Tag Archives: stephen west

Show and tell!

Posted by on

It’s been too long since I shared some show and tell here on the blog! Those of you who follow us on Instagram may have seen some of these inspiring projects over the past few months, but they’re all worth a bit more attention – let’s take a look.

Here’s Kathryn with her “Slipstravaganza” shawl, designed by Stephen West for his annual Mystery Knit-Along last fall. She used Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere for a soft and surprisingly sturdy accessory – she reported no pilling even after plenty of wear.

Another Stephen West pattern! Michele knit this “Brioche Soundwaves” with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, which has superb stitch definition, ideal for an intricate pattern like this.

Here Emily models her cozy “Nightshift” shawl, a popular pattern by Andrea Mowry. She used a mix of solid and marled colors to great effect – Brooklyn Tweed Shelter is the yarn.

Here’s another “Nightshift,” knit by Kay for her sister using Malabrigo Rios. We’ve seen this shawl knit with solids and hand-dyes, variegated and speckled shades, even self-striping colors, and many knitters come back to make a second or third!

Nancy brought her “Chrysalis Throw” in during an in-store shopping appointment, wowing us with her use of color. She’s crocheting this large and impressive blanket with Cascade Ultra Pima – pattern by Jen Tyler.

Deedra is an avid Koigu collector, and used some of her skeins to knit the “Pacific Shake Cowl” above. Taiu Landra designed it using two strands of Koigu KPPPM at a time, marling different shades for unique color blends.

Thanks to Kathryn, Emily, Kay, Michele, Nancy, and Deedra for sharing their work – we can’t wait to see what you make next. Stay tuned for more show and tell soon, a post featuring nothing but sweaters…!

Laine Magazine, No. 11.

Posted by on

Laine Magazine is back with their 11th issue!

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers as its focus, and a reputation for beautiful designs and tantalizing photography.

Issue 11 features patterns from an amazing group of designers, the likes of Gudrun Johnston, Paula Pereira, Stephen West, Eri Shimizu, and more.

Beyond the patterns, there are seasonal recipes and plenty of good reading – I’m particularly excited to read Jeanette Sloan’s interview with Diane Ivey, the dyer behind Lady Dye Yarns. We’re proud to have her Superwash Fingering and SW Merino DK on our shelves here at the shop.

Laine No. 10 is $30 each – order online for local pickup or shipping! We also have Laine No. 8 and No. 10 in stock, and Laine’s most recent books, Fair Isle Weekend, Strands of Joy, and 52 Weeks of Shawls.

52 Weeks of Shawls.

Posted by on

We are delighted to announce that Laine’s new book is here, 52 Weeks of Shawls!

This 260+ page tome includes 52 patterns for knitting shawls, scarves, and cowls, an astonishingly large collection, and a lovely one. You can see them all on Ravelry, a virtual way to browse the book; the list of designers is impressive, including Tif Neilan, Jeanette Sloan, Paula Pereira, Fiona Alice, Stephen West, and Anna Johanna.

Like all of Laine’s publications, from their popular magazine to recent collections by Mary Jane Mucklestone and Anna Johanna, 52 Weeks of Shawls is heavy with inspiring patterns using a variety of techniques, but it is also a beautiful object unto itself.

I spotted some familiar yarns among these tantalizing pages – shawls in Tukuwool Fingering, BC Garn Bio Balance, Brooklyn Tweed Loft, and Isager Tvinni. We have all of these yarns on our shelves, and are happy to suggest substitutes for any others!

The book is $52, a dollar per pattern, and available for local pickup or USPS Priority Mail shipping – an additional $8 if the book ships alone. If you’d like to add any yarn or notions to your order, shipping will be $15 – thanks for helping us cover the cost of postage! Whether you pick up or have it shipped, we really appreciate your order and look forward to putting this inspiring book in your hands. Order online!

Isager Alpaca 2 + Samen.

Posted by on

Last week, designer Stephen West posted new color combinations on Instagram for one of his older patterns, a marled shawl called “Samen.”

“Samen” shawl, knit with Isager Alpaca 2. Photo © Stephen West

I always love to see how he puts colors together, and it put me in the mood to create some “Samen” colorways of my own, using Isager Alpaca 2. The shawl calls for five colors in varying amounts, from 220-420 yards per color – the bundles here include some extra yardage, so you can mix the shades up however you like with plenty of wiggle room to play.

Isager Alpaca 2: light fingering weight, 50% alpaca, 50% wool, 275 yards/50 g; $12 each, $120 for bundles of 10

If any of these color combinations grabs you, order online for local pickup or shipping! We’re also happy to help put together a custom colorway just for you – just let us know what shades you love!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Rainbow Mountain.

Posted by on

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.

Our most recent shipment from Koigu is Rainbow Mountain, another playful variegated colorway. These special skeins are predominantly pale yellow, streaked and spotted with whimsical pops of gold, orange, red, and lime green.

What to make with these pretty skeins? For a small project, try Dawn Henderson’s “Bonfire Socks” and “Block Party Socks,” or Laura Chau’s “Serviceberry Mitts.” For a larger project, Stephen West’s “Syncopation Adoration Shawl” came to mind, since Koigu plays so well with others. Here are a few ideas!

  • Koigu KPPPM: $15.50 each
  • Baa Ram Ewe Titus: $29 each
  • Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering: $10 each
  • The Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering: $22 each

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship these directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront is temporarily closed!

Westknits Bestknits 3: Shawl Evolution.

Posted by on

We’re pleased to have Stephen West’s newest book in stock – let’s peek inside Westknits Bestknits 3: Shawl Evolution.

This collection is all about shawls, and the many possible shapes, textures, techniques, and colors they can feature.

Styled with Stephen West’s signature dramatic flair and photographed with a keen sense of movement, Westknits Bestknits 3 is great fun to flip through.

Along with six new designs and seven previously published ones, West shares ideas for creating fades and marling several yarns together for unique color and texture combinations.

Pick up this book if you love to knit shawls and are looking to try brioche, slipped stitch patterns, short rows, and other playful techniques. Look for Westknits Bestknits 3 here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

New colors in Malabrigo Rios.

Posted by on

Malabrigo recently released a bunch of new colors in their beloved worsted weight superwash merino, Rios. Meet the Tribeca collection!

Rios is beautifully hand-dyed in rich, memorable colors, soft and springy in the hand, and machine-washable, no less. A superwash worsted weight wool is a versatile kind of yarn, good for garments and accessories alike. We’ve seen it all in Rios over the years – sweaters for all ages, blankets large and small, hats and mitts and cowls and slipper socks and more.

These delicate pastel shades are semi-solid, ideal for showing off texture patterns. Try Tin Can Knits’ “Flax” and “Barley,” Stephen West’s “Dustland,” Joji Locatelli’s “Hipster Shawl,” and Andrea Mowry’s “Nurtured.”

With so many beautiful colors, it’s tempting to combine them, too – for colorful ideas, check out Shannon Cook’s “Bradway,” Lisa Hannes’ “Walk in the Woods,” Jennifer Steingass’s “Fern & Feather,” Andrea Mowry’s “Nightshift,” and Tin Can Knits’ “Banff.”

Come by the shop to pick up some Malabrigo Rios for your next project! See you there.

Laine Magazine, No. 7.

Posted by on

A beautiful new issue of Laine Magazine just arrived – let’s look inside issue No. 7.

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers and handicraft as its focus. It’s only a couple of years old, but it already has quite a following, and a reputation for beautiful designs and tantalizing photography.

Inside this issue of Laine, you’ll find knitting patterns from Nancy Marchant, Stephen West, Kristin Drysdale, Carol Feller, and others, profiles on designer Veera Välimäki and the Fibre Company, and a travel guide to London.

One of the standout designs of this issue, in my opinion, is Kristin Drysdale’s “Marit,” a steeked colorwork cardigan knit with Tukuwool Fingering. I’m only able to resist casting on right away because I’m currently knitting a steeked colorwork cardigan with Tukuwool Fingering!

Come by the shop to page through Laine and our other books and magazines. We hope you find inspiration here!

Wool Journey: Shetland.

Posted by on

Another beautiful new book has arrived! Let’s take a look inside Wool Journey: Shetland.

Wool Journey: Shetland came out of a friendly trip to Shetland taken by designers and yarn shop owners Amber Platzer Corcoran, Jaime Jennings, Malia Mae Joseph, and Stephen West.

This little book is from Pom Pom Press, the folks who bring us the delightful Pom Pom Quarterly, so you wont be surprised to learn that it is beautifully photographed and produced. It’s part travelogue and part travel guide, with a few knitting patterns in the mix, of course. Flip through it to daydream of Shetland.

Look for Wool Journey: Shetland on the teacart here at the shop, surrounded by the latest books and magazines!