Silk Mohair + fingering weight.

Posted by Julia on November 17, 2021

We’ve seen so many patterns lately that call for a lace weight mohair paired with fingering weight wool – sometimes solid, sometimes variegated, always creating an enticing fuzzy fabric. Isager Silk Mohair is just the yarn for this, and we’ve got loads of options in the fingering weight section here at our shop – you’ll find a few ideas below, and keep scrolling for patterns!

Isager Silk Mohair: lace weight, 70% kid mohair, 30% silk, 233 yards/25 g; $16 each
Brooklyn Tweed Loft: fingering weight, 100% Targhee-Columbia wool, 275 yards/50 g; $18.75 each

Isager Highland Wool: light fingering weight, 100% Highland wool, 301 yards/50 g; $10 each

Kelbourne Woolens Camper: fingering weight, 100% wool, 200 yards/50 g; $9.50 each

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock: fingering weight, hand-dyed, 100% machine-washable merino, 400 yards/100g; $34 each

Koigu KPPPM: fingering weight, hand dyed, 100% superwash merino wool, 175 yards/50 g; $15.50 each

What to knit with these yarn pairings? Here are some ideas:

Sweaters:

“Love Note,” by Tin Can Knits – lace yoke pullover
“Diaphanous Raglan,” by Jessie Maed – v-neck pullover with sheer sleeves
“Elton,” by Joji Locatelli – striped cardigan
“Girlfriends Cardigan Anke,” by Ankestrick – garter stitch cardigan
“Hali,” by Leeni Hoi – twisted stitch pullover
“Pink Fizz,” by Andrea Mowry – cabled pullover
“Balloon Sweater,” by Petiteknit – pullover with balloon sleeves

Accessories:

“Oslo Hat – mohair edition,” by PetiteKnit – ribbed hat
“Anker’s Hat,” by PetiteKnit – segmented ribbed hat
“Cloves Entwined Toque,” by Tif Neilan – slouchy hat with lateral braids
“Leni,” by Isabell Kraemer – textured hat
“Water Born,” by Jacqueline Cieslak – brioche headband
“Indira Cowl,” by Vanessa Smith – cabled cowl
“Venus,” by Marion Em Knits – garter and slip stitch shawl, from Laine’s 52 Weeks of Shawls

See you at the shop!

Studio Sock + Studio Sampler.

Posted by Julia on September 14, 2021

Itching to cast on with our newest arrival, Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock? Consider Leslie Anne Robinson’s “Studio Sampler,” an asymmetric triangular shawl.

“Studio Sampler,” by Leslie Anne Robinson; photo © Lesley Anne Robinson

Robinson’s design moves through garter stitch, stripes, and brioche, keeping things interesting with a variety of stitch patterns and color combinations.

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock: fingering weight, hand-dyed, 100% machine-washable merino, 400 yards/100g; $32 each or $96 for 3 skeins needed for shawl

Pick three shades that excite you and have fun watching them interact as you knit – they can be high or low contrast, from the same color family or not. Here are a few combinations I came up with!

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock in Truxton Circle, Joyce Scott, and Gwynn Oak.

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock in Petworth, Oliver, and Hollins Market.

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock in Washington Circle, Amy Sherald, and Cedonia.

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock in Bolton Hill, Lauraville, and Ernest Shaw.

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock in Reservoir Hill, Ernest Shawl, and Hollins Market.

Look for Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock in the fingering weight section here at our shop – we’re open from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays! You can still use our online order form to place orders for local pickup or shipping, as well.

Yarn ideas for Stephen West’s “Shawlography” MKAL.

Posted by Julia on September 11, 2021

We know many of you are fans of designer Stephen West and often participate in his annual Mystery Knit-Alongs – it’s that time of year again, and “Shawlography” is the pattern-to-be. It calls for five colors of fingering weight yarn, 100g each, and West’s motto for yarn selection this year is, “Say yes, don’t stress!” – as in, all kinds of fingering weight yarns are welcome here, and we have tons to choose from at the shop!

Lady Dye Superwash Fingering, $32 each

Stephen West made a very helpful video about color selection, and I watched it carefully before putting these combinations together. He suggests sticking with solid or semi-solid yarns for maximum contrast, though speckles may be used sparingly.

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock, $34 each

It’s important to have some light colors, some medium, and some dark for this design – this provides contrast as the colors interact with one another throughout the shawl.

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial, $26 each

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial, $26 each

One strategy West recommends is selecting five shades from one color family, being sure to include lights, mediums, and darks.

Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, $15.25 each

Kelbourne Woolens Camper, $9.50 each

Another way to approach it – pick a gradient of neutral colors and one or two bright color pops.

Kelbourne Woolens Camper, $9.50 each

There are so many possibilities here at our shop – come by between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays, and we’ll be happy to show you around! We’re still taking online orders for local pickup or shipping, too; just fill out our online form.

Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, $15.25 each

Hello, Neighborhood Fiber Co.!

Posted by Julia on September 2, 2021

We are thrilled to announce that we are now stockists for Neighborhood Fiber Co.!

Neighborhood Fiber Co. was founded by Karida Collins, a dyer and designer based in Baltimore, MD. The company is so-called because Collins’ 70+ colorways are all inspired by and named for the urban neighborhoods and landscapes in and around Baltimore and Washington, DC.

Along with their unique and vibrant colorways, we also admire Neighborhood’s commitment to environmentally-sound practices, justice, equality, and empowerment. In 2020, Collins created the NFC Momentum Fund, a donor-advised charitable fund that has distributed more than $50k in grants to community organizations in the Baltimore community.

Our first Neighborhood Fiber Co. yarn is Studio Sock, a soft, sturdy, tightly plied organic merino wool that’s machine washable for easy care.

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock:

fingering weight
hand-dyed
machine washable
100% organic merino wool
400 yds/4 oz
$32 each

Studio Sock is perfect for knitting socks, of course – here it is in Laine’s 52 Weeks of Socks, put to beautiful use by designer Sachiko Burgin.

Hand dyed fingering weight yarns like this one are also great for knitting shawls and lightweight sweaters – here are some pattern ideas:

Accessories:

“Diagonal Mitts,” by Karida Collins, from MDK Field Guide No. 18: Beginnings – garter stitch fingerless mitts knit on the bias
“Alive & Free,” by Annie Lupton – 2-color striped garter stitch shawl
“Syntha Socks,” by Laura Nelkin – stockinette socks with twisted/drop stitch detail
“Studio Sampler,” by Leslie Anne Robinson – 3-color shawl with brioche and garter stitch stripes
“Pianta Hat,” by Lavanya Patricella – 2 color brioche hat
“Starflake,” by Stephen West – 2 color shawl with stripes, parallelograms, brioche, and an i-cord edging

Garments:

“Navelli,” by Caitlin Hunter – boat neck short-sleeved pullover with colorwork at bottom edge
“Beachcomb,” by Tif Neilan – sleeveless tee with herringbone detail
“Summer Sorrel,” by Wool & Pine – cabled yoke tee
“Dissent Pullover,” by Andrea Rangel – colorwork yoke pullover
“Separate Ways,” by Joji Locatelli – striped v-neck pullover
“Boxy,” by Joji Locatelli – oversized drop-shoulder pullover
“Boheme Pullover,” by Annie Lupton – textured lace pullover

Look for Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock in the fingering weight section here at our shop! We’re open for drop-in shopping, no appointments needed, from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. Online ordering is still available for local pickup or shipping – thanks for shopping with us!