Hello, Berroco Maya.

Posted by Julia on April 29, 2013

Recently a knitter came into the shop with a conundrum. “I want to make something summery,” she said,”but I love working with wool.” How well I relate; there is nothing like the feel of stretchy, springy, bouncy wool yarn in the hand. Plant fibers, by nature, lack elasticity, but they don’t have to stay that way. The way they’re spun and plied into yarn has a major impact on the fabric they create as well as the experience of working with them.

Maya, a new yarn from Berroco, answers this conundrum by adding a bit of alpaca to a cotton base and constructing a chainette with those fibers. A chainette yarn is basically a knitted tube, and the inherent stretchiness of knitted fabric transforms that mostly-cotton fiber into smooth and stretchy yarn. It also creates a loftier yarn than plant fibers usually offer, much lighter in weight than we might normally expect from a worsted weight cotton yarn.

Before we placed our order, Anne acquired a sample skein of Berroco Maya for us to swatch and we were both impressed.

Anne began on a US size 6 needle, feeling that the suggested US #8 would make a floppy, loose fabric. She passed it on to me and I worked up to #7, and #8, and indeed, I preferred the denser fabric created by the #6. “Let’s block it,” Anne wisely suggested, and we were so glad we did. When the Maya swatch had a chance to bathe in lukewarm water and dry flat, it transformed, creating a much more cohesive fabric. We got a gauge of 5 stitches to the inch on the #8, exactly as the ballband had suggested.

What to make with Berroco Maya? The design team at Berroco has come up with a nice little collection of accessories and warm-weather garments that take advantage of Maya’s loftiness and drape.

Look for Berroco Maya and the Berroco Maya pattern booklet next time you’re seeking a summery, yet stretchy knit. See you at the shop!

Back in stock: Malabrigo Rios.

Posted by Julia on April 14, 2013

We’ve been lucky this week: not one, but two boxes came to us from Malabrigo! On Friday I shared the contents of the first box, and today, I’ll share the second, which contained bag after bag of Rios.

Rios is Malabrigo’s worsted weight, superwash merino wool. It seems to be always in demand, whether for hats, sweaters, shawls, or blankets. It’s soft, beautifully hand-dyed, easy to care for, and well-priced for its 210 yard skeins. All of those qualities make it somewhat irresistible; come by to see it in person and see if you’re not tempted.

We’re especially happy to have the Azul Profundo colorway back in stock–the one I used to make Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Chambered Nautilus Tam, a sample that hangs out in the Rios cubby.

This cleverly-constructed hat is always attracting attention, for the gorgeous semisolid color as much as for the design.

Look for Malabrigo Rios in the worsted weight section next time you’re in the shop, and remember it when you’re seeking soft, washable wool. See you at the shop!

Back in stock: Yarn Hollow Photograph.

Posted by Julia on April 10, 2013

In mid-February, we announced the arrival of a new yarn, Yarn Hollow Photograph. We’d paired up the colors and packed them up into kits to make Range Wraps. By the end of the month, our Yarn Hollow stock had dwindled to a handful of lonesome, beautiful skeins. We reordered Photograph as soon as we realized what a hit the yarn was, but because it’s carefully hand-dyed by a team of three at Yarn Hollow in Michigan, it wasn’t ready for us until this past week. Anne and I were so excited to open the box from Yarn Hollow, and its contents did not disappoint.

Photograph is a worsted weight yarn made of 100% wool from Bluefaced Leicester sheep, a breed that’s British in origin. Bluefaced Leicester wool is known for its long fibers, which make for sturdy, lustrous yarn with a bit of a fuzzy halo. Photograph shows off its beautiful drape on the Range Wrap, which begs to be tried on, not only so the fabric can be touched and admired, but so the wearer can experiment with different ways to wear this highly flexible garment.

This time around, we skipped the kits, and we’re offering the yarn and pattern separately so that Range Wraps and other garments can be created in any color combination that suits you.

As you’re looking for other patterns for Photograph, take a peek in the Swans Island pattern binder and look for patterns calling for Swans Island Organic Merino Worsted. There are so many wonderful ways to use Yarn Hollow Photograph, from smaller accessories like hats and mitts to cowls, shawls, and sweaters. Come by the shop to see all the new colors, and to contemplate all that your needles or hooks could do with a skein of Photograph.

Hello, Yarn Hollow.

Posted by Julia on February 15, 2013

We are delighted to announce that we now carry Photograph, a yarn from Yarn Hollow.

Yarn Hollow is a yarn company that has grown from one dyer in her garage to a three-person hand-dyeing operation out of Grandville, Michigan. Yarn Hollow has a variety of yarn bases and a palette of colorways that can be applied to any base yarn. Back in June, at TNNA, we got a kit for the Range Wrap featuring Yarn Hollow’s Photograph, a worsted weight yarn made of 100% bluefaced leicester wool. Initially, it was the Jul closures used to fasten the Range wrap that caught our eye. Then we got our hands on the yarn, and it was clear that Photograph had to have a home at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. The bluefaced leicester drapes beautifully, but maintains a good deal of springiness, with some fuzziness and lustre to boot.

The Range Wrap is an asymmetrical shawl of sorts, made of two triangles that meet at a point, making a shape almost like a pair of wings. It’s simple to knit, and can be worn in a variety of ways with the help of Jul’s French Curve closures or Floral Pedestal Button closures.

We now have Range Wrap kits in four colorways (the colorway of our sample, and the three shown below), each of which comes with the pattern and an HYS zip case. We left the closures out of the kit so you could choose your own, and we also got a few extra patterns in case you want to pick different colors or yarn for your Range Wrap.

We also got three colors of Photograph in greater quantities outside the kits, for those of you who want to use this yarn in other projects, like accessories or sweaters.

Come by the shop to see Yarn Hollow’s Photograph, and to admire and try on the Range Wrap. We hope you love this yarn as much as we do!

Hello again, Brown Sheep.

Posted by Julia on February 9, 2013

Many of you are already familiar with Brown Sheep, a yarn company out of Mitchell, Nebraska. For some years now, we’ve stocked their Lamb’s Pride yarn in Worsted and Bulky weights, along with Cotton Fleece, Serendipity Tweed, Wildfoote Luxury Sock, Top of the Lamb Sport, and Nature Spun Sport.

Since 1980, this family business has been producing yarns right here in the U.S., doing most of the process in Nebraska, save for the scouring, carding, and combing, which takes place in South Carolina. A couple of years ago, they redesigned their yarn production so that 70-90% of their daily waste water is reused. Their products have always been a good value, and their practices are admirable, too. Over the holidays, our supply of Lamb’s Pride Bulky had grown low enough that a reorder was necessary. Since we were already ordering, we went ahead and filled up on Lamb’s Pride Worsted, too, and even selected a brand new Brown Sheep yarn for the shop: Lamb’s Pride Superwash Sport.

Soft, machine-washable, and available in plenty of solid colors, Lamb’s Pride Superwash Sport was calling our name. It should be perfect for baby things and accessories that are likely to get a lot of wear, like hats, mittens, and socks. Looking over the colors as I unpacked the box, they said to me: colorwork. These bold colors just beg to be combined in high contrast stranded color patterns.

The Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride yarns are a staple for many knitters and crocheters: fuzzy yet sturdy, quite suitable for felting projects, and available in a wide range of vivid colors.

Lamb’s Pride Worsted knits up at about 4.5 or 5 stitches per inch, while Lamb’s Pride Bulky knits up rather more quickly at 3 stitches per inch, and both are comprised of 85% wool and 15% mohair. They are both single ply yarns, which, combined with the mohair content, makes for soft yarn with a bit of a wooly halo.

Come by the shop to see these refilled cubbies of Brown Sheep yarns, and remember Lamb’s Pride Worsted, Bulky, and Superwash Sport when planning your next project. See you there!

Lava Flow Cowl.

Posted by Julia on January 30, 2013

A new sample is decorating our walls: here’s a Lava Flow Cowl.

This Lava Flow Cowl was made by Amy, who’s teaching an upcoming class on the subject. It’s full of interesting techniques, like a provisional cast-on, reversible cables, and kitchener stitch in a ribbed pattern. If these techniques are new to you, consider taking the class and reap the benefits of Amy’s guidance, as well as the camaraderie of other knitters. The pattern is available as a free download from Ravelry, and is a perfect garment to showcase a special yarn in a dk or light worsted weight. Amy’s sample is made in Mirasol K’acha, a light worsted weight blend of merino wool, alpaca, and silk.

Come by the shop to try it on for size, and see if you’d like to make one yourself!

From Plymouth.

Posted by Julia on January 6, 2013

A very large box arrived this week from Plymouth, the company that brings us a wide range of yarns from the classic 100% wool Galway to the fluffy Baby Alpaca Grande to self-striping yarns in a variety of fibers. This particular box contained a little bit of everything: a new sample sweater made up in Galway, a couple of bags of Mushishi, some patterns, and a new yarn: Adriafil Knitcol.

Knitcol is a self-patterning superwash merino in worsted weight, perfect for socks, accessories, and baby things. Anne is soon to start a pair of thick socks for her husband in Knitcol; they’re sure to be cozy and handsome in the brown and gray colorway. We were also lent a sample headband made in Knitcol–Calorimetry, a free pattern from Knitty.

We’re always happy to see new uses for Galway, a soft and sturdy standby of a yarn. We’ve seen it used in sweaters, neckwarmers, hats, and countless felting projects. This cropped, short-sleeved cardigan is another great use for Galway; what have you used it for?

Above, you’ll see Mushishi, looking happier with three new colors in its cubby. This self-striping blend of wool and silk comes in huge skeins of almost 500 yards, which can go a long way in worsted weight. One skein of the stuff could grow up to be two scarves or cowls, a small shawl, or at least two hats. Come by the shop to see Mushishi, Knitcol, our newest Galway sample, and the rest of the Plymouth gang. See you there!

Ewe Ewe Trunk Show.

Posted by Julia on November 2, 2012

We’re delighted to share our latest Trunk Show with you: a bundle of garments made up in Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted Washable.

We’re not short on worsted weight, washable wools at the shop, but this one in particular has become a Hillsborough Yarn Shop favorite for accessories and baby things in rich solid colors.

It’s incredibly soft, obedient on the needles, and comes with plenty of pattern support. Along with the Ewe Ewe Trunk Show, we got lots of Ewe Ewe patterns in, and extra yarn in every available color.

Come by the shop to see, touch, and try on this collection of hats, cowls, sweaters, mitts, and baby things, and to plan your next project in Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted Washable!

New colors in Berroco Ultra Alpaca.

Posted by Julia on October 29, 2012

Have you had the pleasure of working with Berroco Ultra Alpaca? It’s a soft and sturdy blend of wool and alpaca in a worsted weight, with a suggested gauge of 5 stitches per inch. This 50%/50% combination of animal fibers gives Ultra Alpaca the structure and elasticity of wool along with the drape, halo, and softness of alpaca. It comes in reasonably-priced, 100 gram hanks with 219 yards each; enough yarn to make a small scarf, a hat, or a pair of mittens.

Berroco offers plenty of free pattern support for Ultra Alpaca on their website, and the options open up completely when you think of all the patterns out there calling for worsted weight yarn. Ravelry currently lists over 71,000 patterns for worsted weight yarn–more than any other weight. Any of those that lend themselves to cozy, fuzzy yarns could be happily completed in Ultra Alpaca, whose smooth texture makes it just as obedient in cables and lace as in garter stitch or colorwork.

We recently replenished our supply of Ultra Alpaca, restocking colors we were low on, and adding a few new colors, too.

Come by the shop to take a look, and consider Ultra Alpaca next time you come across a tempting pattern that wants about 5 stitches per inch.

New colors in Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted!

Posted by Julia on September 22, 2012

When we first discovered Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted in May, this smooth, soft, washable merino yarn came in just seven colors. We’re happy to announce that we’ve just received a shipment from Ewe Ewe containing five new colors for fall!

There are now 12 gorgeous colors to choose from, some bold, some soft, some bright, and some neutral. I couldn’t help but think of more color combinations for the Boston Whaler Baby Hat, a quick colorwork project that has become a favorite at the shop.

Anne has taught three classes on this hat so far, and we’ve sold out of the pattern over and over again. We’re happy to have the pattern back in stock and to have so many more color choices in the yarn. Come by the shop to take a look and plan your next project with Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted!