Hello, Malabrigo Finito.

A few months ago, I overheard Anne having a serious-sounding phone conversation with a representative from Malabrigo Yarns. I heard her request "a bag in every color" and knew it must be something good. Then a pause. Then, "better make it two bags in every color." It must be very good indeed, I thought. How right I was!

Malabrigo has released another new yarn: Finito, a fingering weight superfine merino wool. Produced in limited quantities only once a year, Finito is made from the very finest of merino wool fiber, and beautifully hand-dyed in the usual Malabrigo fashion. The people at Malabrigo told us it was softer than their usual merino wool, which was hard to imagine, but I must say, they weren't wrong. Each 50 gram skein is 200 yards long and deliciously soft to the touch.

Of course Anne has already selected enough for a sweater. I tried to exercise some restraint and only came home with three skeins to play with. What will become of these three skeins I don't quite know, but I'm sure I will have a wonderful time finding out.

Come by the shop to see this newest Malabrigo yarn as well as the old favorites: Malabrigo Lace, Sock, Arroyo, Rios, Silky Merino, Worsted, and Twist. See you at the shop!

Interweave Knits.

The Spring 2012 issue of Interweave Knits is here!

Flipping through this new issue, I saw many familiar yarns in action. The bulky Cascade Eco Wool was put to good use in this textured vest.

Here's a little shawl made from Tahki Coast, and a vest from the ever-popular Malabrigo Rios.

Another Tahki yarn makes an appearance in this lace-edged hoodie: Tahki Cotton Classic, a worsted-weight mercerized cotton.

You can find this issue of Interweave Knits on the teacart, surrounded by all the latest books and magazines, and if any of these yarns move you, you can find them at the shop as well. See you soon!

Malabrigo Sock.

A box from Malabrigo is always met with excitement on our part. The bigger the box, the more excitement, and this week's box was a big, big box. We got a few new colors in Malabrigo Lace and a few in Arroyo, but the big excitement with the big box was all about Malabrigo Sock.

Malabrigo Sock is always a hot commodity at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. The colors, the softness, and the long waiting period between shipments all conspire to make it disappear quickly from our shelves. It's always a relief to have Malabrigo Sock yarn in stock, and so appealing to see all the colors together. It has me daydreaming about colorwork socks, but what else is new.

Have you used Malabrigo Sock before? I'm always curious what people are making with it--socks, scarves, shawls, sweaters, hats, baby things--because it has so many applications. Let us know what you've used it for and how you like it, and if you haven't yet had the pleasure, give Malabrigo Sock a try and see what all the fuss is about!

More works in progress.

About a month ago, I posted pictures of two of the works in progress that hang around the shop. Anne and I always have at least two samples for the shop on the needles--one on her needles and one on mine. Because the urge to talk about what we make and what we see others making is strong, we find ourselves talking about these projects at many points throughout the day. When the process is enjoyable, we'll tell anyone who will listen about how soft the yarn is, how incredible the color. Since I last brought this conversation to the blog, two new works in progress have sprung up.

I'm working on a simple drop stitch scarf with the new Malabrigo Arroyo. This pattern is a particularly good choice for variegated yarns like this, as the elongated stitches highlight a stretch of color in the yarn that would otherwise be distributed differently along the row. We're used to variegated yarns striping and pooling in stockinette and other texture patterns, but the drop stitch scarf pools differently, purposefully. 

Within three rows, I had the pattern memorized, and since then, it feels like it's been knitting itself. 

Anne is also working on a scarf, but hers is made from the Swans Island Organic Merino in the fingering weight. The pattern came from our perpetual calendar, 365 Knitting Stitches a Year, a nice resource to turn to when you intend to make a scarf and don't intend to use a pattern. Flip through the calendar, pick an attractive stitch pattern, cast on an appropriate number of stitches for said pattern, and go until you run out of yarn. A formula for scarf success.

This one will look particularly lovely when it's blocked, I imagine. I can't wait to see it. In the meantime, come by the shop to see these two very special yarns in action, and listen to us go on about them. See you soon!

2012.

I spent much of this new year's eve weekend with a burgeoning pair of socks, made with Malabrigo's newest yarn, Arroyo. I turned the heel on the first sock, then cast on for the second while watching a movie on new year's eve. On new year's day, the socks came with me to a friend's house, where we talked and laughed and drank tea. This morning as I sipped my coffee, knitted my socks, and listened to a podcast, I had an impulse to photograph the scene, and thought to myself: oh, man. What a blogger thing to do.

It's been almost a year since I started this Hillsborough Yarn Shop blog, and since then I've grown accustomed to that impulse to photograph anything yarn-related, and have often given into it. When people come in showing off amazing work, or Phyllis looks particularly wonderful in a shop sample, or we move some furniture around, I pull out my little camera. When we amass great piles of hats or great piles of yarn, the camera comes out. After a year of moments like these, it seems to make perfect sense to photograph my morning coffee, so long as a sock-in-progress is near. I'm having such fun with the blog, and the beginning of a new year is as good a time as any to thank you all for reading, and for commenting, and for coming into the shop and saying, "You must be Julia, from the blog!" I'm looking forward to another year of documenting the goings-on at the shop. Happy new year, everyone!

And.

Along with Arroyo, we received a handful of much-needed new colors in Malabrigo Rios, Sock, and Lace. We also got a shiny new shelf to display all the Malabrigo yarns together. The Sock is still with all the other fingering weight yarns in the front room, but now the Worsted, Twist, Rios, Silky Merino, Arroyo, and Lace can be found all in one place. Let's have a look at the new colors, shall we?

In Rios, as you can see in the photo above, we got Pearl Ten, Teal Feather, Paris Night, and several other colors whose fanciful names have already left me. Lovers of turquoises, blues, and greens will be happy with the current selection.

In Sock, we got only four colors: Terracotta, Ochre, Boticelli Red, and Persia. A manageable number of colors to choose from when you decide you simply must get a skein while they're still in stock.

After almost a year of stocking Lace in only one color, we suddenly find ourselves with an embarrassment of riches: a basket full of choices, each skein a different color. (I confess: I gave up halfway through the Saroyan, seduced by the String Theory Merino DK, which was the next shop sample on the to-knit list. The half-scarf blocked beautifully, though, and gives one a good sense of how the Lace works up.)

Alright, Malabrigo lovers, that concludes the tour of The Latest. Come by the shop to see it all for yourself.

Hello, Malabrigo Arroyo.

I've written before about the popularity of Malabrigo yarns. Known for their softness and many other fine qualities, Malabrigo yarns are always welcomed with great excitement. This week, in the midst of the busiest shopping days we've seen all year, we were treated to something really special: the arrival of a new Malabrigo yarn.

Arroyo, a sport-weight washable merino, has been on order for the better part of the past year, so Anne and I were nothing short of thrilled to finally see it in person. We weren't alone in our excitement, either. There are those among us who memorize Malabrigo colorways, can identify Archangel, Arco Iris, or Indiecita from only a cursory glance. Arroyo comes in those memorable colors and 17 others, many of which have never before been seen at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Here are a few of them, ready to be newly memorized.

Immediately, of course, I began thinking of socks. Could I make socks with Arroyo, and could I do it in one 335 yard skein alone? What size needle would make a strong enough fabric for socks, and what stitch pattern would ensure that it remained stretchy? You won't be surprised to know that I took a skein home on Saturday afternoon, the better to answer such questions in the future. All projects have been set aside in order to experiment with Arroyo. I'll be sure to let you know what I come up with. Happy holidays, everyone, I'll see you at the shop!

Works in progress.

Because of the nature of a yarn shop, Anne and I probably spend more time talking with people about their projects in the future tense than we do checking up on older projects, both finished and unfinished. There is much more to chat about if one has not begun one's project: what fiber to choose, and then what yarn, and what color? How much of it? What size needles or hook, and where to turn if a particular technique is unfamiliar? Finished and unfinished works carry all these conversations with them as well, of course, but not always with the same exuberance that drives one to begin. Occasionally, though, a break occurs in the project planning and a question comes: what are you working on now? With this question in mind, I submit these two works in progress, one of Anne's and one of my own.

Anne is working on a pair of socks of late, "happy socks," as she describes them. The pattern is simple, fundamental, even, and has been worked so many times that at this point, it can be summoned from her memory. Ribbed socks can be such a comfort in this way. The yarn is Claudia Hand Painted, in a fingering weight. Many a knitter has reached out to touch this sock-to-be, then rushed over to the Claudia cubby for a few skeins of their own.

I'm still working on my Saroyan, a scarf out of Malabrigo Lace yarn. I work on it only during quiet moments at the shop, and thus, am progressing slowly. Still, there is something to be said for the patience that knitting teaches us, and pleasure in the process. The yarn is soft and fine, the pattern well-written, and let's not kid ourselves: this is totally not the only knitting project I have going at the moment. I have a sweater half-finished, two sock patterns half-written, another pair on the needles, and about thirty other knitting ideas competing for the title of Next New Project. Never a dull moment, I tell you. 

So, what are you working on now?

P.S.

Along with our Malabrigo Lace, we got a handful of bags of Malabrigo Rios in whatever colors were available. It wasn't a big Rios shipment, but it was enough to brighten the display, and to allow us to breathe easier, knowing there were sweater quantities of a few colors, if needed.

I just knit a very simple garter stitch cowl for my sister out of Rios and loved every stitch for its stretchy, springy softness. Next time you're shopping around for washable worsted weight yarn, consider Rios!

Hello, Malabrigo Lace.

Malabrigo is known for its rich colors and buttery softness, as well as for its own popularity. Because of its fine qualities and popularity among knitters and crocheters, it's hard to get a hold of, and it's hard to keep in stock. Periodically, we're able to replenish our collection of particular Malabrigo yarns, and this time around, we were able to finally get our hands on some Malabrigo Lace.

The Lace is a single ply made from baby merino wool, used as often for garments as it is for lace shawls. Faced with the pleasurable challenge of working up a shop sample in Malabrigo Lace, I spent at least an hour roaming around Ravelry looking at what others had used it for before I settled on a pattern. As of now, I'm about a dozen rows into Saroyan, a lovely, lacy, leafy scarf that's available as a free download on Ravelry. I'm not far enough along to share pictures yet, though I'll surely do so as it grows. When I started working on it, someone commented, "That's not really your kind of thing, is it?" and while it's not, that's part of why I chose it. I rarely knit lace patterns, I rarely knit scarves, I wouldn't have chosen this particular color for myself--but I'm having such fun! It feels good to reach out of my comfort zone and knit something different. If you'd like to make a lace-weight Saroyan of your own--or a Citron, or a Featherweight Cardigan, or any number of other things--come by the shop and we'll talk Malabrigo Lace.

Weekend Hats.

Knitted hats are wonderfully useful things. For the knitter, they work on several levels. We often recommend a hat as a second or third project for beginners, as they give the relatively new knitter the opportunity to learn a few new skills: decreasing and working in the round, both with a circular needle and double pointed needles. For more experienced knitters, hats are wonderfully small canvases on which to play with different kinds of designs, from colorwork to cables to lace. Designer, innovator, and all-around knitting heroine Elizabeth Zimmermann often suggested using a hat as a swatch for a bigger project, so that one might find out their honest-to-goodness in-the-round gauge for that project. Another thing about knitted hats is that they make great gifts. They are substantial and happily received, yet small enough that the knitter can give one away without feeling too sad to see them go. 

This week, we got a new collection of hat patterns which show off all the fine qualities of knitted hats. Weekend Hats is compiled by Cecily Glowik MacDonald and Melissa LaBarre, authors of last year's New England Knits, and features patterns from a bunch of other great designers, including Jared Flood, Mary Jane Mucklestone, Kate Gagnon Osborn, and Kirsten Kapur. Here's a peek inside:

All three of these hats were made with yarns that we carry, by the way--Berroco Ultra Alpaca, Malabrigo Worsted, and Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball, respectively. Come by the shop for more hat inspiration!

Hello (and welcome back), Malabrigo Sock.

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!

Lakedale Shawl class.

I've just posted a new fall class on the website, a 3 session class focused on a pattern from Malabrigo Book 3: the texured, ruffled Lakedale Shawl. The pattern calls for Malabrigo sock yarn (which, by the way, is finally scheduled to be back in stock at the shop sometime this week...!), but Katherine, who will teach the class, made hers in one of my favorites: Marion Foale 3 ply wool, held doubled throughout.

This shawl is currently on display in the shop, so if you're thinking about taking the class, come and touch it, admire it, try it on.

Check out other beautiful renditions of the Lakedale Shawl on Ravelry. We have many other exciting classes scheduled, so if this one isn't quite what you're looking for, check out our website to see what else is slated for the fall. Learn to knit the February Lady Sweater or a cute pair of cabled mittens, or learn to knit, period--we have beginner classes, too. Marsha is also teaching a series of fantastic one-session troubleshooting-type classes on reading your knitting, fixing mistakes, and unraveling the mystery that is gauge. And: there are more classes coming that are only in the planning stages now. Stay tuned, friends. See you at the shop!

Nautilus tam.

Last week, we got our biggest shipment of Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knit One, Knit All, the shipment that is sure to keep the book safely in stock. We also got two giant boxes of Malabrigo. Anne noticed that we didn't have a swatch of the Malabrigo Rios, and as I got to work winding a skein, she put the two together. Why not knit a hat from the new EZ book as our Rios sample?

It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it.

I cast on for the cover project, the Chambered Nautilus Tam, in a dark blue-green colorway of Rios called Azul Profundo. If you've seen me at the shop lately, this is what I've been working on, stopping every so often to lay it flat on my lap, petting the squishy garter-stitch-and-icord fabric, admiring the spiral construction, the way the shifting shades of teal are evenly distributed due to the short rows. This is such a fun knit. In the first seven stitches, I had already learned something new: a built-in icord edging. It is such a pleasure to cast on for a new Elizabeth Zimmermann project, and to daydream about what I will knit next from the book.

So tell me, dear readers, if you're out there: what are you knitting lately? And if Knit One, Knit All has caught your eye, which patterns have you itching to cast on?

Hello, Malabrigo.

Here is a yarn with a fanbase.

Malabrigo Silky Merino and Malabrigo Rios are back in stock! It's been a long wait, and as we waited, our Malabrigo stash dwindled into a sad little stack of mismatching skeins. "Is the Malabrigo here yet?" became a common inquiry, always met with a sad shake of the head. Now that the full range of colors are back together, those sad skeins are looking much happier.

Above, you'll see a slice of the Rios spectrum, a washable worsted weight wool. Below: Silky Merino, a dk weight single ply blend of, as the name suggests, silk and merino wool.

Come by the shop to take a look!