Tag Archives: silk

“Aluna Sweater” in Isager Bouclé & Silk Mohair.

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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.

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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.

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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!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Penelope.

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The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu. KPPPM is a fingering weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in vibrant colors by mother/daughter team Maie and Taiu Landra on their farm outside of Toronto, Canada.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 grams

This month’s limited edition shade is inspired by Bridgerton – fans of the show will recognize Penelope’s signature yellow and pink palette in her namesake colorway.

We love what happens when a solid lace weight mohair is held together with variegated skeins like these, the magical fuzzy halo, subtle color blending, and overall watercolor effect. As soon as Penelope showed up, I reached for Isager Silk Mohair, which has so many shades that would blend beautifully with this limited edition colorway!

We know this combination makes a perfect PetiteKnit “Sophie Scarf” or “Oslo Hat – mohair edition.” If you’re seeking a more intricate pattern, try Sari Nordlund’s “Poet Scarf,” or Ronja Hakalehto’s “Vuono Hat.”

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and check out the lace weight section for even more mohair!

New colors in Malabrigo Mohair!

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We’re excited to share six new colors in Malabrigo Mohair!

Malabrigo Mohair: 

  • lace weight
  • hand-dyed, variegated
  • 72% mohair, 28% silk
  • 229 yards/25g
  • $15 each

The original Mohair palette highlighted Malabrigo’s well loved variegated colorways, but these new additions are all tonal, or semi-solid.

We love pairing lace weight mohair with other yarns – the soft halo it brings to the knitted fabric is enchanting! These match up beautifully with Malabrigo Ultimate Sock, pictured above. Below are pairings in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, Tones Light, and Kelbourne Woolens Camper. There are many, many more yarn and color combinations where these came from – come by the shop to make your own perfect pair!

These semisolid shades are particularly well suited to lace, texture, or cable patterns like Midori Hirose’s “Ranunculus,” Tin Can Knits’ “Love Note,” PetiteKnit’s “Agnete Cardigan,” or Andrea Mowry’s “Pink Fizz.”

Look for Malabrigo Mohair in the lace weight section here at HYS! We’re open 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Hello, Hand Maiden Superkid Silk.

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We’re so excited to welcome a brand new yarn company to our collection here at Hillsborough Yarn Shop – hello, Hand Maiden!

Hand Maiden Superkid Silk:

  • lace weight
  • fuzzy
  • hand-dyed, every skein is unique
  • 70% mohair, 30% silk
  • 437 yards/50 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry
  • $26 each

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. Our first yarn from Hand Maiden is Superkid Silk, an ethereal blend of fuzzy mohair and luminous silk.

We picked a quiet palette to start with, thinking of cool coastal colors, pastels and speckles that are missing from our other mohair/silk yarns.

Lace weight mohair is often carried along with other yarns, adding a soft halo to the knitted fabric – think Ankestrick’s “Garden Cardigan,” Tin Can Knits’ “Love Note,” My Favorite Things’ “Sweater No. 18,” or PetiteKnit’s “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” “Novice Slipover,” and “No Frills Sweater.”

Vareigated mohair tints whatever yarn it’s held with in a particularly magical way. Even a high contrast color combination can blend, bringing depth and interest to the finished knit. We had fun brainstorming yarn combinations for these skeins of Superkid Silk – the possibilities are endless!

Come by the shop to see and touch Superkid Silk for yourself, and to plan your next project!

New colors in Fibre Co. Acadia!

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We’re so pleased to have five new colors in Fibre Co. Acadia!

Fibre Co. Acadia:

  • DK weight
  • 60% merino, 20% alpaca, 20% silk
  • 145 yards/50 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry
  • $17.50 each

These new colors brighten up the Acadia color palette considerably, and play well with the more muted shades we already had on hand.

Acadia has long been a favorite yarn in our DK weight section, especially for projects where softness is key and some drape is welcome. The silk slubs takes the dye differently than the other fibers, giving most colorways a rustic, tweedy appearance, which belies its luxuriously soft hand.

Garments knit with Acadia have a mix of structure and drape. We have a couple of samples knit in Acadia at the shop so you can see and feel this in person; look for the Churchmouse “Easy Folded Poncho” and “Quaking Aspen”shawl next time you’re here.

Here are some patterns for two or more colors of Acadia, perfect for mixing and matching new shades and old!

Come by to give Acadia a squeeze and plan your next project!

Hello, Isager Soft Fine!

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The latest yarn from Isager is here – meet Soft Fine!

Isager Soft Fine:

  • lace weight
  • fuzzy brushed texture
  • 63% alpaca, 26% silk and 11% yak
  • 165 yards/25 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry
  • $9.50 each

Isager Soft Fine is very soft indeed, with a fuzzy halo to rival any mohair. It’s composed of a silk core on which a strand of alpaca and yak is added as a loopy bouclé, then finally brushed to make a fluffy yarn.

Whether you use it on its own or carry it along with a heavier yarn, Soft Fine brings luxurious softness to the knitted fabric, which is why the folks at Isager have nicknamed it “Isager’s cashmere.”

Soft Fine reminds me of Fyberspates Cumulus, another brushed alpaca lace weight that substitutes for mohair oh-so-perfectly. I used Cumulus to make an “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” PetiteKnit’s classic folded brim hat – here are some color combinations with that pattern in mind!

Soft Fine is shown here with Alpaca 2, Isager’s beloved fingering weight merino/alpaca blend.

This yarn combination is well-suited to any of the following patterns, as well:

Look for Isager Soft Fine in the lace weight section here at HYS, along with its fuzzy friends: Isager Silk Mohair, Isager Bouclé, Fyberspates Cumulus, Malabrigo Mohair, and Sandnes Garn Tynn Silk Mohair!

Hello, Isager Eco Baby.

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Another new yarn from Isager! Meet Eco Baby.

Isager Eco Baby:

  • DK weight
  • undyed
  • chainette
  • 68% baby alpaca, 32% organic cotton
  • 164 yards/50g
  • $10 each

Eco Baby is a cousin to Eco Soft, both composed of baby alpaca and organic cotton, chain-plied into lofty, elastic yarns. Eco Baby is a smaller gauge, less fuzzy, and somehow even softer than Eco Soft!

“Field Sweater,” by Camilla Vad, photo © Camilla Vad

Like many of you, we first became aware of this yarn when we saw it in Camilla Vad’s “Field Sweater,” a pullover with a stunning texture pattern at the yoke, reminiscent of wheat sheaves.  There’s a “Field Cardigan,” too, along with “Field Mittens,” “Field Beret,” and “Field Slipover” – Eco Baby is a lovely choice for any of these patterns.

Anne gilded the lily on her “Field Slipover,” adding a strand of Isager Silk Mohair to her already soft Eco Baby. The result is a decadent, cuddly fabric with a fuzzy halo that still shows the texture pattern beautifully.

You have to touch this one for yourself – come by the shop to give it a squeeze!

Our supply of Isager Silk Mohair is at an all time high, with more colors than ever. Matching shades of Eco Baby and Silk Mohair blend together seamlessly, but these undyed shades can be livened up with colors of a similar value, as well. Here are some ideas!

There are so many more color combinations to try – look for Isager Eco Baby and Silk Mohair in the DK and lace weight sections, respectively. We can’t wait to see what you put together!

Hello, High Rock Alpaca!

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We are thrilled to introduce a new local yarn to our shop – meet High Rock Alpaca, from our friends Debbie and Jane!

Using alpaca fleece sourced in nearby Efland, NC, these luscious skeins are a mix of undyed ($30) and hand-dyed ($36), fingering and light fingering weights. There’s a bit of silk and merino wool mixed into the alpaca, adding softness and shine.

Each skein has about 200 yards, perfect for a small, special accessory – think “Scarf No. 3,” by My Favorite Things, or “Spiralucious,” by Anne Hanson. We have a couple of swatches in the basket so you can see how the yarn knits up on its own, and held together with a fingering weight wool.

Supplies of this special yarn are limited, and color selection will vary from these photos. Look for the High Rock Alpaca basket on your next visit to our shop!