Tag Archives: sweaters

Marion and Marian show off.

Posted by on

One of the great joys of knitting, besides knitting itself, is seeing what other people are knitting. It’s a large part of why Ravelry exists, and it’s one of my favorite parts of my job at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Not only do I get in on the knitting plans as they’re being made, but I also often see the finished product, proudly brought in to show off. I always get to ooh and ahh, and touch the finished sweaters, scarves, and hats. Sometimes I get to take a picture, too.

You may know Marion as our magic loop sock teacher. She does more than just socks, though. She’s pictured above in her recently completed February Lady Sweater, knit with Briggs & Little Sport held double. Marion is quite the sweater knitter–check out her class on the Vogue Sleeveless Tunic on the shop website.

Meanwhile, Marian keeps coming in with incredible lace shawls. Her latest: a capelet from the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of Vogue Knitting, knit with Lana Grossa Chiara. The photo doesn’t do this sparkly shawl justice. 

Thanks for sharing your knitting with us, ladies! 

Reading material.

Posted by on

It hasn’t been a huge week-or-so for new yarns, though I do have a few to share in the coming days. There have been new books arriving, though, in their trademark smaller, heavier boxes. New yarn is exciting, of course, but I must say, I get a particular thrill opening a box of knitting books. My fondness for resource-type knitting books having already been expressed, this may come as no surprise. Join me, then, in welcoming a smattering of the latest books.

60 Quick Baby Knits: Blankets, Booties, Sweaters & More in Cascade 220 Superwash, from Sixth & Spring Books. But why, you might ask, do we carry this book, when we don’t carry Cascade 220 Superwash (at least, not in the worsted weight–we’ve got sport weight)? The answer: we are all about yarn substitution. We have at least eight worsted weight washable wools that I can think of off the top of my head, not to mention worsted weight cottons, which are also popular for baby things. A good pattern is a good pattern, and there is no one right yarn for any given pattern. Confused about how to substitute yarn? Just ask. Figuring out which yarn to use for a pattern is one of my favorite pastimes. 

The Knitting Answer Book, by Margaret Radcliffe. A small but thorough reference guide, perfect for a new knitter, or anyone who has ever wanted a knitting reference right in their knitting bag.

Fresh Vests to Knit, by Edie Eckman. A booklet for those knitters that seek only vest patterns.

A trio of toe-up sock books came in to join the other sock books: Socks From the Toe Up and Toe Up Socks For Every Body, both by Wendy Johnson, and Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks, by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. Marion’s magic loop sock class has inspired many knitters to work socks from the toe up, rather than cuff-down, and our growing collection of toe-up sock books reflects this. If you’re looking to choose between these titles, Marion is a wonderful source, as I’m pretty sure she’s read and knit from nearly every one. As of now, there are still three spaces in Marion’s next magic loop sock class, by the way. Interested?

Anna Zilboorg.

Posted by on

About a month ago, on Valentine’s Day, the Hillsborough Yarn Shop hosted designer Anna Zilboorg for a special workshop on embellishing knitted garments with embroidery. As the class was much larger than our usual groups of four to six, we met at the public library to learn embroidery from Anna.

The workshop was inspired by an incredible embroidered sweater that Anna wore into the shop one day. Anne and everyone else who happened to witness this sweater requested a class from Anna, and happily, she agreed.

Anna’s sweater features a twisted stitch pattern from one of Barbara Walker’s stitch dictionaries, striking embroidery along the traveling stitches, and the most perfect handknit buttonhole I’ve seen. The directions for this buttonhole are in Anna Zilboorg’s Knitting for Anarchists, a fantastic resource.

It was a truly wonderful day, spent learning new techniques and admiring the talent of not only Anna Zilboorg herself, but also all of the knitters gathered to learn from her. I have no doubt that everyone left newly inspired, ready to embellish, experiment, and invent. Myself, I left inspired to pull a few favorite knitting resource books down from the shelf. Anna’s sweater construction has really stayed with me since the workshop, and design ideas are percolating…
Those of you who are sorry to have missed the workshop can still get in on the Zilboorg craze that has swept the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We carry Anna Zilboorg’s books, Knitting for Anarchists and Magnificent Mittens & Socks, as well as the Jan/Feb issue of PieceWork, which features Anna’s pattern for embroidered socks. Additionally, Nancy will soon be leading a knit-along at the shop for those interested in designing a sweater using Anna Zilboorg’s method, a truly unique construction that wowed us all at the workshop. Check out the course description on the shop website if you’re interested.

Michelle and Chloe.

Posted by on
Last Saturday, master knitter Michelle came into the shop with a dress-form (named Chloe) wearing her latest finished object, an intricately cabled pea coat from Shirley Paden’s Knitwear Design Workshop: The Comprehensive Guide to Handknits. It blew us all away, to the point that I could not resist asking to take their photo for the blog. Witness:
Michelle, who has been knitting for eleven years, completed this sweater as a senior project. (I’m thinking A+. Just saying.) Go find Michelle and this incredible sweater on Ravelry, where her pictures are gorgeous and you can admire the perfect fit, the perfect seams, and the crazy amount of work that went into it.