Nancy’s Knit Knacks.

Posted by Julia on March 29, 2015

We recently ordered some knitterly notions from Nancy’s Knit Knacks, filling in where supplies had dwindled.

The WPI Tool Kit is a clever gadget for measuring the number of wraps-per-inch of any given yarn.

This is a handy way to estimate the gauge of an unlabeled yarn, or determine if one yarn may be substituted for another. In this way, it’s useful for spinners, knitters, and crocheters; for weavers, it can help determine the sett of a woven fabric.

Each WPI Tool comes with a Wraps Per Inch Knit-Kard, explaining how to use the tool and how to interpret the WPI you measure.

We also replenished our supply of DP WIP Tubes, for secure storage of works-in-progress on double-pointed needles.

This Perfect Notion Case is new for the Hillsborough Yarn Shop; it has 6 compartments to hold your stitch markers, point protectors, cable needles, and other small notions.

Come by the shop for all the notions you need to get organized and make the most of your projects. See you there!

New colors in Acadia.

Posted by Julia on January 23, 2015

Fibre Company recently introduced new colors in Acadia, a luxurious blend of merino wool, silk, and alpaca.

We’ve carried Acadia for a few years now, and always delight in adding a new color or two. It’s amazing how just a few new shades deepen the color palette. Suddenly instead of one gray, we have a warm gray and a cool gray, and where we thought we were rich in purples, a deep eggplant shade emerges, expanding the spectrum.

Anne and I have both been working with Acadia of late. Anne has an “Easy Folded Poncho” on the needles in Acadia’s warm gray, “Driftwood.”

Last year, Fibre Company’s Courtney Kelley lent us an Acadia poncho that we missed after we sent it back; Anne’s poncho-in-progress will replace it on our walls. It’s nothing but stockinette, but the simplicity of the fabric lets Acadia shine, its silk slubs peeping out every now and then.

I took three shades of Acadia home to weave a scarf on my Cricket loom, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.

Using a 10-dent reed, I warped with Acadia in asymmetric color blocks, creating vertical stripes. I used one shade of blue-green for the better part of the weft, delighting in the way it interacted with the two other colors. There are horizontal stripes of those colors at the beginning and end of the scarf, as well, making a kind of plaid.

Working from Betty Linn Davenport’s Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving, I paid more careful attention to the tension of the warp, tried hemstitching for the first time, and finished the scarf with twisted fringe.

Check out the HYS Pinterest page for more Acadia pattern ideas. Come by the shop to see these new colors and plan your next project!

Back in stock: Cricket looms.

Posted by Julia on January 15, 2015

Our first round of Schacht Cricket looms sold out quickly over the holidays, so we ordered twice as many for our second batch, which I’m happy to say are now here at the shop. Two of them were purchased the moment they came in. You guessed it: Anne and I each have Crickets of our own now, and are eager to learn more about rigid heddle weaving.

I’m anxious to get weaving on scarves and kitchen towels, and just as anxious to see what others are making with their Cricket looms.

Molly wove this scarf on a Cricket loom with a variegated fingering weight yarn for warp and a solid lace weight yarn for weft. She used a 10-dent reed, which makes a lightweight fabric, and a slightly open weave with yarns of this weight. Variegated yarn behaves so differently in woven fabric than in knit fabric; Anne and I were surprised and delighted by the results.

Come by the shop to learn more about the Schacht Cricket loom, and explore the rest of our new little weaving section.

We have books and dvds on the subject, UKI Supreme cotton weaving yarns, Zoom Looms and kits to go with. See you at the shop!

Schacht Cricket Loom.

Posted by Julia on December 9, 2014

Last week, we announced that the Hillsborough Yarn Shop has become a Schacht dealer, and I promised a closer look at the Schacht products we carry. Over the weekend, I put the Zoom Loom in the spotlight here on the blog. Next up: the Cricket Loom.

The Cricket Loom is a small and simple rigid heddle loom, ideal for first-time weavers. The box you see above includes not only the Cricket Loom, but also a warping peg, threading hook, 2 stick shuttles, table clamps, two balls of yarn, and clear instructions; in short: everything you need to start weaving.

When our shop Cricket Loom arrived earlier this year, I was sent home with it and with the enviable task of learning to use it. I’d never woven before, but the instructions made it easy to assemble, warp, and weave on the Cricket. My first attempts were uneven and humbling, but before long, I was producing smooth woven fabric that I was proud of. In just a couple of evenings, I’d gone through the yarn that comes with the Cricket and turned to my stash.

I used Berroco Pure Pima to weave a small kitchen towel, experimented with a variety of lace weight yarns to weave one scarf (pictured above), and then another in bits of worsted weight, from Yarn Hollow Photograph to Berroco Ultra Alpaca.
Before each new woven project, I studied Jane Patrick’s Weaver’s Idea Book, which is full of inspiration and information in equal measure.

On our shelves, you’ll find 15″ Cricket Looms, floor stands, and reeds. The Cricket comes with an 8-dent reed, which is perfect for weaving with worsted weight yarn. For lace or fingering weight yarns, consider a 12-dent reed; for sport or dk weight yarn, a 10-dent reed; and for bulky weight yarn, a 5-dent reed.

Come by the shop to try weaving on our display Cricket Loom, check out our cubby of weaving books and dvds, and consider going home with a Cricket of your own. I can’t tell you how exciting it has been to start at the beginning, learning new words and techniques, enjoying the novelty of creating a fabric so different than what my knitting needles or crochet hooks make. I highly recommend taking on a new craft! See you at the shop.

Schacht Zoom Loom.

Posted by Julia on December 5, 2014

Last week, we announced that the Hillsborough Yarn Shop has become a Schacht dealer, and I promised a closer look at the Schacht products we carry. First up: the Zoom Loom.

The Zoom Loom is Schacht’s littlest loom, a pin loom for weaving small squares of fabric. It comes with clear instructions, and is accessible enough for weavers-to-be from age 10 on up.

Anne has been experimenting with the Zoom Loom, learning to use it and seeing what happens when different fibers and gauges of yarn are used.

What to do with these squares? On their own they can be coasters, or sewn on as pockets. When you make a slew of them, they can be pieced together into scarves, shawls, bags, holiday ornaments, pincushions, blankets, and more. The Schacht website is full of ideas and inspiration for the Zoom Loom, and you’ll find others on our Pinterest “Weaving” board.

The clever Deb Essen, of DJE Handwovens, has come up with another use for Zoom Loom squares: Swatch Critters! Her kits include yarn and instruction for transforming a stack of squares into a stuffed sheep, frog, or dragon, among other creatures. A Zoom Loom and Swatch Critter kit would make a stellar gift this holiday season!

Intrigued? Come by the shop to get a closer look at our weaving supplies. Try your hand at pin-loom weaving on our display Zoom Loom, which has a square in progress, ready to weave. Keep your eye on the blog in the coming weeks for a closer look at the Schacht Cricket Loom. In the meantime, see you at the shop!

Hello, Schacht.

Posted by Julia on November 28, 2014

Every year at TNNA, we look out for surprising new things, things we didn’t know we were looking for until we found them. This past May, we were wandering the aisles at market when we spied a handweaver’s booth that piqued our curiosity. Before I knew it, we were placing an order with Schacht, dipping our toes in the shallow end of a whole new craft: weaving.

Schacht Spindle Co. has been designing and producing handweaving and handspinning equipment in Colorado since 1969. They make spinning wheels, yarn winding tools, and all kinds of looms, from little pin looms to rigid heddle looms to magnificent table and floor looms.

We’re thrilled to announce that the Hillsborough Yarn Shop is now a Schacht dealer, and we’ve started small, stocking our shelves with Zoom Looms, Cricket Looms, and some Cricket accessories. We also selected some books and dvds on the subject, dedicating a cubby to weaving resources. There are kits for the Zoom Loom, too, for making little stuffed creatures out of woven squares.

Keep your eye on the blog for a closer look at the Zoom Loom and the Cricket Loom in the coming weeks. Come by the shop to see our new little weaving section, and get started weaving with one of these simple looms. Already a weaver? Tell us more about your craft: what products you’d most like to see on our shelves, what yarns you love to work with, what books you’d recommend. We’re happy to special order anything in the Schacht catalog, as well–let us know what you’re looking for. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: scarves, cowls, and colorwork.

Posted by Julia on January 5, 2014

Speaking of show-and-tell: knowing how much we love to see projects made in HYS yarns, so many of you have brought impressive finished pieces by the shop this past month or so. We’ve seen knit sweaters, scarves, and hats, crocheted cowls and shawls, fingerless mitts, stuffed bunnies, and more, many of which were thoughtfully crafted as gifts for friends and family. As usual, I wish I could photograph them all; here are some of the projects you’ve shared with us lately.

Victoria wove this scarf for her son using three different yarns: the fingering weight Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine and Colinette Jitterbug, and the dk weight Sandnes Garn Alpakka. I love the bold color combination and the herringbone pattern.

If you’ve come by the shop lately to see our newest yarns, we’ve likely ushered you into the lace weight corner to admire the Shibui yarns. Where once you’d find my Mix No. 23 cowl hanging near the Shibui patterns, now you’ll find Amy’s, made up in the delightful Shibui Cima. Amy is now teaching a class at the shop on this double-knit cowl, so I’m hoping to see even more Mix No. 23’s in the coming months. (Intrigued by Shibui? There are still a few open spaces in our upcoming Shibui Mix Party—sign up and join us!)

Mary made this “Drop Stitch Cowl” in no time, using 3 balls of the super soft, super bulky Katia Fabula. I always love to see how drop stitch patterns change the way colors fall in variegated yarns, and this cowl is no exception. Mary reports that Fabula became even softer and more pliable after a Eucalan soak. The pattern is available as a free download on Ravelry, and would also look great in Malabrigo Mecha or Mountain Fusion Teton, among others.

Anne recently knit a cowl, too, one which she has worn every day since completing it. And no wonder: it’s made with one skein of the luxurious Fibre Company Canopy Worsted, a blend of alpaca, merino, and bamboo. The pattern is “Cumberland,” available for purchase at the shop as a Ravelry In-Store Pattern Sale. Come by the shop to pick up a skein of Canopy Worsted for your own Cumberland Cowl, and you’ll likely find Anne wearing hers.

Anne has also been hard at work making colorwork vests in preparation for her upcoming Intro. to Fair Isle class. The class project is Onslow’s Vest, a free pattern for a tiny vest, fit for a doll or stuffed bear. Thinking of her grandchildren, Anne substituted the bulky Cascade Eco+, with larger needles to match, and came out with the following.

Of course, with one little girl vest behind her, Anne has begun the first of two little boy vests for her twin grandsons. For those, she’s chosen the soft and springy Swans Island Organic Washable DK–a lighter weight fabric will better serve her boys in these Southern climes.

Thanks again for sharing your projects with us! We so love seeing what you create with yarns from the Hillsborough Yarn Shop.

Show and tell.

Posted by Julia on November 6, 2012

Katherine came into the shop a few weeks ago with this beautiful bit of show and tell: a fair isle hat made with her fingering weight leftovers in Isager and String Theory yarns. This is her first attempt at stranded colorwork, a pattern called Edith the Hat. I’m impressed, not only with the color knitting technique, but also with this good use of leftovers. Let not a single precious yard of Alpaca 2 go to waste!

Another knitter brought a recently-completed sweater to show off, made with the last skeins of Berroco Jasper that were left in our sale trunk. There wasn’t enough in one self-striping colorway to make a whole sweater, so she carefully placed two agreeable colorways in different parts of one sweater to a delightful colorblock effect. Resourceful, no?

Victoria treated us to some woven show and tell this past week. Take a look at this incredible scarf, made in Louisa Harding Grace Silk & Wool and Lana Grossa Chiara. We see far more knitting and crocheting than weaving at the shop, so this was particularly exciting. Woven fabric and knitted fabric are so different from one another, and it was great to see how familiar yarns behaved in this unfamiliar-to-me technique. I can’t wait to see the next piece off her loom!

Thanks to all who bring their completed works to the shop to share with us! I look forward to bringing more of it to the blog soon.