Tag Archives: brooklyn tweed

“Karla Cardigan” in Brooklyn Tweed Loft & Isager Soft Fine.

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Bailey recently knit this beautiful sweater as a sample for the shop, Anne Ventzel’s “Karla Cardigan.”

The design is striking, a simple slip stitch pattern that shines in Bailey’s unique yarn selection. Seeking softness, structure, and a lightweight feel at a bulky weight gauge, she paired Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Isager Soft Fine.

Close matching shades are a good idea when you’re holding two strands together for colorwork patterns like this – that helps to ensure that the motif will be legible against the background color. They don’t have to match exactly, however, since similar colors can blend when held together.

Here are some other “Karla Cardigan” color ideas Bailey came up with!

Ventzel’s pattern calls for Isager Soft and Tvinni held together, another lovely combination.

These color and yarn combinations will also work for Anne Ventzel’s variations on this pattern, “Karla Cape” and “Little Karla.” Look for Bailey’s “Karla Cardigan” on display here at HYS, and browse the yarn to make it on our online store!

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!

Koigu Collector’s Club: The Ton.

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The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu. KPPPM is a fingering weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in vibrant colors by mother/daughter team Maie and Taiu Landra on their farm outside of Toronto, Canada.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 grams

This month’s limited edition shade is named for “The Ton,” otherwise known as Bridgerton. Fans of the show will recognize these deep jewel tones, royal blues and purples from the richly colored gowns, massive sparkling jewelry, and extravagant hairstyles of Bridgerton’s London society.

This new colorway got me thinking about Anne’s “Pressed Flowers Hat,” made with Koigu KPPPM and Neighborhood Fiber Co. Capital Luxury Sport, a soft and springy blend of merino, cashmere, and silk.

Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport would make a lovely main color for the “Pressed Flowers Hat,” too – here are a few fresh color combinations for this project using The Ton as the contrast color.

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and in our new online store!

Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets.

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We’re thrilled to have the latest book from Brooklyn Tweed: Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets!

What could be more delightful than cuddling up under a handmade blanket? There are over 20 patterns in this new collection, all made in our favorite Brooklyn Tweed yarns!

For this book, BT founder Jared Flood is joined by a star-studded list of contributors, including Ainur Berkimbayeva, Aistė Butkevičienė, Emma Ducher, Rastus Hsu, Joanna Ignatius, Pauliina Leisti, Tokuko Ochiai, Boann Petersen, Seth Richardson, Scott Rohr, Hiroka Shinokawa, Stefanie Sichler, Lis Smith, Orlane Sucche, Meri Tanaka, Amy van de Laar, and Vincent Williams Jr.

Each chapter presents cozy designs that range in complexity, style, and size; there are blankets here for a variety of aesthetics and skill levels. We are dazzled by the array of colors, patterns, and designs in Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets, and eager to cast on.

Look for Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets here at HYS, 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!

Show and tell: lovely lace.

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Another round of show and tell is in order! The theme of this bunch is lace.

First up is Bailey’s most recently completed shop sample, a “Tolsta Tee” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Dapple. This plush blend of organic cotton and merino wool works up beautifully at this open gauge, which, combined with the eyelet rows, make for a comfortable, breathable garment. Pattern by Rebecca Clow.

Here’s Karin’s “De Nada,” a shawl designed by Sanne Kalmbacher. Karin used Isager Alpaca 2 in a juicy magenta shade.

Margaretta brought in two lace projects to share – here’s her “Scarflette,” by Justyna Lorkowska, knit with local High Rock Alpaca.

For her “Aloft,” Margaretta held two yarns together: Sandnes Garn Tynn Line and Isager Silk Mohair.

This synergistic mix of colors and fibers is stunning in person – how we love the magic of mohair! Pattern by Bekah Knits, from Laine’s 52 Weeks of Shawls.

Speaking of mohair magic, here’s Michele’s “Ranunculus,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor and Neighborhood Fiber Co. Loft held together. The hand-dyed mohair/silk blend subtly tints the DK weight wool, making a unique blend. We’re nearly sold out of NFC Loft, but have lots of Malabrigo Mohair and Hand Maiden Superkid Silk that would have a similar effect!

Thanks to Bailey, Karin, Margaretta, and Michele for sharing your projects with us – we love seeing what you make, and can’t wait to see what’s next!

Show and tell: colorwork sweaters.

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Time for another round of show and tell, this time featuring colorwork projects!

Here’s Aubrey’s “Halibut,” a striking pullover knit with Kelbourne Woolens Cricket and Isager Silk Mohair held together throughout. This was her second sweater and her very first colorwork project! Pattern by Caitlin Hunter.

Liz came in with two incredible colorwork projects to share – the first is Midori Hirose’s “Paul Klee Sweater,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift.

“Taquile” is another of Liz’s creations, a cozy pattern from Marianne Isager’s A Knitting Life: Out into the World. She knit it with Isager Alpaca 3, a soft and lofty chainette.

Anne recently taught a class on Isabell Kraemer’s “Nasrin” sweater, and Katherine was the first in class to finish. Like Anne, Katherine knit hers with Kelbourne Woolens Camper, adding the contrast edging at the neck, cuffs, and hem. If this lovely sweater piques your interest, check out our blog post showing color combinations!

Thanks to Aubrey, Liz, and Katherine for sharing your projects with us. If you want some guidance and camaraderie as you knit a colorwork sweater of your own, check out our class page for a new class coming up in August!

New colors in Malabrigo Mohair!

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We’re excited to share six new colors in Malabrigo Mohair!

Malabrigo Mohair: 

  • lace weight
  • hand-dyed, variegated
  • 72% mohair, 28% silk
  • 229 yards/25g
  • $15 each

The original Mohair palette highlighted Malabrigo’s well loved variegated colorways, but these new additions are all tonal, or semi-solid.

We love pairing lace weight mohair with other yarns – the soft halo it brings to the knitted fabric is enchanting! These match up beautifully with Malabrigo Ultimate Sock, pictured above. Below are pairings in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, Tones Light, and Kelbourne Woolens Camper. There are many, many more yarn and color combinations where these came from – come by the shop to make your own perfect pair!

These semisolid shades are particularly well suited to lace, texture, or cable patterns like Midori Hirose’s “Ranunculus,” Tin Can Knits’ “Love Note,” PetiteKnit’s “Agnete Cardigan,” or Andrea Mowry’s “Pink Fizz.”

Look for Malabrigo Mohair in the lace weight section here at HYS! We’re open 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays.

“Nasrin” in Camper, Loft, and Tones Light.

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“Nasrin” is a colorwork sweater by Isabell Kraemer, and the subject of Anne’s upcoming class, which starts Saturday, May 18.

“Nasrin,” by Isabell Kraemer, photo copyright Isabell Kraemer

She’s knitting hers with Kelbourne Woolens Camper, a soft fingering weight wool in heathered colors, and an excellent choice for colorwork.

You can choose between the “solid” or “outlined” colorwork motif at the yoke; both charts are included in the pattern. A high contrast color combination shows the pattern best, in my opinion – here are some ideas in Camper!

I also like the idea of flipping the color arrangement so that the main color is dark, and the contrast color at the yoke is light.

Brooklyn Tweed Loft is another yarn that seems designed with colorwork in mind, a woolen-spun fingering weight wool with a bit more structure than Camper.

Loft plays well with Brooklyn Tweed’s other fingering weight yarn, Tones Light – which has a much more vibrant color palette!

Look for all of these and many others in the fingering weight section here at our shop, and read more about Anne’s class if you’re inspired to make a “Nasrin” of your own!