Tag Archives: merino

Hello, Malabrigo Seis Cabos!

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Brand new from one of our most loved yarn companies, Malabrigo – meet Seis Cabos!

Malabrigo Seis Cabos:

  • worsted weight
  • 6-ply
  • hand-dyed, every skein is unique; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in a larger project
  • 100% merino wool
  • 220 yards/100 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Malabrigo Seis Cabos is a soft and smooth non-superwash merino, hand-dyed in small batches. Meaning “six plies” in Spanish, Seis Cabos is meticulously crafted by tightly twisting each one of its six plies. This brings greater strength and resilience to the yarn, sharp stitch definition and lovely drape to the finished project.

Malabrigo is well known for their vibrant variegated colorways, and Anne made sure our Seis Cabos basket was full of them. Spotting the similarities in fiber content and gauge between Seis Cabos and Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted, she ordered colors that pair well with BT’s heathered shades.

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

You’ll find Malabrigo Seis Cabos and Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and in our new online store!

Koigu Collector’s Club: The Ton.

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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 grams

This month’s limited edition shade is named for “The Ton,” otherwise known as Bridgerton. Fans of the show will recognize these deep jewel tones, royal blues and purples from the richly colored gowns, massive sparkling jewelry, and extravagant hairstyles of Bridgerton’s London society.

This new colorway got me thinking about Anne’s “Pressed Flowers Hat,” made with Koigu KPPPM and Neighborhood Fiber Co. Capital Luxury Sport, a soft and springy blend of merino, cashmere, and silk.

Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport would make a lovely main color for the “Pressed Flowers Hat,” too – here are a few fresh color combinations for this project using The Ton as the contrast color.

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and in our new online store!

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: Kaleidoscope Eyes.

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Dream in Color’s Pop-Up Club is back! Over the past few months, owners Nancy and Veronica have handed over their company to Maddytosh, who are continuing the Dream in Color brand. Their yarn is now hand-dyed in Texas by a team trained by Veronica, and the skeins of Smooshy Cashmere are just as vibrant as ever.

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, each skein is unique; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in a larger project
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100 grams
  • machine wash cool on gentle/hand wash setting, lay flat to dry

Kaleidoscope Eyes is a vibrant, multicolored skein, blending bright pinks, purples, green, and orange in a way that’s both playful and bold.

As soon as Kaleidoscope Eyes came out of the box, I thought of Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and all its playful shades of pink. These three would make a striking “Temperance Shawl,” or a “Free Your Fade,” by Andrea Mowry!

Here are some other two- and three-color patterns for mixing and matching Perennial and Smooshy Cashmere:

Inspired to cast on? Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and in our new online store!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Penelope.

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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 grams

This month’s limited edition shade is inspired by Bridgerton – fans of the show will recognize Penelope’s signature yellow and pink palette in her namesake colorway.

We love what happens when a solid lace weight mohair is held together with variegated skeins like these, the magical fuzzy halo, subtle color blending, and overall watercolor effect. As soon as Penelope showed up, I reached for Isager Silk Mohair, which has so many shades that would blend beautifully with this limited edition colorway!

We know this combination makes a perfect PetiteKnit “Sophie Scarf” or “Oslo Hat – mohair edition.” If you’re seeking a more intricate pattern, try Sari Nordlund’s “Poet Scarf,” or Ronja Hakalehto’s “Vuono Hat.”

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and check out the lace weight section for even more mohair!

New colors in Brooklyn Tweed Imbue!

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We’re pleased to have three new colors in Brooklyn Tweed’s Imbue yarns!

The heathered shades of Imbue Sport and Imbue Worsted are made by blending brilliantly dyed hues of unspun wool, like an artist mixing paints. When spun, these bright solid colors mingle into richly heathered shades that are harmonious across the entire palette – ideal for stripes and colorwork.

TAPESTRY: Velvet at midnight. Deep violet with a frosty shimmer of moonlight blue, sparked by bright candle flame.

AMARO: Sunset in Amalfi, a fiery red with bittersweet notes of rich wine, spicy citrus, and warm gold.

PEAT: Mist on the moors. Soft earthen brown with glimpses of shadowy blue pools amid rust-red grasses.

These new shades immediately got me thinking about our beloved Imbue shop samples – Bailey’s “SAWA” in Imbue Sport and Nancy’s “Baa-ble Hat” in Imbue Worsted. Here are a few fresh color combinations for each of these patterns!

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Imbue yarns in our sport and worsted weight sections, respectively, and check out Nancy’s upcoming “Baa-ble Hat” class if you’re looking to learn stranded colorwork!

New PetiteKnit colors in Sandnes Garn Sunday!

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Our Sandnes Garn Sunday selection just got brighter – check out these new colors, handpicked by PetiteKnit!

Sandnes Garn Sunday:

  • fingering weight
  • 100% merino wool
  • 257 yards/50 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

It’s so pleasing to see how the new shades fit in with the existing ones, expanding the color palette to 28 shades. Since we first brought Sunday into the shop last year, we’ve found so many uses for it, from marls to “Friday Tees” to mohair pairings. Here are a few new ideas!

photo © Rebecca Clow

“Lunan,” by Rebecca Clow – crew or polo neck drop-shoulder tee

photo © PetiteKnit

“Amélie Tee,” by PetiteKnit – striped tee in 2 or 3 colors

photo © PetiteKnit

“Holger Shirt,” by PetiteKnit – striped color block pullover, ages 1-14

photo © PetiteKnit

“Amélie Tee Junior,” by PetiteKnit – striped tee, ages 1-14

Look for Sunday in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We’re open from 11am-5:30pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Malabrigo Rios KAL.

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

This Malabrigo KAL features the “Lehigh” shawl pattern by Melanie Berg, a talented designer known for her elegant and modern knitwear designs. “Lehigh” showcases the luxurious texture and vibrant colors of Rios.

Choose a high contrast color combination if the first image strikes your fancy – that really highlights the bud pattern in the secondary color. If the gentle color blending of the second image pleases you, pick two colors that are closer in value. Here are some color ideas!

I had way too much fun pairing colors for the Malabrigo Rios KAL – here are even more!

Want to join the Malabrigo KAL, which starts in September? Head to their blog to sign up, and come by our shop to pick out your yarn. You’ll need 4 skeins of Rios ($17 each) in your main color and 2 skeins of Rios in your contrast color.

Look for Rios and other Malabrigo yarns here at HYS – we can’t wait to see your shawls take shape when the Knit-Along begins next month!

Hello, Cascade Heritage Prints.

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Brand new from Cascade – meet Heritage Prints!

Cascade Heritage Prints:

  • fingering weight
  • self patterning
  • 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon
  • 437 yards/100 grams
  • machine wash cold, tumble dry low

Heritage Prints is a soft, sturdy, machine washable yarn from Cascade. Anne gave it a test drive in this pair of Tin Can Knits “Rye Light” socks for her husband, who loves bright and cheerful hand knit socks.

Anne’s sock-to-be is secured with another new item, Katrinkles DPN holders. They’re made of thick, durable elastic and wide rubber caps, so that any thickness of knitting needle or project fit into them. The elastic stretches to fit over your needles without putting pressure on them, protecting the tips from catching on whatever else you’re carrying around. Look for them in our notions section!

Some of the Heritage Prints colorways make stripes, like the one Anne is knitting with…

…and others make a faux fair isle pattern! You can see a preview of how each colorway knits up on the side of the label. Check out Cascade Heritage Prints and lots of other sock yarns here at HYS!

“Stole” in Isager Merilin.

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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!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Wedding Season.

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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 grams

This month’s limited edition shade is inspired by Bridgerton – soft floral colours on a lavender-grey background evoke the dresses, balls, and decor of the show.

I can never resist pairing Koigu with mohair, brushed alpaca, or other fuzzy lace weight fibers  – here are a few combinations to consider for your next “Sophie Scarf” or “Oslo Hat – mohair edition.”

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and check out the lace weight section to see all the fluffy yarns shown here and more!