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Noro Kureyon Sock.

(Psst! Did you notice the new Hillsborough Yarn Shop website? The HYS blog is now integrated into the site, meaning I'll no longer be updating at this blogspot address. Click here to see the blog in its new home and remember to update your Google Reader, or whatever RSS feed aggregator you use to keep up with the blog. And thank you, as always, for reading!)

I know I already mentioned Noro Kureyon Sock when I introduced Week 3 of the Going-to-Market sale. But this morning, as I pulled every skein of Kureyon Sock out from back-room storage to display our whole supply in one big basket, I thought a bullet-point on a list might not have been enough. After all, this yarn has its devoteees. 

I've seen many pairs of incredible socks made up in Kureyon Sock. Like most Noro yarns, Kureyon Sock is self-striping, making a simple vanilla sock exciting, and shining in entrelac and colorwork patterns. Kureyon Sock is also ideal for fine-gauge scarves, shawls, cowls, hats, and mitts. I haven't worked with it myself, but again and again, I hear that it softens and blooms after washing.

Come by the shop this week to snag a skein or two of Kureyon Sock at 25% off. At less than fifteen dollars a skein, it's a good time to stock up on a yarn you love or sample a yarn you've never tried. See you at the shop!

Just a reminder–all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!

Going-to-Market sale! Week 3.

Tomorrow marks the first day of our last week of Going-to-Market sales. Each week, we've featured a different yarn company and discounted select yarns by that company by 25%. This week, select yarns from four companies are on sale, meaning that there are a wide variety of discounted yarns to choose from.

Tuesday June 12th - Sunday June 17th: Select yarns by Ella Rae, Katia, Louisa Harding, and Noro are 25% off!

• Ella Rae Bamboo & Silk
• Ella Rae Classic Wool
• Katia Irish Tweed
• Louisa Harding Albero
• Louisa Harding Kashmir DK
• Louisa Harding Kimono Ribbon
• Louisa Harding Rosetti
• Noro Bonbori
• Noro Hotaru
• Noro Kureyon Sock
• Noro Maiko
• Noro Niji
• Noro Silk Mountain

Yes, there are plenty of choices here: self-striping fingering weight yarn, super-bulky tweed, boucle and other textured yarn, ribbon yarn, worsted weights in plant and animal fibers, yarns that are happy to be machine-washed and yarns that are happy to felt. Come by the shop this week to take advantage of these deep discounts, and to get your fiber fix before we close the shop to go to market! We'll be closed from Thursday June 21st to Sunday June 24th, opening again at our regular hours on Tuesday June 26th. See you at the shop!


Just a reminder–all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!

Berroco Touche.

Here's another Berroco yarn that we have on sale this week: Touche.

Touche is a machine-washable, worsted weight blend of cotton and rayon. It's soft and squishy, with a bit more elasticity than one usually expects from plant fibers, making it quite pleasant to knit with. It's softness and easy care make it perfect for baby things, like this simple baby hat. I made it with one skein of Touche this week, and it took only a few hours. The pattern is the Super Simple Hat Calculator, a free pattern that gives instructions for a variety of sizes and gauges. This means that whatever yarn you choose can successfully become a hat with the help of the Super Simple Hat Calculator. This means that we turn to the Super Simple Hat Calculator again and again and again.

Touche and many other Berroco yarns are 25% off until Sunday the 10th, which, as I write this, is tomorrow, so come by soon to shop Week 2 of our Going-to-Market sale! Many of these Berroco yarns were quite affordable to begin with, making them irresistibly inexpensive at 25% off. Between the free pattern and the sale yarn, you could be knitting this baby hat for less than four dollars. Irresistible, no? See you at the shop!

Just a reminder--all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!

Berroco Pure Pima.

Allow me to introduce you to one of the Berroco yarns we have on sale this week: Pure Pima.

Pure Pima is a dk weight cotton which comes in bright, solid colors, with 115 yards on each 50 gram ball. I've written here before about a lovely Norah Gaughan sweater we have at the shop made in Pure Pima, which beautifully illustrates its use in garments. Poking around on Ravelry, I found a cute free pattern from Knitty which calls for Pure Pima--a retro-styled sleeveless top called "Petrie." What else is a dk weight cotton good for? Baby sweaters, blankets and hats, of course, as well as lightweight shawls and scarves, market bags... and dishcloths.

Yes, I took home a few fistfulls of Pure Pima over the weekend and started knitting a kitchen towel, using the classic Ballband Dishcloth pattern with a few extra pattern repeats. It's a classic for a reason, as it turns out: free, easy to memorize, and pleasant to look at. I never thought I'd knit something that I planned to wipe my hands, dishes, and counters with, but there you have it: I'm knitting a kitchen towel and loving it.

Come by the shop to pick up some Pure Pima for your own burgeoning collection of handknit kitchenwares, or for any other project wanting dk weight cotton. Be sure to check out the other discounted Berroco yarns this week, too!


Just a reminder--all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!

KnitScene Accessories.

A special issue of KnitScene has arrived at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop.

KnitScene Accessories is filled to the brim with patterns for cowls, mitts, hats, socks, and shawls.

Several techniques are featured as well, and explained in a friendly way. If you've never done colorwork before, or worked a pattern with intentionally dropped stitches, there's enough information in these tutorials to get you through a project with these techniques.

In fact, a small project like a hat or a pair of fingerless mitts is the perfect place to learn a new technique. Short and sweet, then onto the next thing. Little projects with little challenges like these keep me motivated between (and sometimes during) bigger, more involved projects.

Come by the shop to take a closer look!

Going-to-Market sale! Week 2.

Our three-week Going-to-Market sale continues! This week, we're featuring select Berroco yarns at a 25% discount. 

Tuesday June 5th - Sunday June 10th: Select Berroco yarns are 25% off!

• Boho
• Cotton Twist
• Inca Gold
• Jasper
• Latitude
• Linen Jeans
• NaturLin
• Pure Merino
• Pure Pima
• Touche

Come by the shop between Tuesday June 5th and Sunday June 10th to get these Berroco yarns at a 25% discount. We'll have select Berroco pattern books at a discount, too. Most of these yarns are plant fibers, rather than animal fibers, so lovers of cotton, linen, and rayon will find some great deals for warm-weather knitting and crocheting. I've spent the last week knitting a few simple projects with these yarns, to give a sense of how they work up and what they're good for. More on that soon. See you at the shop!

Just a reminder--all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!

Debbie Bliss Stella.

Week 1 of our Going-to-Market sale is almost over, meaning that you have until 5 pm on Sunday, June 3rd, to get select Debbie Bliss yarns at 25% off! This is the time to buy your sweater's-worth of Fez, a few indulgent skeins of Pure Silk or Pure Cashmere, a stockpile of Pure Cotton for baby blankets or washcloths, or enough Cashmerino Aran to make fingerless mitts for everyone you know this winter.

With this in mind, may I present another of this week's discounted Debbie Bliss yarns: Stella.

Stella is an aran weight blend of silk, rayon, and cotton, which comes in bright solid colors. Stella is great for garments as well as accessories, especially for the animal-fiber-averse among us. It's wool-free but soft and squishy, so if someone you love has requested a scarf or hat but insisted that wool is too scratchy, Stella is a good substitute.

Inspired by a customer who stocked up on Pure Cotton for knitting kitchen towels this week, Anne used Stella to make a quick hot pad or trivet. Knit on smaller needles than recommended by the ball band, Stella makes a nice sturdy fabric.

Come by the shop to check out Debbie Bliss Stella, along with all the other discounted Debbie Bliss yarns and booklets. See you there!

Just a reminder--all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!

Noro Knitting Magazine.

The premiere issue of Noro Knitting Magazine has arrived at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop.

Inside, you'll find many, many projects that make good use of Noro yarns, which self-stripe in vibrant and often surprising color combinations. These patterns take advantage of those qualities to create all kinds of garments, from dresses, sweaters, and skirts to shawls, hats, and other accessories.

Despite the its title, Noro Knitting Magazine offers crochet patterns as well as knitting patterns.

Come by the shop to take a closer look at Noro yarns and Noro Knitting Magazine!

Debbie Bliss Fez.

Say hello to Fez, another of this week's discounted Debbie Bliss yarns.

Fez is an aran weight blend of merino wool and camel, which knits up at about 4.5 stitches per inch on US size 8 needles. While Anne knit a hat in Debbie Bliss Como, I picked a simple textured cowl from the Debbie Bliss Fez pattern booklet, and the color I always reach for first: gray.

I was delighted by this yarn, found it soft to the touch and easy to work with. There's plenty of cozy looking sweater patterns in the Fez booklet, and a multitude of uses for the yarn besides. Check out the yarn as well as the booklet when you're in the shop this week for our Going-to-Market sale. Curious about the other discounted Debbie Bliss yarns? Find the full list here.

Just a reminder--all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!

Jane Austen Knits, 2012.

Interweave has published another edition of Jane Austen Knits magazine, which features a wide variety of knitting projects inspired by the writings of Jane Austen.

This issue is packed with projects, including socks, shawls, sweaters, tea cozies, bonnets, bags, book-covers, and fingerless mitts. And probably even more. Take a look:

Come by the shop to snatch a copy of Jane Austen Knits.

Debbie Bliss Como.

Allow me to introduce you to one of the Debbie Bliss yarns we'll have on sale come Tuesday: here's Como.

Debbie Bliss Como is a super-bulky blend of merino wool and cashmere. Como is a soft, squishy, single-ply yarn that comes in a nice range of solid colors, and it knits up incredibly quickly at 2.5 stitches per inch on a US size 15 needle. How quickly? In a mere 2 hours, Anne knit this hat holding Como together with Berroco Jasper.

The self-striping Jasper adds color interest, giving the hat a tweedy look. The pattern is available as a free download on Ravelry--click here to take a peek. Free pattern, discounted yarn, quick knitting... win-win-win.

Come by the shop this coming week, between Tuesday May 29th and Sunday June 3rd, to get Debbie Bliss Como at a 25% discount. If super-bulky yarns aren't your cup of tea, rest assured, there are a wide variety of Debbie Bliss yarns on sale this week--click here to see the full list. See you at the shop!


Just a reminder--all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!

Going-to-Market sale! Week 1.

An exciting sale is coming up at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, as you might have read in our most recent email newsletter. Once again, we prepare to go to TNNA's Summer NeedleArts Market in Columbus to meet with distributors and select new yarns for the fall. It's an exciting time, but it means we must make some room for all the new yarns! During the first three weeks of June, we'll have select yarns at a 25% discount, with a different yarn company featured each week. Last year these were surprise one-weekend sales, but this year, we thought we'd give you all a head start. 

Tuesday May 29th - Sunday June 3rd: Select Debbie Bliss yarns are 25% off!

• Alpaca Silk Aran
• Alpaca Silk DK
• Cashmerino Aran
• Cashmerino Astrakhan
• Cashmerino DK
• Cashmerino Chunky
• Cashmerino Superchunky
• Como
• Donegal Aran Tweed
• Donegal Chunky Tweed
• Fez
• Pure Cashmere
• Pure Cotton
• Pure Silk
• Soho
• Stella

Come by the shop between Tuesday May 29th and Sunday June 3rd to get these Debbie Bliss yarns at a 25% discount. We'll have select Debbie Bliss pattern books at a discount, too. There are so many wonderful yarns on that list that lend themselves to a wide variety of projects. Anne and I have each cast on with one of these yarns this week--more on that soon. In the meantime, ready yourself for three weeks of Going-to-Market sales!

Tuesday June 5th - Sunday June 10th: Select Berroco yarns (Cotton Twist, Inca Gold, Jasper, Latitude, Linen Jeans, NaturLin, Pure Merino, Pure Pima, Touche)

Tuesday June 12 - Sunday June 17th: Select Ella Rae, Katia, Louisa Harding, and Noro yarns (Ella Rae Bamboo & Silk, Ella Rae Classic Wool, Katia Irish Tweed, Louisa Harding Albero, Louisa Harding Kashmir DK, Louisa Harding! Kimono Ribbon, Louisa Harding Rosetti, Noro Bonbori, Noro Hotaru, Noro Kureyon Sock, Noro Maiko, Noro Niji, Noro Silk Mountain)

Just a reminder--all sales are final on sale items; there can be no exchanges, no returns, nor will we special order. Thanks!

P.S. Didn't get the newsletter in your inbox? Don't miss the next one--sign up on our website for an unobtrusive monthly email that lets you know about upcoming classes, events, and sales like this one!

Bluestocking. Again.

Last week, we got another bunch of String Theory Bluestocking in another bunch of gorgeous colors.

This weekend, I finally cast on for a pair of Bluestocking socks, anxious to get my hands on a kind of wool I'd never tried before: bluefaced leicester. I chose a pattern from Clara Parkes' Knitter's Book of Socks, called Hickory, with a barklike ribbing down the leg and instep. The whole leg was done in three evenings, which is how I know I love both the yarn and the pattern.

Come by the shop to take a closer look at the Knitter's Book of Socks, where there are 200+ pages of serious sock knitting inspiration, and to admire the String Theory Bluestocking. See you at the shop!

Creative Knitting.

The July 2012 issue of Creative Knitting is here.

This issue is full of cardigans, shawls, vests, and lightweight tops, with a bag, a necklace, and a pillow thrown in for good measure.

Come by the shop to take a closer look at Creative Knitting and a whole stack of other spring and summer magazines.

Be Sweet shawl kits.

Many a visitor to the shop has been wooed by the Be Sweet shawl kits. The sample shawl and scarf that hang by the kits are feather-light and translucent, but made of a textured mohair yarn in thick, bold stripes--qualities that seem to contradict one another, and thus, entrance. It's simplicity, too, is appealing, for after all, it's just garter stitch. 

Each kit comes with a pattern and five 25 gram balls of the lace-weight Be Sweet Extra Fine Mohair yarn, enough to make one striped shawl or two striped scarves. They're neatly tucked into a Hillsborough Yarn Shop notions pouch, making them an ideal gift for a knitter.

This past week, many missing colorways were replenished, filling the basket with tempting options, making it harder to decide which one you'll take home. Come by the shop to see them all.

Wearwithall.

A new book, recommended by a friend, has arrived at the shop.

Wearwithall is a collection of patterns by the people at The Yarnery, a yarn shop in Saint Paul, MN. The book has a nice range of projects, including hats, socks, sweaters for babies and children as well as adults, and an eye-catching striped stole.

This stole, designed by Theresa Gaffey, is made from the exquisite Isager Alpaca 2 yarn, a fingering weight blend of wool and alpaca. Its construction is simple, letting the brightest colors from the muted Isager palette do the talking.

Take a closer look at Wearwithall next time you're in the shop. Be sure to visit the Alpaca 2 as well, and as you do, just imagine curling up in a cozy Alpaca 2 stole. Hard to resist, no?