Tag Archives: super-bulky weight

Back in stock: Malabrigo Caracol!

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After spending the past few years out of production, Malabrigo Caracol is back!

Malabrigo Caracol:

  • super bulky weight
  • thick and thin
  • marled
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 90 yards/150 grams
  • $25 each

Caracol is a super bulky yarn with a unique texture, composed of a thick-and-thin single ply criss-crossed by a thinner yarn. Some skeins are criss-crossed with a black binder thread, giving a stained glass effect, and others with white, for more subtle variation.

A yarn with this much personality doesn’t need a complicated pattern to show it off, and Anne’s “Perky Little Hat” is just the ticket.

What else to make with Caracol? Here are some ideas!

Caracol is squishy, soft as can be, and provides near-instant gratification. Look for it in the super bulky section here at the shop, and remember it when the need for a handmade gift sneaks up at the last minute!

Back in stock: Malabrigo Noventa!

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We’re pleased to have a cubby full of Malabrigo Noventa again!

Malabrigo Noventa:

  • super bulky weight
  • single ply
  • hand-dyed
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 90 yards/125 g
  • $24 each

Noventa is plush and squishy, perfectly suited to cold-weather accessories, and one skein makes a hat or cowl in a hurry. Think Alice Dunn Smith’s “Winter Harbor Cowl,” Kristel Nieve’s “Sierra Beanie,” or Andrea Riddle & Lora Marin’s “Noventa Cabled Hat.”

Two skeins makes Churchmouse’s popular “Double Split Color-Blocked Cowl,” a cute and cozy accessory; the two pictured here were knit by Sherri and Linda, respectively.

Below are a few more two-color combinations for “Double Split Color-Blocked Cowl” – can’t wait to see what else folks come up with!

Look for Malabrigo Noventa in the super bulky weight section here at HYS! Visit us between 11am-5:30pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Hello, Malabrigo Noventa!

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Meet Noventa, a brand new yarn from Malabrigo!

Malabrigo Noventa:

  • super bulky weight
  • single ply
  • hand-dyed
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 90 yards/125 g
  • $24 each

Noventa is plush and squishy, perfectly suited to cold-weather accessories, and one skein makes a hat or cowl in a hurry.

Here are a few one-skein pattern ideas for Noventa:

Look for Malabrigo Noventa in the super bulky weight section here at HYS, near Malabrigo Rasta! We also carry Mecha, a slightly thinner bulky weight yarn – visit us between 11am-5:30pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Koigu Collector’s Club: April Showers and Snow Tulips.

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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. This month, we also got a special color in Koigu Othello, a super soft, super bulky yarn!

Koigu Othello:

  • super bulky weight
  • 100% merino wool
  • 95 yards/100g
  • $23.50 each

Othello is thick and squishy, sure to knit up quickly on US 10 or 11 needles. What to make with this special April Showers colorway, streaked with pastels and pale gray? Pick up one skein for a “Big Chunky Comfort Hat,” “An Unoriginal Hat,” or “Vanessa Headband.” Two skeins makes a “Painted Stones Cowl.”

We also got the classic fingering weight KPPPM in a special limited edition color – Snow Tulips (below) is a variegated mix of peach and cream, seafoam and blue, with dashes of burgundy and orange.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

One way to use highly variegated colorways like Snow Tulips is to pair them with a solid, drawing out one of the many shades that appears in the mix. Looking through our fingering weight yarns here at the shop, Anne and I found complementary solids in two yarns – Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering and Baa Ram Ewe Titus.

Since we’re offering two yarns, how about two patterns, too? Any of the yarn bundles pictured here can be used for either “Woods Haven” or “Leya,” two shawls by Tamy Gore that lend themselves to high contrast color pairings.

Koigu + Cumbria Fingering bundles are $53, and Koigu + Titus bundles are $60. Order online for local pickup or shipping!

Hello, Malabrigo Caracol.

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Back at TNNA in June, we stopped by the Malabrigo booth, eager to see their newest yarn for the first time. Caracol is not only new, but also an unusual yarn, for Malabrigo and the Hillsborough Yarn Shop alike. We were genuinely surprised when we saw it, and I’m happy to report that it’s now on our shelves! Meet Caracol.

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Caracol is a super bulky weight yarn with a thick and thin texture, a style we haven’t brought into the shop for a few years now, as preferences for smoother yarns grew. What really sets this yarn apart, though, is that it’s criss-crossed by a thinner yarn before being kettle-dyed in Malabrigo’s signature super-saturated colorways, creating a unique look and texture we’ve just never seen before.

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Some skeins are criss-crossed with a black binder thread, giving a stained glass effect, and others with white, for more subtle variation.

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We went home from TNNA with a sample skein of Caracol that was handed over to me for sample-knitting. A yarn with this much personality doesn’t need a complicated pattern to show it off, so I knit up a very quick hat and topped it with a very big pom-pom. The pattern is “The Big Hat,” a free download from Ravelry, also suitable for Malabrigo Rasta if smoother yarns are more your speed.

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Those who know me know this is not usually my kind of yarn, but I have to say, this was a really fun change of pace! Caracol is squishy, soft as can be, and provides near-instant gratification. Look for it in the super bulky section here at the shop, and remember it when the need for a handmade gift sneaks up at the last minute!

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Back in stock: Malabrigo Rasta.

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Just in time for cold weather, we’ve restocked Malabrigo Rasta!

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Rasta is a soft, squishy, single-ply merino wool that knits up quickly on US 13 – 17 needles.

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Each 150 gram skein has 90 yards, which may not sound like a lot, but those 90 yards go a long way at 2 or 2.5 stitches per inch.

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Rasta is perfectly suited to cold-weather accessories: hats, scarves, cowls, and the like. Anne knit this simple seed stitch cowl with one skein of Malabrigo Rasta.

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Come by the shop to pick up a skein or two of Malabrigo Rasta for your last-minute holiday gift-knitting! See you there.

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Araucania Coliumo: now on sale!

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UPDATE: As of 4/22/2016, we are totally sold out of Araucania Coliumo!

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Another discontinued yarn has found its way to the sale trunk. We’re now offering Araucania Coliumo at over 35% off!

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Coliumo is a single-ply, super-bulky wool and silk blend, with 95 yards on each 100 gram skein, and a suggested gauge of 3 stitches per inch on a US #11 needle. One skein is enough for “An Unoriginal Hat” or “Anthro-tastic Headband,” while three or four skeins would make a cozy “GAP-tastic Cowl.” Come by soon to pick up some Coliumo before it disappears!

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted yarn. There can be no returns or exchanges, nor special orders–the discount applies only to what we currently have in stock. Thanks! 

Hello, Rasta.

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Every so often, we get a request for Rasta, a Malabrigo yarn we haven’t carried before. This week, we answered that request with a Malabrigo order; we’re now proud to have Rasta on our shelves!

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Rasta is a soft, squishy, single-ply merino wool that knits up quickly on US 13 – 17 needles. Each 150 gram skein has 90 yards, which may not sound like a lot, but those 90 yards go a long way at 2 or 2.5 stitches per inch.

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Rasta is perfectly suited to cold-weather accessories: hats, scarves, cowls, and the like. Seeking Rasta inspiration? Check out Malabrigo’s two latest books.

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That’s Rasta on the cover of Malabrigo Book 6, which features patterns for all manner of Malabrigo yarns, from Finito to Rios.

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Malabrigo Book 7 is nothing but Rasta. Hats in Rasta, mitts in Rasta, all manner of cozy, instant-gratification garments and accessories in Rasta.

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Come by the shop to pick up a skein or two of Malabrigo Rasta for your last-minute holiday gift-knitting! See you there.

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Mountain Colors headband kits.

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A knit or crocheted headband is a practical accessory, but not one that we see tons of patterns for; hats are far more common. For those with cold ears and ponytails, however, headbands are far superior to hats, and much more likely to be worn. From Mountain Colors: a headband kit that knits up quickly, using super bulky yarn.

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There are four headband patterns included in each kit, and enough yarn to make one headband.

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The yarn is Mountain Colors Bozeman, a thick-and-thin variegated wool that knits at about 2 stitches per inch on US #15 needles. We ordered 10 colors, from mossy greens and rich blues to warm reds and browns.

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Treat yourself to a Mountain Colors headband kit, and remember them when you’re seeking a knitterly gift, as well. See you at the shop!

Hello again, Brown Sheep.

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Many of you are already familiar with Brown Sheep, a yarn company out of Mitchell, Nebraska. For some years now, we’ve stocked their Lamb’s Pride yarn in Worsted and Bulky weights, along with Cotton Fleece, Serendipity Tweed, Wildfoote Luxury Sock, Top of the Lamb Sport, and Nature Spun Sport.

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Since 1980, this family business has been producing yarns right here in the U.S., doing most of the process in Nebraska, save for the scouring, carding, and combing, which takes place in South Carolina. A couple of years ago, they redesigned their yarn production so that 70-90% of their daily waste water is reused. Their products have always been a good value, and their practices are admirable, too. Over the holidays, our supply of Lamb’s Pride Bulky had grown low enough that a reorder was necessary. Since we were already ordering, we went ahead and filled up on Lamb’s Pride Worsted, too, and even selected a brand new Brown Sheep yarn for the shop: Lamb’s Pride Superwash Sport.

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Soft, machine-washable, and available in plenty of solid colors, Lamb’s Pride Superwash Sport was calling our name. It should be perfect for baby things and accessories that are likely to get a lot of wear, like hats, mittens, and socks. Looking over the colors as I unpacked the box, they said to me: colorwork. These bold colors just beg to be combined in high contrast stranded color patterns.

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The Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride yarns are a staple for many knitters and crocheters: fuzzy yet sturdy, quite suitable for felting projects, and available in a wide range of vivid colors.

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Lamb’s Pride Worsted knits up at about 4.5 or 5 stitches per inch, while Lamb’s Pride Bulky knits up rather more quickly at 3 stitches per inch, and both are comprised of 85% wool and 15% mohair. They are both single ply yarns, which, combined with the mohair content, makes for soft yarn with a bit of a wooly halo.

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Come by the shop to see these refilled cubbies of Brown Sheep yarns, and remember Lamb’s Pride Worsted, Bulky, and Superwash Sport when planning your next project. See you there!