Tag Archives: worsted weight

Hello, Kelbourne Woolens Cozy!

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New yarn from Kelbourne Woolens is always cause for excitement. Founders Kate and Courtney focus on quality and affordability as they dream up new yarns, and make sure that each one fills a missing gap in their collection. Comfort and ease were the inspiration behind Cozy, a yarn they called “cashmere sweatpants” during the design process. 

Kelbourne Woolens Cozy:

  • worsted weight
  • 70% superwash merino wool, 30% easy wash® alpaca
  • 201 yards/100 grams
  • 19–21 sts = 4″ (10 cm)
  • US 5–7 (3.75–4.5 mm)
  • machine or hand wash cool, lay flat to dry

Cozy is low-maintenance, but luxuriously soft, made with a dreamy blend of fine superwash merino wool and sustainable Easy Wash® alpaca. That means it’s machine washable and soft as can be, making Cozy ideal for baby sweaters, blankets, and other accessories.

What to make with Cozy? Here are some ideas!

Look for Cozy here at HYS, along with many other Kelbourne Woolens yarns!

New colors from Ewe Ewe!

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We’re excited to have new colors from Ewe Ewe! Wooly Worsted and Baa Baa Bulky just got three new shades each.

Ewe Ewe Yarns is a one-woman operation owned by Heather Walpole. When she first created Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted back in 2012, she started small, with just 7 colors. We’ve loved watching the Ewe Ewe yarn selection grow over the years, and with it, the expanding color palette – these new additions bring it up to 28 colors!

Ewe Ewe specializes in soft and springy machine-washable merino wool yarns. Each one has its gauge or weight in its name, for easy yarn selection.

These 3 new shades are right at home among their cousins, and fill out the existing palette beautifully. Sunshine is the perfect bright yellow, Persimmon is an autumnal orangey red that sits between Red Poppy and Orange Peel, and Mocha bridges the gap between light Wheat and dark Chocolate.

What to make with Ewe Ewe yarns? We love all of them for baby and children’s things, cozy accessories, and blankets. Browse patterns on Ewe Ewe’s website – Heather has lots of fun designs available as free downloads!

“Softly Striped Baby Blanket”

Come by the shop to see and squeeze Ewe Ewe Yarns and plan your next project!

Hello, Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Brusca!

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We’re excited to have another yarn from Retrosaria Rosa Pomar here at HYS – meet Brusca!

Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Brusca:

  • worsted weight
  • 2 ply
  • woolen spun
  • 100% fine Portuguese wool (50% Saloia, 50% Merino Branco and Merino Preto)
  • 136 yards / 50 grams
  • gauge: 19-21 sts x 27-30 rows = 4 x 4 inches
  • needle size: US 6-8 (4-5mm)
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Retrosaria Rosa Pomar is a yarn company and haberdashery based in Lisbon, Portugal, known for its heritage Portuguese wool. Working in collaboration with small manufacturers, breeders associations, and shepherds, all Rosa Pomar yarns are non-superwash, not bleached, and have no silicone-based softeners. We love that their wool comes from free-range sheep, and that mulesing is not practiced in Portugal.

Brusca is a breed and flock specific yarn, composed of 50% Saloia and 50% Merino Branco and Merino Preto wool. Saloia is the native sheep breed to the region of Lisbon and Setúbal. It is well documented since the 19th century, famous for having some of the finest wool in Portugal. This wool shines in Brusca, which has a rustic 2ply texture and a soft, springy hand. Expect to find occasional (and easily removed) bits of vegetation spun into the yarn, a reminder that Brusca is gently processed!

What to knit with Brusca?

Look for Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Brusca in the worsted weight section here at HYS!

Malabrigo Seis Cabos KAL.

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We’re delighted to have a few new colors in Malabrigo Seis Cabos, just in time for Malabrigo’s upcoming KAL!

This Malabrigo KAL features “Barnstable,” by Lisa Hannes, a shawl that mixes contrasting colors in a beginner-friendly mosaic pattern.

Because the mosaic motif relies on color contrast to shine, we recommend pairing high-contrast shades to really make the pattern pop. The shawl is shown here in Vicenial and Natural, a bold mix of variegated and solid shades.

Here are a few more “Barnstable” color ideas!

Want to join the Malabrigo KAL, which starts on September 1? Head to their blog to sign up, and come by our shop to pick out your yarn. You’ll need 2 skeins of Seis Cabos in your main color and 1 skein in your contrast color.

Look for Seis Cabos and other Malabrigo yarns here at HYS – we can’t wait to see your shawls take shape when the Knit-Along begins next month!

Hello, Harrisville Designs Highland!

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There’s something new and exciting in the worsted weight section, where Brooklyn Tweed Shelter used to live – meet Highland, from Harrisville Designs!

Highland is a quintessential New England yarn from Harrisville Designs, the very same mill that used to spin Brooklyn Tweed yarns. They’ve been spinning their own lovely yarns all along, so we knew just where to look for quality woolen spun yarn.

Photo © Harrisville Designs

For over 50 years, Harrisville Designs has been spinning 100% wool yarn in Harrisville, New Hampshire, a small village with a long and rich history of textile production.

Woolen spun yet tightly plied, Highland is lofty and sturdy, a classic yarn for sweaters and accessories alike. Available in a saturated palette of 64 tweedy, heathered colors, Highland shines in cables and texture patterns, colorwork, and simple stockinette.

Harrisville Designs Highland:

  • worsted weight
  • 2-ply, woolen spun
  • 100% wool
  • 200 yards / 100 grams (3.5 oz.)
  • needle size: US 5 – 8 (3.75 – 5mm)
  • gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

I’m especially excited about Highland, having swatched it up as soon as it landed here at HYS – it has all the qualities I love in a woolen spun yarn, but feels sturdier than others I’ve worked with, with a little more bounce. While I dream up a sweater for myself, here are some patterns well suited to Highland!

Accessories:

Garments:

Look for Harrisville Designs Highland in the worsted weight section here at HYS!

Hello, Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Mungo!

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We are so excited to carry yarn from Retrosaria Rosa Pomar, a yarn company and haberdashery known for its heritage Portuguese wool. We’ve had Mondim and Vovó on our shelves for a few months, and already they’ve become favorites – we couldn’t wait to bring in another Retrosaria Rosa Pomar yarn. Meet Mungo!

Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Mungo:

  • worsted weight
  • 4ply
  • 50% recycled wool and 50% recycled cotton
  • 240 yards/100 grams
  • gauge: 19 stitches = 4 inches
  • needle size: US 6-8 (4-5 mm)
  • hand wash cold, lay flat to dry

Mungo is a recycled wool and cotton yarn, spun entirely from pre-consumer waste generated by Portuguese spinning mills. We appreciate this sustainable sourcing, and love the idea of making good use of fiber that would otherwise be thrown away.

This balanced blend of sturdy wool and cool cotton is ideal for spring sweaters and shawls – we can hardly wait to cast on with Mungo!

“Abbas,” by Rosa Pomar, photo © Rosa Pomar

What to make with Mungo? Here are some pattern ideas in a single color…

“Aveiro,” by Orlane Sucche, photo © Orlane Sucche

And some pattern ideas for combining colors!

“Super Simple Summer Sweater,” by Joji Locatelli, photo © Joji Locatelli

Look for Mungo in the worsted weight section here at HYS, and don’t miss Mondim and Vovó in the fingering and sport weight sections, respectively!

Hello, Malabrigo Seis Cabos!

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Brand new from one of our most loved yarn companies, Malabrigo – meet Seis Cabos!

Malabrigo Seis Cabos:

  • worsted weight
  • 6-ply
  • hand-dyed, every skein is unique; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in a larger project
  • 100% merino wool
  • 220 yards/100 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Malabrigo Seis Cabos is a soft and smooth non-superwash merino, hand-dyed in small batches. Meaning “six plies” in Spanish, Seis Cabos is meticulously crafted by tightly twisting each one of its six plies. This brings greater strength and resilience to the yarn, sharp stitch definition and lovely drape to the finished project.

Malabrigo is well known for their vibrant variegated colorways, and Anne made sure our Seis Cabos basket was full of them. Spotting the similarities in fiber content and gauge between Seis Cabos and Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted, she ordered colors that pair well with BT’s heathered shades.

What to make with these color combinations? Here are some ideas!

You’ll find Malabrigo Seis Cabos and Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and in our new online store!

Restocking Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, Loft, and Shelter.

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Brooklyn Tweed is back in stock! We’re ordering worsted spun Arbor and woolen-spun Loft and Shelter as fast as they can make them. Loft and Shelter’s well-loved heathered colorways have been particularly scarce over the past few years, but they’re back in production, with the help of Bollman Hat Co’s new stock-dyeing operation in Pennsylvania.

Brooklyn Tweed Arbor:

  • DK weight
  • 3-ply
  • worsted spun
  • 100% Targhee wool
  • 145 yards/50 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Arbor is known for its springy elasticity, soft hand, and stellar stitch definition.

Photo © thepetiteknitter

Thepetiteknitter’s “dandewishes” pullover (above) shows how well suited it is to colorwork, too! Also consider: Gudrun Johnston’s “Kirigami,” Andrea Mowry’s “Tincture,” Jared Flood’s “Guernsey Wrap.”

Brooklyn Tweed Loft:

  • fingering weight
  • 2-ply
  • woolen spun
  • 100% Targhee-Columbia wool
  • 275 yards/50 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Loft is named for one of its best qualities, which is to say, a unique bounce and airiness. Its woolen-spun, 2ply construction gives it a traditionally handcrafted appearance, ideal for lightweight garments and accessories, lace, and nuanced colorwork.

Photo © Isabell Kraemer

Isabell Kraemer’s “SSP (slip stitch party) shawl” is a fun way to play with Loft’s huge color palette. Also consider: Ankestrick’s “LENU,” Mary Weaver’s “Cosmea,” Caitlin Hunter’s “Birkin.”

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter:

  • worsted weight
  • 2-ply
  • woolen-spun
  • 100% Targhee-Columbia wool
  • 140 yards/50 grams
  • hand wash, lay flat to dry

Shelter is Brooklyn Tweed’s first yarn, and one of the most well-loved – a worsted weight, woolen-spun Targhee-Columbia wool, sourced, dyed, and spun entirely in the USA.

Photo © Andrea Mowry

Andrea Mowry’s “The Weekender” is one of the most popular sweater patterns on Ravelry for good reason – as easy to knit as it is to wear, this cozy, oversized pullover shows off Shelter’s structure, loft, and beautiful heathered colors. Also consider: Joji Locatelli’s “Emery Vest and Pullover,” Jacqueline Cieslak’s “Chroma,” Jonna Helin’s “Nuuk.”

Look for these and other Brooklyn Tweed yarns here at HYS!

New colors in Brooklyn Tweed Imbue!

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We’re pleased to have three new colors in Brooklyn Tweed’s Imbue yarns!

The heathered shades of Imbue Sport and Imbue Worsted 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.

TAPESTRY: Velvet at midnight. Deep violet with a frosty shimmer of moonlight blue, sparked by bright candle flame.

AMARO: Sunset in Amalfi, a fiery red with bittersweet notes of rich wine, spicy citrus, and warm gold.

PEAT: Mist on the moors. Soft earthen brown with glimpses of shadowy blue pools amid rust-red grasses.

These new shades immediately got me thinking about our beloved Imbue shop samples – Bailey’s “SAWA” in Imbue Sport and Nancy’s “Baa-ble Hat” in Imbue Worsted. Here are a few fresh color combinations for each of these patterns!

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Imbue yarns in our sport and worsted weight sections, respectively, and check out Nancy’s upcoming “Baa-ble Hat” class if you’re looking to learn stranded colorwork!

Malabrigo Rios KAL.

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We’re delighted to have a fresh supply of Malabrigo Rios, just in time for Malabrigo’s upcoming KAL!

This Malabrigo KAL features the “Lehigh” shawl pattern by Melanie Berg, a talented designer known for her elegant and modern knitwear designs. “Lehigh” showcases the luxurious texture and vibrant colors of Rios.

Choose a high contrast color combination if the first image strikes your fancy – that really highlights the bud pattern in the secondary color. If the gentle color blending of the second image pleases you, pick two colors that are closer in value. Here are some color ideas!

I had way too much fun pairing colors for the Malabrigo Rios KAL – here are even more!

Want to join the Malabrigo KAL, which starts in September? Head to their blog to sign up, and come by our shop to pick out your yarn. You’ll need 4 skeins of Rios ($17 each) in your main color and 2 skeins of Rios in your contrast color.

Look for Rios and other Malabrigo yarns here at HYS – we can’t wait to see your shawls take shape when the Knit-Along begins next month!