Show and tell.

Posted by Julia on October 8, 2015

The show-and-tell photos are piling up again! Time to share some of the projects you’ve so generously shared with us.

If you’ve been to the shop in the past couple of weeks, you’ve probably noticed this eye-catching sampler afghan hanging on the wall. Nancy knit this using two shades of Plymouth Galway, and Barbara Walker’s Learn to Knit Afghan Book, and she’s lent it to us for awhile as she guides her students through afghans of their own.

The Learn to Knit Afghan Book includes patterns for 63 different knit blocks, which can be seamed together in any combination to make an afghan. This looks like a fun way to try new stitch patterns and techniques, and an engaging way to make a blanket.

Sherri is a knitter who recently took up weaving on a Schacht Cricket loom, and above is her first-ever woven scarf. She used Plymouth Galway in a heathered red shade for most of the warp and weft, accented with stripes of Plymouth Gina, a self-striping yarn. We’re looking forward to seeing what comes off her loom next!

Here are two gorgeous pieces made with Isager Alpaca 1, a delicate lace weight yarn. Sue knit the blue shawl on the left and wove the green scarf on the right, as interested as ever in the way a yarn’s behavior can differ from craft to craft. You may recall her weaving projects from my last show and tell post; I love to see what her curiosity and enthusiasm cause her to create!

Robin recently knit this lovely shawl with a self-striping sock yarn whose label had disappeared since leaving the shop and settling deep into her stash. I know from experience how satisfying it is to use yarn that’s been hanging around awhile, how it frees you up to get new yarn for a new project, and Robin did just that!

Margaretta knit this “Haruni” shawl with Shibui Silk Cloud, a lace weight blend of mohair and silk. She reported that the pattern is very well-written, feedback to take seriously from this seasoned knitter. I love how this shawl looks in this rich shade of purple!

Esther brought in this exquisite sweater from an Isager pattern collection, “No. 11, No. 12, No. 13…” Knit in the lace weight Isager Spinni, this has been a long-term project, and it’s one that I think she should be incredibly proud of.

A hearty thanks to all the fiber artists who start their projects here and share their work with us! We love to see our yarns grow up into finished garments, and are so inspired by the work you do. See you at the shop!

Shibui Fall/Winter 2015 patterns and Trunk Show.

Posted by Julia on September 18, 2015

Shibui’s Fall/Winter 2015 Collection is here, in more than one sense. The patterns arrived with Dune and the new Shibui colors last week, and the trunk show arrived just yesterday. We’re offering a special 10% trunk show discount on Shibui yarns while the show is up, so don’t miss it!

These garments are made with seven Shibui yarns in a variety of combinations.

Shibui yarns are made to be mixed together, knitting with two or three strands of yarn at a time to create bespoke fiber and color blends.

Each Shibui yarn brings its own characteristics to the mix, and though these patterns may be shown in a specific yarn combination, you should feel free to substitute within the limitations of gauge to create exactly the fabric you desire.

For loft, add Maai. For lightweight springiness, add Cima. For a fuzzy halo, add Silk Cloud. For tweedy flecks of color, add Pebble. For drape, add Dune or Staccato.

Anne has been knitting “Truss” as a sample for the shop, a simple, wearable tunic in a short or long length.

It’s made with Maai and Pebble held together, for an impossibly soft fabric that’s lightweight in spite of it’s relatively big gauge. This means it knits up quickly and easily, but with a highly fashionable result–a winning combination. I can’t wait to see Anne’s “Truss” completed!

The “Truss” that came with the trunk show is beautiful, too, and a great illustration of how two unexpected colors can blend when knit together.

Come by the shop to peruse the Shibui Fall/Winter 2015 pattern collection, to admire the Shibui Trunk Show, and to get Shibui yarns at a 10% discount! We’ll have the show up until September 27th, 2015. Hope to see you there soon!

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

New colors from Shibui.

Posted by Julia on September 15, 2015

Shibui just released four bright new jewel tones in four of their yarns, and we’re thrilled to have them on our shelves!

“Tango” is a cherry red, leaning towards neither pink nor orange. It’s a simple color, but one that can sometimes be hard to find.

“Imperial” is a vivid purple, more playful than “Velvet,” Shibui’s usual deep purple.

“Brownstone” is a caramel color, golden orange and autumnal.

“Cove” is a vibrant teal, brighter than Shibui’s other blue-green shade, “Fjord.”

Look for these shades in Shibui Silk Cloud, Cima, Staccato, and Maai. We love how they fill out the Shibui color palette!

Hello, Shibui Dune.

Posted by Julia on September 13, 2015

We’re delighted to welcome Shibui’s newest yarn to the shop this week: meet Dune.

Dune is a luxurious dk weight blend of 50% baby alpaca, 25% baby camel, and 25% silk. The alpaca and camel fibers give it a bit of a fuzzy halo, the silk gives it some lustre, and all three have great drape. To say Dune is soft is a bit of an understatement.

Shibui kindly sent us a few advance skeins of Dune earlier this summer, and I’m the lucky so-and-so who gets to knit them up into a sample garment for the shop. I’m nearing the halfway point on the “Motif” wrap, a new Shibui pattern for Dune that’s free with the purchase of yarn for the project. It’s an easily memorizable stitch pattern, just little squares of reverse stockinette on a stockinette background, but entertaining nonetheless. Decadent yarn and simple pattern make for a soothing, satisfying project.

Shibui is leading a Fall Knit-Along featuring “Motif” on their Ravelry group; come by soon to select a color and be ready to join the Motif Knit-Along by September 23rd! Look for more pattern ideas for Dune among Shibui’s Fall collection here at the shop, and check the “DK weight” board on our Pinterest page for more.

Come by the shop to see Dune for yourself, and check back here soon for more new goodies from Shibui!

More new magazines.

Posted by Julia on August 6, 2015

Two more new magazines have landed here at the shop!

We were pleased to see a familiar yarn on the cover of the 2015 issue of Crochet Scene.

Soft, drapey Shibui Staccato is a perfect choice for a lightweight crochet garment like this one. Look to Crochet Scene for a variety of crocheted garments and accessories, from mitts and cowls to totes and crocheted jewelry.

The Fall 2015 issue of Interweave Knits is a good one, bursting with cozy sweaters that have us anxious for cool weather.

I spotted lots of friendly faces in this issue, like a pullover in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, and another in Fibre Company’s newest yarn, yet to be released.

I was also pleased to see an article on Baa Ram Ewe and their revitalization of the Yorkshire textile industry. We were the first US stockist of their Titus yarn, and can hardly wait for the arrival of their new yarn later this season!

Come by the shop to pick up a few new magazines to feed your knit and crochet habit. See you there!

Knitscene.

Posted by Julia on July 6, 2015

The latest issue of Knitscene is here!

The Fall 2015 issue is packed with cozy garments and accessories, and flipping through it, I saw lots of familiar yarns. The clever “Tourlaville Shawl” is knit in Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball, working stripes from two balls of the same self-striping colorway to great effect.

Mari Chiba’s “Canted Pullover” is knit in Swans Island Organic Washable DK, a deliciously soft superwash wool.

I was particularly struck by Leah B. Thibault’s “Cormac Sweater,” an openwork pullover ideal for autumn layering, and knit in none other than Shibui Maai.

Look to this issue for lots of sweater inspiration, and a brioche tutorial, as well.

Come by the shop to pick up a copy of Knitscene and peruse the latest magazines and books!

Shibui Trunk Show!

Posted by Julia on June 11, 2015

Our walls are newly decorated with an exciting Shibui Trunk Show! We’ll have 8 garments from their Spring/Summer 2015 pattern collection on display here at the shop until June 24th.

Many of these garments feature their newest yarn, Twig, a slightly textured sport weight blend of 46% linen, 42% recycled silk, and 12% wool.

Several of these summer tops are knit with Shibui Linen and Cima held together, a combination I’ve knit and loved myself.

There are many fun and useful things about trunk shows, like being able to play a bit of dress-up and try garments on for size, but one of the best aspects of a Shibui trunk show is seeing these yarn combinations in person.

Come by before the 24th to see the Shibui Trunk Show for yourself!

Show and tell: colorwork.

Posted by Julia on June 3, 2015

We always love to see what you’re making with HYS yarns, and I love to take photos of your beautiful finished pieces to share here on the blog. Today, I have a bundle of show-and-tell projects with one thing in common: bold color combinations in a variety of multicolor knitting techniques, from stripes to stranded colorwork to mosaic knitting.

Margaretta finished two striped projects recently, the first of which is this “Yipes Stripes” cowl, which she knit in 5 shades of Plymouth Suri Merino. The variety of colorwork techniques in this piece keep it interesting, so interesting that Margaretta has just selected colors for a second “Yipes Stripes.” I can’t wait to see how it comes out!

Margaretta’s “Stole,” though simpler to knit, is perhaps the greater achievement. Knit in 9 shades of Isager Alpaca 2, this ribbed rectangular shawl is generous in size and fine in gauge, a combination that requires a great deal of time and patience to knit. I love Margaretta’s color combination, and the careful balance of dark and light shades.

Debra brought in her “Autumn Tam” in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, which she started in Nancy’s most recent fair isle tam class. She’s since become smitten with the technique, and has already completed a “Horse beanie” and started a colorwork blanket in Fibre Company Acadia. We love to see students leave our classes empowered to start new projects on their own!

Margie knit this two-color “Art Deco Mosaic Shawl” from a recent issue of Vogue Knitting.

The pattern showed the shawl knit in high-contrast colors for maximum visibility of the mosaic pattern. Margie had something more subtle in mind, so she selected Isager Alpaca 2 in a dark gold shade and paired it with a variegated brown and gold skein of Malabrigo Mechita. The effect is rich in color and texture, and reminds me of tapestry weaving or wood grain, a unique and beautiful interpretation of the original pattern.

Some months ago, Rosemary selected two shades of Shibui Pebble for a bit of an experiment. Organizing the Pebble last week, I sat those two shades next to each other and wondered for a moment what she’d been plotting. Not long after that, she walked in holding a delicate striped scarf knit in Pebble, her first try at double knitting.

Double knitting makes a reversible, two-layer fabric; you may have seen our sample “Mix No. 23” cowl in Shibui Cima hanging here at the shop, or pondered Amy’s class on the subject. (There’s another session coming up in August; sign up now if you’d like to join!) I’m impressed with Rosemary’s self-designed scarf, and I’m sure she’ll love wrapping up in it when cold weather comes again this fall.

Thanks to the many knitters, crocheters, weavers, and other fiber artists who use yarns from our shop in their creations; we love seeing what you make!

New yarns from old friends.

Posted by Julia on May 30, 2015

It’s been an exciting day at market! We visited some of our favorite people today, and it was great to chat about what’s new, see sample garments, and admire each company’s full range of fibers and colors. Shibui has a luxurious new yarn for fall, and a bundle of new patterns to boot. We were happy to return to the Sincere Sheep booth to admire their US-sourced yarns, which are all hand-dyed with natural dyes. I was particularly taken with Fibre Company’s newest yarn, Cumbria, and the exciting new patterns that go with it. I also spotted this gorgeous woven scarf made in Meadow, which I could not stop looking at. Malabrigo surprised us all with a brand new yarn in an unexpected fiber. Perhaps the most exciting moment of our day occurred in the Isager booth, where we ran into Helga Isager herself, in from Denmark. Over the years, Anne and Rosi and I have admired many of her designs, and knit some, too. Anne was wearing one, “Robin,” knit in Isager Spinni, so I had to snap a picture. We’ve already placed so many exciting orders, and there’s more to come. Our trunk show schedule is growing quickly, too. We can’t wait for all these goodies to arrive throughout the fall, to share the new yarns with you, and knit with them ourselves!

Show and tell: pastels.

Posted by Julia on May 28, 2015

As we head off to TNNA to see what’s new in knitting, crochet, and weaving for the Fall, we’ll close the shop from Thursday, May 28th – Monday, June 1st, reopening on Tuesday, June 2nd. I’ll be blogging a bit from the show, but til then, here’s some show-and-tell, all in soft, solid shades, projects that have recently been completed in HYS yarns.

Here’s Amy’s “Kindling” shawl, knit in preparation for her upcoming class on the subject. The yarn is Fibre Company Savannah, a lofty sport weight blend of merino, cotton, soy, and linen. Amy enlarged her shawl by continuing the main body for one additional pattern repeat before working the lace edging. The patterning shows so clearly in this pale green shade, a wise choice for such intricate knitting.

Speaking of upcoming classes, Marsha recently dropped off this adorable “Pleated Ballet Flat,” a sample for her upcoming class. She used the aran weight Plymouth Royal Llama Silk in a robin’s egg blue.

For such a small piece of knitting, these slippers are packed with techniques, from picking up and knitting to short rows to working in the round on two circular needles. Check out all our upcoming classes on our website!

Jodi brought her beautiful “Tier” scarf in for show-and-tell just before shipping it off to her sister-in-law. She knit it in Shibui Twig, a summery blend of linen, silk, and wool, and carefully blocked it to gently-draping perfection.

Last week, Anne quickly worked up a textured baby hat in the luxurious Debbie Bliss Pure Cashmere in a buttery yellow hue. The (free!) pattern is Christine Roy’s “That easy Guernsey hat,” and comes in toddler, child, and adult sizes, too.

Margie has been busy knitting “Shaelyn” shawls in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool as gifts for good friends. Here’s the first one off her needles, in a rustic shade of beige.

Thanks to the accomplished stitchers whose projects begin and grow here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We love to see what you’re making, and we’re looking forward to bringing in more inspiring materials for you to work with. I’ve got another round of many-colored show-and-tell projects coming up after our return… see you then!