Vovó + Silk Mohair.

Posted by Julia on December 24, 2024

If you’ve visited the shop in the past month or so, you’ve probably heard us talking about Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, a new sport weight yarn from Portugal that Anne, Bailey, and I are all coveting. While I was rounding up pattern ideas for Vovó, I came across a few that called for adding a strand of lace weight mohair and couldn’t resist sharing them here with color combinations!

“Grinalda,” by Rosa Pomar – photo © Rosa Pomar

Rosa Pomar’s “Grinalda” caught my eye with its pretty floral embroidery, and when I looked closer, the color combination intrigued me – a silvery gray held together with a blush pink. I went for a similar low contrast combination in the Vovó + Isager Silk Mohair swatch shown here.

I love how these shades blend together in the knitted fabric, and of course it feels great with that fuzzy mohair halo. Here are a few other low contrast combinations to consider…

“Verso Beanie,” by Jenny Ansah – photo © Jenny Ansah

There’s something so satisfying about a close color match between yarns, as well – that’s what Jenny Ansah used in her cozy “Verso Beanie.” Here are a few Vovó + Silk Mohair pairs for that perfect match…

“Rauha,” by Sari Nordlund – photo © Sari Nordlund

Two more gorgeous garments pairing Vovó + Silk Mohair – Sari Nordlund’s “Rauha” above and Rosa Pomar’s “Burgos” below.

“Burgos,” by Rosa Pomar – photo © Rosa Pomar

Look for Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó in our sport weight section and Isager Silk Mohair in our lace weight section. We can’t wait to see what color combinations and patterns you come up with!

Hello, Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Mondim!

Posted by Julia on November 12, 2024

We are so excited to announce that we now carry yarn from Retrosaria Rosa Pomar, a yarn company and haberdashery known for its heritage Portuguese wool. We have Mondim and Vovó on our shelves now – let’s take a look at Mondim!

Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Mondim:

fingering weight
3 ply
100% fine Portuguese non-superwash wool – most batches of Mondim are made exclusively from the wool of native Campaniça sheep
421 yards/100 grams
gauge: 24-32 sts x 30-48 rows = 4 x 4 inches
needle size: 2-4mm | US 1-6
hand wash, lay flat to dry

Mondim is a non-superwash fingering weight yarn made from fine Portuguese wool, and named after a Portuguese village once famous for its sock knitting cottage industry. Tightly plied and sturdy, Mondim is a great choice for making socks, hats, and sweaters alike.

Mondim comes in a huge range of colors, the most of any Retrosaria Rosa Pomar yarn. We have a mix of variegated, speckled and solid shades in stock, carefully selected to play well together. Think Andrea Mowry’s “Curio Socks,” Amy Christoffers’ “Pressed Flowers Socks,” and Hanna Leväniemi’s “Broken Seed Stitch Socks.”

If single color socks are more your speed, try Andrea Mowry’s “DRK Everyday Socks,” Stephen West’s “Dustland Socks,” or Tin Can Knits “Rye Light.” Anne will be teaching “Rye Light” in her upcoming Learn to Knit Socks class – she added it to the schedule just to have an excuse to work with Mondim!

Look for Mondim in the fingering weight section here at HYS!

Hello, Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó!

Posted by Julia on November 8, 2024

Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó:

sport weight
4ply
100% fine Portuguese wool, mainly from Campaniça sheep
156 yards/50 grams
gauge: 20-23 sts x 28-32 rows = 4 x 4 inches
needle size: 3.5 – 4.5mm | US 4-7
hand wash, lay flat to dry

Retrosaria Rosa Pomar collaborates with small manufacturers, breeders associations, and shepherds around Portugal to make yarns that are non-superwash, not bleached, and have no silicone-based softeners. We love that their wool comes from free-range sheep, and that mulesing is not practiced in Portugal.

Vovó (Portuguese for Grandma) is a versatile and hard wearing non-superwash yarn made entirely from fine Portuguese wool, mainly from Campaniça sheep. It’s a great choice for sweaters and cardigans intended for daily wear.

Anne and Bailey and I have been passing around a ball of Vovó and making swatches. We’ve tried a variety of needle sizes and a few different stitch patterns, and our minds and Ravelry queues are buzzing with ideas! Here are some designs we think would shine in Vovó…

Garments:

“Tild,” by Orlane Sucche – stockinette raglan pullover
“Minna no Sweater,” by Noriko Ichikawa – stockinette raglan pullover
“Fanel,” by Orlane Suchhe – stockinette saddle-shoulder cardigan
“Maggie Cardigan,” by PetiteKnit – short-sleeved stockinette cardigan with set-in sleeves
“Maggie Vest,” by PetiteKnit – button up stockinette vest
“Bergliebe,” by Isabell Kraemer – stockinette pullover with textured round yoke
“Drevo pullover,” by Teti Lutsak – textured v-neck pullover with modular construction
“Alder Sweater,” by Rebecca Clow – 2-color slip stitch raglan pullover
“The Academic,” by Skeindeer Knits – colorwork v-neck vest
“Jupiter Crop,” by Caitlin Hunter – short-sleeved colorwork pullover

Accessories:

“Hipster Hat,” by PetiteKnit – ribbed hat with fold up brim
“Alpine Bloom Hat,” by Caitlin Hunter – colorwork hat with floral motif
“Sotabosc,” by Elena Solier Jansà – twisted stitch shawl
“Field Beret,” by Camilla Vad – beret with cabled grain pattern
“Molly Mitts,” by Katarina Linnhagen – ribbed fingerless mitts
“Azalais,” by Audrey Borrego – ornamental colorwork mittens

Come by the shop to see and touch Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó for yourself, and plan your next project. Our swatches are here to give you a sense of how Vovó behaves at different gauges – we can’t wait to see what you all come up with!