Koigu Collector’s Club: Utopia.

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.

This superwash merino yarn is speckled and streaked with shades of peach and plum, a sweet combination that Koigu calls Utopia.

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

Hello, Malabrigo Rite.

We recently celebrated our 13th year in business here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, a milestone we could not have reached without your support. In Jewish communities, 13 years marks a coming of age, a bar or bat mitzvah. For our own bat mitzvah year, we did something extra special, something so exciting, we’ve had a hard time keeping it under wraps!

We asked our friends at Malabrigo to create a special colorway for our 13th anniversary, and here it is, after months of planning: meet Rite.

Since March, we’ve emailed back and forth with Antonio at Malabrigo, dreaming up color combinations and anxiously awaiting his photos of trial skeins and swatches. The final colorway is a variegated mix of grey and blue, two of Anne’s favorite colors, and mine, too. It’s flecked with dashes of teal, Antonio’s brilliant contribution, and one that makes our colorway unique.

We have Rite in both Rios and Sock, our best-loved Malabrigo yarns. Both are super soft, superwash merino, plied for durability and stitch definition. It was positively flying off the shelves over our Anniversary weekend, but we still have plenty in stock! You’ll find Rios in the worsted weight section and Sock in the fingering weight section, and plenty of project ideas on our Pinterest boards. Naturally, we’ve been knitting with Rite ourselves – more on that soon!

See you at the shop!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Sheep.

The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive a batch of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu.

The inspiration for this batch is Sheep, the beloved animal whose fleece makes some of our favorite yarn. Dyed on KPPPM, Koigu’s signature fingering weight superwash merino wool, this variegated colorway is ideal for making shawls, cowls, baby sweaters, and of course, socks.

As yarn-lovers, we have a particular fondness for sheep, and our friends and clients have kindly remembered that proclivity, bringing us decorative sheep from time to time. Peek into our front window or look around the shop, and you’ll find sheep made of wool, paper, beaded wire, ceramic, and wood. We find them to be fitting decor, though we often have to say, “Sorry, they’re not for sale!”

Look for this special colorway in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with various other Koigu Collector’s club skeins. See you there!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Jeans.

The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive a batch of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu.

The inspiration for this batch is Jeans, and the yarn is fittingly streaked with shades of denim blue and ivory. Dyed on KPPPM, Koigu’s signature fingering weight superwash merino wool, this variegated colorway is ideal for making shawls, cowls, baby sweaters, and of course, socks.

Our new Baggu project bags are a perfect match, denim totes styled after plastic grocery bags.

You’ll find this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section while supplies last!

Dream in Color Sock-It Club: September.

The Dream in Color Sock-It Club is back! This time around, each limited edition skein comes with a 100-yard mini skein for coordinating heels and toes.

“I designed the main skein color to be half peach and half wine to create amazingly bold striped socks,” writes dyer Veronica. “Just like Sangria is not complete without all the delicious fruits, like apples, oranges, limes, and strawberries, the sock kits really pop with the fruity-colored coordinating mini skein!”

The base is Smooshy, a tightly-plied fingering weight yarn that’s ideal for sock knitting, composed of 85% superwash merino and 15% nylon for strength.

Look for these limited edition skein sets in our fingering weight section while supplies last!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Fall Fair Midway.

The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive a batch of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu.

Dyed on KPPPM, Koigu’s signature fingering weight superwash merino wool, Fall Fair Midway is ideal for making shawls, cowls, baby sweaters, and of course, socks.

This eye-catching colorway is gray with splashes of rainbow brights, conjuring dark night skies with bright neon lights.

You’ll find this limited edition colorway of Koigu KPPPM in our fingering weight section while supplies last – it’s already been a popular one, so call us if you’re anxious to get your hands on it!

Dream in Color Pop Up! Club: September.

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

This month, dyer Veronica has painted the colors of autumn on Dream in Color’s aptly-named Smooshy with Cashmere.

Smooshy with Cashmere is a super soft blend of superwash merino wool, cashmere, and nylon – perfect for a special shawl or pair of socks. A skein like this would make a great “Starshower,” “Pebble Beach Shawl,” “Sockhead Slouch Hat” or “Sockhead Cowl,” all patterns that do well with variegated yarn. Look for more pattern ideas on our “Fingering weight” board over on Pinterest.

You’ll find this limited edition colorway in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with other special skeins from Dream in Color. See you there!

New colors in Malabrigo Rios.

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.

Back in stock: Malabrigo Arroyo.

Malabrigo Arroyo is back in stock!

This sport weight superwash merino is a favorite around here, and its cubby was looking empty before this week’s shipment arrived.

Each 100 gram skein of Arroyo boasts 335 yards, enough for a scarf, cowl, shawlette, hat, tiny baby sweater, or pair of mitts. Here are a few pattern ideas, projects that knitters on Ravelry have used Arroyo for again and again:

We have two samples at the shop knit with Malabrigo Arroyo, as well – a newborn-sized “Baby Surprise Jacket,” and a “Drop Stitch Scarf.” Though the latter calls for worsted weight yarn on a US 8 needle, I made our sample with one skein of Arroyo on a US 7, casting on an extra pattern repeat to make up the difference in width.

You’ll find Malabrigo Arroyo in the sport weight section here at our shop, and check out our whole selection of Malabrigo yarns while you’re here!

Dream in Color Sock-It Club: August.

The Dream in Color Sock-It Club is back! This time around, each limited edition skein comes with a 100-yard mini skein for coordinating heels and toes.

August’s colorway is a variegated mix of purple, orange, pink and red, a vivid combination inspired by photos of Antelope Canyon in Dream in Color’s home state, Arizona.

The semi-solid mini-skein that accompanies it is somewhere between cobalt and ultraviolet.

The base is Bobby BFL, a tightly-plied fingering weight yarn that’s ideal for sock knitting, composed of 85% superwash Bluefaced Leicester wool and 15% nylon for strength.

Look for these limited edition skein sets in our fingering weight section while supplies last!