Tag Archives: brooklyn tweed

Brooklyn Tweed Sample of the Month: Guernsey Wrap.

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Our Brooklyn Tweed Sample of the Month for October is here! Come by this month to see the “Guernsey Wrap.”

Jared Flood’s “Guernsey Wrap” has become Brooklyn Tweed’s best-selling pattern of all time, a now-classic rectangular shawl decorated with bands knit and purl texture patterns.

This version is knit with Shelter, Brooklyn Tweed’s signature worsted weight, woolen-spun yarn. It comes in 45 colors and we’re delighted to report that we have them all in stock. Even better, we’re offering them at 10% off during October!

Come by this month to see it for yourself, and pick a color for a “Guernsey Wrap” of your very own!

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

Laine Magazine, No. 9.

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We recently welcomed another beautiful new issue of Laine Magazine, their ninth. Let’s look inside!

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers as its focus, and a reputation for beautiful designs and tantalizing photography.

The editors of Laine have recently shared that they’re taking a break from producing the magazine, and that this issue may be their last. We’ve loved seeing Laine grow over the past few years, and hope that slowing down will allow them to continue to create this special publication.

Inside this issue of Laine, you’ll find lovely things to knit, a travel guide to Munich, tasty-looking things to cook, essays and profiles of fiber artists from all over the world, too. One such profile, of knitwear designer and teacher Lavanya Patricella, has been edited since going to print – please read the current version on Laine’s website, along with statements from Lavanya Patricella and Laine about the changes.

Two familiar yarns showed up in this issue – Marianne Munier’s “Lumi” is knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft, and North Carolina designer Rachel Brockman’s “Pinaceae” is knit with Fibre Company Lore.

Come by the shop to page through Laine – at the moment, we have issues 7, 8, and 9 available.

While you’re here, take some time to browse our other books and magazines as well – there are so many new publications to see this month. We hope you find inspiration here!

Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Sample of the Month!

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We’re delighted to announce that starting in September, we’ll have a new Brooklyn Tweed sample on display each month!

We’ve been working with Kel at Brooklyn Tweed to put together a schedule of garment and accessory samples that showcase a wide variety of techniques and styles in the full range of BT yarns, from lace weight Vale all the way up to bulky weight Quarry.

Going through the back catalog of Brooklyn Tweed designs was so much fun! Anne and I picked a few that caught our eye, as did our teachers, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

Just as we do for Shibui, we’ll offer 10% off the featured Brooklyn Tweed yarn while each sample is here. This month, it’s Arbor, BT’s worsted spun DK weight wool, a yarn with superb stitch definition and lots of bounce.

Our Brooklyn Tweed Sample of the Month for September is “Kirigami,” by Gudrun Johnston, a textured yoke pullover that shows exactly what I mean when I say “superb stitch definition.”

I’ve just cast on for a “Kirigami” of my own, in fact – it’s a pattern that’s been in the back of my mind since its appearance in a trunk show last year, and this time I couldn’t resist it. I’m using the sleeve as a swatch, blocking it after 6″ or so to get a good sense of my gauge in the round, and to have a head-start on the project if my gauge happens to match the pattern gauge on this first try!

Come by during September to see “Kirigami” in person, try it on for size, and get 10% off Brooklyn Tweed Arbor to make one of your own!

A reminder: there will be no returns or exchanges on yarn that’s purchased at a discount. Thanks!

Andrea Mowry patterns.

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Happy to announce the arrival of some new-to-us print patterns, by the ever-popular designer Andrea Mowry!

PDFs of all of Andrea Mowry’s patterns are available through Ravelry, which is how we got our “Weekenders” going during our informal Knit-Along, but there’s something to be said for print patterns. It’s great to be able to read through a pattern before you buy it, to get a sense of what you’re getting into.

We’ve selected the Mowry patterns that have been the most popular here at our shop, all of which happen to call for Brooklyn Tweed yarns.

“The Weekender” is shown in a rustic marled shade of Shelter, “Tincture” calls for two colors in Arbor, and “Harlow” and “Wool & Honey” make beautiful use of Loft.

You’ll find all of these yarns here at our shop, along with many other substitutes. As ever, we’re happy to help you find exactly the right color, texture, and fiber for your project, whether it’s the yarn called for or not.

Come by to see our full selection of single patterns – we have many binders full of them. Ask us if you’re looking for something special, and we’ll be happy to help you find it!

Back in stock: our favorite MDK Field Guides.

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The eleventh installment of the Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guide series was a popular one – we ordered and reordered Wanderlust and on both occasions, sold out in no time. For our third order, we decided to bring back some of our other favorite MDK Field Guides, just in case anyone had missed out on them the first time around.

Ann Shayne and Kaye Gardiner’s series of Field Guides are pocket-sized booklets focused on a particular theme or knitting technique. The theme of this eleventh Field Guide is Wanderlust, interpreted by designer Wendy Bernard as a choose-your-own-adventure approach to sock knitting. Summer is a perfect time for a small, portable project like socks – no wonder this Field Guide has been so popular!

Also back in stock is MDK Field Guide No. 5: Sequences, drawing on the inspired work of designer Cecelia Campochiaro. Back in 2017, Anne knit the “Swirl Hat” from this book using Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, a larger gauge than suggested to accommodate the size of her son-in-law’s head – you can read more about that in our original blog post.

Veronik Avery’s “Hadley Pullover” in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter was part of what made MDK Field Guide No. 2 so sought-after. This one focused on Fair Isle knitting, a favorite technique of mine, and Anne’s, too; if you’re intrigued, this little book is a fine and friendly introduction.

We’ve also restocked MDK Field Guide No. 1, a meditation on stripes which features the “Breton Cowl,” knit with the decadent combination of Shibui Drift and Silk Cloud.

Look for these Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guides here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – we hope you find inspiration here!

Limited Edition colors in Brooklyn Tweed Arbor!

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Something new has arrived from Brooklyn Tweed – two limited edition colors in Arbor!

Brooklyn Tweed Arbor is a 3-ply DK weight yarn composed of 100% Targhee wool. Like Brooklyn Tweed Vale and Peerie, it’s worsted-spun, and skein-dyed in solid colors at the organically-certified Saco River Dyehouse in Maine.

These two shades bring a welcome pop of color to Brooklyn Tweed’s color palette, standing out from their closest neighbors on the Arbor color wheel.

Azalea is a vibrant pink, just like the flowering shrub it’s named for.

Viridian is a bright green somewhere between emerald and teal.

I’m looking forward to seeing them combined in multicolor projects, like Andrea Mowry’s “Tincture” hat, Shannon Cook’s “Atmen” shawl, Jared Flood’s “Bevel” scarf, or Caitlin Hunter’s popular colorwork pullovers, “Soldotna Crop” and “Tecumseh.” If you’re seeking a small one-color project, consider Emily Greene’s “Shear,” Jared Flood’s “Burnaby” hat or “High Pines Cowl.”

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Arbor in the DK weight section here at our shop, and hurry in if either of these colors is your heart’s desire – we have limited quantities available. See you soon!

Show and tell: Brooklyn Tweed Quarry.

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Time for another round of show and tell! These projects were all knit with Brooklyn Tweed Quarry. Quarry is Brooklyn Tweed’s heaviest yarn, a Targhee-Columbia wool that’s loftier than most bulky weights on account of its woolen-spun, loosely-plied structure. Many knitters who have worked with it describe its texture as “doughy” or “spongey,” which may sound odd, but get some on your needles, and I expect you’ll agree. Let’s have a look at what folks at making with it!

Kerry designed this “Chunky Gansey Cowl” for Quarry, taking advantage of its sharp stitch definition and soft feel. Her pattern is a great one for sampling Quarry if you’d never tried it, and uses just one skein.

Becky knit this “Luoto” hat with one skein of Quarry as well, then came back for several more skeins to knit this clever pattern a few more times.

Here’s Sidney’s recently-completed “Byway,” knit with Quarry, and meticulously blocked to perfection.

The cable and texture pattern, designed by Jared Flood, shows beautifully in this soft lavender gray color.

Anne knit this “Freja” for her mother, who wore it daily throughout the winter. This design captured the attention of many knitters when we had it on display during a trunk show, and I’m looking forward to seeing more “Freja” cardigans out and about this winter!

Thanks to everyone who begins their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – we can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next!

Show and tell: colorful shawls.

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We love seeing what folks are making with yarn from our shop. When we choose the yarns we want to carry, test driving them in swatches and discussing their qualities, we’re thinking always of how our clientele might use them. Our knitters and crocheters come up with projects even lovelier than we can foresee, however – let’s look at some show and tell!

Elsebeth knit this mosaic and lace shawl with Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply, a fingering weight yarn that’s hand-dyed in painterly, low-contrast colorways. The pattern is “Laurelie,” by Lisa Hannes.

Here’s another Lisa Hannes design, “Right Around the Corner,” knit by Cindy. Though the pattern calls for fingering weight yarn, Cindy chose Fibre Co. Arranmore Light, a DK weight, preferring the cohesive fabric it makes at this gauge.

Tom knit this textured shawl with Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 01, a naturally-dyed Rambouillet wool with sharp stitch definition. The pattern is “Bradway,” by Shannon Cook.

Below is Robin’s “Entrelac Shawl,” knit with Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Starke 6, a self-striping yarn.

She taught a class here at our shop on this project, an unusually delicate example of entrelac, knit loosely for maximum drape.

Linda knit this “Efflorescent” shawl during a class here at our shop, following Felicity Ford’s pattern but adding a clever lining and closure at the neck.

She knit it with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, a fingering weight wool that’s perfectly suited to steeked colorwork projects like this one.

Thanks to Elsebeth, Cindy, Tom, Robin, and Linda for sharing their shawls with us! Keep an eye out for even more show and tell soon.

Brooklyn Tweed Holiday 18 Trunk Show!

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We are delighted to announce that a new trunk show from Brooklyn Tweed is here to spend a couple of weeks at our shop. Come by before July 21 to see garments and accessories from the BT Holiday 18 collection!

The forward-thinking among you may already be planning your holiday gift-knitting. Knitting takes time, after all, so if you plan to give richly textured hats and socks like these in the wintertime, it makes good sense to begin your stitching in the summertime.

As a devoted lover of colorwork, I am particularly taken with Jared Flood’s “Galloway Hat,” which features motifs from his popular “Galloway” cardigan. The pattern offers options for different lengths and brim styles, pom poms, and of course there are nearly infinite color combinations – it’s always fun to see how different the same patterns can look in new sets of colors!

Some of our favorite Brooklyn Tweed yarns are represented in this collection: Peerie, Shelter, and Quarry. Though most of the projects are small, there are two larger pieces, Emily Greene’s “Refract” wrap and Leila Raabe’s now-classic “Stasis.”

This trunk show arrived during our Annual Inventory Sale month, so all the yarns featured here are 15% off, along with everything else we have in stock. We’re closed today, Thursday, July 4th, but will reopen at our regular business hours on Friday, July 5th. Come by soon to see this collection and plan your next project!

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

Show and tell: cables.

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As I hinted in my last show-and-tell post, this group of projects all have one technique in common: cables. Let’s see some of the cabled projects folks are making with yarn from our shop!

Tom knit Irina Anikeeva’s “Cayley Pullover” with Fibre Co. Cumbria Worsted, a smooth blend of merino, masham, and mohair. He carefully measured his gauge and adjusted the sleeve length for a perfect fit – well done, Tom!

Leanne knit Joji Locatelli’s “Sammal” cardigan during a class here at our shop.

Though the pattern called for a lofty fingering weight wool knit somewhat loosely, she was able to substitute Cascade Ultra Pima, a DK weight cotton, and the resulting garment is exactly what she had in mind. Bravo to Leanne for this excellent yarn substitution, and for finding the perfect buttons!

Here is Joanne’s “Swilly,” a cabled scarf designed by Meghan Kelly. She knit it with Fibre Company Arranmore, and reports that it was a quick and fun knit in this soft bulky weight yarn.

Inspired by a recent trunk show, Margaretta recently knit Gudrun Johnston’s “Cetus” hat with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, a DK weight wool known for its stellar stitch definition. These intriguing stitch patterns show up especially well in a light to medium shade, not too dark to see all the action.

Many thanks to Tom, Leanne, Joanne, and Margaretta for sharing their work with us, and thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We look forward to seeing all that you create!