Tag Archives: merino

Shibui Sample of the Month: Half and Half Cowl.

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February is here, and with it, a new Shibui Sample of the Month! We offer a 10% discount on Shibui yarn purchased for our featured sample until the end of the month.

This month’s sample is the Churchmouse “Half and Half Cowl,” a simple ribbed cowl with a slit halfway up to create an opening over the shoulder.

“Half and Half Cowl” is knit with Shibui Drift, a worsted weight blend of 85% extra fine merino wool and 15% cashmere. It’s just as soft as that combination sounds, a perfect choice for a special accessory like this.

Come by the shop to before February 26th to try on the “Half and Half Cowl” and get Shibui Drift at 10% off to make one of your own!

 

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges, returns, or special orders. Thanks!

Back in stock, show and tell: Isager Alpaca 2.

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Among all the lovely Isager yarns, Alpaca 2 has been a favorite here at our shop, so we make sure to keep every available color in stock.

Isager Alpaca 2 is a light fingering weight blend of merino wool and alpaca, with 275 yards on each 50 gram skein. Our seasoned “Stole” sample has hung on the wall for years now, yet it regularly catches the eye of knitters seeking a soothing, repetitive project, one that’s easy to execute, but with graceful results.

We’ve seen all manner of “Stole” variations, and whether they’re knit in the pattern’s recommended nine shades or a kaleidoscope of unique combinations, slimmed down into scarves or expanded into blankets, everything seems to work. Unpacking this shipment, I lapsed into a familiar game, picking colors for the “Stole.”

There are many other things to knit with Alpaca 2, of course; here are a couple of ideas from knitters we know, a bit of show and tell.

Here is Carribeth’s “Spectrum,” another soothing knit in stockinette. She paired Alpaca 2 with a matching shade of Alpaca 1 to create the slightly transparent stripes, an elegant effect that photos don’t do justice.

Winnie knit this “Feathers” shawl with Alpaca 2, and has already come back for more of the same to knit another.

This is a lovely example of Alpaca 2 in a lace pattern, a very good match of yarn and pattern, indeed.

Thanks to Carribeth, Winnie, and countless others who start their projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – we love to see what you’re working on!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Hinterland.

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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.

January’s colorway is called Hinterland, a creamy white sprinkled with flecks of rosy pink, rusty orange, and taupe. It’s a complicated combination of colors when you look at it closely, but standing back, it reads neutral, and pairs well with Koigu’s November Collector’s Club color. I think they’d make a nice “ZickZack Scarf,” or “Harlow” hat.

Look for this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

Dream in Color Pop Up! Club: January.

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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 Tuscon-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. January’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Smooshy with Cashmere is the featured yarn this month, dyed in a limited edition speckled and variegated colorway. This yarn is deliciously soft and squishy, perfect for next-to-skin wear, and makes an amazing pair of socks or a special scarf, shawl, or cowl. Look for pattern ideas on our “Fingering weight” board over on Pinterest.

You’ll find this limited edition colorway in the fingering weight section here at our shop, and hurry in if you want to snag one – these special Dream in Color shades don’t last long!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Holiday.

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A new month has begun, and with it comes the next installment of the Koigu Collector’s Club! 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.

December’s colorway is called Holiday, a festive blend of cranberry, pink, and cream, with warm flecks of orange sprinkled throughout.

This December edition arrived on the heels of November’s Koigu Collector’s Club, which came late in the month, so we have an abundance of special Koigu colors right now. For those that have been collecting them a skein at a time each month, consider Churchmouse’s “Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf” pattern, which blends disparate variegated shades into a harmonious fabric that almost looks woven.

Look for this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

New colors in Malabrigo Rasta.

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Malabrigo recently released a bunch of new colors in their super bulky Rasta yarn, and with our recent winter weather, we’re especially excited to have them in stock!

Rasta is a soft, squishy, single-ply merino wool that knits up quickly on US 13 – 17 needles. Each 150 gram skein has 90 yards, which may not sound like a lot, but those 90 yards go a long way at 2 or 2.5 stitches per inch.

These delicate pastel shades are semi-solid, ideal for showing off texture patterns. Look for some project ideas in Malabrigo’s TriBeCa collection, designed especially for this new batch of colors.

Come by the shop to pick up a skein or two of Malabrigo Rasta for your last-minute holiday gift-knitting! See you there.

Koigu Collector’s Club: Giving.

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A new month has begun, and with it comes the next installment of the Koigu Collector’s Club! 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.

Each 50 gram skein has 170 yards, so 1 makes a Purl Soho “Purl Beret” or pair of Churchmouse “Turkish Bed Socks,” 2 make an average pair of socks or “Barb’s Koigu Ruffle,” while 3 or 4 make a nice sized shawl, the likes of Martian Behm’s “Hitchhiker” or “Trillian.”

Look for this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

Back in stock: Fibre Company Acadia.

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We’re delighted to announce that Fibre Company Acadia is back in stock!

Acadia is a DK weight blend of merino, alpaca, and slubs of silk. The silk takes the dye differently than the other fibers, giving most colorways a rustic, tweedy appearance, which belies its luxuriously soft hand.

Our supply of this special yarn had dwindled, but happily, a shipment arrived earlier in the week to fill our shelves again.

Acadia has become a very well-loved yarn in the years we’ve stocked it here at the shop. One knitter that calls this yarn a favorite is Winnie, who recently knit this gorgeous “Dohne” shawl using Acadia.

Garments knit with Acadia have a mix of structure and drape. We have a couple of samples knit in Acadia at the shop so you can see and feel this in person; look for the Churchmouse “Easy Folded Poncho” and “Quaking Aspen” shawl next time you’re here. There are so many other wonderful projects we’ve seen made in Acadia over the years – check out our “DK weight” Pinterest board for more pattern ideas.

Come by to give Acadia a squeeze and plan your next project!

Shibui Sample of the Month: Tempo.

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November is here, and with it, a new Shibui Sample of the Month! We offer a 10% discount on Shibui yarn purchased for our featured sample until the end of the month.

This month’s sample is “Tempo,” a two-color cowl knit with Shibui Maai. Maai is a DK weight blend of alpaca and merino, soft and lofty due to its chainette construction. This yarn has tremendous elasticity, making it a pleasure to work with and to wear. The colorwork effect is achieved through slipped stitches, a technique that requires using only one color of yarn per row.

Come by the shop this month to see “Tempo” and get Shibui Maai at 10% off to make one of your own!

 

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges, returns, or special orders. Thanks!

Dream in Color Sock-It Club, part four.

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Dream in Color’s Sock-It Club has arrived again! Every month from July to November, we’re getting sock yarn in a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tuscon-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns.

October’s special colorway was inspired by a trip to New Orleans’ French Quarter, a mix of purples, pinks, and chocolate brown, with sections of speckled ivory. It’s dyed on Smooshy, a soft, sturdy, and springy blend of superwash merino and nylon.

Colorful skeins like these are perfect for simple ribbed socks that let the yarn take center stage – try the Churchmouse “Basic Socks,” Glenna C.’s “A Nice Ribbed Sock,” or Erica Lueder’s “Hermione’s Everyday Socks.”

Look for this limited edition colorway in the fingering weight section here at the shop!