Tag Archives: wool

Hello, Paca-Peds H-T.

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This past Thursday, we received a box full of Paca-Peds H-T, an alpaca-blend sock yarn with an unusual feature.

Each soft and fuzzy hank of this yarn is actually two hanks, the larger of which is variegated, and the smaller of which is a complimentary semi-solid. Why? The answer is hidden in the title of the yarn: H-T stands for Heels and Toes, which is precisely what that semi-solid hank is set aside for. Look on Ravelry for examples of socks knit this way, as well as shawls that use the heels-and-toes yarn for an edging.

Come by the shop to give this soft, squishy sock yarn a squeeze!

Hello (and welcome back), Malabrigo Sock.

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It’s been a long wait, but at last, our shipment of the ever-popular and often asked-after Malabrigo Sock yarn has arrived. We’d gotten down to one lonesome skein of the stuff!

As of yesterday morning, that sad last skein was once again surrounded by friends.

The Malabrigo Sock yarn is a fingering weight superwash merino wool, coming in 27 variegated or semisolid colorways. Like other yarns by Malabrigo, the Sock is sought after not only for its beautiful colors, but also its incredible softness. At the shop, we have a Clapotis on display made in Malabrigo Sock (apparently a popular choice for this extremely popular pattern), an excellent way to show the yarn off.

Of course, I couldn’t leave without a skein for myself. Socks are the plan. I can’t wait to cast on.

If you’ve never tried this yarn before, come by the shop to try on the Clapotis, look at all the beautiful colors (while they’re still in stock!), and consider it. If you’re one of the many who has called or come in looking for it, I expect to see you at the shop shortly after you see this post, ready to grab a skein or two off the shelves!

Katia Fabula. Again.

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 Katia Fabula, a super bulky, superwash, super-soft merino wool, has been a popular choice for hat-making (not least because our Fabula sample is, ahem, a hat). It’s thickness, softness, and washability all conspire to make this a quick, cozy, easy-care yarn for accessories. A common question from knitters, though, has been, “Are these all the colors?” Since it was a new yarn for us, we’d selected only three colors to carry at the shop: a blend of neutral colors, a reddish purple, and a pinkish purple. Now that Fabula has been successful, when it was time to reorder, we picked a new color to add to our collection: blues.

I think it rounds out our small color selection nicely. Unfortunately, we just don’t have enough room to stock every color it comes in, but it’s nice to add a new color every once in a while. Next time you’re looking to make a quick cold-weather accessory, remember Fabula!

Hello, Sulka. Hello, K’acha.

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From time to time, our yarn displays need what we call “fluffing.” We pull the skeins down from their cubby, or out of their basket, and commence fluffing: we rewind loose skeins, make sure all colors are represented, and then stack them up in a pretty spectrum, that they might look their very best. I was doing just this when I rediscovered a pair of Mirasol yarns that looked so lovely, I thought I ought to direct some attention their way.


Sulka and K’acha are alike in fiber content, but different in weight. Because they are both single ply yarns made of merino wool, alpaca, and silk, they share neighboring nooks on the brown bookshelf in the corner. Sulka, the bulky weight one, takes the left half of these little cubbies, and K’acha, the dk weight one, takes the right.

I was poking around on Ravelry, seeing what folks were making with these yarns, and I saw all kinds of projects: sweaters for women, men, and children, scarves, shawls, hats, mittens, and cowls. To me, this is a perfect yarn for special accessories. The looseness of the single ply in this yarn makes for something exquisitely soft, but more likely to pill and shed than some other yarns. Sulka and K’acha may not be for everyday wear, but for a cowl or shawl, something soft to wear right around your neck on a special occasion, these luxurious yarns are the perfect choice. Particularly since they, like all our yarns, are 15% off during the month of July. Think about it!

Hello, Bearfoot.

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Mountain Colors Bearfoot: here is a loveable sock yarn. It’s not a new arrival; rather, we’ve had it at the shop for quite some time. However, having recently reorganized the sock yarn display, I’ve only recently come to admire its depth of color and its unusual fiber content. Bearfoot is easily our only sock yarn with mohair.

Mohair socks may sound almost torturous in mid-July, but I’m betting that later in the year, they’ll sound cozy and comforting. Til then, perhaps Bearfoot wants to be a shawl. Come and admire these jewel-toned skeins at the shop!

Marion Foale. Again.

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I wrote before about the Marion Foale 3-ply wool. Since then, several things have happened to increase our love for this yarn, as well as our supply of it. For one, the striped top I was dreaming up is now on the needles. The yarn is a dream to knit with, and creates a fabric so light, stretchy, and wearable that it is impossible to stop planning the next thing I’ll make with it. And the next. And the next… Then we got the colorcard in the mail. Our little basket of Marion Foale 3-ply paled in comparison to the full spectrum of available colors. So what did we do about it?

Just as you likely suspected: we got a bag of every color. Come by to see the full spectrum!

Hello, Jitterbug.

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While we’re speaking reverently of sock yarn, I’d like to introduce you to Colinette Jitterbug.

Jitterbug is a fingering-weight superwash merino yarn with a tight twist and a bright range of variegated colorways. It’s been a favorite at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop for socks and garments alike. Anne used Jitterbug to make a simple stockinette vest several years ago, and the yarn really shines. Another knitter we know is working on an elaborate intarsia cardigan using Jitterbug, another perfect use for the yarn. I’ve seen several Jitterbug hats, too. So many ways to use fingering-weight yarn besides socks!

Our only complaint about Jitterbug thusfar has been that its yardage is a little short for socks, weighing in at a mere 320 yards. However, that problem has been attended to. Our most recent shipment of Jitterbug came in new 400 yard skeins, with a price increase of only ten cents per skein. Something to celebrate, no?

Come by the shop to see these colors in person, as their depth and intensity are not quite captured by my camera. See you at the shop!

Hello, Koigu.

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Sock yarn can be addictive. “Remember,” Anne sometimes says, “sock yarn doesn’t count as stash.” This makes it particularly, and perhaps even dangerously addictive. While many sock yarns are wonderful, there are some that are spoken of with reverence, names that you come into a shop looking for, rather than happen upon accidentally. Koigu is one of those.

Our own stash of Koigu lives in a little basket on the floor with many of the other sock yarns, beaming up at you as you wander past. The yarn has been here for some time now, but something new came in the mail this week and got us thinking about other uses for Koigu beyond socks.

The first-ever issue of Koigu Magazine is here, and it’s full of garments. Sweaters, shawls, skirts, dresses, hats and mittens. This is a great source for patterns using fingering-weight yarn that look beyond socks.

Look for it on the teacart!