Tag Archives: merino

Claudia Hand Painted Yarns.

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With August comes the new Fall yarns, and here is one of our most exciting acquisitions of the season: Claudia Hand Painted Yarns, out of Harrisonburg, VA. Anne fell in love with a silk sweater she saw at TNNA in June, and the rest is history, which is to say, the makings of that silk sweater are now in the shop. We’ve put kits together with 2 skeins of the Claudia Hand Painted Silk Lace in different but complimentary colorways, which are held together throughout the knitting of either a cardigan or a t-shirt. The kits include the yarn, the pattern, and a Hillsborough Yarn Shop project bag.


Obsessive sock knitter that I am, though, the real excitement for me is the Claudia Hand Painted Fingering yarn. Made of 100% extra fine merino, hand painted in bright variegated colorways, this yarn is squishy and soft but tightly plied, which should make for luxurious but long-wearing socks.

I’ve already knit a sample sock for the shop with this yarn, so you can get a feel for how it knits up. The pattern for said sample sock is forthcoming–a pattern of my own design, which I’m excited to release into the world as soon as I’m done editing it. Til then, you’ll be delighted to know that there are many wonderful free patterns for Claudia Hand Painted Fingering yarn. If you’re looking for a way to use this yarn, try Skew, Herringbone Rib Socks, or Roll Top Socks, ankle socks which actually take only one 50 gram skein. The Claudia Hand Painted Fingering yarn is about equivalent to Koigu in weight and yardage, so it’s a perfect substitute if any patterns for Koigu should happen to catch your eye.

Come by the shop to see Claudia Hand Painted yarns in person, to squeeze some skeins and admire the vivid colors!

Kusha Kusha.

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The Kusha Kusha scarf gets a lot of attention at the shop. This is in part because of its unusual, organic-looking shape, almost like a strand of kelp. Another reason to take note of this scarf is its fiber content. Kusha Kusha is knit with two strands of lace weight yarn held together, one of which is 100% merino wool, the other of which is stainless steel wrapped in silk. The stainless steel gives memory to the yarn and the resulting fabric, so that you can crinkle it up or stretch it out and it holds its shape.

The Kusha Kusha scarf comes as a kit from Habu Textiles, complete with the pattern and a cone of each yarn. We’ve carried these kits at the shop for some time, but our supply was getting low. When we reordered this past week, we got many more colors than we’d ever had before, a spectrum of elegant pairings.

Make sure to take a look at this unusual scarf the next time you’re in the shop. If you’re curious to see what others have done with this kit and pattern, check out the Kushua Kusha Love group on Ravelry. See you at the shop!

Hello (and welcome back), Malabrigo Sock.

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It’s been a long wait, but at last, our shipment of the ever-popular and often asked-after Malabrigo Sock yarn has arrived. We’d gotten down to one lonesome skein of the stuff!

As of yesterday morning, that sad last skein was once again surrounded by friends.

The Malabrigo Sock yarn is a fingering weight superwash merino wool, coming in 27 variegated or semisolid colorways. Like other yarns by Malabrigo, the Sock is sought after not only for its beautiful colors, but also its incredible softness. At the shop, we have a Clapotis on display made in Malabrigo Sock (apparently a popular choice for this extremely popular pattern), an excellent way to show the yarn off.

Of course, I couldn’t leave without a skein for myself. Socks are the plan. I can’t wait to cast on.

If you’ve never tried this yarn before, come by the shop to try on the Clapotis, look at all the beautiful colors (while they’re still in stock!), and consider it. If you’re one of the many who has called or come in looking for it, I expect to see you at the shop shortly after you see this post, ready to grab a skein or two off the shelves!

Katia Fabula. Again.

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 Katia Fabula, a super bulky, superwash, super-soft merino wool, has been a popular choice for hat-making (not least because our Fabula sample is, ahem, a hat). It’s thickness, softness, and washability all conspire to make this a quick, cozy, easy-care yarn for accessories. A common question from knitters, though, has been, “Are these all the colors?” Since it was a new yarn for us, we’d selected only three colors to carry at the shop: a blend of neutral colors, a reddish purple, and a pinkish purple. Now that Fabula has been successful, when it was time to reorder, we picked a new color to add to our collection: blues.

I think it rounds out our small color selection nicely. Unfortunately, we just don’t have enough room to stock every color it comes in, but it’s nice to add a new color every once in a while. Next time you’re looking to make a quick cold-weather accessory, remember Fabula!

Pagewood Farm: Alyeska.

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Pagewood Farm Alyeska is back in stock! Though you may know it as “the Pagewood with the cashmere,” which is what we often call it, its softness being somewhat more memorable than its name. This is decadent sock yarn, folks.

Sock knitters looking to pamper their feet should consider Alyeska, as should mitten, glove, and hat knitters seeking a special, soft, fingering weight yarn. Come to the shop to caress and consider!

Hello, Jitterbug.

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While we’re speaking reverently of sock yarn, I’d like to introduce you to Colinette Jitterbug.

Jitterbug is a fingering-weight superwash merino yarn with a tight twist and a bright range of variegated colorways. It’s been a favorite at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop for socks and garments alike. Anne used Jitterbug to make a simple stockinette vest several years ago, and the yarn really shines. Another knitter we know is working on an elaborate intarsia cardigan using Jitterbug, another perfect use for the yarn. I’ve seen several Jitterbug hats, too. So many ways to use fingering-weight yarn besides socks!

Our only complaint about Jitterbug thusfar has been that its yardage is a little short for socks, weighing in at a mere 320 yards. However, that problem has been attended to. Our most recent shipment of Jitterbug came in new 400 yard skeins, with a price increase of only ten cents per skein. Something to celebrate, no?

Come by the shop to see these colors in person, as their depth and intensity are not quite captured by my camera. See you at the shop!

Hello, Koigu.

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Sock yarn can be addictive. “Remember,” Anne sometimes says, “sock yarn doesn’t count as stash.” This makes it particularly, and perhaps even dangerously addictive. While many sock yarns are wonderful, there are some that are spoken of with reverence, names that you come into a shop looking for, rather than happen upon accidentally. Koigu is one of those.

Our own stash of Koigu lives in a little basket on the floor with many of the other sock yarns, beaming up at you as you wander past. The yarn has been here for some time now, but something new came in the mail this week and got us thinking about other uses for Koigu beyond socks.

The first-ever issue of Koigu Magazine is here, and it’s full of garments. Sweaters, shawls, skirts, dresses, hats and mittens. This is a great source for patterns using fingering-weight yarn that look beyond socks.

Look for it on the teacart!

Hello, Malabrigo.

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Here is a yarn with a fanbase.

Malabrigo Silky Merino and Malabrigo Rios are back in stock! It’s been a long wait, and as we waited, our Malabrigo stash dwindled into a sad little stack of mismatching skeins. “Is the Malabrigo here yet?” became a common inquiry, always met with a sad shake of the head. Now that the full range of colors are back together, those sad skeins are looking much happier.

Above, you’ll see a slice of the Rios spectrum, a washable worsted weight wool. Below: Silky Merino, a dk weight single ply blend of, as the name suggests, silk and merino wool.

Come by the shop to take a look!

Pagewood Farm.

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Hand-dyed sock yarn addicts, take note: our Pagewood Farm sock yarn collection is still growing. The other day a box arrived full of Glacier Bay, a 100% superwash merino wool. The yarn is soft but strong, and the colors are vibrant.

We’re down to only a few skeins of Pagewood Alyeska, a superwash merino sock yarn with a bit of cashmere mixed in, but never fear–we’ve already placed our replacement order. 
See you at the shop!

From Plymouth.

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A 48 pound box of yarn arrived from Plymouth this week, with three kinds in many different colors. Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Superwash is not a new yarn to us, but its easy care and bright color palette have made it popular at the shop, so we were in need of refilling. Composed of soft, springy merino, this yarn also boasts excellent stitch definition. There are many reasons to recommend it, but I’m particularly likely to point it out to someone knitting for babies or children, as it can be thrown in the washer and dryer with no problem.

We also received the new Kettle Dyed version of the same yarn, which is tonally variegated. There’s only one color in each colorway, but that color is darker in some spots and brighter in others, giving it some texture. While the solid Worsted Merino Superwash yarn comes in 218 yard skeins, its Kettle Dyed cousin offers a whopping 436 yards per skein.

We also replenished our supply of Plymouth’s Trabajos Del Peru, an aran weight single ply yarn which comes in semi-solid and multi-color variegated colorways. It’s made to be hand-washed rather than machine-washed, but don’t let that intimidate you if soft, fuzzy, slightly thick-and-thin yarn is right up your alley.

A little out of the way, in that bottom cubby, but worth finding. As for the Worsted Merino Superwash, it can be found on the right hand side of the door to the shop, with fellow washable wools from Dream in Color and the Unique Sheep. Come and find them!