3 Color Cashmere Cowl.

Posted by Julia on June 25, 2016

I just finished knitting a new shop sample in the luxurious Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, Joji Locatelli’s “3 Color Cashmere Cowl.”

The “3 Color Cashmere Cowl” is narrow but very deep, designed to scrunch cozily around one’s neck, so it does well in a yarn with good drape. It’s a fun knit, simple enough to be near-mindless, but with enough changes here and there to stave off boredom. I had fun watching the colors come together; they seem to behave differently depending upon the thickness of the stripes.

Our friend Catherine spotted the “3 Color Cashmere Cowl” on my needles and became smitten with the pattern.

She quickly knit the cowl above in Canopy Fingering, brought it in for show and tell, and left that day with enough Shibui Staccato to make two more. I’d only just hung mine on the wall when she came in with two more completed cowls, another on the needles, and plans for several more in Staccato and one in Isager Alpaca 2.

Catherine has begun to adjust the pattern to suit her preferences, omitting a lace section here, shortening a striped section there, and sometimes rearranging the order of those sections.

Look for my “3 Color Cashmere Cowl” on the wall here at the shop, and feel free to try it on for size. We have Canopy Fingering in a nice selection of colors, and even more in Staccato and Alpaca 2. Come by the shop to play the color game, and make a “3 Color Cashmere Cowl” of your own!

Show and tell: stripes and colorwork.

Posted by Julia on April 30, 2016

We’re back with another round of show and tell! Here are some of the finished projects we’ve had the good fortune to admire lately, all of whom began as yarn on our shelves. Today, let’s look at projects featuring stripes and colorwork.

Paula knit this “Chevron Baby Blanket” with Berroco Modern Cotton, modifying the pattern a bit to knit at a slightly smaller gauge. She swatched to figure out how wide each pattern repeat would be with her yarn, then added stitches to her cast-on so that her blanket would come out the desired size.

Paula also finished this “wwwww #1” recently, a lined headband by Kate Davies. Paula used Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift for the colorwork exterior, and soft-as-can-be Shibui Maai for the lining. Nicely done, Paula!

Margaretta recently knit Elizabeth Zimmermann’s classic “Baby Surprise Jacket” with Fibre Company Canopy Worsted, and used her leftovers to make a “Boston Whaler” hat. I love her unexpected combination of sage green, steely gray, and bright fuschia, especially with those perfect pink buttons!

Margaretta has also been working on General Hogbuffer’s “Slippery Slope Socks,” using the solid CoopKnits Socks Yeah! and the self-striping Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball. Since I snapped this picture of the first finished sock, she’s completed the pair, and plans to make another with different colors.

Judie’s “Wildheart” shawl was also knit with self-striping yarn, Cutthroat Yarn Gradient BFL. She added a picot bind-off to an otherwise unadorned edge; a little something that I think makes the whole shawl shine.

Thanks to the talented knitters who shared their work with us today, and to all the fiber artists who begin their projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We love seeing what you’re working on!

Show and tell: texture and lace.

Posted by Julia on April 27, 2016

It’s show-and-tell time again! I’ve been collecting photos of finished projects as they’re brought into the shop by proud knitters, the better to share them here.

Nancy recently brought in her finished “Big Easy Blanket,” knit in Fibre Company Cumbria Worsted. With its blend of structure, softness, and sharp stitch definition, Cumbria Worsted is a perfect choice for this textured throw.

Ellen knit these three ties for her husband, using and modifying the “Seed Stitch Tie Recipe” until she got exactly the fabric and fit that she wanted. She knit the grey garter stitch tie in Takhi Cotton Classic, the green variegated tie in Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Spirit, and the burgundy tie in Shibui Dune held double throughout.

Here’s Hazel’s “Turtles’ Journey” cowl, knit in Malabrigo Arroyo in just the right shade of teal. She brought it to the shop, nearly completed, for a kitchener stitch consult, and everyone who saw it was taken with these textured turtles.

Recent visitors to the shop may have seen Robin’s “Rock Island” shawl hanging on the wall, a sample for her upcoming class on the subject. She knit it with Malabrigo Sock in “Rayon Vert,” a color we just got back in stock. Read more about this intermediate lace class and more on our Classes page!

Watching projects take shape is one of the most fascinating and rewarding parts of our days at the shop. Anne and I are always impressed by the needlework around us, and the creative minds we meet. Thanks for sharing your projects with us, and look out for more show and tell soon!

Show and tell: shawls.

Posted by Julia on March 31, 2016

Here’s another batch of show and tell, projects that started their lives as yarns here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. They all happen to be shawls, whether rectangular or triangular, colorful or monochrome, textured or lacey.

Judy knit this “Wiggle Wrap” with two contrasting colorways of the self-striping Kauni Effektgarn. One ball subtly shifted from purple to blue and back again, while the other ran through a full rainbow of colors. The effect is striking, livening up this feather-and-fan type chevron pattern.

Feather and fan does not always need livening up, however; Sherri knit this elegant shawl for her daughter-in-law-to-be, using Louisa Harding Grace Hand Dyed. The classic lace pattern and subtle color variation work together, each giving the other room to shine. Well done, Sherri!

Cat came in with two finished shawls to share. Above is her “Stripe Study Shawl,” all garter stitch and short rows, knit in Reynolds Soft Sea Wool. Below is her “Emiliana,” knit in Swans Island Natural Colors Merino Fingering.

“Emiliana” is decorated with mosaic knitting, a colorwork technique where some stitches are slipped and others are knit, allowing for the appearance of stranded colorwork with only one yarn in use on any given row.

I knit a mosaic shawl recently myself, Jennifer Dassau’s “Sundry,” using Fibre Company Cumbria Fingering. It went by quickly and easily, and the yarn is one I’ll definitely use again. In fact, I spent many of my knitting hours with this yarn daydreaming about sweater patterns that would suit it.

Look for this “Sundry” shawl on the wall here at the shop, and perhaps you’ll happen upon some of the show-and-tell we are lucky enough to encounter on a daily basis. Thanks to the knitters who shared these shawls with us, and to all those who start their projects here!

Show and tell: neckwear.

Posted by Julia on March 16, 2016

Along with daydreaming about future projects, trying new techniques, and deciding between colors, show-and-tell is one of the predominant activities here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Now and then, I like to bring this activity to the blog, sharing finished projects that started their lives as yarns on our shelves. Today, let’s look at cowls and scarves.

Rosi knit this cowl with the delightful Shibui Staccato, a fingering weight blend of merino and silk. She designed it herself, a soft and stretchy moebius decorated with a reversible texture pattern.

Katherine crocheted this “Vega Crochet Cowl” as a sample for her recent class on the subject. It looks great in the self-striping Plymouth Gina, and many of her students followed her lead, selecting different colorways in the same yarn. I can’t wait to see how they all come out!

Here’s Judie in her beautiful “Starshower,” knit in Sincere Sheep Cormo Fingering. One doesn’t fully appreciate the clever shaping of this cowl/shawl hybrid until one sees it on a person, rather than hanging on a hanger as my sample “Starshower” does. Inspired to knit one of your own? Consider signing up for Katherine’s upcoming “Starshower” class to have guidance and camaraderie as you stitch.

I knit this “Rockcliffe” scarf as a sample for the shop, inspired by our recent Cumbria Collection Trunk Show. This is my second time working with Fibre Company Cumbria Worsted, a soft-yet-toothy yarn that I absolutely adore, especially for projects like this one where sharp stitch definition is required. The texture patterns were fun and engaging, but not too complicated; I think this would make a great introduction to chart-reading, especially paired with Kelbourne Woolens’ tutorial, “Working from Charts: Knit/Purl Patterning.”

Here’s Peggy’s completed “M.1” scarf, knit in Shibui Maai, one of the softest yarns in the shop, in my opinion. This is a gift for her husband, and it looks smart in “Suit,” a blue somewhere between navy and cobalt.

Thanks to all the knitters, crocheters, weavers, and fiber artists who start their projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We love seeing what you’re making! Keep your eyes on the blog for another round of show-and-tell soon. In the meantime, see you at the shop!

Show and tell: big projects.

Posted by Julia on March 3, 2016

Every finished project comes with a sense of accomplishment, but bigger projects, which tend to take longer and use more yarn, can bring us perhaps an even greater sense of satisfaction. Here are some of the larger-scale projects we’ve seen at the shop lately.

Leslie came in the other day wearing her “Teegan” sweater, knit in Fibre Company Knightsbridge. The color she chose flatters her as well as the stitch pattern, and looks great paired with the ever-popular “Honey Cowl.”

Paula knit this “Amsterdam” sweater for her husband, using Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool XL. Paying careful attention to her stitch and row gauge, she modified it so that it would fit her husband perfectly, measuring against and improving upon an existing sweater that fit him well.

Alissa recently came in wearing her “Mia Cardi,” which she knit in Baa Ram Ewe Dovestone DK. The simple stockinette and garter stitch design shows off this special yarn so well!

Eileen knit this extraordinary blanket with three shades of Plymouth Galway, using Barbara Walker’s Learn to Knit Afghan Book, which has patterns for 63 different knit blocks. When one of her squares came out a few inches wider than she expected, Eileen boldly trimmed it by steeking, a clever fix.

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 pieces, and are so inspired by the work you do. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: hats.

Posted by Julia on February 20, 2016

We love to see what yarns from the shop grow up to be, and as I’m often taking pictures of these finished pieces, my collection of show-and-tell photos continues to grow. Time to share some of the projects you’ve so generously shared with us! Today, let’s look at hats.

Above is Jeannie’s “Seathwaite,” a free cabled hat pattern by Kate Gagnon Osborn, of Kelbourne Woolens. Jeannie used one skein of Fibre Company Cumbria Worsted, a wool and mohair blend that is smooth and well-suited to show off these cables.

Judie does love her “Dustland Hats.” Here’s her latest, knit with Malabrigo Arroyo, using smaller needles than the pattern calls for, and casting on for the largest size to make up the difference in gauge.

Laura made this “Prim” hat and a pair of “North Country Mitts” using Swans Island All American Worsted. I like how they go together without being overtly matchy. She came back for a sweater’s worth of this exceptional yarn; I can’t wait to see how it comes out!

Eileen knit these “Monogrammed Hats for Everyone” with Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky, a quick knit with adorable results. The letters were embroidered onto the finished hats with duplicate stitch, and this free pattern from the Purl Bee provides charts for every letter in the alphabet, along with a duplicate stitch tutorial.

I so love capturing these finished pieces, and hopefully some of the satisfaction they bring to their makers. Thank you, as always, for bringing your work into the shop to share with us, and for starting your projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

Show and tell: cowls.

Posted by Julia on February 8, 2016

Everyone’s knitting needles have been busy lately, it seems; we’ve seen so many beautiful finished projects over the past couple of weeks. I’ve captured some of them to share with you here on the blog, and of my current collection, about half are cowls. Let’s devote this post to what has become one of the most popular knitted items, the cowl.

Paula spotted “Sherri’s Cowl” on our blog last month, and came by to pick shades in Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran and Shibui Silk Cloud for a pink-loving friend. It knit up in no time on US #17 needles, and before long, she was back with the finished cowl to show us how it came out.

Sherri has been making more “Sherri’s Cowls,” as well, and came by with a stack of five, all of which were knit with the discontinued Araucania Azapa, a sale trunk splurge that had been sitting in her stash waiting for the right pattern. She made the cowl above holding Azapa with two shades of Schulana Kid Seta, a lace weight mohair and silk blend. The cowls below are both made with the same pale green shade of Azapa, but Sherri knit it together with Silk Cloud in a cool gray for the cowl on the left, and a warm beige for the cowl on the right.

Intrigued by the color study of the pair above, Sherri knit another pair of cowls using pink Azapa as the base, shown below. The cowl on the left is a low contrast combination of pink Azapa and pink Schulana Kid Seta, and the cowl on the right is a high contrast combination of pink Azapa and black Sandnes Garn Silk Mohair. The low contrast color combination creates a blended effect, looking rather solid from a distance, while the high contrast color combination makes a marled fabric.

Hazel came in on a chilly afternoon wearing her “Willow Cowl,” knit with another skein from our sale trunk, Araucania Itata. This is a nice fitted cowl pattern to keep in mind for fingering weight yarn; I’ve seen a few knit in Malabrigo Finito that are equally lovely.

Brooke brought in her second-ever finished knitting project, “A Gray Loop” knit with Berroco Ultra Alpaca. Nicely done!

Linda fell in love with this singular shade of Malabrigo Mecha, and knit this cozy “Cabled Cowl” using two strands held together. She came back for more Mecha to make a matching hat, which speaks to the pleasantness of knitting with this buttery soft bulky weight yarn.

Thanks to all these cowl-makers who shared their projects with us, and to all the knitters, crocheters, weavers, and fiber artists who start their projects here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We love seeing what you’re making! Keep your eyes on the blog for another round of show-and-tell soon. In the meantime, see you at the shop!

Show and tell: hats.

Posted by Julia on January 20, 2016

Here’s another batch of show and tell, projects that started their lives as yarns here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Earlier in the week, we saw examples of knitters who go back again and again to the same patterns; today, let’s look at hats.

Peggy tried her hand at colorwork for the first time in a recent class here at the shop, and this glorious “Northallerton” hat is what she made. I love the three shades of Baa Ram Ewe Titus she chose, and her pom-pom came out perfectly!

Here’s Hazel’s “Wurm,” knit in Noro Silk Garden Lite, a self-striping yarn. She used two balls that started at different points in the color sequence, striping back and forth to emphasize the stripes of stockinette and reverse stockinette that make the hat so squishy and slouchy.

To the left, you’ll see Margaretta in a beautiful cabled hat she just finished, knit with Baa Ram Ewe Dovestone. The pattern is “Palatino,” from Carol Feller’s recent collection, Dovestone Hills. It’s constructed side-to-side and cleverly shaped with short rows. Nicely done, Margaretta!

The hat below is Emily’s creation, a slouchy striped beanie knit with Dream in Color Smooshy. Wanting a snug, cozy brim, she worked a deep folded hem in stockinette. Rightfully pleased with the results, she wrote a pattern, so you could make one, too; look for her “Red Moon Slouch Hat” pattern on Ravelry!

Thanks to those who share their projects with us, it’s inspiring and exciting to see all that you create. It’s a show-and-tell kind of week here on the blog, so you can look forward to another round in just a few days. In the meantime, see you at the shop!

Show and tell: knitting in duplicate.

Posted by Julia on January 18, 2016

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, too many for one or two blog posts to hold. Let’s call this a week of show and tell, beginning with knitters who’ve made the same pattern more than once.

With two grandsons and two granddaughters, Anne often knits in duplicate. This pair of hats went to her grandsons, knit in the soft, superwash, self-striping Lang Merino+ Color. Her pom-pom maker came in handy, too!

Here’s one of Judie’s “Dustland Hats.” Though I only have a photo of this one, I know she’s knit at least two others, with plans for more to come. The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn, but Judie used Malabrigo Arroyo and smaller needles, casting on for the largest size to make up the difference in gauge. It’s the variety of stitch patterns that seems to keep her coming back to this Stephen West pattern; every few rows there’s some new knit/purl combination to play with.

Sherri came in last week with two of her eponymous cowls, ready to send them off and restock her stash with more yarn for the next batch. She knit the cowl above with Manos Wool Clasica and Shibui Silk Cloud, blending a soft blue and a silvery gray. For the cowl below, she used some Berroco Peruvia that had been lingering in her stash, a teal shade that she paired with a deeper teal in Silk Cloud.

Sue also has a yen to knit in duplicate — nay, in triplicate! This gansey-like stitch sampler sweater pattern was handed down by a friend, and Sue knit her first in Plymouth Llama Cotton Worsted. She tinkered with the yoke a bit to modify the drop-shoulder sleeves, preferring something closer to a set-in sleeve.

Always fascinated by how different yarns and fibers behave, Sue made a second sweater using Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran. This blend of wool and angora makes a less floppy fabric than the cotton blend, with a bit of a fuzzy halo.

Each sweater got a matching garter stitch cowl, as well, for maximum flexibility of use. One minute it’s a cozy turtleneck, the next, a crew-neck.

She’s already started a third version of the sweater, sticking with the Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran, but switching from a neutral shade to a pleasing purple.

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! Keep your eye on the blog for plenty more show and tell throughout the week.