Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport!

Posted by Julia on April 10, 2024

We’re pleased to present the latest from Brooklyn Tweed: meet Imbue Sport!

Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport:

sport weight
worsted spun, 3ply
heathered colors
100% merino wool
190 yards/50g
$18.50 each

Just like Imbue Worsted before it, Imbue Sport’s heathered shades are made by blending brilliantly dyed hues of unspun wool, like an artist mixing paints. When spun, these bright solid colors mingle into richly heathered shades that are harmonious across the entire palette – ideal for stripes and colorwork!

What to knit with Imbue Sport? Here are some ideas!

“Grist Hat,” by Jared Flood – textured hat
“Grist Pullover,” by Jared Flood – textured pullover
“DRK Everyday Sweater,” by Andrea Mowry – top-down circular yoke pullover
“Meissa Pullover,” by Amy Christoffers – textured pullover with star motif
“Autumn Alpine,” by Caitlin Hunter – 2-color top-down colorwork yoke pullover
“SAWA,” by Olga Buraya-Kefelian – 3-color slip stitch triangular shawl
“Artus,” by Natasja Hornby – 5-color mosaic triangular shawl

Look for Imbue Sport here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, along with other Brooklyn Tweed yarns! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Back in stock: Isager Merilin.

Posted by Julia on April 2, 2024

We’re pleased to have Isager Merilin back in stock, with more colors than ever!

Isager Merilin:

fingering weight
80% wool, 20% linen
228 yards/50 g
$11 each

We’re always on the lookout for plant and animal fiber blends, since they offer the best of both worlds: elasticity and drape, structure and coolness.

Merilin blends merino wool and linen, fibers that take the dye differently, giving the yarn a heathered quality more pronounced in the darker shades.

Years ago, I knit this little swatch showing Merilin on a range of needle sizes, but I have my eye on a bigger project as soon as time allows – a narrower version of Theresa Gaffey’s now-classic “stole.” I can’t wait to pick out colors!

Til then, what else to make with Merilin? Here are a few ideas…

“Moon Set Tee,” by Ozetta – drop shoulder v-neck tee
“Dingley Dell,” by Isabell Kraemer – two color striped v-neck tee
“Outline Tee,” by Jessie Maed – cropped tee with drop-stitch detail
“Outline Tank,” by Jessie Maed – cropped tank with drop-stitch detail
“Camisole No. 5,” by My Favorite Things – ribbed tank
“Simple Stripes,” by SuviKnits – five color striped pullover
“Ribbed Jumper,” by Anne Ventzel – broken rib raglan pullover, holding Merilin + Isager Silk Mohair together throughout

Look for Merilin in the fingering weight section here at the shop, where you may well find your next project. See you there!

Back in stock: NFC Organic Studio Worsted!

Posted by Julia on March 12, 2024

Delighted to have a fresh supply of Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Worsted!

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Organic Studio Worsted:

worsted weight
hand-dyed
machine washable
100% organic merino wool
200 yds/4 oz
$34 each

What to knit with Organic Studio Worsted? Easy care worsted weight wools are some of the most versatile yarns we know of, here are a few pattern ideas…

“Bankhead,” by Susie Gourlay – ribbed hat, 1 skein
“Barley,” by Tin Can Knits – stockinette and garter stitch hat, 1 skein
“Maize,” by Tin Can Knits – textured fingerless mitts/mittens, 1 skein
“Nightshift,” by Andrea Mowry – mosaic shawl, 6 skeins
“in threes: a baby cardigan,” by Kelly Herdich – short-sleeved baby cardigan, 2 skeins
“Honey Cowl,” by Antonia Shankland – textured cowl, 2 skeins
“Autopilot,” by Dominique Trad – mesh cowl, 2 skeins

Here’s Anne’s “Autopilot,” knit with Organic Studio Worsted in Amy Sherald, a lavender speckled with cobalt blue. Look for it here at the shop, and feel free to try it on!

Come by the shop to see NFC Organic Studio Worsted for yourself. We’re open from 11am-5:30pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays; masks required for entry. Hope to see you soon!

Back in stock: CoopKnits Socks Yeah!

Posted by Julia on March 5, 2024

Not long ago, we restocked CoopKnits Socks Yeah!, expanding the palette of that lovely yarn with colors old and new.

CoopKnits Socks Yeah:

fingering weight
75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon
231 yards/50g
$11.60 each

Developed by avid sock-designer Rachel Coopey, CoopKnits Socks Yeah! is a hard-wearing, machine-washable sock yarn that comes in solid and heathered shades.

Seeking sock inspiration? We happen to have a fresh supply of Ready Set Socks, Coopey’s collaboration with Pom Pom Press. The patterns in Ready Set Socks are written for both fingering and DK weights, and are beautiful in their simplicity. This makes them a blank slate for modifications – the section on “Variations, Tutorials + Adjustments” will see you through different heels, cuffs, decreases, yarn and color choices, and more.

Remember CoopKnits Socks Yeah! when your fingering weight project requires sharp stitch definition and durability. You’ll find it in the fingering weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, in a little basket bursting with color. See you there!

Back in stock: Fibre Co. Cumbria Worsted.

Posted by Julia on February 16, 2024

Pleased to report that our Fibre Co. Cumbria Worsted cubby is full again!

Fibre Co. Cumbria:

worsted weight
60% merino wool, 30% masham wool, 10% mohair
236 yards/100 g
$22 each

Cumbria is a soft and sturdy worsted weight yarn, composed of soft white merino blended with the dark gray masham and a bit of mohair. This fiber combination creates a natural heathered base color over which all the other colorways are dyed.

I used 2 skeins of Cumbria Worsted to make the scarf pictured below, “Rockcliffe,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn. It’s been hanging at our shop for years now, but still gets attention due to its classic look and engaging gansey pattern.

How else to use Cumbria Worsted? Here are some ideas!

Accessories:

“Seathwaite,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn – cabled hat
“February Hat,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn – textured hat (check out the full Kelbourne Woolens Year of Hats for more free pattern ideas, any of these would be lovely in Cumbria Worsted!)
“Dubwath,” by Inese Sang – cabled cowl
“Elfriede,” by Shannon Cook – lace and texture shawl
“Guernsey Wrap,” by Jared Flood – textured wrap
“Sophie Shawl,” by PetiteKnit – garter stitch shawl with I-cord edging

Garments:

“Willow Branch,” by Tif Neilan – lace yoke pullover
“Humulus,” by Isabell Kraemer – colorwork yoke pullover
“Dustland Sweater,” by Stephen West – textured pullover
“Billie pullover,” by Sari Nordlund – cabled pullover
“Zakkuri Cardigan,” by Noriko Ichikawa – raglan cardigan
“Smoked Orange Cardigan,” by Thea Colman – cabled cardigan
“Lulu Slipover,” by PetiteKnit – turtleneck vest buttoned at sides

Look for Fibre Co. Cumbria Worsted here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

Hello, High Rock Alpaca!

Posted by Julia on January 26, 2024

We are thrilled to introduce a new local yarn to our shop – meet High Rock Alpaca, from our friends Debbie and Jane!

Using alpaca fleece sourced in nearby Efland, NC, these luscious skeins are a mix of undyed ($30) and hand-dyed ($36), fingering and light fingering weights. There’s a bit of silk and merino wool mixed into the alpaca, adding softness and shine.

Each skein has about 200 yards, perfect for a small, special accessory – think “Scarf No. 3,” by My Favorite Things, or “Spiralucious,” by Anne Hanson. We have a couple of swatches in the basket so you can see how the yarn knits up on its own, and held together with a fingering weight wool.

Supplies of this special yarn are limited, and color selection will vary from these photos. Look for the High Rock Alpaca basket on your next visit to our shop!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Pine Grosbeak.

Posted by Julia on January 23, 2024

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.

Koigu KPPPM:

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

Pine Grosbeak is a fun mix of pink and red, with little streaks of dark gray, cream, and orange – just like the bird it’s named for.

We have two samples at the shop made with Koigu KPPPM, Anne’s “Pressed Flowers Hat” and my “Sophie Scarf.”

Anne knit the “Pressed Flowers Hat” above with Koigu KPPPM and Neighborhood Fiber Co. Capital Luxury Sport, a soft and springy blend of merino, cashmere, and silk. Here are a few fresh color combinations for this project using Pine Grosbeak as the contrast color.

I knit my “Sophie Scarf” holding Koigu KPPPM together with Sandnes Garn Tynn Silk Mohair for a fuzzy blended effect. I can never resist pairing Koigu with mohair, so here are two more ideas!

Koigu looks great in a “Holden” shawl, like this one that Edie knit, featured on our recent show-and-tell post. You could even make a gradient “Holden,” matching Pine Grosbeak with four other Koigu Collector’s Club shades we have in stock.

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at our shop, along with many others! We’re here from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; masks required for entry.

“Shetland Solstice” in Kelbourne Woolens Camper.

Posted by Julia on January 19, 2024

Gudrun Johnston’s “Shetland Solstice” hat caught my eye when Simply Shetland released Gudrun’s Holiday Hat kits featuring Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift back in November.

I adore knitting with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, but toothy Shetland wool isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Luckily, any fingering weight wool can be used for Johnston’s pattern, and we have a nice, soft substitute in Kelbourne Woolens Camper. There aren’t quite as many colors in Camper as there are in Spindrift, but the palette is robust enough for some serious colorwork – below is a close approximation of Gudrun Johnston’s first “Shetland Solstice” colorway, shown in the hat pictured above.

I was pleased to approximate Johnston’s second “Shetland Solstice” colorway in Camper, too!

Camper is what I used to make my own “Shetland Solstice” hat for the shop, and I love the result: classic looking fair isle with a soft and cuddly feel.

We recently got a fresh supply of Camper along with a few new colors – here are some more “Shetland Solstice” color ideas I came up with.

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Camper and Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift in our fingering weight section here at the shop, and pet our knit samples to pick the perfect yarn for you!

Hello, Kelbourne Woolens Erin.

Posted by Julia on January 9, 2024

Brand new from Kelbourne Woolens: meet Erin!

Kelbourne Woolens Erin:

bulky weight
heathered
60% fine Irish wool, 40% New Zealand wool
158 yards/100 grams
$18 each

Erin is a bulky weight wool made in Donegal, Ireland, from a hearty blend of 60% fine Irish wool and 40% New Zealand wool. This rustic, toothy wool is ideal for making rugged sweaters and accessories.

So far, only one pattern has been published for Kelbourne Woolens Erin, a stunning cabled cardigan designed by KW cofounder Kate Gagnon Osborn, “Winter Sweater.”

The folks at Kelbourne Woolens are hard at work on a full pattern collection for Erin, and I’m predicting more classic cables – in the meantime, here are some other great ways to use Erin!

“The World’s Simplest Mittens,” by Tin Can Knits – basic stockinette mittens in multiple gauges; for Erin, follow the chunky weight instructions
“Speedy Spunni,” by Skeindeer Knits – colorwork mittens in 2 colors
“Timbo Vest,” by Gabriella Calderini – colorblock broken rib vest in 2 colors
“Grærup Chunky,” by Camila Vad – colorwork pullover in 2 or 6 colors
“Eventyr,” by Skeindeer Knits – colorwork pullover in 2 colors
“Wave of Change Pullover,” by Denise Bayron – stockinette pullover with purl ridge stripes
“Ursa,” by Jacqueline Cieslak – cropped pullover with ribbed detail
“Tähkä cardigan,” by Sari Nordlund – boxy stockinette cardigan

Look for Erin in the bulky weight section here at HYS, along with Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky!

“Static Mittens” in Sandnes Garn Double Sunday.

Posted by Julia on December 19, 2023

Knit a pair of “Static Mittens” with Sandnes Garn Double Sunday!

This eye catching pattern by Rows Knitwear uses both sides of the fabric to create a striped illusion pattern with stranded colorwork. They’re knit flat with DK weight yarn on US 6 needles, then seamed up the side to complete.

Bailey made this cozy pair as a sample for the shop, and chose a lovely combination of pale blush and cornflower blue in Sandnes Garn Double Sunday. We had fun picking other color combinations in this plush merino wool – here are a few to consider!

Look for Sandnes Garn Double Sunday in the DK weight here at HYS, along with many other suitable yarns for “Static Mittens” – think Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, Kelbourne Woolens Scout, and Fibre Co. Acadia. See you at the shop!