Tag Archives: superwash

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!

Dream in Color Sock-It Club, part four.

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Dream in Color’s Sock-It Club has arrived again! Every month from July to November, we’re getting sock yarn in a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tuscon-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns.

October’s special colorway was inspired by a trip to New Orleans’ French Quarter, a mix of purples, pinks, and chocolate brown, with sections of speckled ivory. It’s dyed on Smooshy, a soft, sturdy, and springy blend of superwash merino and nylon.

Colorful skeins like these are perfect for simple ribbed socks that let the yarn take center stage – try the Churchmouse “Basic Socks,” Glenna C.’s “A Nice Ribbed Sock,” or Erica Lueder’s “Hermione’s Everyday Socks.”

Look for this limited edition colorway in the fingering weight section here at the shop!

New colors from Ewe Ewe.

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Along with a brand new yarn came a new batch of colors from Ewe Ewe!

Ewe Ewe Yarns is a one-woman operation owned by Heather Walpole. When she first created Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted back in 2012, she started small, with just 7 colors. We’ve loved watching the Ewe Ewe yarn selection grow over the years, and with it, the expanding color palette – these new additions bring it up to 25 colors!

 

These shades are right at home among their cousins, and fill out the existing palette beautifully. Red Velvet, Midnight Blue, and Forest Fern give us more options on the darker end of the spectrum, Iris Blossom is the just right purple that sits between the lighter Lavender and darker Indigo, and Citrus Pop is exactly that – a fun, highlighter-bright pop of color.

Come by the shop to see and squeeze all of these Ewe Ewe Yarns and plan your next project!

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!

Hello, Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering.

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Last week, we welcomed a brand new yarn to the shop: Fluffy Fingering, from Ewe Ewe!

Ewe Ewe specializes in soft and springy machine-washable merino wool yarns. Each one has its gauge or weight in its name, for easy yarn selection. First came Wooly Worsted, then Ewe So Sporty, then Baa Baa Bulky, and now Fluffy Fingering has arrived.

Like all Ewe Ewe yarns, Fluffy Fingering is tightly plied for excellent stitch definition, and comes in a range of solid colors from neutral to pastel to bright. Its machine-washability makes it suitable for socks, baby things, and frequently-worn accessories, but it’s just as happy in a shawl, perhaps paired with a hand-dyed yarn for contrast.

Looking to give Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering a try? Consider Meghan Schmaltz’s new “Stripe it to Me” socks, which I had in mind when I put together the color pairs above. What two shades would you pair up?

Look For Fluffy Fingering in the fingering weight section here at the shop!

Dream in Color Pop Up! Club: October.

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UPDATE: As of October 6, 2018, we are totally sold out of this limited edition colorway!

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Dream in Color’s Pop Up! Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tuscon-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. October has begun, and that means a new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last.

October’s Pop Up! Club colorway is dark and moody, a mix of eggplant, burgundy, and rusty brown.

It’s dyed on Dream in Color’s popular Smooshy with Cashmere base yarn, a luxurious blend of 70% superwash merino wool, 20% cashmere, and 10% nylon. It’s soft enough to make a cowl or shawl for next-to-skin wear, but sturdy enough for special socks.

Look for this limited edition colorway in the fingering weight section here at the shop!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Wild Garden.

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A new month has begun, and with it comes the next installment of the Koigu Collector’s Club! 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.

September’s limited edition colorway is called Wild Garden, and it’s a streaky, spotty mix of navy and denim blues, cream, purple, and pink. There’s a dash of seafoam green in there, too, if you look closely – Koigu’s variegated colors are rich and many-layered, which is part of what makes them so appealing!

Look for this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

Back in stock: Malabrigo Sock.

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This week brought a box full of Malabrigo Sock.

That Malabrigo Sock is a well-loved yarn here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop should come as no surprise, given the frenzy that usually occurs when we receive a shipment.

This soft, machine-washable merino wool is a light fingering weight, dyed in the vivid multicolor and semisolid colorways we’ve come to expect from Malabrigo. Sock is perfect not only for socks, but also shawls, scarves, lightweight sweaters, and baby things.

We’re always especially excited to see new colors in this now-classic yarn, and we have a few – come by the shop to see what’s new, and plan your next project!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Culture.

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A new month has begun, and with it comes the next installment of the Koigu Collector’s Club! 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.

August’s limited edition colorway, Culture, was inspired by the many uses of color in crafts around the world. As they write on the Koigu blog, “Colours across different cultures around the world are perceived very differently… we at Koigu find this very interesting and inspiring!”

Culture is a variegated colorway, a mix of wheat and golden yellow, with streaks and speckles of cobalt, rusty orange, and burgundy.

Look for this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section here at the shop!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Raku.

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UPDATE: As of 8/3/2018, we are sold out of Koigu Raku!

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We’re excited to announce that we’re participating in Koigu’s new club, the Koigu Collector’s Club! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for 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. Each 50 gram skein has 170 yards, so 1 makes a pair of Churchmouse “Turkish Bed Socks,” 2 make an average pair of socks or “Barb’s Koigu Ruffle,” while 3 or 4 make a nice sized shawl, the likes of Martian Behm’s “Hitchhiker” or “Trillian.”

July’s limited edition colorway, Raku, was inspired by a pottery technique by the same name. It’s a colorful variegated colorway, a mix of light and dark blues with streaks of peach, lavender, sea green, and ivory. You can read more about Raku and the Koigu Collector’s Club on the Koigu blog!

Look for this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section here at the shop, and remember, everything in stock is 15% off this month during our Annual Inventory Sale. See you there!

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