On blankets, and learning to crochet.

Posted by Julia on May 31, 2013

Recently I finished making a blanket, the largest project I’d ever attempted. It didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it might, in part because I became a little obsessed with working on it, and in part because of how I made it: crochet. I’m just learning to crochet, finding my way around a whole new language of stitches and abbreviations. It’s been a delightful experience so far, learning so many new things and being encouraged by the quick growth of my blanket. Having grown used to the slow, deliberate pace of knitting over the past six years or so, I was surprised and excited by how quickly crochet moves by comparison.

The color combination is crazy, I know, especially coming from someone who often professes a great love of gray. To choose these crazy colors, I went through my stash and pulled out all the superwash wools. Between all the odds and ends and extra skeins leftover from projects past, I had a little over half the yarn I needed to make a medium-sized blanket. So, I did what anyone starting a scrap project does; I went shopping for more “scraps.”

I started out thinking I’d use only sport and dk weight yarns, but a bit of worsted and even a few skeins of aran weight made their way into it and didn’t seem to affect the gauge much at all. The thicker yarns made puffier stitches, a slightly more dense fabric, but for my purposes, they were happy among the many other weights. Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, Cashmerino DK, Cashmerino Aran, and Rialto DK all made an appearance, along with Cascade 220 Superwash Sport, Berroco Pure Merino, Mission Falls 1824 Wool, and String Theory Merino DK, to name a few.

I only switched colors at the end of a skein, and then held the end together with my next color for a few stitches. This creates a few marled spots here and there where the colors mingle together. It meant I didn’t have to weave in any ends, and ensured that I used every last inch of yarn–no more scraps.

I had so much fun creating this wild-looking thing, throwing colors together that I’d normally keep far apart, and using up so much yarn that had sat around for so long. If you’re interested in taking on a similar project, I highly recommend it–go through your stash, figure out what you’ve got, and come to the shop to get the rest of the “scraps” you need! This tutorial got me started on the granny ripple stitch pattern. From there, you can make a granny ripple piece in any dimension you like; mine measures about 49″ x 65″, and used about 1,250 grams of wool, mostly in sport and dk weights.

It’s a good time to be shopping for yarn in blanket-making quantities, as all our Debbie Bliss and Noro yarns are 25% off until June 19th for our Going to Market Sale. With one colorful crocheted blanket under my belt, I find myself looking at these baskets differently, thinking of how good all the colors look together. Blankets can free you up that way–you don’t have to consider what you’ll wear these colors with, or how they look with your face, or whether the last four sweaters you made were in the same color family. Just pick what pleases you, and plan on curling up in it when it’s done.

Come by the shop to plan a blanket of your own, take advantage of the Going to Market Sale, and browse our ever-growing collection of crochet books. See you there!

Some reminders:

All sales are final on discounted yarns; no returns nor exchanges
Discount applies only to in-stock yarns; no special orders

Thanks for understanding!

Show and tell: sweaters, bags, a bunny, and a rug.

Posted by Julia on May 12, 2013

My collection of show-and-tell photos is growing, once again. It seems that we’re in a finishing season, for knitters and crocheters are completing projects left and right, and bringing them into the shop to share with us. Some are making garments, some are making bags, one industrious knitter is making bunny after bunny, and one industrious yarn shop owner has crocheted a rug. Let’s have a look at the latest show-and-tell!

Sue brought in a pair of finished garments from Vicki Square’s Knit Kimono Too, a seed stitch top and short kimono made in Cascade Ultra Pima.

The design is elegant and wearable, and the yarn, a dk weight mercerized cotton, has a slight sheen that highlights the texture of the fabric. If you like this set, come by the shop to flip through Vicki Square’s books for similar patterns.

Here, Bo models her first sweater, a hooded jacket made in Berroco Peruvia Quick. Technically, this is her second sweater; the first was made in this same yarn, then ripped out and reknit once this enterprising knitter took a careful look and decided she could do better. The first sweater was beautiful, too, but by the time she was done knitting it, she’d learned more precise seaming techniques, more symmetrical increases and decreases, and how to shape the fabric while leaving a neat selvedge edge, and she thought it was worth it to try again with all these new skills.

Sometimes, it’s truly worth ripping out and reknitting, even if it’s a lot of work–Bo is so happy with this completed sweater!

Here’s another happy knitter, Jennifer, showing off her Small Clutch Bag. Jennifer completed this bag in a class taught by Marsha, who also teaches Beginning Knitting, Fixing Mistakes, and many of our other technique classes. Along with being a great teacher, Marsha also does some knitwear design–the Small Clutch Bag is one of her own patterns, made up in the worsted weight Plymouth Galway. Come by the shop to see a sample bag and get yourself a copy of the pattern!

Anne and I have been making bags, too–you may have read about our Hexagonal Market Bag Knit-Along on the blog last week. We’re both happy to report that it’s a quick knit, and we have two completed bags to prove it. They came out sturdy and stretchy, capable of accommodating an armful of yarn.

Anne’s is made with Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton in black, a favorite color of hers, and mine is made in Plymouth Linen Isle in a natural beige, a favorite color of mine. Many knitters have been inspired to create their own Hexagonal Market Bags in a rainbow of colors; wont you join us in knitting along?

Becky is on a bunny kick, and this Bunty Bunny is her latest creation. The little details are incredible, the result of close attention and long hours of knitting, sewing, and embroidery. Becky brought her in to share with us before sending her off as a gift, and selected yarn to make another Bunty Bunny, this time in regal reds and purples–a queen bunny. I can’t wait to see how it comes out.

If you’ve been in the shop in the past few weeks, you may well have seen Anne crocheting this rug, a replacement for one she crocheted as a child that has only recently been clawed to shreds by her cat. Bulky yarn, like the Katia Irish Tweed that Anne used, makes for a sturdy rug that comes together quickly in simple rounds of single crochet. She inspired me to pick up a hook myself, and finally learn to crochet. The rug lives at her home now, but there are plenty of sturdy bulky yarns at the shop that would make beautiful crocheted rugs if you’re inspired, too.

Thanks to everyone who brings their work in to share with us! It is a delight to see such a wide range of knit and crochet projects, and inspiring to watch our yarns grow into finished pieces. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: sweaters, scarves, and cowls.

Posted by Julia on April 4, 2013

So many amazing finished pieces have been finding their way to the shop lately that a backlog of show-and-tell photos has accumulated on my camera. Without further ado: here are some of the things that we and the knitters around us have been busily creating!

Anne recently completed Lemon, a short-sleeved sweater designed by Helga Isager. Lemon is unusually and cleverly constructed, beginning with center panels on the front and back, from which stitches are picked up to work the sides and short sleeves. It’s decorated with lateral braids and welts, little details that make for a unique design.

The pattern calls for Isager Spinni, a single-ply lace weight wool, but Anne substituted Isager Tvinni, a 2-ply wool in a light fingering weight. The finished garment is remarkably lightweight because of the tiny gauge, a perfectly fitting sweater and quite an achievement.

I finished a sweater recently, too: here’s Gemini, a free pattern from Knitty, made in Katia Linen. I’m so pleased with how this linen/cotton blend blocked, softening the fibers and smoothing out inconsistencies in the tension.

I’m also happy to report that it fits nicely; not tight at all, though I took a leap of faith and knit it with the suggested 4″ of negative ease. It’s hanging now at the shop for anyone who’d like to try it on for size. This was a quick knit, and it’s not too late to join our informal Gemini Knit-Along!

Here, Francesca models a jacket she made out of Debbie Bliss Donegal Chunky Tweed. She’d already made one from this free pattern using a thicker, textured yarn and was disappointed by how dense the fabric was. This time around, she’s delighted by the beautiful drape of the Donegal Chunky Tweed. Finding the right yarn for a project makes all the difference!

Margie brought in this lovely lace scarf to show us; a gift for a friend. She made it using the soft and tweedy Fibre Company Acadia, and a free pattern, Christmas Lace. After the knitting was complete, she carefully sewed a few beads in to add a bit of sparkle.

Debbie came in a few weeks ago wearing this gorgeous White Caps Cowl, made in Alchemy Silken Straw and Habu Cotton Nerimaki Slub. The pattern photos show this cowl in a subtle white-on-white colorway, but I love the way it works up when the stripes are a little more visible, as Debbie has done by choosing similar, but not identical colors in each yarn.

Thanks to everyone for the amazing show and tell! I’m so inspired by all that you create.

Show and tell: firsts.

Posted by Julia on March 20, 2013

For whatever reason, it’s been a busy couple of weeks for show and tell at the shop. Knitters and crocheters are finishing their projects left and right, and bringing them in excitedly to share all the new techniques they learned along the way. Today’s show and tell is all about firsts: first sweaters and first socks.

Here, Wanda shows off her very first sweater, a Summer Lace Panel T-Shirt made in Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton, with some help along the way from Marsha’s “Start Your First Sweater or Vest” class. Yes, there’s a lace panel in this woman’s very first sweater. Wanda has really taken to knitting, and we are so impressed by all she’s accomplished!

Another knitter models her first sweater, a textured vest made in Berroco Ultra Alpaca. Despite several sizing setbacks, she persistently knit and reknit this vest until she got it right. It can be so discouraging to rip out hours of knitting, but I know she’s thrilled to have completed a perfectly-fitting vest. What an achievement!

Here’s Tamboura’s first sock, the result of many knitting hours and Marion’s ever-popular “Magic Loop Socks from the Toe Up” class. (There are plenty of spaces in the next session–read more about it and register on the website!) Tamboura is an avid crafter, not only a knitter, but a crocheter, weaver, and maker of glass beads. This sock is likely the first of many!

Thanks to all for sharing these knitterly firsts with us! I still have a backlog of pictures to share, so you can look forward to even more show and tell on the blog soon. See you at the shop!

Virtual show and tell.

Posted by Julia on March 14, 2013

All show and tell on the blog is virtual, I know; nothing compares to seeing finished pieces in person, held up proudly by their creators. This edition of show and tell is particularly virtual, though, in that these finished knits never made it into the shop. All were baby gifts, and had to be rushed off to their recipients rather than brought to the shop for our admiring eyes. Luckily, these knitters were able to snap a few photos before sending off their finished pieces, so we still get to share them with you here.

Abby made this pair of raglan sweaters for a pair of twins, the children of Syracuse grads, one of whom teaches at UNC–hence the color scheme. Abby had a vision for these knit jerseys and designed them herself with a bit of help from Ann Budd’s Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters. She used GGH Tara, a bulky cotton yarn that is quick to knit and easy to wash.

Cynthia has been busy knitting hats for little Maggie, all using soft alpaca yarns in rosy hues. From top to bottom: a bulky baby cap in Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande, “Aran Baby Cap” in Plymouth Baby Alpaca DK, and “Alfalfa Baby Hat” in Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted.

Thanks to Abby and Cynthia for sharing these sweet little knits, and thanks to everyone who comes in with something to show us; we love to see all that our customers are creating!

Show and tell: stoles, shawls, and scarves.

Posted by Julia on February 27, 2013

Here’s another group of beautiful finished knits from our friends and clients, brought gleefully into the shop for show and tell.

Kathie came in recently wearing a completed Stole made in the delightful Isager Alpaca 2. She had so enjoyed the project that she came back to get enough yarn for a second Stole in a different color combination. She’s not the first to cast on immediately for a second Stole… the meditative simplicity of the pattern and the exquisite softness of the yarn can make this project addictive. What nine colors of Alpaca 2 would you put together?

Margie has finished another large shawl, Dusk, from Grace Anna Farrow’s The Fine Line, a collection of shawl patterns using Isager yarns.

Dusk is a square shawl, made by knitting a large garter stitch square, then picking up stitches around its edges and working a wavy lace pattern as a deep border. Margie’s Dusk shawl is made in Cascade 220 Fingering and finished with a bright, contrasting i-cord edging.

Albina has been busy knitting these two scarves for some dear friends. One is all in seed stitch, made with Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in a heathered purple shade. The other, I’m flattered to say, is North Arrow, a pattern I wrote and self-published on Ravelry last March. Albina used String Theory Bluestocking and Cascade Heritage Silk to knit her North Arrow.

Thanks to all for the show and tell! It’s such a pleasure to see Hillsborough Yarn Shop yarns grown up into stunning garments like these.

Show and tell: sweaters, shawl, and socks.

Posted by Julia on February 11, 2013

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “show and tell” post, not because there’s nothing to show or tell, but because my camera is not always handy when some finished piece is held out for Anne and I to admire. I’d like to photograph them all; here are the few I’ve captured of late.

Anne took a trip to New York last weekend to visit with family, and managed to finish this adorable sweater for her granddaughter just in time. It’s made in Fibre Company’s Acadia, a sport weight blend of merino wool, alpaca and silk–nothing but the best for baby Willa. She used the leftover yarn to improvise baby mittens, and spent her flight to NY knitting i-cord to connect them.

Here, Margie models a colorwork sweater she made in a variety of fingering weight yarns, some solid and some variegated, the likes of Marion Foale 3-ply, Isager Alpaca 2, Classic Elite Alpaca Sox, and Colinette Jitterbug. It’s a unique take on a pattern from Vogue Knitting Magazine a few years back, one that Margie modified heavily to create exactly the sweater she wanted.

Marion came in on Saturday wearing her completed Promenade shawl, a Hanne Falkenberg kit purchased at September’s trunk show. Promenade is a large shawl knit in garter stitch on small needles; to finish knitting it is an enormous accomplishment.

Congratulations, Marion!

Margaretta completed the first in a pair of French Market Socks, from a pattern by Nancy Bush in Sock Knitting Master Class. For this pair, she used Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Weight, a sturdy Shetland wool that is perfectly suited to stranded colorwork like this. Any adventurous sock-knitters out there who haven’t flipped through Sock Knitting Master Class ought to come in and do so; there are all sorts of intriguing patterns there, from the cable-crossed to the lace-covered, not to mention socks featuring entrelac, shadow knitting, and traveling twisted stitches.

Thanks to all for the show and tell, whether it makes it to the blog or not! Looking forward to seeing all that comes off your needles.

Show and tell: another Fan.

Posted by Julia on December 27, 2012

This just in: another of Anne’s students has completed her Fan sweater from Marianne Isager’s Japanese Inspired Knits! Here, Joanne models her Fan sweater, made holding Isager Highland and Isager Alpaca 1 together. She emailed us this picture for a little virtual show and tell.

Thanks for the show and tell, Joanne!

Show and tell: a sweater, a bag, and stockings.

Posted by Julia on December 25, 2012

I’ve got a bit of show and tell to share today: three finished projects from two knitters whose enthusiasm for their finished knits is infectious. Let’s begin!

Ruth came in last week modeling her Fan sweater, a design by Marianne Isager from her book Japanese Inspired Knits. Ruth used two Isager yarns held together: the fingering weight Highland and the lace weight Alpaca 1, which together make a dk gauge and a unique texture. Ruth was in Anne’s class on the Fan and was the first to complete her sweater; I look forward to seeing all the other Fans as they’re completed!

Cynthia has been felting up a storm, and came in recently to show off the fruits of her labor. Here’s a felted bag with a cable motif made with good old Plymouth Galway, a sturdy, classic, worsted weight wool.

She also brought in a box of her incredible felted stockings, also made with Galway. I have no doubt that Cynthia hung them with pride today; what a delight to decorate with something hand made.

Thanks to Ruth and Cynthia for the beautiful show and tell, and to all the knitters and crocheters who bring their works in progress and works completed to share with us at the shop. We’re so grateful to be surrounded by such skilled and creative stitchers!

Hello, Titus.

Posted by Julia on December 5, 2012

Back in October, Clara Parkes reviewed a new yarn out of the UK, a fingering weight blend of UK-sourced wools by the majestic name Titus. Anne was taken with the story of the yarn as much as Parkes’ positive review: Titus is an attempt to revive Britain’s diminishing textile industry by relying on UK-sourced wools and UK yarn manufacturers. Considering North Carolina’s own textile history, this story resonated, and Anne was quick to write to Baa Ram Ewe with a wholesale inquiry. A few weeks later we got a response, and I’m proud to announce that we’re the first US wholesaler of Baa Ram Ewe’s Titus.

Titus is every bit as wonderful as Clara Parkes suggests; soft and fuzzy from its alpaca content, shiny and drapey from its Wensleydale and Bluefaced Leicester wool content, and rustic in its natural color. These qualities make it appropriate for many projects, from shawls, scarves, and sweaters to hats, mitts, and other accessories.

It’s been such a hit here at the shop that we sold out of our first shipment in about two weeks, long enough for our weaver friend Victoria to weave an entire scarf out of it.

Now it’s safely back in stock, with ten skeins on the shelf and thirty more on their way from Leeds. Come by to see Titus for yourself!