New colors in Berroco Ultra Wool DK.

Posted by Julia on October 17, 2020

We recently got a big bundle of new colors from Berroco in yarns across their line of machine-washable wools – Ultra Wool DK, Ultra Wool (worsted weight), and Ultra Wool Chunky. Today, I’m sharing new colors, project ideas, and color combinations in Ultra Wool DK – let’s take a look!

Berroco Ultra Wool DK:

DK weight
100% superwash wool
292 yards/100g
$12 each

The new colors are shown above, a pastel rainbow that creates exciting new possibilities for color combining across the whole palette.

As I investigated those possibilities, I found myself drawn to three-color combinations, thinking, as I often do, of stranded colorwork.

Here are some DK weight patterns to consider if any of these trios catches your eye:

Sweaters:

“Dog Star,” by Tin Can Knits – my go-to baby sweater, though it comes in all sizes; a pullover with a colorwork yoke, designed for 2 colors, but easily modified for 3, as you can see in Anne’s “Dog Stars”
“Clayoquot,” by Tin Can Knits – colorwork yoke cardigan with pockets
“Tecumseh,” by Caitlin Hunter – oversized colorwork pullover
“Unbearable Hoodie,” by Les Garçons – hooded pullover with colorwork yoke and an adorable bear motif; there’s also a “Mini-Unbearable Hoodie” for kids
“Parsons Green,” by Kathryn Folkerth – colorwork yoke pullover

Accessories:

“Clayoquot Toque,” by Tin Can Knits – colorwork hat, sized for all ages
“Flaked,” by Amy Miller – colorwork hat
“Candy Darling,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn – colorwork hat and mittens
“Brunstane,” by Ysolda Teague – close-fitting colorwork cowl
“Stoneham Poncho,” by Dianna Walla – turtleneck poncho with colorwork yoke and neck
“Le Massif Scarf,” by Dianna Walla – tubular colorwork scarf

When I took these photos, I had in mind that the color on the left would make a good main or background color, and the two colors at right would be contrast colors. These assignments can shift as needed, depending upon the design at hand – happy to help answer questions as you pair these colorways with patterns you love!

Order online for local pickup or shipping, and keep an eye out for upcoming posts on Ultra Wool and Ultra Wool Chunky!

Soldotna Crop + Isager Jensen.

Posted by Julia on September 5, 2020

Caitlin Hunter’s “Soldotna Crop” hasn’t faded in popularity since it first came out last year. With over 5,000 projects on Ravelry, it’s no wonder we get frequent requests for “Soldotna” yarn ideas! Here’s one – the delightfully toothy Isager Jensen.

Isager Jensen:

DK weight
solid and heathered colors
100% Danish wool
275 yards/100 g
$28 each

Isager Jensen is perfectly suited to stranded colorwork. Like Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, another favorite colorwork yarn of mine, Jensen is not the softest fiber in our shop, but it’s sturdy and full of character, sure to wear well for years to come. A couple of years ago, I used Jensen to make Lori Versaci’s “Summer Fog” vest and loved every stitch – it left me wanting to work with this yarn again!

Jensen’s color palette was initially developed back in the 1970’s by Danish designer Ase Lund Jensen, who was inspired by the rich and complex shades of natural dyes. I named these “Soldotna Crop” colorways for natural dye plants, though none were used to dye this particular yarn.

Jensen’s generous yardage means that only 4-6 skeins are needed for Hunter’s “Soldotna Crop,” depending on what size you’re making. Order online if one of these colorways sparks your curiosity, or if you’d like to see a special combination just for you! We’re happy to help you plan your next project, and can ship your order or hold it here at the shop for local pickup.

Join us for a Dapple KAL!

Posted by Julia on July 18, 2020

Brooklyn Tweed’s newest yarn, Dapple, has captured our imagination.

Sample skeins acquired in advance of the launch allowed Anne to get it right on her needles, casting on for Gudrun Johnston’s “Kirigami” pullover in Honeycrisp.

Not wanting to miss out on this fun, I’ve decided to cast on with Dapple, too, and selected Anchor and Natural for a “Pātikitiki Hat,” by Francoise Danoy. I can’t wait to see how the striking geometric colorwork comes out in this simple, high contrast combination!

We’re excited to announce an informal Dapple knit-along! How to participate? Simply embark on a project of your choosing with Brooklyn Tweed Dapple, and stitch at your own pace. There will be no deadline, just the camaraderie of working with the same yarn at the same time. Anne and I are here to answer questions as you select your pattern, colors, and needles, and will post our progress along the way.

Anne has already made great strides on her “Kirigami,” and we are both having fun watching it come together. This is a bit of a departure for her in terms of color, which is to say, it’s bold and bright instead of subdued and neutral. She sorted the skeins by value before casting on, making a gradient from light to dark. “Kirigami” is worked in the round from the bottom up, so she cast on the sleeves and body with the darkest skeins, making the sweater lightest at the textured yoke.

What else to knit with Dapple? It substitutes well for BT Arbor, for which there are a great many patterns available, but we’ve come up with all kinds of other projects for Dapple besides. Here are some ideas!

Garments:

“Foldlines,” by Norah Gaughan – heavily textured drop-shoulder pullover
“Stepping Stones Cardigan,” by Rebecca McKenzie – long lace cardigan
“Dog Star,” by Tin Can Knits – colorwork yoke pullover, sized from baby – adult
“Soldotna Crop,” by Caitlin Hunter – short-sleeved, colorwork, cropped pullover
“Tecumseh,” by Caitlin Hunter – oversized colorwork pullover
“Purl Strings,” by Heidi Kirrmaier – textured, top-down pullover

Accessories:

“Butterbeer,” by Tamy Gore – 3-color cowl
“Adira,” by Tamy Gore – 4-color shawl using stripes, brioche, eyelets, and short rows
“Glykos,” by Dawn Henderson – honeycomb cable shawl
“Tincture,” by Andrea Mowry – 2-color mosaic hat
“Alejandra,” by Joji Locatelli – 3-color garter stitch/mosaic shawl
“Constance,” by Jeanette Sloan – textured cowl
“Guernsey Wrap,” by Jared Flood – textured wrap

Cast on with us this week, or next week, or whenever suits you – knit along at your own pace, and use the hashtag #HYSDappleKAL to share your progress on Instagram!

52 Weeks of Socks.

Posted by Julia on April 27, 2020

Update: We are totally sold out of 52 Weeks of Socks, and Laine has no more copies to sell to us. Good luck on your search!

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We are delighted to announce that we finally have some copies of Laine’s new book, 52 Weeks of Socks!

This is our second batch, actually – the first came and went quickly, every copy spoken for before we could even breathe word of its arrival. This 256 page tome includes 52 patterns for knitting socks and slippers, an astonishingly large collection, and a beautiful one. You can see them all on Ravelry, a virtual way to browse the book; the list of designers is impressive, including Joji Locatelli, Isabell Kraemer, Rachel Coopey, Andrea Mowry, and Caitlin Hunter.

Laine no longer produces their popular knitting and lifestyle magazine, having shifted their focus to book making, but their reputation for pleasing designs and tantalizing photography remains. 52 Weeks of Socks is heavy with inspiring patterns using a variety of techniques, but it is also a beautiful object unto itself.

The book is $47, and while we’re closed to foot-traffic, it’s only available via mail-order. Shipping for this weighty hardcover is $15, but there’s definitely room in the box for a couple of skeins of sock yarn, if you’d like to make the most of it!

We have limited copies of 52 Weeks of Socks available, and Laine has announced that this was their fourth and final printing of the book, so get in touch soon if you’d like to order it from us!

Limited Edition colors in Brooklyn Tweed Arbor!

Posted by Julia on July 18, 2019

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!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Birch.

Posted by Julia on June 29, 2019

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.

Birch is the limited edition colorway this month, a pale celery shade streaked with greens. Dyed on KPPPM, Koigu’s signature fingering weight superwash merino wool, Birch would make a lovely shawl, baby sweater, hat, or pair of socks.

As I’ve written here before, KPPPM plays well with others, and this particular colorway brought to mind some of the solid shades in Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering, another superwash merino we carry here at the shop.

Where high contrast combinations are desired, consider these charcoal and forest green shades. Even this light aqua stands out against Birch, where neon yellow and white make a quieter contribution.

What to make with these color combinations in mind? Caitlin Hunter’s “Marettimo,” “Navelli,” “Sipila,” and “Zweig” are all modern colorwork sweaters, calling for hand-dyed fingering weight yarns – Koigu is a natural fit, and we have several others that would work well with it. Check out the patterns on Ravelry, and come by the shop to take a look at the yarn!

See you at the shop!

Pom Pom Quarterly: Winter 2018.

Posted by Julia on November 26, 2018

The Winter 2018 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly has arrived here at the shop!

Pom Pom is a beautifully designed magazine, carefully put together by writers and editors who clearly love printed matter as much as they love knitwear. This issue is guest edited by none other than Norah Gaughan, who was also featured in the most recent Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guide. Fans of Norah Gaughan have a lot to be excited about this season!

“The knits in this issue are imagined for the modern heroine,” write the Pom Pom editors, and the designs do evoke strength and drama. They are also highly embellished, whether with whimsical tassels, graphic colorwork, bold cables, bobbles, or gathers.

Many of the designer names in this issue are familiar, the likes of Joji Locatelli, Caitlin Hunter, Andrea Rangel, and Veronik Avery, whose contribution is knit with one of our favorite yarns, Brooklyn Tweed Arbor.

Anna Maltz’s column is always a thought provoking, interesting read, focusing this time on notions of tradition and historicity in knitting. She rightly points out that “Tradition is not inherently good,” and asks instead that we celebrate the ever-evolving nature of our craft, and the talented people that continue to contribute to it with new designs, techniques, and technology.

Come by the shop to get a closer look at this striking issue of Pom Pom!