Tag Archives: stripes

Show and tell: stripes of all kinds.

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Time for another round of show and tell! We love seeing what folks are making with yarn from the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – here are a bunch of projects we’ve had the pleasure of seeing in person, featuring stripes of all kinds.

Above is Cindy’s “Bat Shawl,” a pattern from Lotta H Löthgren’s Observations. She used Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere and Malabrigo Ultimate Sock, a perfect match that shows off the slip stitch texture.

Here’s Michele’s “Stripes of Joy” pullover, knit with Malabrigo Rios leftover from various other projects. Pattern by Tif Neilan.

Above is April’s “Pressed Flowers Pullover,” knit with BC Garn Loch Lomond and self-striping Noro Silk Garden Light. Pattern by Amy Christoffers.

Margaretta made this “Shadow Stripe Pullover” with a lovely mix of high and low contrast stripes, a mix of Brooklyn Tweed Tones Light and Loft. Pattern by Jared Flood.

I knit this newborn-sized sweater as a sample for the shop when Kelbourne Woolens Skipper came out last year. The pattern is “French Macaroon,” by Noble Knits, a free download from Ravelry.

Robin saw my “French Macaroon” hanging here at the shop and was inspired to make her own – she modified it into a cardigan and sewed matching baby pants!

Thanks to Cindy, Michele, April, Margaretta, and Robin for sharing their work with us! We love to see what you make with our yarns, and can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Painting Shawls, by Stephen West.

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Exciting news – Stephen West’s latest book is here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! Let’s take a look at Painting Shawls.

Painting Shawls ($40) is a collection of 13 shawl patterns from Stephen West, a designer known for bold color choices and intriguing shawl construction and techniques.

Each of these patterns features a main color framing several contrast colors, using only stripes and slipped stitches to form playful, rhythmic shapes throughout the garment.

West encourages knitters to choose their own colors for these shawls, and provides playful, intuitive tips for color selection along with practical tutorials on casting on, modifying the size, weaving in ends, and more.

Styled with West’s signature dramatic flair and photographed with a keen sense of movement, Painting Shawls is great fun to flip through.

Look for Painting Shawls on the teacart here at our shop, surrounded by the latest publications! We’re still taking online orders as well – just fill out our online order form for local pickup or shipping.

Koigu Collector’s Club: Koigu Barn at Dawn.

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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 g
  • $15.50 each

This month’s limited edition shade is Koigu Barn at Dawn, a variegated mix of peach, ivory, burgundy, and shades of gray.

This new colorway made me think of Andrea Mowry’s “Curio Socks,” a striped, slip-stitch pattern I’ve seen several knitters working on lately. The heathered CoopKnits Socks Yeah! makes a great Main Color, letting the variegated KPPPM take center stage as Contrast Color.

Look closely at Mowry’s sizing as you select your yarn and colors; some sizes will require two skeins of Socks Yeah! as shown here, while others will only need one.

CoopKnits Socks Yeah!: fingering weight, 75% superwash wool, 25% nylon, 231 yards/50 grams; $11.60 each

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, along with CoopKnits Socks Yeah! and more – see you there! We’re also taking online orders for local pickup or shipping.

Merilin + Dingley Dell.

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In the heat of the summer, we see more and more knitters looking for lightweight tops and tees to knit, and Isabell Kraemer’s name often comes to mind. She’s a prolific sweater designer, and many of her patterns offer a short-sleeved option – think “Yume,” “Laia,” and “Ooh La La.”

“Dingley Dell,” by Isabell Kraemer. Photo © Isabell Kraemer

“Dingley Dell” is her latest, a color block tee made in a wool/linen blend, and I think Isager Merilin would be perfect for it.

Isager Merilin:

  • light fingering weight
  • 80% wool, 20% linen
  • 228 yards/50 g
  • $11 each

Depending on what size you make, you’ll need between 2-4 balls each in two colors – check the sizing on Ravelry, and know that we’re happy to help you calculate yardage! Here are a few more color ideas…

Make an in-store shopping appointment to select your own color combination, or pick from the options above and order online for local pickup or shipping!

Koan + Ascend.

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“Ascend” is a brand new pattern by Lucinda Iglesias, a bias-knit wrap with bold stripes at each end.

“Ascend,” by Lucinda Iglesias, knit with Shibui Koan in White, Abyss, and Ash.

Shibui Koan is a cool and lightweight blend of 70% linen and 30% mulberry silk, fibers known for drape and shimmer – they truly shine in this elegant warm weather accessory.

Shibui Koan:

  • light fingering weight
  • 70% linen, 30% silk
  • 248 yards/50 g
  • $21 each; $105 for 5 skeins needed to knit “Ascend”

“Ascend,” by Lucinda Iglesias, knit with Shibui Koan in Ivory, Pollen, and Graphite.

Shibui shows “Ascend” in two neutral colorways, one with a pop of Pollen; we’ve come up with a few more combinations!

The pattern is free when you buy 5 skeins of Shibui Koan for the project – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order. Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping, or make an in-store shopping appointment to choose for yourself!

Hello again, Isager Highland Wool.

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A recent special order brought in a couple of new shades of Isager Highland Wool, reminding us of just how much we love this yarn.

Isager Highland:

  • light fingering weight
  • solid and heathered colors
  • 100% Highland wool
  • 301 yards/50 g
  • $10 each

Some years ago, I made Carol Feller’s “Carpino” holding Highland Wool together with Shibui Silk Cloud, which brought a lustrous, fuzzy luxury to the fabric. It left me wanting to work with Highland Wool again, in a context where its rustic simplicity could shine.

With that in mind, here are a few two-color patterns that make beautiful use of Highland Wool, and some color combinations to get you started!

  • “Pinwheel Mitts,” by Ella Austin – fingerless mitts in stranded colorwork
  • “Sento,” by Olga Buraya-Kefelian – triangular shawl in two-color brioche
  • “Alula,” by Clare Lakewood – triangular shawl in stripes/slip stitch pattern

If any of these patterns or colorways capture your imagination, order online for local pickup or shipping! We’re also happy to answer questions, to be your eyes and hands as you create other color combinations – we know it’s tricky to select colors without being able to come into the shop yourself, and they can look so different in photos than they do in person. Thanks for working with us during our temporary closure!

Wooly Worsted + Yipes Stripes Cowl.

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Along with our recent Ewe Ewe Sporty restock, we also replenished our supply of Wooly Worsted. This plush worsted weight superwash merino is a staple here at our shop, whether for baby blankets, children’s sweaters, or accessories for all ages.

Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted:

  • worsted weight
  • solid colors
  • 100% superwash merino
  • 95 yards/50 g
  • $10 each

Anne has used Wooly Worsted many times – here’s her “Yipes Stripes Cowl,” designed by Ann Weaver.

There are all kinds of knitting techniques tucked into this one little project, from a turned hem to two- and three-color braids, with stripes and slipped stitches in between. All these ways of playing with color make for an engaging knit. Want to make a “Yipes Stripes Cowl” of your own? Here are some colorways to choose from!

Order online if one of these colorways sparks your curiosity, or if you’d like to see a special combination just for you! We’re happy to help you plan your next project, and can ship your order or hold it here at the shop for local pickup. Thanks for all your support through our temporary closure!

Shibui Sample of the Month: Graphique.

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August is here, and with it, a new Shibui Sample of the Month! We offer a 10% discount on Shibui yarn purchased for our featured sample til the end of the month.

This month’s sample is “Graphique,” a small striped kerchief knit with Shibui Fern. It’s worked in the round, from the center out, in a stripe pattern that makes concentric squares.

Fern is a sport weight organic cotton, with 232 yards on each 50 gram skein. Two skeins is plenty for this little project – just one in each color. Which two would you choose for a “Graphique” kerchief? It looks quite classic in this high-contrast combination, but I’d be interested to see a more subtle version, too.

Come by the shop to before August 25th to see “Graphique” and get Shibui Fern at 10% off to make one of your own!

 

Just a reminder–all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges, returns, or special orders. Thanks!

Back in stock, show and tell: Berroco Ultra Wool and Ultra Wool DK.

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This season, we seem to be constantly ordering and reordering Berroco Ultra Wool and Ultra Wool DK. Not long before we closed for our Thanksgiving break, I unpacked a bigger box than ever from Berroco, for it contained some new colors along with all our old favorites.

Ultra Wool and Ultra Wool DK are smooth and sturdy superwash wools, one of the few that suggests “tumble dry low” rather than “lay flat to dry.” They’re easy-care, practical, economical, and come in a wide range of solid and heathered colors; no wonder we’re selling so much of them!

The latest Berroco Portfolio collection features these yarns, and we were delighted when Berroco also sent us a sample of the cover sweater, Lori Versaci’s “Lane’s Island Pullover.” There’s nothing like a finished garment to give you a sense of how a particular yarn knits up, and this one has already compelled plenty of knitters to try Ultra Wool DK, many of whom return to it for other projects.

April was one of the first knitters we knew to complete an adult-sized sweater in Ultra Wool DK, and when she wore it in, singing the yarn’s praises, we were truly impressed. The cables of her “Bowery Tunic” show beautifully, and April didn’t report any of the out-of-control stretching that superwash wools can sometimes experience during blocking.

Margie has also been working with Ultra Wool DK of late, knitting not one, but two “Isabelline Cowls.” I never tire of seeing what an impact a change in color can have; this pair is a nice example of how low- and high-contrast color combinations can both work beautifully in stranded colorwork. And you might be surprised which of these has higher contrast – I was! Look at these photos through the black and white filter on your camera and you’ll see what I mean.

Ultra Wool DK is great for crochet projects, too! Check out Linda’s amazing blanket for proof positive.

Look for Ultra Wool and Ultra Wool DK here at the shop, and keep an eye out for something new from Berroco, too… more on that soon!

Back in stock: Classy mini-skeins.

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Dream in Color Classy mini-skeins are back in stock, and how!

Dream in Color only occasionally produces these 50-yard mini-skeins of their worsted weight superwash wool, Classy, and the color selection is different every time. Our last restock back in June was our biggest yet, and it sold out so quickly that we requested an equally big batch as soon as they were available again. Happy to report that the time has come!

Some are highly variegated, some are semi-solid, some are speckled, and some are hybrids, but all are hand-dyed, so there’s some color variation in each skein.

Nancy Leuer’s “Technicolor Cowl” calls for 8 of these mini-skeins, and just as before, I’ve had fun creating color combinations and kits for this project. Because we have somewhat different colors in this group than last time, I’ve created six brand new colorways.

Don’t feel limited to these combinations, however – consider them a jumping off point for your own unique cowls.

Look for “Technicolor Cowl” kits and Dream in Color Classy mini-skeins in the worsted weight section!