Back in stock: Isager Bomulin.

Posted by Julia on June 27, 2023

Warm weather calls for plant fiber and lightweight yarns, so we’ve stocked up on Isager Bomulin, a light fingering weight blend of cotton and linen.

Isager Bomulin:

light fingering weight
65% cotton, 35% linen
230 yards/50g
$11 each

Plant fibers like these have little elasticity and a lot of drape, making them perfect for spring shawls and scarves, or loose-fitting warm-weather garments.

I’m a little late to the party, but I’ve just knit a “Ranunculus” as a sample for the shop, Midori Hirose’s always-popular textured yoke pullover. I picked a salmon pink shade of Isager Bomulin, holding it together with slightly lighter pink Isager Highland Wool for a bit of added softness, structure, and variation in color.

I’m really pleased with how these close-but-not-matching shades blend together in this garment, looking solid from a distance but gently marled upon closer inspection. Here are some more color combinations in Bomulin and Highland Wool that should have a similar effect!

Isager Merilin, a merino/linen blend, would also play well with Bomulin; here are four more low contrast combinations to consider for a “Ranunculus” of your own, or perhaps a PetiteKnit “Breeze Bag,” which calls for a similar combination of yarns.

Here’s Margaretta’s recently completed “Breeze Bag,” knit with Bomulin and Merilin held together throughout – perfect for farmer’s market flowers!

What else to knit with Bomulin? Here are a few ideas!

“Outline Tee,” by Jessie Maed – cropped tee with drop-stitch detail
“Outline Tank,” by Jessie Maed – cropped tank with drop-stitch detail
“Umbel Summer Top,” by Irene Lin – color block a-line tank
“Soleie Shell,” by Skeindeer Knits – lace edged tank
“Cumulus Top,” by PetiteKnit – camisole
“Shore Tee,” by Anne Ventzel – eyelet striped tee; held together with Isager Alpaca 1
“Tide Loop Tee,” by Other Loops – textured tee; held together with Isager Alpaca 1

Look for Isager Bomulin, Highland Wool, and Merilin in the fingering weight section here at HYS!

Back in stock: Isager Japansk Bomuld.

Posted by Julia on June 2, 2023

Our most recent Isager order included a bundle of Japansk Bomuld, a lustrous lace weight cotton tape.

Isager Japansk Bomuld:

lace weight
flat tape
100% cotton
344 yards, 50 g
$15 each

Japansk Bomuld has been around for about five years, but remains one of the most unique plant fiber yarns in our shop. The knit fabric is crunchy and cool to the touch, ideal for spring and summer tops and accessories.

I used 3 shades of Japansk Bomuld to knit a Churchmouse “Alexandra’s Airplane Scarf” as a shop sample, a trio that made high contrast stripes towards the middle of the scarf, and low contrast at one end.

Though the Isager Japansk Bomuld palette is small, there are plenty of intriguing color trios available – here are a few to consider.

What else to knit with Japansk Bomuld? Hold it together with Silk Mohair for Midori Hirose’s “Ranunculus” or Ragnhild Vaaland’s “Blink” pullover, or hold 3 strands together for PetiteKnit’s “French Market Bag.”

Look for Isager Japansk Bomuld in the lace weight section here at HYS!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Nightshade.

Posted by Julia on May 26, 2023

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.

Koigu KPPPM:

fingering weight
hand dyed, variegated
100% superwash merino wool
175 yards/50 g
$15.50 each

Nightshade is a deeply saturated mix of eggplant and navy, with lively streaks of gold, orange, and cobalt.

Anne recently knit Amy Christoffers’ “Pressed Flowers Hat” with Koigu and Neighborhood Fiber Co. Capital Luxury Sport, a soft and springy blend of merino, cashmere, and silk.

Kelbourne Woolens Andorra would work well as the main color, too – it’s also sport weight, a blend of merino and highland wool, with a touch of mohair. Here are “Pressed Flowers Hat” color combinations pairing Nightshade with both Capital Luxury Sport and Andorra.

I couldn’t stop there, of course – it’s too fun to play the color game!

If any of these combinations speaks to you, you can order online for local pickup or shipping. Prefer to shop in person? Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with many others! We’re here from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Show and tell!

Posted by Julia on April 21, 2023

It’s been far too long since I shared show-and-tell here on the blog, though it’s an ongoing part of our daily Instagram posts – let’s see what folks have been making with yarn from our shop!

First up – check out Linda’s Churchmouse “Double Split Color-Blocked Cowl,” knit with Malabrigo Noventa! She knit it up in no time on US 15 needles, an instant gratification kind of project.

Sherri made one, too! It’s always fun to see the same pattern transformed by different colors.

Debbie is a prolific knitter and weaver, among other things – here’s the latest project off her loom, an amazing deflected double weave scarf woven with Brooklyn Tweed Loft. We’re delighted that this springy woolen-spun yarn is back in production after a year of sourcing and supply chain issues!

Margaretta recently knit a pair of Andrea Mowry’s “Curio Socks” with Isager Sock Yarn and Koigu KPPPM – I love how the solid white highlights individual shades in the variegated contrast color!

Anne has been busy knitting samples for the shop – here are two of her recent creations! Above is an “Autopilot” cowl, by Dominique Trad, knit with 2 skeins of Neighborhood Fiber Co. Organic Studio Worsted. Below is her PetiteKnit “Novice Slipover,” knit with Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed. The pattern calls for a DK weight yarn held together with laceweight mohair, but Anne substituted one strand of this tweedy aran weight yarn, with cozy results.

Thanks to Linda, Sherri, Debbie, Margaretta, and Anne for sharing their work with us! We love to see what you make with our yarns, and can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Back in stock: Bamboo Pop!

Posted by Julia on March 28, 2023

Just in time for spring, we’ve got a fresh supply of Universal Bamboo Pop!

Universal Bamboo Pop:

DK weight
solid and variegated shades
50% cotton, 50% bamboo
292 yds/100g
$11 each

We chose a mix of solid and variegated shades, designed to stand alone in one-color projects or pair up for high and low contrast combinations. Anne is working on a “Hitchhiker” shawl with Bamboo Pop – check it out next time you’re here at the shop!

What else to make with Bamboo Pop? Here are some ideas!

Tees and tanks:

“Anker’s Summer Shirt,” by PetiteKnit – top-down tee with ribbed circular yoke
“Simple Tee,” by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas – cap- or long-sleeved tee, worked flat and seamed
“Me Oh My Tee,” by Park Williams – cropped tee
“Yume,” by Isabell Kraemer – lace yoke tee
“Nova,” by Shellie Anderson – sleeveless top with high/low hem and collar
“My Little Secret Crop,” by Jessie Maed – ribbed cropped tank top

Accessories:

“Easy Folded Poncho,” by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas – stockinette poncho with optional cowl
“Two-Color Cotton Cowl,” by Purl Soho – two-color brioche cowl
“Loreley,” by Melanie Berg – two-color triangular lace shawl
“Boneyard Shawl,” by Stephen West – triangular textured shawl
“Once Were Weavers,” by Francoise Danoy – triangular lace and drop stitch shawl

Come by the shop to plan your warm-weather knitting! We look forward to seeing you there.

Hello, Sandnes Garn Line!

Posted by Julia on March 21, 2023

Spring weather is here, which means it’s time for plant fibers – meet the newest addition here at our shop, Sandnes Garn Line!

Sandnes Garn Line:

light worsted weight
53% cotton, 33% viscose, 14% linen
120 yards/50g
$7.50 each

Line is a light worsted weight plant fiber blend that knits up at 5 stitches per inch on a US 6 needle.

It’s soft, cool, machine washable, and drapes beautifully, qualities that make it ideal for warm weather garments.

“Anker’s Summer Shirt,” by PetiteKnit, photo © PetiteKnit

I’ve cast on for a shop sample in Line, PetiteKnit’s “Anker’s Summer Shirt.” Like every PetiteKnit pattern I’ve tried so far, it’s approachable, practical, and appealing, both to knit and to wear.

Here are some other patterns that would be lovely in Line:

“Sommerknus,” by Elsebeth Judith – textured tee
“Purl Strings,” by Heidi Kirrmaier – tee with textured stripes
“Fine Sand,” by Heidi Kirrmaier – open front stockinette cardigan
“June Top,” by PetiteKnit – stockinette tank
“Cold Shoulder Crop,” by Park Williams – mock turtleneck tee with mesh cap sleeves
“Sommer Ella Solo,” by Lene Holme Samsøe – leaf/lace yoke tee

Look for Sandnes Garn Line in our worsted weight section!

Back in stock: Kelbourne Woolens Mojave.

Posted by Julia on March 17, 2023

A fresh batch of Kelbourne Woolens Mojave is here, perfectly timed for warm-weather stitching!

Kelbourne Woolens Mojave:

sport weight
60% cotton, 40% linen
185 yards/50g
$11 each

Mojave is cool to the touch, smooth and soft but also strong, with the beautiful drape we expect from plant fiber yarns. The color palette has something for everyone, from subtle neutrals to blazing brights.

What to make with Mojave? Here are some ideas for knitters and crocheters!

Knit with Mojave:

“Rift,” by Jacqueline Cieslak – oversized boxy tee
“Anker’s Summer Shirt,” by PetiteKnit – tee with ribbed yoke
“Sea Breeze Sweater Vest,” by Park Williams – mesh vest
“Outline Tank,” by Jessie Maed – cropped tank with drop-stitch detail
“Look At My Holes,” by James Watts – mesh tee
“Desert Queen,” by Meghan Kelly – scoop-neck tank with eyelet detail
“Trigono Tee,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn – textured tee

Crochet with Mojave:

“Canyon,” by Amy Gunderson – lace-edged tank top
“Water Clover,” by Isa Catepillán – lace tee
“Sub Rosa,” by Lana Jois – cap sleeve tee with square motifs
“Palms,” by Padma R – Tunisian crochet wrap
“Dusty Plum Dress,” by Moon Eldridge – striped dress
“Fae Tank,” by Abigail Haze – child’s tank top

I knit this Churchmouse “Simple Tee” with Kelbourne Woolens Mojave, and it hangs here at our shop to give a sense of how the yarn knits up – look for it next time you’re here, and check out Mojave in our sport weight section!

“Simple Yet Effective” cowl.

Posted by Julia on February 14, 2023

If you’ve been to the shop in the past few weeks, you might have seen me working on this cowl, “Simple Yet Effective,” by Tin Can Knits. The pattern is aptly named, alternating sections of stockinette and reverse stockinette – a nearly blank canvas for showing off some special yarn. The pattern calls for DK weight, but I’ve held a fingering weight and a lace weight yarn together, Kelbourne Woolens Cricket and Neighborhood Fiber Co. Loft, respectively.

It can be tricky to visualize how different colors and textures of yarn will look when knit together. Luckily, Tin Can Knits has a super helpful blog post about just that, “Layering With Mohair.” I was inspired after reading it, and learned that you can achieve a fascinating effect when you combine a darker mohair with a lighter yarn. As Tin Can Knits designer Emily Wessel puts it, “When you blend a darker or more saturated mohair with a lighter yarn, the paler colourway seems to glow underneath a deeper halo.” I tried out that strategy in this cowl and am so pleased with the result – each yarn seems to be enhanced by the other, and of course the fabric is fuzzy and soft!

Here are a few more color combinations pairing Cricket and Loft, which seem to me like they’d blend beautifully.

I couldn’t stop there, when there are so many shades of Isager Silk Mohair to play with – here are a few more!

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Cricket in the fingering weight section here at our shop, not far from the lace weight section, which holds Neighborhood Fiber Co. Loft and Isager Silk Mohair. We can’t wait to see what other color combinations you come up with for your own “Simple Yet Effective” cowls!

Back in stock: Fibre Co. Acadia!

Posted by Julia on September 20, 2022

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

Fibre Co. Acadia:

DK weight
60% merino, 20% alpaca, 20% silk
145 yards/50 g
$17.50 each

Acadia has long been a favorite yarn in our DK weight section, especially for projects where softness is key and some drape is welcome. The silk slubs takes the dye differently than the other fibers, giving most colorways a rustic, tweedy appearance, which belies its luxuriously soft hand.

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.

Here are a few other pattern ideas for Fibre Co. Acadia!

“Acadia Loop,” by Elizabeth Smith – unisex hemmed neckwarmer
“Copenhagen calling,” by Isabell Kraemer – 2 color mosaic and lace cowl
“Mended Plaid Cowl,” by Jamie Lomax – stranded and textured cowl
“Anker’s Hat,” by PetiteKnit – ribbed beanie
“Norie,” by Gudrun Johnston – slouchy textured lace beanie
“Simple Gifts,” by Dee O’Keefe – triangular shawl with leaf lace panel
“One Sweater DK,” by Becky Baker – basic stockinette raglan pullover in 15 sizes from Age 1-2 – 64″ chest circumference
“Beekeeper Cardigan,” by Marie Greene – textured saddle shoulder cardigan

Come by to give Acadia a squeeze and plan your next project! We’re open from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Show and tell: blankets.

Posted by Julia on February 2, 2020

Time for another round of show and tell! I love to take photos of finished projects when folks bring them into the shop to share with us, and to share them here on our blog. I always seem to have a backlog of photos, thanks to the many productive knitters and crocheters who frequent our shop. Here’s a batch of show and tell featuring those most ambitious of projects – blankets!

Above is Nancy’s “Karoo Vintage” blanket, a magnum opus of colorful crochet. She used a variety of yarns, all plant fibers – Cascade Ultra Pima, Universal Bamboo Pop, Shibui Rain, Tahki Cotton Classic, and others. Bravo, Nancy!

The next two blankets come from a different Nancy, one who prefers to knit. Above is her “Tweed Baby Blanket,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in a pleasing gradient of red and pink.

Nancy also made this “Umaro” baby blanket with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor. The simplicity of white brings clarity to this incredible stitch pattern. Nancy was generous enough to create this blanket for the shop as a sample – don’t miss admiring it next time you’re in!

Amy also completed an “Umaro” blanket recently, using Brooklyn Tweed Quarry held double. This intricate stitch pattern looks entirely new at such a large gauge.

Amy has an “Umaro” class underway at the shop now, and we’re so looking forward to seeing all the cozy blankets that come out of it!

Thanks to Nancy, Nancy, and Amy for sharing their work, and to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We can’t wait to see what you make next.