Tag Archives: brooklyn tweed

Show and tell: gifts from Anne’s needles.

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I’m always amazed at how much knitting Anne does, between shop and class samples, gifts for her family, and the occasional sweater for herself. Today I want to share some of the knitting she’s done for her grandchildren throughout the year, “with love in every stitch,” in her words.

For her youngest grandson, Anne knit this “Daydreamer,” by Jennifer Steingass. The whimsical rainbow colors come from Brooklyn Tweed, a mix of Loft and Tones Light.

Her granddaughters picked their own patterns this year, and helped arrange the colors over Zoom.

This is Jessica McDonald’s “Little Abloom,” knit with Kelbourne Woolens Camper for the main color and a few precious skeins of the discontinued Shibui Pebble for the contrast colors.

This is Anna Johanna’s “Helianthus,” knit with another discontinued yarn, Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, with a few other yarns from Anne’s stash to fill out the color palette.

For her eldest twin grandsons, Anne made these cozy bed-sized blankets with Malabrigo Mecha, and got them done before Hanukkah, no less. What a feat!

Amidst all those significant projects, she still managed this bundle of hats! From left to right: a “Winter King Hat” in Brooklyn Tweed Quarry, a Super Simple Circular Hat Calculator in Noro Bonbori and Isager Silk Mohair, and a couple “Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition,” knit with Kelbourne Woolens Perennial, Malabrigo Mohair, Sandnes Garn Sunday, and Isager Silk Mohair. 

Thanks to Anne for sharing all her projects with us, and for keeping the shop filled with exciting and inspiring yarns!

“Baa-ble Hats” in Brooklyn Tweed.

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Donna Smith’s “Baa-ble Hat” has been charming knitters since it was first published for Shetland Wool Week back in 2015. We’ve seen it knit up in many different yarns over the years, but lately, our favorite recommendation is Brooklyn Tweed.

Nancy knit this “Baa-ble Hat” with Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted, a soft and smooth merino wool.

Above are the colors Nancy chose, and below are a few more ideas I came up with.

Brooklyn Tweed Tones is a great choice for a “Baa-ble Hat,” too, a columbia wool whose colorways are overdyed in vibrant, playful colors, starting with two baseline shades of undyed natural gray.

I love the subtle colors Nancy’s student, Haleh, chose for hers!

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter has more colors to choose from than either Tones or Imbue Worsted – here are a few more “Baa-ble Hat” color combinations in Shelter!

Inspired to make a “Baa-ble Hat” of your own? Come by the shop and see all the options in our worsted weight section, from Brooklyn Tweed and others!

Pom Pom Quarterly: Winter 2023.

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The penultimate issue of Pom Pom Quarterly is here!

We are so sad to hear that they’re closing up shop after the Spring 2024 issue comes out in January; PPQ has been an inspiring resource for so many years. In the meantime, this new Winter 2023 issue is full of artful and intriguing knits in monochrome colorways.

“We love colour so much that often we try and get as much of it into each piece as we can,” the PPQ editors write, “but for this monochrome-themed issue we wanted to see what could be done with fabrics that used more subtle tonal differences within a single hue, or closely related ones.”

Pom Pom has always been a champion of new and emerging designers and indie dyers, introducing us to new names with every issue. We don’t carry all the yarns shown in their pages, but we have many lovely substitutes and are happy to help you find just the right one for your project! Above are a few shades of Brooklyn Tweed Tones and Shelter, reminiscent of Catie Robbins’ intarsia “Redware” shawl.

The dimensional texture of Alessandra Gropazzi’s “Chiaroscuro” scarf caught my eye right away – it’s made with a fingering weight wool and lace weight mohair/silk blend held together throughout. Kelbourne Woolens Camper and Isager Silk Mohair fit the bill, and we have new colors in both of those yarns!

Sara Ottosson’s “Celadon” hat uses a fingering weight wool as a base yarn throughout, and alternates between two shades of fuzzy lace weight yarn to create a subtle colorwork pattern. We have so many yarns that would work well for this, but Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering and Fyberspates Cumulus have the perfect colors to match the pattern photo!

Pom Pom Quarterly is $25.50 – come by to snag a copy between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. We’re also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping. Along with this issue, we have a cubby full of back issues available, now marked down 50%. See you at the shop!

Show and tell: openwork.

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As you may have read in our most recent newsletter, the shop will be closed for our usual Thanksgiving break from November 22 – 27. Feel free to place online orders or email inquiries during that time, but know that we won’t be monitoring our inbox until we’re back in the shop on November 28! We wish you all a peaceful and safe holiday.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy some show and tell!

As I was going through recent photos, I spotted a theme: openwork! Here are some beautiful projects adorned with eyelets.

Above is Edie’s “Holden” shawl, knit with Koigu KPPPM. It’s great to see lace knit up with variegated yarn! Pattern by Mindy Wilkes.

Teresa knit this delicate “Salty Air Tee” with Isager Bomulin, a good example of how lace looks in plant fiber yarns – in a word, lovely! Pattern by Samantha Guerin.

Anne jumped on the “Ranunculus” bandwagon, and knit the sweater above as a gift for a lifelong friend. She held Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03 together with Fibre Co. Meadow, a low contrast combination that gave just a little dimension to the color and texture of the knitted fabric. Pattern by Midori Hirose.

Lace looks great in thicker yarns, too, showing off the stitch patterns at a larger scale and proving that openwork can be cozy. Above is Ruth in her “Elah” cardigan, knit with worsted weight Kelbourne Woolens Germantown. Pattern by Isabell Kraemer.

Margaretta is a prolific lace knitter – I’ve lost track of how many “Umaro” blankets she’s made! The one above is a baby blanket, knit with worsted weight Berroco Ultra Wool. Pattern by Jared Flood.

The shawl below is also one of Margaretta’s, “Sakura,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft. Pattern by Leila Raven.

Thanks to Edie, Teresa, Anne, Ruth, and Margaretta for sharing their work with us! We love to see what you make with our yarns, and can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Modern Daily Knitting Field Guide No. 25: Botanica.

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The twenty fifth installment of the Modern Daily Knitting Field Guide series is here!

MDK’s series of Field Guides are pocket-sized booklets focused on a particular theme, knitting technique, or designer. This newest Field Guide features designs by Dee Hardwicke – let’s take a look inside!

Dee Hardwicke is an artist and designer who works in multiple media, including chinaware, mosaics, stationery, and knitting. No matter the mode or material, Hardwicke’s work is colorful, and reflects her great love of the British landscape.

All of these patterns all call for MDK’s own yarn, which we don’t have on our shelves, but Brooklyn Tweed Arbor is a lovely substitute, and we have dozens of colors!

We still have a few copies of Hardwicke’s gorgeous book The Knitted Fabric, published last winter by Laine – pick it up if this Field Guide whets your appetite!

MDK Field Guides are $15.95 each; order online for local pickup or shipping, or come by to shop in person – we’re open from 11am – 5:30 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays!

Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge!

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Another new yarn from Brooklyn Tweed! Meet Arbor Lodge.

Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge: 

  • bulky weight
  • 7-ply worsted spun
  • American Targhee wool
  • 125 yards/100g
  • $33 each

Arbor Lodge is everything you love about Arbor, but bigger. Plush and bouncy American Targhee wool, smooth texture for sharp stitch definition, a balance of softness and durability – Arbor Lodge is ideal for cold weather accessories and garments.

Jared Flood has designed two brand new patterns for Arbor Lodge, the “Biggie Rib Hat” and “Lodge Pullover.”

Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge knits up in the same gauge range as Quarry, BT’s woolen spun bulky weight yarn, so there’s a vast archive of patterns beautifully suited to this new yarn. Here are some ideas from Brooklyn Tweed and independent designers alike!

Accessories:

Garments:

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Lodge and Quarry in the bulky weight section here at HYS!

“Lento” in Isager Bouclé & fingering weight yarns.

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We’ve got a brand new sweater on display at the shop – here’s my version of Jonna Hietala’s “Lento” pullover knit with Malabrigo Ultimate Sock and Isager Bouclé!

Bouclé is a fine alpaca yarn with one looped ply, which makes a fluffy, textured fabric when combined with the soft and smooth Ultimate Sock.

This yarn pairing is ideal for this simple stockinette pullover. While I was working on it, Anne would ask anyone passing through, “Have you touched Julia’s sweater? It’s so soft!”

I love watching two different yarns come together in a marled project – it always seems to make a fabric that’s more beautiful and intriguing than either yarn would be on its own.

Here are some color combinations in Ultimate Sock and Bouclé that I think would make gorgeous “Lento” pullovers!

  • Isager Bouclé: lace weight, looped bouclé texture, 100% alpaca, 190 yards/50 grams; $11 each
  • Malabrigo Ultimate Sock: fingering weight, hand dyed, variegated and semi-solid colorways, 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon, 420 yards/100g; $21 each

Bouclé is unique, but we have many fingering weight yarns to choose from – seeking even more softness? Hold Bouclé together with Isager Alpaca 2!

  • Isager Alpaca 2: light fingering weight, 50% alpaca, 50% wool, 275 yards/50 g; $12 each

Perhaps, like me, you prefer a bit of structure in your sweaters – look to Brooklyn Tweed Tones Light.

  • Brooklyn Tweed Tones Light: fingering weight, woolen-spun 2 ply, overdyed, 100% Columbia wool, 225 yards/50g; $16.75 each

Look for Isager Bouclé in the lace weight section here at our shop, and browse our entire fingering weight section for just the right match to make a “Lento” of your own!

Brooklyn Tweed + Chroma.

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Jacqueline Cieslak’s latest pattern, “Chroma,” immediately caught my eye, with its bold color blocking and cute pockets.

“Chroma,” by Jacqueline Cieslak, knit with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter. Photo © Jacqueline Cieslak.

I was pleased to see that “Chroma” is knit with none other than Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, one of my favorite sweater yarns. In Cieslak’s words, Shelter “has a soft and squishy but slightly rustic hand, and knits up into incredibly light garments with beautiful structure, stitch definition, and minimal drape.” Couldn’t agree more!

With two- and four-color options, “Chroma” is a blank canvas for color play. High contrast, low contrast, complementary colors, shades from the same color family – they all work!

Brooklyn Tweed Tones is another great option for “Chroma” – it’s lofty like Shelter, but has 3 plies for a slightly smoother texture. Brooklyn Tweed recently expanded the Tones (and Tones Light!) palette with 3 new color pairs: Acer, Icicle, and Deco, each of which comes in lighter Overtone and darker Undertone shades.

Here are a few more “Chroma” combinations in Tones!

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Shelter and Tones in the worsted weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, along with many other “Chroma” possibilities!

Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted!

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We’re thrilled to announce that we now carry Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted!

Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Worsted:

  • worsted weight
  • worsted spun
  • heathered colors
  • 100% merino wool
  • 104 yards/50g
  • $18.50 each

When Imbue Worsted first came on the scene last year, there was a limited supply due to a dyehouse closure, so it was only available directly from Brooklyn Tweed. Now that BT has secured a new dyehouse partner, production of Imbue Worsted has increased and we’re beyond excited to have it here at our shop!

Imbue Worsted’s heathered shades 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!

What to knit with Imbue Worsted? Here are some ideas!

Because Imbue substitutes easily for Brooklyn Tweed Tones or Shelter, there’s a world of patterns to choose from – click here for a roundup of some favorite BT worsted weight patterns!

Look for Imbue Worsted here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, along with other Brooklyn Tweed yarns! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays; masks required for entry.

Show and tell: sweaters.

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We’re closing the shop for a summer vacation from August 17 – 28, reopening at our usual hours on Tuesday, August 29. In the meantime, enjoy another round of show and tell, featuring the juiciest of knitting projects: sweaters!

Here’s April’s “Little Love,” by Ankestrick, a textured cardigan knit with Kelbourne Woolens Cricket. April has also made Ankestrick’s “Big Love,” a heavier version in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, and can vouch for the pleasure of knitting and wearing these designs!

Anne began this “Kirigami” years ago, when Brooklyn Tweed first launched Dapple, but then put it aside while she worked on other things. When the most recent new colors came out in Dapple, she returned to it and was delighted to discover it was nearly finished! Look for it hanging on the wall here at our shop.

Linda finished her “Kirigami” recently, too, using Brooklyn Tweed Arbor. I love how crisp Gudrun Johnston’s highly textured design is in this yarn!

In fact, I made a “Kirigami” in Arbor a few years ago, and though it never made an appearance on the blog, I wear it frequently and love it so.

Here’s a more recent project of mine, a PetiteKnit “Anker’s Summer Shirt” in Sandnes Garn Line. This one is up on display at the shop, and seems to have inspired many of you to pick up Line for an “Anker’s Summer Shirt” of your own – I can’t wait to see them take shape!

Connie knit this “Kaav” cardigan in a recent class here at our shop, where a small group of knitters all tackled Kate Davie’s lovely design, along with their very first steeks. Connie modified the pattern a bit, omitting the colorwork from the sleeves, and used the super soft Kelbourne Woolens Scout.

 

Thanks to April, Anne, Linda, and Connie for sharing your projects with us, and thank you all for letting me show and tell, too! Looking forward to seeing you and your projects after our summer break!