

Time for another round of show and tell! Here are some of the finished projects our knitters have shared with us recently.

Conny brought in her stunning “Hitofude Cardigan,” knit in Swans Island Organic Merino Fingering.

This clever design is knit all in one piece, an a-line lace cardigan that calls out for yarn with excellent drape. Conny’s “Hitofude” drapes beautifully, thanks to the soft, naturally-dyed Swans Island yarn.

On their last trip to the shop, Sallie and Josie each picked up a few skeins of Trendsetter Soleil, an aran weight cotton yarn flecked with wooden beads and woven leaves. From there, they each designed a scarf with the stuff, knit simply to let this spirited yarn shine. We were so delighted to see them in these scarves on their next visit!

Josie came with a second piece of show and tell, her completed “Technicolor Cowl,” knit in a mix of Dream in Color Classy and Malabrigo Rios.

Phyllis just completed this exquisite baby blanket for her first grandchild, who is expected to appear within the week. Selecting stitch patterns from Nancy Bush’s Knitted Lace of Estonia, she created her own design for this special piece, paying careful attention to the perfectly executed lace edging.

The yarn is Malabrigo Sock, with excellent stitch definition for showing off the intricate lace, and a soft and squishy hand to boot.

Thanks to everyone who brings in projects to share with us, whether at the beginning, middle, or end of the process. We love to see what you’re working on, and feel lucky to be surrounded by such creative and talented people. Stay tuned for another batch of show and tell here soon!

New old Isager patterns.

Posted by Julia on June 28, 2015

We always place a big Isager order at TNNA, and this year our main cause was restocking Alpaca 2 and Tweed. While we were there, we learned that some old favorite patterns for Isager yarns had been rescued from their out-of-print status and rereleased as single patterns.

When it was published back in 2009, Grace Anna Farrow’s booklet The Fine Line was a big hit here at the shop, and we were disappointed when printing stopped. All the shawls in this unique collection call for Isager’s lace weight Spinni (sometimes called Wool 1), making inspiring use of the Isager color palette in stripes, chevrons, color blocks, and waves. Three of those patterns are back on our shelves: “Shale,” “Volt,” and “Dawn.”

We’ve seen several “Volt” shawls come and go, and I’ve managed to capture two in past show-and-tell posts. Here’s Natalie’s “Volt,” knit in Spinni.

Nancy knit her “Volt” in Isager Alpaca 2, a thicker yarn with more drape, due to the alpaca content.

Both of these yarn choices are absolutely beautiful and right for the pattern, and they’re not the only ones–imagine “Volt” in Isager Alpaca 1 or Tvinni, Shibui Cima or Staccato, Fibre Company Meadow or Baa Ram Ewe Titus, to name a few!

Helga Isager’s “Camomille” has been another popular pattern, from her now out-of-print Amimono 2010 booklet. Knit with Isager Tvinni and Alpaca 1, this striped shawl stole many a heart when it visited the shop during a trunk show in 2012.

Margie knit this version of “Camomille,” substituting Malabrigo Finito for Isager Tvinni.

We’re so happy that these four shawl patterns are available again, and living in our Isager pattern binder! Come by the shop to flip through that binder, where perhaps you’ll find your next project. See you there!

Back in stock: Malabrigo.

Posted by Julia on June 24, 2015

Malabrigo is a small yarn company out of Uruguay that is well known for its soft merino yarns, and their vivid, hand-dyed colorways.

We stock many of their yarns here at the shop, and their popularity means we order and reorder from Malabrigo with some frequency. Our most recent Malabrigo order was a particularly large one, filling cubbies of Mechita, Arroyo, Rios, Mecha, and Rasta.

Mechita is Malabrigo’s newest yarn, a single-ply superwash merino wool in fingering weight. Consider pairing a semi-solid shade with a wildly variegated one in a stripe or slip-stitch pattern.

Arroyo is a sport weight superwash merino, sturdy and smooth because of its tightly-plied nature. It’s ideal for baby and children’s things, and a nice weight for adult sweaters, too.

Rios is the worsted weight version of Arroyo, all the same qualities at about 5 stitches per inch on a US 7 or 8. This is a popular yarn for all kinds of projects, from cowls and hats to sweaters, blankets, slipper socks, and beyond.

Mecha is a bulky weight single-ply superwash merino, useful for quick, cozy stitching. We tried to pick colors that we hadn’t seen in this yarn before, and the results range from subdued to bright as can be.

For seriously quick projects, look to Rasta, a slightly felted single-ply merino calling for size US 13 – 15 needles. We more than doubled our inventory of Rasta with this order, adding loads of new colors, and filling two cubbies with the stuff.

We’re always happy to fill our shelves with Malabrigo yarns. These new colors and quantities are already going fast, though, due to that particular Malabrigo combination of beauty, softness, easy-care, and good value. If you’re hoping to put your hands on specific colorways, feel free to call ahead and check that we still have them in your desired quantity. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: colorwork.

Posted by Julia on June 3, 2015

We always love to see what you’re making with HYS yarns, and I love to take photos of your beautiful finished pieces to share here on the blog. Today, I have a bundle of show-and-tell projects with one thing in common: bold color combinations in a variety of multicolor knitting techniques, from stripes to stranded colorwork to mosaic knitting.

Margaretta finished two striped projects recently, the first of which is this “Yipes Stripes” cowl, which she knit in 5 shades of Plymouth Suri Merino. The variety of colorwork techniques in this piece keep it interesting, so interesting that Margaretta has just selected colors for a second “Yipes Stripes.” I can’t wait to see how it comes out!

Margaretta’s “Stole,” though simpler to knit, is perhaps the greater achievement. Knit in 9 shades of Isager Alpaca 2, this ribbed rectangular shawl is generous in size and fine in gauge, a combination that requires a great deal of time and patience to knit. I love Margaretta’s color combination, and the careful balance of dark and light shades.

Debra brought in her “Autumn Tam” in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, which she started in Nancy’s most recent fair isle tam class. She’s since become smitten with the technique, and has already completed a “Horse beanie” and started a colorwork blanket in Fibre Company Acadia. We love to see students leave our classes empowered to start new projects on their own!

Margie knit this two-color “Art Deco Mosaic Shawl” from a recent issue of Vogue Knitting.

The pattern showed the shawl knit in high-contrast colors for maximum visibility of the mosaic pattern. Margie had something more subtle in mind, so she selected Isager Alpaca 2 in a dark gold shade and paired it with a variegated brown and gold skein of Malabrigo Mechita. The effect is rich in color and texture, and reminds me of tapestry weaving or wood grain, a unique and beautiful interpretation of the original pattern.

Some months ago, Rosemary selected two shades of Shibui Pebble for a bit of an experiment. Organizing the Pebble last week, I sat those two shades next to each other and wondered for a moment what she’d been plotting. Not long after that, she walked in holding a delicate striped scarf knit in Pebble, her first try at double knitting.

Double knitting makes a reversible, two-layer fabric; you may have seen our sample “Mix No. 23” cowl in Shibui Cima hanging here at the shop, or pondered Amy’s class on the subject. (There’s another session coming up in August; sign up now if you’d like to join!) I’m impressed with Rosemary’s self-designed scarf, and I’m sure she’ll love wrapping up in it when cold weather comes again this fall.

Thanks to the many knitters, crocheters, weavers, and other fiber artists who use yarns from our shop in their creations; we love seeing what you make!

New yarns from old friends.

Posted by Julia on May 30, 2015

It’s been an exciting day at market! We visited some of our favorite people today, and it was great to chat about what’s new, see sample garments, and admire each company’s full range of fibers and colors. Shibui has a luxurious new yarn for fall, and a bundle of new patterns to boot. We were happy to return to the Sincere Sheep booth to admire their US-sourced yarns, which are all hand-dyed with natural dyes. I was particularly taken with Fibre Company’s newest yarn, Cumbria, and the exciting new patterns that go with it. I also spotted this gorgeous woven scarf made in Meadow, which I could not stop looking at. Malabrigo surprised us all with a brand new yarn in an unexpected fiber. Perhaps the most exciting moment of our day occurred in the Isager booth, where we ran into Helga Isager herself, in from Denmark. Over the years, Anne and Rosi and I have admired many of her designs, and knit some, too. Anne was wearing one, “Robin,” knit in Isager Spinni, so I had to snap a picture. We’ve already placed so many exciting orders, and there’s more to come. Our trunk show schedule is growing quickly, too. We can’t wait for all these goodies to arrive throughout the fall, to share the new yarns with you, and knit with them ourselves!

Interweave Knits.

Posted by Julia on May 6, 2015

The Summer 2015 issue of Interweave Knits is here!

This issue focuses on the intersection of knitting and nature, with practical garments for hikes and other outdoor adventures–headbands, rustic vests, and sweaters like the “Mount Robson Pullover,” knit in Cascade 220 Fingering.

There’s also a spread of colorwork sweaters in this issue, each one inspired by the hometown of its designer. This one was knit in Malabrigo Rios, a favorite superwash merino around here.

Look for Interweave Knits on the teacart, surrounded by the latest books and magazines for knitters, crocheters, and weavers. See you at the shop!

Hello, Malabrigo Mechita.

Posted by Julia on February 23, 2015

We’re happy to announce the arrival of a brand new yarn from Malabrigo: hello, Mechita.

Mechita is a single ply superwash merino in a fingering weight, with a generous 420 yards on each 100 gram skein.

This hand-dyed yarn comes in a wide range of colorways from semisolid to variegated, including many old favorites and some new shades, too.

Mechita seems made for next-to-skin accessories like shawls, scarves, and cowls. As I was photographing these colorful skeins, I paired up semisolid shades with variegates, thinking of the many popular two-color patterns that call for fingering weight yarns. “Daybreak,” “Spectra,” or “Clockwork” from Stephen West…

“Bolt,” “Different Lines,” or “Stripe Study” from Veera Välimäki…

“Whippoorwill” or “Catkin” from Carina Spencer…

Louise Zass-Bangham’s “Foolproof” cowl, Laura Ayler’s “Faberge,” or Robin Ulrich’s “Sothia”…

In short, you can use Mechita in just about any pattern that calls for fingering weight yarn, and there are plenty out there. Our Pinterest page has a “Fingering Weight” board, collecting inspiring stitches in fingering weight yarns like Mechita; check there for even more ideas.

Come by the shop to meet Malabrigo’s newest yarn, and visit us before March 6th to see the Malabrigo Trunk Show. See you there!

Malabrigo Trunk Show!

Posted by Julia on February 21, 2015

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve received a trunk show featuring garments knit in Malabrigo yarns!

Malabrigo is a small yarn company out of Uruguay that is well known for its soft merino yarns, and their vivid, hand-dyed colorways.

This collection features a variety of accessories and a few sweaters, knit in a wide range of Malabrigo yarns, including Sock, Arroyo, Silky Merino, and Rasta.