Tag Archives: show and tell

Show and tell: sweater weather.

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As you may have read in our most recent newsletter, the shop will be closed for our usual Thanksgiving break from November 23 – December 1. Feel free to shop online during that time, but know that we won’t be shipping or monitoring our inbox until we’re back in the shop on December 2! We wish you all a peaceful holiday.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy some show and tell!

Joanne knit this gorgeous “Field Slipover” with Isager Merilin and Silk Mohair, a luxurious and unique blend of fibers. Pattern by Camilla Vad.

 

Katherine seems to have a new sweater on her needles each time we see her, and a new sweater just off her needles, too – here are two of her latest.

Above is her “Emberstone Cardigan Aran,” by Dear Knits, made with Sandnes Garn Double Sunday and Isager Silk Mohair held together. Below is her “Astrid Sweater,” by Pernille Larsen, made with Isager Baby and Silk Mohair held together. It would be hard to say which sweater is softer – these are both such decadent yarn combinations!

Michele knit this “Rosie Sweater” using Biches & Bûches Le Petit Lambswool and Isager Silk Mohair. The main color had been lingering in her stash for a while, awaiting the perfect project, and this pale lavender sets it off beautifully. Pattern by Lene Holme Samsøe.

Here’s another design by Lene Holme Samsøe: Nancy’s “Musling Tee,” knit with Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Mungo. She left it with us to display at the shop – look for it near the checkout desk when you’re here next!

Thanks to Joanne, Katherine, Michele and Nancy 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.

Show and tell: soothing stockinette.

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Sometimes there’s nothing more pleasing than plain old stockinette stitch, its soothing rhythm and smooth surface. Here are some soothing stockinette projects from knitters in our community!

Kristin came in wearing her lovely “Novice Slipover,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Dapple (sadly discontinued) and Fyberspates Cumulus – such a cuddly combination. Pattern by PetiteKnit.

Here’s Pam in her “Stevie,” knit with the aptly-named Isager Soft. She extended the sleeves of Elizabeth Smith’s pattern to the perfect three quarter length.

Alberto finished his PetiteKnit “Oslo Hat” in just a week, using the Lead + Onyx colorway of our Oslo Hat Kit. I love how these shades of gray blend together in Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and Fyberspates Cumulus!

 

Here’s one of Katherine’s several “Plain Yoke Tee 20” sweaters, modified to lengthen the sleeves and add a nice ribbed neckband.

She knit this one in a vibrant semisolid shade of Malabrigo Seis Cabos – sign up for one of her classes here at HYS and you might just see her wearing it! Pattern by Lene Holme Samsøe.

Here I am wearing my “Minimal Raglan Sweater,” a simple but thoughtful pattern by Noriko Ichikawa. I used Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, and look forward to knitting with it again – I loved the springiness, the sharp stitch definition, and the lovely heathered colors.

Josie knit this cherry red “Aura Top” with Isager Silk Mohair, and the result is ethereal. Pattern by Rows Knitwear – next time you’re here, check out the one Bailey made as a shop sample!

Michele made this wonderful “Cloud Sweater” with a mix of yarn from her stash and yarn from our sale trunk – a light gray fingering weight wool, and a variegated shade of Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Infusion Kid Mohair, to be precise. Love the result!

Many thanks to Kristin, Pam, Alberto, Katherine, Josie, and Michele for sharing their handiwork with us! We really appreciate everyone whose projects begin with a trip to HYS, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

Show and tell: compelling combinations.

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“Can I use these yarns together?” is a question I sometimes hear at the shop, and the answer is almost always yes. Maybe the perfect background color comes from one brand but the perfect contrast color is in another brand – if the fiber content and gauge are similar, go ahead and mix yarn to your heart’s content! For show-and-tell today, we’re focusing on projects that combine different yarns in different ways, for different reasons.

Here’s Jaime in her “Fall Sweater,” knit during Anne’s class on the subject. Jaime found three colors she loved in Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, and found the fourth in the now-discontinued Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport. As you can see, these two non-superwash sport weight wools knit up seamlessly together – such a lovely sweater! Pattern by Courtney Kelley.

Nancy knit this “Pine Point” hat for a child, modifying the size by using fingering weight yarn. For the solid purple, she picked Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering, a 100% superwash merino wool, and, wanting a variegated contrast color, she chose hand-dyed Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere. The resulting hat is soft, colorful, and machine washable – just right! Pattern by Mary Lou Egan.

Margaretta mixed yarns for the same reason in her “Ocean Waves Cowl,” by Amy Christoffers. The mosaic pattern pairs a self striping yarn with a solid color – Margaretta used Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Crazy and Sandnes Garn Sunday, respectively.

Another time knitters often mix and match different brands of yarn is when we’re trying to use up leftovers from previous projects. Such was the case for Wendy, who makes socks often enough to have some bits and bobs on hand.

Here are her charming “Forester Caterpillar Socks,” by Alexandria Wenninger, knit with three different but comparable sock yarns: CoopKnits Socks Yeah!, Malabrigo Ultimate Sock, and Isager Sock.

Kristin knit this PetiteKnit “Melange Sweater” for her daughter, holding two different non-superwash fingering weight wools together throughout. Color was part of the reason – Kelbourne Woolens Camper had the right heathered black, Cascade 220 Fingering had the right bright white – but in the end, it came down to availability. This was the black and white combination we had enough of at that moment, and she was eager to cast on! I don’t blame her – I love the staticky look of a marled sweater, and this one is a beauty.

Thanks to Jaime, Nancy, Margaretta, Wendy, and Kristin for sharing their projects with us! And thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to HYS – we can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

New colors, show and tell: Isager Bouclé

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Isager released four new shades in their cuddly Bouclé yarn last month, a fluffy alpaca yarn with one looped ply.

Jonna Helin’s cool and casual “Lento” pullover is one of our favorite uses for Isager Bouclé, a timeless stockinette raglan knit at a big gauge for nearly instant gratification.

Kathy knit this particular “Lento”  in Anne’s class on the subject, holding Isager Bouclé with Kelbourne Woolens Camper in a high contrast color combination. In the finished sweater, the fuzzy red Bouclé is the more prominent color, to my eye, but the lighter Strawberry Heather Camper peeks through.

Here are some more high contrast color combinations in Bouclé and Camper!

Low contrast combinations will blend together more, so that the finished garment reads solid from a distance, revealing subtle color variation up close. Here are some intriguing low contrast pairs to consider…

Look for Isager Bouclé in the lace weight section here at our shop, and browse our entire fingering weight section for just the right match to make a “Lento” of your own!

Show and tell: summer stitching.

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Time for another round of show and tell! As summer comes to a close, let’s look at projects knit with cool plant fibers, like cotton, linen, and viscose.

Liz knit this “Crumpet Cardigan” with Cascade Ultra Pima, a DK weight mercerized cotton with sharp stitch definition and a bit of shine. Pattern by Park Williams.

Katherine’s been knitting with Cascade Ultra Pima, too – here’s her “SABAI Top,” a popular tank designed by Susanne Müller.

Cascade makes many of our favorite cotton yarns – here’s a project that shows off another!

Teresa knit this lacy little “Petaluma Kerchief” with Cascade Botanika. This sport weight organic cotton is smooth and soft, dyed with natural pigments. Pattern by Bobbi IntVeld.

Michele came in recently wearing her “Musling Tee,” a popular pattern knit with an even more popular yarn – Sandnes Garn Line. Love it in this summery shade of green! Pattern by Lene Holme Samsøe.

Above is Margaretta’s “Lacey Loop Tee,” designed by Other Loops. She knit it with Isager Bomulin and Merilin held together for a perfect blend of plant and animal fibers.

Thanks to everyone who begins their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We love seeing what you make.

Show and tell: Malabrigo.

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It’s time for another round of show and tell! Today I’m here to share some finished projects that started life as yarn on our shelves, and they all have one thing in common: they’re all made with yarn from the beloved Uruguayan company Malabrigo.

Carol knit this “Lehigh” shawl with Malabrigo Rios, a soft superwash staple of our worsted weight section.

She chose a high contrast combination that shines in this textured pattern, a neutral semisolid background color punctuated by variegated stripes. Pattern by Melanie Berg.

Katherine also chose Rios for her “Sundial Shawl,” by Monika Anna, another shawl featuring garter stitch stripes, as well as a little bit of brioche on the edging.

Here’s a whimsical way to use colorful Malabrigo yarn – Laroka’s felted “Trout Fishy,” knit with Malabrigo Seis Cabos!

Nancy has been using Malabrigo yarns, among others, to crochet “Floralai,” a richly textured floral block designed by The Floral Hook.

The block above was made with Malabrigo Ultimate Sock, and the block below with Malabrigo Dos Tierras, Fibre Co. Acadia, and Koigu KPPPM.

Nancy floralai mix of Acadia and Malabrigo and Koigu

Many thanks to the talented stitchers who shared the projects above, and to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We love seeing what you make!

Show and tell: Fleece Artist / Handmaiden.

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Time for another round of show and tell! I’ve been collecting photos of your finished projects, as usual, and noticed a colorful little cluster of hand knits all made with Fleece Artist / Handmaiden yarns. These yarns are dyed entirely by hand in tiny batches – just enough for a single sweater at a time – and have become favorites here at HYS in the short time we’ve stocked them. Let’s see what folks are making…

Here’s a close up on Kristin’s PetiteKnit “Sophie Hood,” knit with Briggs & Little Sport in Washed White, Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Fire Opal, and Isager Silk Mohair in 0. This color and fiber blend is magical!

Victoria’s “Malva” sweater is another magical blend, knit with Kelbourne Woolens Scout in Burnt Orange Heather and Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Cranberry Chutney. Pattern by Tiia Reho, from Laine Finnish Knits.

Anne blended Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Mineral with the sadly discontinued Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted in this “Lento” sweater. Pattern by Jonna Helin.

This fiber blend is particularly velvety, with just enough drape – come by the shop to touch and admire it, as Anne has put it up for display until the weather cools down!

Margaretta has been experimenting with variegated sock yarn lately, working with texture patterns that break up the color pooling in lovely and intriguing ways. Shown here: Mone Dräger’s “Chains Socks” and Yvette Noel’s “Papillotes,” both in Fleece Artist Bluenose Socks. Colorways shown are Lupins and Bullrush, respectively.

Many thanks to the knitters who shared their projects with us today, and to everyone who starts their project with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We are inspired by your stitches and can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: Montauk & Acrid.

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Dream in Color’s Pop-Up Club is back! Each month, we get 10 skeins of Smooshy Cashmere in a limited edition colorway, hand-dyed in Texas. They’re always popular for Ysolda Teague’s “Musselburgh” hat, Andrea Mowry’s “Free Your Fade” shawl, or a special pair of socks.

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, each skein is unique; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in a larger project
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100 grams
  • machine wash cool on gentle/hand wash setting, lay flat to dry

Montauk arrived in April, a soft variegated mix of cream, lavender, peach, and dove gray.

Two skeins of Montauk makes Lena Skvagerson’s “Shoreline Shawl,” a shallow crescent shaped shawl with lace and stockinette.

Acrid popped up earlier this month, a sunny aqua colorway streaked with marigold.

Jenny Noto designed her “Garden Shawl” for two skeins of Acrid, a half circle shawl with eyelets and slip stitches.

Our friend Margaretta recently knit this lovely pair of “Avena” socks with Smooshy Cashmere in Fen.

It’s great to see variegated skeins like this one knit up – this intricate twisted stitch pattern breaks up the color pooling in a lovely and intriguing way. Pattern by Natalia Vasilieva.

Inspired to cast on? Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and in our online store!

Show and tell: cardigans.

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Time for more show and tell! Today we’re looking at cardigans, that quintessential layer for cool mornings and chilly air-conditioning.

Here’s April modeling her “Big Love” cardigan by the very yarn she used to knit it, Brooklyn Tweed Shelter. She loved this yarn and pattern pairing so much, she knit it twice! This photo was taken before our Shelter completely sold out during our Farewell, Brooklyn Tweed sale – but we still have lots of BT Tones in stock at 20% off, if you’re inspired to follow April’s lead. Pattern by Ankestrick.

Liz knit this “Lemel” cardigan with Isager Alpaca 2 held double, making a particularly plush fabric. Pattern by Woolfolk Design Team.

Vivian came in wearing her “Cardigan No. 7,” by My Favorite Things Knitwear. She held Isager Alpaca 3 together with Silk Mohair, a delightfully soft and fluffy combination.

Here’s Michele’s “Hey Sailor!” knit with Malabrigo Ultimate Sock. This snazzy slip stitch pattern shows beautifully in tonal colorways. Pattern by Andrea Mowry.

Jaime knit this “Nordic Bloom Vest” with Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed. At 4 stitches per inch, with no sleeves, it’s a quick project – even with the steek! Pattern by Caitlin Hunter.

Many thanks to the knitters who shared their projects with us today, and to everyone who starts their project with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We are inspired by your stitches and can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Color crush: light blue and brown.

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Knitters sometimes ask me which they should pick first: the pattern, or the yarn? There’s no right or wrong way to find your next project, of course, nor are these the only two ways. Often we are motivated by color, coming into the yarn shop picturing a particular shade, and searching the shelves for a skein that matches our mind’s eye. Sometimes it’s a color combination that we’re seeking, a pairing that has captured our imagination – here’s one such case.

Bailey’s most recent shop sample is the “Escher Beanie,” by Rows Knitwear, an intriguing two-color slip stitch rib pattern.

She used one ball each in Isager Soft and Queensland Llama Seta, a contrast in textures and in color.

As she worked on it, curious knitters asked about the color combination, so like her “Karla Cardigan,” a striking combination of light blue and dark brown. Could it be a color crush?

Since then, we’ve been pulling out similar shades from all over the shop, robin’s egg and chocolate, baby blue and espresso, sky and carob – here they are, with pattern ideas for each pair!

Lang Cashmere Premium in 21 + 268

Make the most of two precious balls of cashmere yarn with Amy Christoffers’ “Pressed Flowers Kerchief.”

Isager Soft in 10 + E8s

Lindsay Degen’s “Six of Daisies Cardigan” features large scale floral motifs, an ideal use of a high contrast color combination like this one.

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Iceberg + Meteorite

Hoods and bonnets are more popular than ever – stripe these complementary shades of Shelter for Milena Juhola’s “Harriet Bonnet.”

Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport in Vapor + Peat

Use this super soft merino for Aimée Gille’s “Le Bandana,” a simple kerchief that can be knit with stripes of all sizes.

Isager Tweed in Topaz + Chocolate and Isager Silk Mohair in 41 + 34

I’ve been eyeing Other Loops’ “Lace Loop Sweater” lately, and this dreamy yarn combination would make a nice one.

Isager Spinni in 10s + 8s + 6s and Isager Soft Fine in 11 + E8s + E6s

Bailey came up with this combination for My Favourite Things’ “New Norma,” an oversized pullover with simple colorwork stripes.

Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée in Hydrangées + Brownstone

While Brownstone is more rouge than brown, we still love it with pale blue – a lovely color pair for the simple stripes of Florence Miller’s “Tombo Tee.”

What color combinations have you been infatuated with lately? Let us know in the comments, or come by the shop and we’ll help you find yarn to match!