Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Tones!

We’re excited to announce that Brooklyn Tweed’s new yarn is here: meet Tones!

Brooklyn Tweed Tones:

  • worsted weight
  • woolen-spun
  • 3 ply
  • overdyed
  • 100% Columbia wool
  • 140 yards/50g
  • $13.75 each

At first glance, Tones bears a striking resemblance to Shelter – both are worsted weight and woolen spun, with the same yardage, weight, suggested gauge, and price. There are a few key differences, however, that make Tones an exciting new addition to Brooklyn Tweed’s domestically-sourced, breed-specific lineup; the first is color!

Tones is overdyed in vibrant, playful colors, starting with two baseline shades of undyed natural gray. The lighter shade is the overtone, and the darker shade is the undertone, and each of them has been dipped in 11 new colorways, creating tone pairs.

Another difference between Tones and Shelter is the number of plies. Shelter is a 2 ply, which has a slightly more rustic appearance, and Tones is a 3 ply, which is more round and smooth for outstanding stitch definition. Cables and other texture patterns show nicely in Shelter, to be sure, but they really pop in Tones!

I’m the lucky knitter in charge of knitting a sample for the shop in Tones, and I picked Jared Flood’s now classic “Turn a Square” hat. Wanting to showcase the slight difference between overtone and undertone, I picked Nimbus for both main and contrast color – a low-contrast combination that appeals to my eye.

I’m loving the springy, woolly feel of Tones, and already planning a sweater for myself, naturally – perhaps a second “Docklight,” a sweater I knit for myself seven years ago and still reach for as soon as the temperature drops.

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Tones in the worsted weight section here at our shop! We are now open for drop-in shopping between 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays; you can still order online for local pickup or shipping, as well.

Show and tell: more sweaters!

It’s been fun going back through show and tell photos from Instagram over the past year since our closure – there are so many incredible projects to share. Let’s take a look at some sweaters!

Like many of us, Linda spent much of the past year finishing lingering projects, and here she is modeling one of them – “Galloway,” a colorwork cardigan designed by Jared Flood for Brooklyn Tweed Shelter.

Above is Rosi’s “Cloudy Blouse,” an intricate embroidered pullover designed by Helga Isager for Isager Spinni.

Here’s Pat in her “Donner,” knit with Malabrigo Caprino and trimmed with Shibui Haven.

Linda knit this “Orime” top with Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, a smooth and springy yarn that’s perfect for showing off the subtle stitch pattern in Veronik Avery’s design.

Here’s Laura, showing off her beautiful “Zahavi,” designed by Emily Greene for Brooklyn Tweed Arbor – another yarn with superb stitch definition.

Above is Patricia’s “Peace Lily Blouse,” knit for her daughter using Kelbourne Woolens Mojave. She modified this cropped top by lengthening the ribbing, a clever and easy fix that changes the whole look of the garment.

Here’s Denise’s first ever steeked sweater, Caitlin Hunter’s “Ramblin Woman” cardigan, knit with Isager Jensen.

Thanks to Linda, Rosi, Pat, Linda, Laura, Patricia, and Denise for sharing their work with us! We can’t wait to see what you make next.

Show and tell: little sweaters.

Back with more show and tell! Here’s another batch of completed projects made with yarns from our shop. If you follow us on Instagram, some of these may look familiar – let’s take a closer look at these sweet sweaters for babies and children.

Pam knit this “Ezra” cardigan with Brooklyn Tweed Dapple, a DK weight blend of merino and organic cotton. The skeins vary from light to dark, giving a special tonal look to each garment knit with Dapple.

Here’s Janese’s “Baby Surprise Jacket,” knit with Malabrigo Rios. Elizabeth Zimmermann’s classic pattern is knit all in one piece, then folded up and seamed at the shoulders. Instead of alternating skeins to blend the hand-dyed colors, Janese knit all the way through her first skein before switching to the second, letting the uniqueness of each one shine through – we love the result!

Emily knit the “Baby Colorwork Cardigan” above with Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, a favorite yarn she’s returned to for project after project. With so many kinds of yarn to choose from, this is high praise for Peerie!

Above is Rosi’s “Dog Star,” a beloved Tin Can Knits pattern that Anne and I have each made several times. Rosi used Berroco Ultra Wool DK for the main color and Malabrigo Arroyo for the contrast color and cuffs.

Here are two of Anne’s finished knits, from the last batch of sweaters she made for her grandchildren. Above is “Atlas (For Kids)” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft, and below is “Leaf Sweater for Kids,” knit with Malabrigo Sock.

She’s already three sweaters into the next round of knits for her grandchildren – looking forward to sharing them with you here as they emerge from her knitting bag!

Thanks to Pam, Janese, Emily, Rosi and Anne for letting me share these inspiring knits. We love to see what all of you are making, and sincerely thank anyone who starts a project with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

Show and tell!

It’s been too long since I shared some show and tell here on the blog! Those of you who follow us on Instagram may have seen some of these inspiring projects over the past few months, but they’re all worth a bit more attention – let’s take a look.

Here’s Kathryn with her “Slipstravaganza” shawl, designed by Stephen West for his annual Mystery Knit-Along last fall. She used Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere for a soft and surprisingly sturdy accessory – she reported no pilling even after plenty of wear.

Another Stephen West pattern! Michele knit this “Brioche Soundwaves” with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, which has superb stitch definition, ideal for an intricate pattern like this.

Here Emily models her cozy “Nightshift” shawl, a popular pattern by Andrea Mowry. She used a mix of solid and marled colors to great effect – Brooklyn Tweed Shelter is the yarn.

Here’s another “Nightshift,” knit by Kay for her sister using Malabrigo Rios. We’ve seen this shawl knit with solids and hand-dyes, variegated and speckled shades, even self-striping colors, and many knitters come back to make a second or third!

Nancy brought her “Chrysalis Throw” in during an in-store shopping appointment, wowing us with her use of color. She’s crocheting this large and impressive blanket with Cascade Ultra Pima – pattern by Jen Tyler.

Deedra is an avid Koigu collector, and used some of her skeins to knit the “Pacific Shake Cowl” above. Taiu Landra designed it using two strands of Koigu KPPPM at a time, marling different shades for unique color blends.

Thanks to Kathryn, Emily, Kay, Michele, Nancy, and Deedra for sharing their work – we can’t wait to see what you make next. Stay tuned for more show and tell soon, a post featuring nothing but sweaters…!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Macaroons.

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.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 g
  • $15.50 each

This month’s limited edition color is Macaroons, a variegated mix of bright yellow, purple, pink, and green against a creamy vanilla backdrop.

We have a whole rainbow of Collector’s Club colorways in stock, and Macaroons fits right in.

I think it particularly plays well with Vintage Valentine, a more saturated colorway that picks up some of the same shades. From there, I wandered over to our Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, and came up with three color combinations for Tamy Gore’s “Shades of Peony” shawl.

Yarn bundles for “Shades of Peony” are normally $92.50, or $78.63 during our Annual Inventory Sale – order online for local pickup or shipping, or make an appointment to shop our July sale in person!

 

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

Shelter + Twin Lakes Cowl.

Already mastered your “First Colorwork Cowl”? Knit Tressa Weidenaar’s “Twin Lakes Cowl” with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter! This colorwork pattern is similar, but has larger motifs, some of which require trapping long floats – here’s a tutorial from Modern Daily Knitting that shows a few methods.

“Twin Lakes Cowl,” by Tressa Weidenaar. Photo © Tressa Weidenaar

Weidenaar’s bold use of high contrast color caught my eye; she’s used Fossil in the background and Homemade Jam and Almanac in the foreground, two shades that are about the same value and both contrast against the white.

As I put together these alternate “Twin Lakes Cowl” color combinations, I kept this strategy in mind – one light background color and two dark contrast colors.

Then I flipped it, selecting one dark background color and two light contrast colors.

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter: worsted weight, 100% Targhee-Columbia wool, 140 yards/50 g; $16.50 each, or $49.50 for three skeins needed to knit “Twin Lakes Cowl.”

We have a huge selection of Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in stock – make an in-store shopping appointment to select your own color combination, or pick from the options above and order online for local pickup or shipping!

Amirisu, Issue 22.

A new issue of Amirisu is here!

Amirisu is a knitting magazine based in Japan, each issue filled with articles, interviews, and patterns from designers all over the world.

This issue features designs by Fiona Alice, Kate Gagnon Osborn, Sari Nordlund, Eri Shimizu, Dianna Walla, and more.

I spotted some familiar fibers in this issue – Kelbourne Woolens Andorra in a textured lace shawl, and Brooklyn Tweed Dapple in a feature on new yarns to try. Happy to report that we have plenty of both in stock, and that you can now make an appointment for in-store shopping to see them in person!

There’s intriguing reading material in this issue of Amirisu, too – a fiber lover’s travel guide to Okinawa, with essays about the textile traditions there.

Amirisu is $24, and available for local pickup or shipping via our online order form, or you can schedule an appointment to shop in person!

HYS Hat Club: Quarter 4!

The HYS Hat Club continues, and we’re opening it up for Quarter 4 signups!

HYS Hat Club is a subscription of thoughtfully curated hat projects for knitters, pairing yarns and patterns to keep you entertained all year long. Each quarter includes three hat projects (one per month), and a few other surprises along the way. This will be our last quarter, and it’s been so much fun to plan something special for these final 3 months!

HYS Hat Club, March 2021 – “Spruce & Lichen,” by Tif Neilan, 1 skein of Koigu KPPPM, 1 ball of Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering, 1 skein of Shibui Tweed Silk Cloud and one faux-leather sew-on tag (not pictured).

Patterns: Expect patterns from a variety of designers, using all kinds of techniques, anything from cables and texture patterns, stranded colorwork and mosaic knitting, marling, and beyond. 

Fiber: We love the elasticity of wool for hat-making, so there’ll be plenty of it, and all kinds!

Gauge: The yarns will vary in gauge, from fingering weight up to bulky. 

Color: Choose from four color palettes – warm, cool, neutral, and surprise; select a second palette if you’d like a bit more variety throughout the quarter.

Price, terms, and timing: 

Cost for HYS Hat Club Quarter 4, local pickup option: $150

Cost for HYS Hat Club Quarter 4, USPS shipping option: $174

Prepay for Quarter 4 by Saturday, June 19th, and expect an email early in July letting you know that your first HYS Hat Club order is ready for pickup or shipping. All HYS Hat Club sales are final, no returns or exchanges; discounts do not apply.

  • Quarter 4: July, August, September

HYS Hat Club, April 2021 – “Hatdana,” by Denise Bayron, 1 skein of Fibre Co. Cumbria Worsted, samples of Fibre Co. Lore and Gloves in a Bottle lotion, and HYS needle gauge.

Sign up for Quarter 4 using our online order form, answering the following questions:

  • Choose one or two color palettes: warm, cool, neutral, or surprise
  • Ravelry username:

HYS Hat Club, May 2021 – “Patikitiki Hat,” by Francoise Danoy, 2 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Dapple, sample of BT Ranch 03, and Baby Baggu project bag.

We can’t wait to share what we’ve been cooking up for the last hurrah of our HYS Hat Club, but each hat project is a surprise… Sign up for Quarter 4 by June 19th to join the club!

Shelter + First Colorwork Cowl.

BT by Brooklyn Tweed is a collection of short, accessible knitting patterns designed for learning new skills. The latest in this series is “First Colorwork Cowl,” by Jared Flood, knit with the worsted weight, woolen spun Shelter.

“First Colorwork Cowl” is shown here in 3 colors, but Flood has come up with 4- and 5-color options, too! We’ve put together bundles for this pattern in BT’s color combinations along with a few of our own.

 

 

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter: worsted weight, 100% Targhee-Columbia wool, 140 yards/50 g; $16.50 each

3-color options (4 skeins): $66

4-color options (5 skeins): $82.50

5-color options (6 skeins): $99

 

 

 

The “First Colorwork Cowl” pattern is free when you purchase at least 4 skeins of Shelter from us; it includes a link to a companion PDF with information on knitting the cowl with 4 or 5 colors.

 

If any of these color combinations grabs you, order online for local pickup or shipping! We’re also happy to help put together a custom colorway just for you – just let us know what shades you love. You can see them all on the Brooklyn Tweed website, and know that we have almost every one here on our shelves, even some of the retired shades.

Laine Magazine, No. 11.

Laine Magazine is back with their 11th issue!

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.

Issue 11 features patterns from an amazing group of designers, the likes of Gudrun Johnston, Paula Pereira, Stephen West, Eri Shimizu, and more.

Beyond the patterns, there are seasonal recipes and plenty of good reading – I’m particularly excited to read Jeanette Sloan’s interview with Diane Ivey, the dyer behind Lady Dye Yarns. We’re proud to have her Superwash Fingering and SW Merino DK on our shelves here at the shop.

Laine No. 10 is $30 eachorder online for local pickup or shipping! We also have Laine No. 8 and No. 10 in stock, and Laine’s most recent books, Fair Isle Weekend, Strands of Joy, and 52 Weeks of Shawls.