Tag Archives: brooklyn tweed

Show and tell: soothing stockinette.

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Sometimes there’s nothing more pleasing than plain old stockinette stitch, its soothing rhythm and smooth surface. Here are some soothing stockinette projects from knitters in our community!

Kristin came in wearing her lovely “Novice Slipover,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Dapple (sadly discontinued) and Fyberspates Cumulus – such a cuddly combination. Pattern by PetiteKnit.

Here’s Pam in her “Stevie,” knit with the aptly-named Isager Soft. She extended the sleeves of Elizabeth Smith’s pattern to the perfect three quarter length.

Alberto finished his PetiteKnit “Oslo Hat” in just a week, using the Lead + Onyx colorway of our Oslo Hat Kit. I love how these shades of gray blend together in Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and Fyberspates Cumulus!

 

Here’s one of Katherine’s several “Plain Yoke Tee 20” sweaters, modified to lengthen the sleeves and add a nice ribbed neckband.

She knit this one in a vibrant semisolid shade of Malabrigo Seis Cabos – sign up for one of her classes here at HYS and you might just see her wearing it! Pattern by Lene Holme Samsøe.

Here I am wearing my “Minimal Raglan Sweater,” a simple but thoughtful pattern by Noriko Ichikawa. I used Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, and look forward to knitting with it again – I loved the springiness, the sharp stitch definition, and the lovely heathered colors.

Josie knit this cherry red “Aura Top” with Isager Silk Mohair, and the result is ethereal. Pattern by Rows Knitwear – next time you’re here, check out the one Bailey made as a shop sample!

Michele made this wonderful “Cloud Sweater” with a mix of yarn from her stash and yarn from our sale trunk – a light gray fingering weight wool, and a variegated shade of Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Infusion Kid Mohair, to be precise. Love the result!

Many thanks to Kristin, Pam, Alberto, Katherine, Josie, and Michele for sharing their handiwork with us! We really appreciate everyone whose projects begin with a trip to HYS, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

Show and tell: compelling combinations.

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“Can I use these yarns together?” is a question I sometimes hear at the shop, and the answer is almost always yes. Maybe the perfect background color comes from one brand but the perfect contrast color is in another brand – if the fiber content and gauge are similar, go ahead and mix yarn to your heart’s content! For show-and-tell today, we’re focusing on projects that combine different yarns in different ways, for different reasons.

Here’s Jaime in her “Fall Sweater,” knit during Anne’s class on the subject. Jaime found three colors she loved in Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, and found the fourth in the now-discontinued Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport. As you can see, these two non-superwash sport weight wools knit up seamlessly together – such a lovely sweater! Pattern by Courtney Kelley.

Nancy knit this “Pine Point” hat for a child, modifying the size by using fingering weight yarn. For the solid purple, she picked Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering, a 100% superwash merino wool, and, wanting a variegated contrast color, she chose hand-dyed Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere. The resulting hat is soft, colorful, and machine washable – just right! Pattern by Mary Lou Egan.

Margaretta mixed yarns for the same reason in her “Ocean Waves Cowl,” by Amy Christoffers. The mosaic pattern pairs a self striping yarn with a solid color – Margaretta used Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Crazy and Sandnes Garn Sunday, respectively.

Another time knitters often mix and match different brands of yarn is when we’re trying to use up leftovers from previous projects. Such was the case for Wendy, who makes socks often enough to have some bits and bobs on hand.

Here are her charming “Forester Caterpillar Socks,” by Alexandria Wenninger, knit with three different but comparable sock yarns: CoopKnits Socks Yeah!, Malabrigo Ultimate Sock, and Isager Sock.

Kristin knit this PetiteKnit “Melange Sweater” for her daughter, holding two different non-superwash fingering weight wools together throughout. Color was part of the reason – Kelbourne Woolens Camper had the right heathered black, Cascade 220 Fingering had the right bright white – but in the end, it came down to availability. This was the black and white combination we had enough of at that moment, and she was eager to cast on! I don’t blame her – I love the staticky look of a marled sweater, and this one is a beauty.

Thanks to Jaime, Nancy, Margaretta, Wendy, and Kristin for sharing their projects with us! And thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to HYS – we can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

Show and tell: Fleece Artist / Handmaiden.

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Time for another round of show and tell! I’ve been collecting photos of your finished projects, as usual, and noticed a colorful little cluster of hand knits all made with Fleece Artist / Handmaiden yarns. These yarns are dyed entirely by hand in tiny batches – just enough for a single sweater at a time – and have become favorites here at HYS in the short time we’ve stocked them. Let’s see what folks are making…

Here’s a close up on Kristin’s PetiteKnit “Sophie Hood,” knit with Briggs & Little Sport in Washed White, Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Fire Opal, and Isager Silk Mohair in 0. This color and fiber blend is magical!

Victoria’s “Malva” sweater is another magical blend, knit with Kelbourne Woolens Scout in Burnt Orange Heather and Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Cranberry Chutney. Pattern by Tiia Reho, from Laine Finnish Knits.

Anne blended Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Mineral with the sadly discontinued Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted in this “Lento” sweater. Pattern by Jonna Helin.

This fiber blend is particularly velvety, with just enough drape – come by the shop to touch and admire it, as Anne has put it up for display until the weather cools down!

Margaretta has been experimenting with variegated sock yarn lately, working with texture patterns that break up the color pooling in lovely and intriguing ways. Shown here: Mone Dräger’s “Chains Socks” and Yvette Noel’s “Papillotes,” both in Fleece Artist Bluenose Socks. Colorways shown are Lupins and Bullrush, respectively.

Many thanks to the knitters who shared their projects with us today, and to everyone who starts their project with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We are inspired by your stitches and can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Show and tell: cardigans.

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Time for more show and tell! Today we’re looking at cardigans, that quintessential layer for cool mornings and chilly air-conditioning.

Here’s April modeling her “Big Love” cardigan by the very yarn she used to knit it, Brooklyn Tweed Shelter. She loved this yarn and pattern pairing so much, she knit it twice! This photo was taken before our Shelter completely sold out during our Farewell, Brooklyn Tweed sale – but we still have lots of BT Tones in stock at 20% off, if you’re inspired to follow April’s lead. Pattern by Ankestrick.

Liz knit this “Lemel” cardigan with Isager Alpaca 2 held double, making a particularly plush fabric. Pattern by Woolfolk Design Team.

Vivian came in wearing her “Cardigan No. 7,” by My Favorite Things Knitwear. She held Isager Alpaca 3 together with Silk Mohair, a delightfully soft and fluffy combination.

Here’s Michele’s “Hey Sailor!” knit with Malabrigo Ultimate Sock. This snazzy slip stitch pattern shows beautifully in tonal colorways. Pattern by Andrea Mowry.

Jaime knit this “Nordic Bloom Vest” with Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed. At 4 stitches per inch, with no sleeves, it’s a quick project – even with the steek! Pattern by Caitlin Hunter.

Many thanks to the knitters who shared their projects with us today, and to everyone who starts their project with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. We are inspired by your stitches and can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Farewell, Brooklyn Tweed – 20% off!

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As many of you have already heard, Brooklyn Tweed has decided to cease all yarn production. Though we’re sad to see them go, we’re happy to offer you a discount – 20% off all in-stock Brooklyn Tweed yarns!

We are so sad to say goodbye to Brooklyn Tweed, a company whose beautiful yarns have had a home at our shop for the past 8 years. During that time, we hosted Brooklyn Tweed trunk shows, eagerly anticipated their new releases each season, and knit garments with their yarns that will live in our wardrobes for many years to come. We will always appreciate their commitment to making yarn in the US, and the care they took with every step of production. Now that Brooklyn Tweed has decided to return to their roots as a pattern-only design house, we’re sending them off with a sale.

As of now, we have 10 Brooklyn Tweed yarns in stock. You’ll find them in their usual places in the shop, sorted by gauge – here are a few pattern ideas for each one!

Fingering weight: Loft and Tones Light

Sport weight: Imbue Sport

DK weight: Arbor and Dapple

  • “Tincture,” by Andrea Mowry – two-color mosaic hat
  • “Kirigami,” by Gudrun Johnston – bottom-up seamless pullover with textured yoke
  • “Tolsta Tee,” by Rebecca Clowe – top down raglan tee with options for customization
  • “Ebbie,” by Alice Caetano – textured cardigan, worked side-to-side

Worsted weight: Shelter, Tones, and Imbue Worsted

Bulky weight: Arbor Lodge and Quarry

Come by to pick up your favorite Brooklyn Tweed yarns before they’re gone for good, and shop early for best selection! Our storefront is open from 11am – 5:30 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays, or shop online anytime.

Just a reminder – all sales are final on discounted items; there can be no exchanges, returns, or special orders.

Additionally, we will do our best to provide matching dyelots for online orders of BT yarns, but do not guarantee that all skeins ordered will be in the same dyelot. 

Color crush: light blue and brown.

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Knitters sometimes ask me which they should pick first: the pattern, or the yarn? There’s no right or wrong way to find your next project, of course, nor are these the only two ways. Often we are motivated by color, coming into the yarn shop picturing a particular shade, and searching the shelves for a skein that matches our mind’s eye. Sometimes it’s a color combination that we’re seeking, a pairing that has captured our imagination – here’s one such case.

Bailey’s most recent shop sample is the “Escher Beanie,” by Rows Knitwear, an intriguing two-color slip stitch rib pattern.

She used one ball each in Isager Soft and Queensland Llama Seta, a contrast in textures and in color.

As she worked on it, curious knitters asked about the color combination, so like her “Karla Cardigan,” a striking combination of light blue and dark brown. Could it be a color crush?

Since then, we’ve been pulling out similar shades from all over the shop, robin’s egg and chocolate, baby blue and espresso, sky and carob – here they are, with pattern ideas for each pair!

Lang Cashmere Premium in 21 + 268

Make the most of two precious balls of cashmere yarn with Amy Christoffers’ “Pressed Flowers Kerchief.”

Isager Soft in 10 + E8s

Lindsay Degen’s “Six of Daisies Cardigan” features large scale floral motifs, an ideal use of a high contrast color combination like this one.

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Iceberg + Meteorite

Hoods and bonnets are more popular than ever – stripe these complementary shades of Shelter for Milena Juhola’s “Harriet Bonnet.”

Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport in Vapor + Peat

Use this super soft merino for Aimée Gille’s “Le Bandana,” a simple kerchief that can be knit with stripes of all sizes.

Isager Tweed in Topaz + Chocolate and Isager Silk Mohair in 41 + 34

I’ve been eyeing Other Loops’ “Lace Loop Sweater” lately, and this dreamy yarn combination would make a nice one.

Isager Spinni in 10s + 8s + 6s and Isager Soft Fine in 11 + E8s + E6s

Bailey came up with this combination for My Favourite Things’ “New Norma,” an oversized pullover with simple colorwork stripes.

Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering Non Traitée in Hydrangées + Brownstone

While Brownstone is more rouge than brown, we still love it with pale blue – a lovely color pair for the simple stripes of Florence Miller’s “Tombo Tee.”

What color combinations have you been infatuated with lately? Let us know in the comments, or come by the shop and we’ll help you find yarn to match!

Brooklyn Tweed Loft + Isager Soft Fine.

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Isager recently released a delightful batch of new colors in their fuzzy alpaca, silk, and yak blend, Soft Fine. We love Soft Fine as a mohair substitute, for those sensitive to that fiber – it has all the halo of mohair and, for some, a softer texture.

As we unpacked these new colors, Bailey got to work pairing them up with Brooklyn Tweed Loft, still enamored of the lightweight fabric of her “Karla Cardigan.”

Anne Ventzel’s design is striking, a simple slip stitch pattern that shines in Bailey’s unique yarn selection.

There’s something really special about Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Isager Soft Fine held together, a balance of structure and softness, a lofty fabric at a quick-to-knit gauge. Here are some “Karla Cardigan” color pairs!

There are other exciting things to make with Loft + Soft Fine, of course. The gauge for Anne Ventzel’s “Karla Cardigan” is 16 stitches = 4″; here are other patterns at a similar gauge, ideal for this yarn combination:

Look for Bailey’s “Karla Cardigan” on display here at HYS, and browse these and many other yarns on our online store!

“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!