Tag Archives: silk

Show and tell: stripes.

Posted by on

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!

“Norma Sweater” kits and colorways.

Posted by on

Since we opened our online store in September, we’ve noticed a trend in orders. A particular combination of Isager yarns kept popping up in a particular combination of colors.

Having hosted an Isager Archives Knit-Along last spring, we knew exactly what pattern these folks had in mind: “Norma Sweater,” by My Favourite Things Knitwear.

We decided to make it easier on all the knitters out there wanting to make a “Norma Sweater” of their own, and put these special colors together in a kit – look for it in our online store!

If you, too, have fallen for My Favourite Things’ captivating color combination, you can buy all the yarn you need in our Norma Sweater Kit. Just pick the size you want to make and add it to your cart!

You can always pick your own colors, of course – Bailey and I were inspired to do just that as these kits came together. Here are a few other colorways for the “Norma Sweater,” using Isager Tweed, Silk Mohair, and Tvinni.

Look for Isager Tweed, Silk Mohair, and Tvinni here at HYS, and explore all our kits in our online store!

Hello, Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée!

Posted by on

For years now, Anne has been on the lookout for her ideal merino and silk blend. She hoped it would be fingering weight, tightly plied for strength, and non-superwash for elasticity. I’m delighted to report that she’s found it: meet Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée, a brand new yarn to HYS!

Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée:

  • fingering weight
  • 3 ply
  • hand dyed; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in larger projects
  • 90% non-superwash merino wool, 10% silk
  • 420 yards/115 grams (4oz)
  • hand wash cold, lay flat to dry

Julie and Jean-François are the craftspeople behind Julie Asselin Yarns, hand dyers based in Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada). Ethical sourcing is important to them, and they keep the process as close to home as possible by working exclusively with yarn mills in Canada and the US.

Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée is smooth and soft, as its fiber content suggests, but also springy and sturdy. In the knitted fabric, this means sharp stitch definition for showing off texture patterns, and a balance of drape and structure. Leizu Fingering Non Traitée looks like a lovely choice for sweater- and accessory-making alike. Here are some pattern ideas!

  • “Mara,” by Audrey Borrego – sideways-knit ribbed scarf/shawl with eyelets
  • “Rose Petals,” by Janina Kallio – triangular lace shawl
  • “Go Go Dynamo,” by Stephen West – a “geometric adventure” with modular sections, brioche, stripes, and more
  • “Pampas Tee,” by Samantha Guerin – circular yoke tee with lace motif
  • “Moon Mint,” by Andrea Mowry – 2-color slip stitch pullover
  • “Alden,” by Jennifer Steingass – colorwork yoke pullover

Look for Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and in our online store!

“Cumulus Blouse” in Superkid Silk + Silk Mohair.

Posted by on

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!

Hello, Kelbourne Woolens Harmony.

Posted by on

Brand new from Kelbourne Woolens! Meet Harmony.

Kelbourne Woolens Harmony:

  • lace weight
  • fuzzy
  • 72% kid mohair, 28% mulberry silk
  • 230 yards/25 grams
  • 20-25 stitches over 4” on US 2-6 (2.75-4mm) needles
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Harmony is Kelbourne Woolens’ debut mohair! This fluffy mohair/silk blend comes in colors paired to the KW palette, but plays well with others – Harmony brings softness and shimmer to any project.

As I unpacked Harmony, I matched each color to another Kelbourne Woolens yarn, imagining how they’d merge in the knitted fabric. Here are some combinations and pattern ideas!

Kelbourne Woolens Perennial + Harmony: PetiteKnit “Oslo Hat” or “Monday Sweater”

Kelbourne Woolens Cricket + Harmony: Tin Can Knits “Simple Yet Effective” cowl or My Favorite Things Knitwear “Norma Sweater”

Kelbourne Woolens Camper + Harmony: Pernille Larsen’s “Baby Bear Bonnet” or Sari Nordlund’s “Champagne pullover”

Kelbourne Woolens Andorra + Harmony: Andrea Mowry’s “Minted” hat or Jenny Ansah’s “Lanes of Hearts” scarf

Kelbourne Woolens Scout + Harmony: Cheryl Mokhtari’s “Harris Hood” or Veronika Lindberg’s “Salty Days Sweater”

Kelbourne Woolens Germantown + Harmony: Kiyomi Burgin’s “Cheslie Toque” or Jackie Rose’s “Saturday Shrug”

Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed + Harmony: PetiteKnit’s “Weekend Slipover” or My Favorite Things Knitwear’s “Cardigan No. 9”

Kelbourne Woolens Erin + Harmony: Tiina Huhtaniemi’s “Tunturi hat” or My Favorite Things Knitwear’s “Cardigan No. 7”

Look for Harmony in the lace weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

Brooklyn Tweed Loft + Isager Soft Fine.

Posted by on

Isager recently released a delightful batch of new colors in their fuzzy alpaca, silk, and yak blend, Soft Fine. We love Soft Fine as a mohair substitute, for those sensitive to that fiber – it has all the halo of mohair and, for some, a softer texture.

As we unpacked these new colors, Bailey got to work pairing them up with Brooklyn Tweed Loft, still enamored of the lightweight fabric of her “Karla Cardigan.”

Anne Ventzel’s design is striking, a simple slip stitch pattern that shines in Bailey’s unique yarn selection.

There’s something really special about Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Isager Soft Fine held together, a balance of structure and softness, a lofty fabric at a quick-to-knit gauge. Here are some “Karla Cardigan” color pairs!

There are other exciting things to make with Loft + Soft Fine, of course. The gauge for Anne Ventzel’s “Karla Cardigan” is 16 stitches = 4″; here are other patterns at a similar gauge, ideal for this yarn combination:

Look for Bailey’s “Karla Cardigan” on display here at HYS, and browse these and many other yarns on our online store!

Vovó + Silk Mohair.

Posted by on

If you’ve visited the shop in the past month or so, you’ve probably heard us talking about Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, a new sport weight yarn from Portugal that Anne, Bailey, and I are all coveting. While I was rounding up pattern ideas for Vovó, I came across a few that called for adding a strand of lace weight mohair and couldn’t resist sharing them here with color combinations!

“Grinalda,” by Rosa Pomar – photo © Rosa Pomar

Rosa Pomar’s “Grinalda” caught my eye with its pretty floral embroidery, and when I looked closer, the color combination intrigued me – a silvery gray held together with a blush pink. I went for a similar low contrast combination in the Vovó + Isager Silk Mohair swatch shown here.

I love how these shades blend together in the knitted fabric, and of course it feels great with that fuzzy mohair halo. Here are a few other low contrast combinations to consider…

“Verso Beanie,” by Jenny Ansah – photo © Jenny Ansah

There’s something so satisfying about a close color match between yarns, as well – that’s what Jenny Ansah used in her cozy “Verso Beanie.” Here are a few Vovó + Silk Mohair pairs for that perfect match…

“Rauha,” by Sari Nordlund – photo © Sari Nordlund

Two more gorgeous garments pairing Vovó + Silk Mohair – Sari Nordlund’s “Rauha” above and Rosa Pomar’s “Burgos” below.

“Burgos,” by Rosa Pomar – photo © Rosa Pomar

Look for Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó in our sport weight section and Isager Silk Mohair in our lace weight section. We can’t wait to see what color combinations and patterns you come up with!

“Aluna Sweater” in Isager Bouclé & Silk Mohair.

Posted by on

Anne Ventzel’s latest design makes beautiful use of two of our softest yarns: Isager Bouclé and Silk Mohair. Meet the “Aluna Sweater”!

Though she models this sweater with short sleeves, Ventzel thoughtfully included instructions and yardage for a long sleeved option as well.

The combination of these fuzzy yarns brings textural interest to this colorwork yoke pullover.  For the main color, Color A, 1 strand of Isager Bouclé is held together with 2 strands of Silk Mohair, and for the contrast, Color B, 1 strand of Isager Bouclé is held together with just 1 strand of Silk Mohair.

I especially like the version shown with the contrast flipped – a darker shade for Color A and a lighter for Color B.

Between Isager Bouclé and Silk Mohair, there are lots of “Aluna Sweater” color combinations to try – here are a few from me!

Look for Anne Ventzel’s “Aluna Sweater” on Ravelry, and Isager Bouclé and Silk Mohair in the lace weight section here at HYS. You can also see all the yarns and colors we have in stock by browsing our online store for local pickup or shipping. If you do shop online, use the code WELCOME10 for 10% off your first purchase!

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: Petrichor.

Posted by on

Dream in Color’s Pop-Up Club is back! Original owners Nancy and Veronica handed their company over to Maddytosh earlier this year, who are capably continuing the Dream in Color brand. Their yarn is now hand-dyed in Texas by a team trained by Veronica, and the skeins of Smooshy Cashmere are just as vibrant as ever.

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

Petrichor is a highly variegated skein, blending ivory, brick red, burgundy, and olive green in a high contrast colorway.

This limited edition autumnal shade got me thinking about our latest batch of Hand Maiden Superkid Silk. These shades of light pink, sage, and bronze pair beautifully with Petrichor, perhaps for a “Cheri Chevron Shawl,” by Ambah O’Brien.

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

Hello, Hand Maiden Flyss.

Posted by on

We’re thrilled to have another yarn from Hand Maiden! Meet Flyss.

Hand Maiden Flyss:

  • fingering weight
  • plied
  • hand-dyed, every skein is unique
  • 65% silk, 35% linen
  • 437 yards/3.5 oz
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Hand Maiden yarns are dyed entirely by hand in tiny batches – just enough for a single sweater at a time – in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The folks at Hand Maiden are especially known for their silk blends, and Flyss is one, a lustrous combination of silk and linen.

Back when we ordered our first batch of Superkid Silk, Anne included a few skeins of Flyss for herself, and cast on for Isabell Kraemer’s “Tresoro” tee. She promptly fell in love with Flyss, admiring the softness, drape, and the fact that it doesn’t split as she knits! We couldn’t wait to pick out a palette for the shop.

For this batch of Flyss, we picked a mix of semisolid and variegated shades, some subdued and others vibrant.

What to make with these gorgeous skeins? Here are some ideas!

Look for Flyss in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and click here to check it out on our new online store!