Tag Archives: show and tell

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!

Show and tell: stripes.

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Time for another round of show and tell! Today’s projects all feature stripes, whether high-contrast or low, many-colored or few.

First up, Margaretta’s “Chevron Cloud,” knit with Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Alpaca 2. Pattern by Espace Tricot.

The color and yarn combination here is subtle, but exquisite – variegated mohair creates painterly stripes, and Margaretta picked a shade of sage green Alpaca 2 that matches without blending in or disappearing.

Karin came by the shop wearing her “DRK Everyday Cowl,” by Andrea Mowry, knit with Malabrigo Arroyo. The solid Natural is a perfect complement to the wildly variegated Aniversario.

Here’s the “Versa Cowl” I knit as a shop sample with Malabrigo Seis Cabos. Pattern by Aimee Pelletier.

People often ask how hard the slip stitch pattern is, and I’m happy to say that it’s neither hard nor a slip stitch pattern – just knits, purls, and stripes!

Last but not least, here’s Kristin’s “Stole” in Isager Merilin. Like Anne, she used just five colors to make a narrower wrap that’s just right for spring.

Many thanks to the knitters who shared their stripes 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!

“Cumulus Blouse” in Superkid Silk + Silk Mohair.

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Bailey’s most recent shop sample is a showstopper – a PetiteKnit “Cumulus Blouse” knit with Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Silk Mohair held together.

This mix of hand dyed and solid lace weight yarn creates a painterly fabric, lightweight and ideal for cool spring days.

Before casting on for her “Cumulus Blouse,” Bailey swatched Superkid Silk in Swan Lake with six different shades of Silk Mohair, each one striking a different tone. It was hard to choose, but she went with Silk Mohair in 62, a blush pink that let the blue streaks in Swan Lake stand out.

Hand dyed yarn is some of the hardest to picture in a finished project. In the skein, we see big swaths of color, but in the knitted fabric, these vibrant colorways transform depending on the stitch pattern and the number of stitches cast on.

To balance the color pooling, Bailey carefully alternated skeins of Superkid Silk, working two row stripes with two or three different balls of yarn, all while carrying along a strand of solid Silk Mohair. It involved some ripping out and re-knitting, but was worth it for this harmonious fabric that lets each color shine.

Look for Bailey’s “Cumulus Blouse” on display here at the shop – it’s here to admire, inspire, and try on! We have all of her swatches on display, too, to give you a sense of how solid and variegated mohair colorways can come together.

If you’re inspired to make a “Cumulus Blouse” of your own, we’re here to help you find the perfect yarn blend, with more mohair and brushed alpaca to choose from than ever before. Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Silk Mohair, yes, but also Malabrigo Mohair, Kelbourne Woolens Harmony, Isager Soft Fine, Fyberspates Cumulus, and Sandnes Garn Tynn Silk Mohair… look for them all in our lace weight section!

“Sophie Hood” in Sport, Superkid Silk, and Silk Mohair.

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Anne cast on for her PetiteKnit “Sophie Hood” on one of the coldest days of winter, suddenly recognizing the urgent need for just such an accessory. She finished it just when the weather warmed up again, and thought she might have missed the window to wear it. But winter’s not yet over, and when the temperature dipped again, she had her chance!

Anne knit her little red “Sophie Hood” with three strands of yarn held together. For structure, she used Briggs & Little Sport, a single ply wool. For added softness, warmth, and color, she added Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Silk Mohair.

We are all smitten with the resulting fabric, a vibrant red with subtle streaks of orange, fuchsia, and burgundy that liven up this simple garter stitch hood.

We couldn’t resist picking out alternate colorways in the same magical trio of yarns – here are some ideas!

 

If you prefer to work with a single strand of yarn for your “Sophie Hood,” check out Isager Soft and Alpaca 3, Fibre Co. & Make Aran, and Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed in our aran weight section.

See you at the shop!

Show and tell: blankets.

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Time for another round of show and tell!

Today we’re celebrating the most ambitious of projects – blankets! This stack was knit by Anne for three of her grandchildren, colorful and cozy in Malabrigo Mecha.

Don’t be deceived by their small stature when folded – these are generous bed-sized blankets, a labor of love Anne stitched on consistently throughout 2024.

Margaretta’s most recent blanket is smaller in scale and in gauge, a delicate lace and texture “Little house baby-set” blanket made with Fibre Co. Amble. Pattern by Anne B. Hanssen.

Rosi has two finished blankets to share; first up, a stunning modification of Irina Poludnenko’s “Falling Leaves Scarf,” knit with Noro Silk Garden Lite.

Here’s Rosi’s “Building Blocks Blanket,” knit with soft and cuddly Ewe Ewe Baa Baa Bulky.

Thanks to Anne, Margaretta, and Rosi 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.