New colors in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter!

Posted by Julia on July 22, 2022

We’re excited to have 12 new shades of Brooklyn Tweed Shelter here at our shop!

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter:

worsted weight
woolen-spun, 2 ply
100% Targhee-Columbia wool
140 yards/50 g
$16.50 each

Shelter is Brooklyn Tweed’s first yarn, and one of the most well-loved – a worsted weight, woolen-spun Targhee-Columbia wool, sourced, dyed, and spun entirely in the USA. So far, all the colors have been created by dyeing the fiber in 16 vibrant solids, then blending them, two or three at a time, into intricate heathers. This new batch of colors is skein-dyed, inspired by nature and designed to enhance and play well with the existing Shelter palette.

What to knit with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter? Here are some of our favorite patterns for this versatile yarn!

Garments:

“The Weekender,” by Andrea Mowry – reverse stockinette pullover with slip stitch detail
“Truss,” by Melissa Wehrle – stockinette cardigan with rib and eyelet detail
“Docklight,” by Julie Hoover – fisherman’s rib and lace pullover
“Color Story,” by Tif Neilan – short-sleeved colorwork yoke pullover
“Otte,” by Jared Flood – colorwork yoke pullover; click here for our color combinations!
“Slade,” by Michele Wang – stockinette cardigan with ribbed shawl collar
“Nuuk,” by Jonna Hietala – short-sleeved stockinette pullover
“Galloway,” by Jared Flood – colorwork cardigan

Accessories:

“Banff,” by Tan Can Knits – colorwork hat with tree motif, newborn-adult sizes
“Rockfall Hat,” by Tin Can Knits – colorwork hat with geometric motif, baby-adult sizes
“Guernsey Wrap,” by Jared Flood – rectangular texture-patterned shawl
“Bradway Shawl,” by Shannon Cook – 3 color shawl
“Ramblewood,” by Tamy Gore – 5 color shawl; click here for our color combinations!
“First Colorwork Cowl,” by Jared Flood – 3-5 color cowl; click here for our color combinations!
“Twin Lakes Cowl,” by Tressa Weidenaar – colorwork cowl; click here for our color combinations!
“Maize,” by Tin Can Knits – fingerless mitts/mittens in toddler-adult sizes

While BT works to get their classic heathered colorways back into production after a mill closure, we’re happy to have these new colors to brighten our Shelter selection! Look for Shelter in the worsted weight section here at our shop – we’re open from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays.

What to knit with BT Tones?

Posted by Julia on August 24, 2021

Brooklyn Tweed’s new yarn, Tones, is already turning heads here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. What to knit with this colorful stuff? Here are some ideas!

There are two new patterns especially for this yarn, Jared Flood’s “First Raglan Sweater” and Lis Smith’s “Sparkwood” cabled hat.

Because Tones can easily substitute for Shelter, there’s a world of patterns to choose from; here are some ideas from both the Brooklyn Tweed pattern archive and independent designers!

Garments:

“Grettir,” by Jared Flood – colorwork yoke pullover
“Retrograde,” by Tamy Gore – colorwork yoke pullover
“Sundottir,” by Dianna Walla – colorwork yoke pullover
“Bergitte,” by Kristin Drysdale – colorwork yoke pullover
“Tea with Jam and Bread,” by Heidi Kirrmaier – color block pullover with pockets
“Nuuk,” by Jonna Hietala – short sleeved pullover
“The Weekender,” by Andrea Mowry – reverse stockinette pullover with slip stitch detail
“Truss,” by Melissa Wehrle – v-neck cardigan with ribbed detail
“Ondawa,” by Michele Wang – cabled boat neck pullover
“Docklight,” by Julie Hoover – lace and fisherman’s rib pullover

BT Tones in Melba Overtone, a “Docklight” pullover-to-be.

Accessories:

“Turn a Square,” by Jared Flood – striped beanie
“Bough,” by Leila Raven – cabled hat
“Oleander Reversible Hat,” by Laura Chau – cabled hat
“Our Toques,” by Tif Neilan – colorwork hats
“Shik’is Hat,” by Jennifer Berg – colorwork hat
“Best Beret,” by James N Watts – classic stockinette beret
“Hatdana,” by Denise Bayron – bandana shaped hat/cowl
“Bradway,” by Shannon Cook – textured color block shawl
“Wheaten,” by Anne Hanson – lace and cable scarf, wrap, or throw
“Twin Lakes Cowl,” by Tressa Weidenaar – colorwork cowl
“Turbulence Cowl,” by Laura Chau – 2-color short row cowl

BT Tones in Granita Overtone and Granita Undertone, soon to become a “Turbulence Cowl.”

Look for Brooklyn Tweed Tones in the worsted weight section here at our shop – we’re open from 11:00 am – 5:30 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays, for drop-in shopping, no appointment required!

Show and tell: Shelter sweaters.

Posted by Julia on January 8, 2018

The extra cold weather we’ve had lately has brought out some incredible knitwear! Almost everyone who comes through our doors these days is bundled in handmade woolens. As a result, I have quite a pile of show and tell photos to share, and sifting through it, a few themes have emerged. For today’s post, that theme is sweaters knit with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, a yarn I consider perfectly suited to sweater-making.

Here’s Marcy in her “Grow” sweater by Norah Gaughan, from Hannah Thiessen’s recent book, Slow Knitting. Made with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in the playful Tartan colorway, Marcy calls it her January sweater, the warm-but-not-heavy garment that will see her through this chilly month. The construction of this sweater is more intriguing than this photo lets on, with diagonal side seams wrapping from the narrow back piece to the wider front – an interesting knit, no doubt!

Grace’s recently-completed “Tinder” is knit with Shelter in Almanac, a rich blue. This Jared Flood design features an all-over knit/purl texture pattern, straightforward to execute and satisfying to see.

She wore it into the shop just after finishing it, and kindly let me photograph it while our ballwinder prepared her next sweater’s worth – a knitter after my own heart, following one sweater directly with another.

Leslie is another serial sweater-knitter; above is her latest, Michele Wang’s “Bedford” pullover knit in Snowbound, Shelter’s lightest gray. Like “Tinder,” “Bedford” is all about a simple repeated texture pattern, though this one has a bit of a cable twist. It’s a cozy sweatshirt of a sweater, the kind of garment one wouldn’t mind wearing day after day.

This little tincanknits “Flax” was knit by Emily for a new baby in her family, and Shelter in Faded Quilt was the perfect shade of blue gray. I haven’t knit as many baby sweaters as some, but “Flax” is one I made for my nephew, and I often recommend it. I love the rustic look of Emily’s in Shelter!

I, too, have knit a sweater with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, and here I am wearing it. This is Bristol Ivy’s “Second Grace,” a pullover in my favorite sweater genre: bottom-up, colorwork, circular yoke. I labored over the selection of seven colors, wanting to branch out from my usual blue or gray and stymied by the abundance of amazing colors in the Shelter palette. Ultimately I landed on Cast Iron for the main color, and Long Johns, Cinnabar, Tallow, Almanac, Tartan, and Snowbound for contrast colors. I’m so pleased with this garment – you will likely see me wearing it a lot, and it may not be long before I knit another sweater in Shelter.

A warm thanks to all of you who bring your finished projects in to share with us, we are so inspired by what you make and we can’t wait to see what’s next!

Brooklyn Tweed Trunk Show: Lounge collection.

Posted by Julia on November 3, 2017

Another Brooklyn Tweed Trunk Show has made a temporary home here at the shop!

These garments were gathered from a few different BT pattern collections with “Lounge” as the unifying theme.

They’re made with Brooklyn Tweed’s three woolen-spun Targhee-Columbia wool yarns: fingering weight Loft, worsted weight Shelter, and bulky weight Quarry, our most recent acquisition. All three of these yarns are 10% off while the Trunk Show is on display – from now until Wednesday, November 15th.

We’re expecting print copies of these patterns to arrive any day now, and those of you who have purchased print copies of Brooklyn Tweed patterns know how lovely they are in that format – each one its own sturdy booklet. In the meantime, check them all out on Ravelry to see more pictures, study project notes from knitters, etc.

“Agnes,” by Jared Flood, a colorblock pullover
“Channel,” by Jared Flood, a belted, cabled cardigan
“Copse,” by Michele Wang, a cabled wrap
“Eternity Cardigan,” by Jared Flood, a drape-front cardigan
“Forester,” by Michele Wang, a marled turtleneck pullover
“Ives,” by Jared Flood, a stockinette cowl-neck pullover
“Oshima,” by Jared Flood, a textured cowl-neck pullover
“Roslyn,” by Veronik Avery, a short-sleeved tunic
“Snoqualmie,” by Michele Wang, a cabled coat
“Tweed Baby Blanket,” by Jared Flood
“Vale,” by Michele Wang, a cabled poncho

See you at the shop!

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

Show and tell: sweaters.

Posted by Julia on October 30, 2017

We have had so much amazing show-and-tell around the shop over the past couple of months! As ever, I take photos of these amazing pieces when I’m able, collecting them to share here on the blog. My collection long ago outgrew a single blog post, so I’ve divvied them up into categories for a series of posts. Let’s start big, with sweaters.

Above is Ginny’s “Rowe,” knit with Swans Island All American Worsted. Everything about it is expertly, thoughtfully executed, from the complex cables to the seams and other finishing. Bravo, Ginny!

Anne recently finished her two-tone “Featherweight,” knit with Fibre Company Meadow. Though it’s pictured hanging on the wall, this is a sweater she actually wears rather than a shop sample, a welcome departure for such an industrious, generous knitter. Come by the shop and you may just see her in it!

From lace weight to bulky weight, Fibre Company yarns make lovely sweaters. Above is Eileen’s “St. Brendan,” knit with Arranmore during Amy’s class here at the shop. I love her neutral color palette.

A little more colorwork – here’s Debbie’s “Ready for Fall,” knit with Baa Ram Ewe Dovestone DK. This is a favorite yarn of mine, and I’m always excited to see what folks at the shop make with it. Debbie has come to love Dovestone DK, too, and in fact came back for more to knit a poncho!

Here’s another sweater in Dovestone DK, April’s “Roan.” With its bright colors, large motifs, and dramatic swingy shape, this is one tremendously impressive sweater. Well done, April!

Thanks to the sweater-makers who’ve shared their work here today! We are so inspired by all the stitching that goes on in and around the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and can’t wait to see what you come up with next. See you at the shop!

Brooklyn Tweed Capsule Trunk Show!

Posted by Julia on June 22, 2017

Our walls are newly decorated with a Brooklyn Tweed Trunk Show! Come by the shop by July 2nd to see Michele Wang’s Capsule collection.

Michele Wang designed this collection of garments and accessories with loungewear in mind, the kind of cozy, wearable knits one might fantasize about curling up in all winter. Like so many of Wang’s patterns for Brooklyn Tweed yarns, these are intricate and deeply-textured, designed with great attention to detail.

Four of these designs call for Shelter, Brooklyn Tweed’s worsted weight, woolen-spun Targhee-Columbia wool, which we currently have in every available color. The same can be said of Loft, Shelter’s fingering weight counterpart, used in two of these patterns. The remainder are knit in Quarry, a bulky weight that we don’t currently stock; we’re happy to special order it for you if you fall in love with one of these designs.

Though all of these woolen-spun yarns have a bit of a rustic quality, they clearly have the stitch definition it takes to render complex cable patterns beautifully, and seeing these textured fabrics close up and in person is one of the great joys of a Trunk Show. Another joy is trying them on for size, making sure you like the fit and feel before you invest in a big project. We like to add one more joy: a 10% discount on purchases of the featured BT yarns during the trunk show, including prepaid special orders of Quarry.

Come by the shop to see this breathtaking collection for yourself, and plan your next project in Brooklyn Tweed yarns at 10% off! See you there.

A reminder: all sales are final on discounted yarn. There can be no returns or exchanges. Thanks!

Show and tell: Brooklyn Tweed, part 2.

Posted by Julia on February 24, 2017

Earlier in the week, I shared a few of the many Brooklyn Tweed works-in-progress that began life as yarns on our shelves. I can’t wait to see them all grown up and completed, just like this next group of garments.

Nancy knit this “Pei” cowl by Michele Wang with just one skein of Brooklyn Tweed Loft, using the color “Birdbook,” a mossy green. She kindly left it with us to display for awhile, so look for it next time you’re here at the shop!

Katherine used Brooklyn Tweed Arbor in “Hammock” and Fibre Company Acadia in “Blueberry” together to knit these “Gimmers” by Ann Kingstone. Technically this is a work-in-progress, as the second mitt is still underway, but I couldn’t resist photographing this stunning bit of colorwork, even before blocking.

I knit this “Banff” hat by tincanknits in three sittings, loving every stitch of Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, plotting a sweater with it already. The yarn is soft and light, feeling somehow spongey or doughy in the hand, and strange as that description may sound, it’s such a satisfying fiber to work with, I can scarcely recommend it highly enough! I chose the colors “Snowbound” and “Long Johns,” an evocative combination.

Katherine knit this “Bradway” shawl, by Shannon Cook, using three shades of Shelter: “Fossil,” “Truffle Hunt,” and “Almanac.”

Her upcoming class on the subject still has a couple of openings; sign up now if you’d like to claim one!

Thanks to all the knitters, crocheters, weavers, and other fiber artists who begin their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, and thanks to those who bring them back to show us the finished product!

Show and tell: Brooklyn Tweed, part 1.

Posted by Julia on February 21, 2017

When we first announced that we’d become a Brooklyn Tweed stockist, we were quickly joined in our enthusiasm by a great many knitters eager to get their hands on Brooklyn Tweed yarns. After all, these are yarns with big reputations, yarns that lots of us had seen only online. No surprise, then, that I have two blog-posts-worth of show-and-tell in Brooklyn Tweed yarns, some of which are still on the needles. Let’s start with those!

Jodi is knitting a Churchmouse “Easy Folded Poncho” with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in “Hayloft,” a rich mustard yellow that, like all colors in Shelter and Loft, seems to grow more complicated on each viewing. The pattern calls for DK weight yarn at a smaller gauge than what Jodi’s getting, which means her poncho will be a few inches bigger, and so much the cozier. Note her Cocoknits Stitch Stoppers, keeping those precious stitches safe!

Anne considers a swatch a treat, a little preview of what’s to come when she finishes current projects and allows herself to cast on for the next. Above is her swatch for Michele Wang’s “Hellebore,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft in “Woodsmoke.”

Shelter was the first Brooklyn Tweed yarn I reached for as soon as it arrived here at the shop. That hat has been finished for weeks, and we’ll see it in the next blog post. Right now, I’m working on a “Hirombe” hat in Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, using the nearly-fluorescent “Firebrush” color, a bright orangey-red. The hat, designed by Jared Flood, is decorated with twisted stitches, and though it looked straightforward enough in the photo, I learned at least three new techniques before my swatch was two rows long.

Sidney is already well into her “Grille” pullover, designed by Bonnie Sennott and knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft. The color is “Postcard,” an intricate one somewhere between pink and gray.

I can think of so many more Brooklyn Tweed works-in-progress that have started life here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop: a “Flight,” “Seeds Hat,” and two “Boardwalks” in Loft, a “Far Hills Hat,” “Baa-ble Hat,” “Tinder,” and “Hadley Pullover” in Shelter; a “Byway” and “Guernsey Wrap” in Arbor, and lots of others. Who else has Brooklyn Tweed yarns on their needles, and what are you making? Leave us a comment, or come by the shop to show us your progress, and look forward to a second Brooklyn Tweed show-and-tell post here on the blog very soon!

Capsule, by Michele Wang for Brooklyn Tweed.

Posted by Julia on January 23, 2017

The latest book from Brooklyn Tweed has landed here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! Take a peek inside Capsule, by Michele Wang.

Now that we carry Brooklyn Tweed yarns, I’m happy to report that you can find most of the yarns featured in these patterns here at the shop. Four of these designs call for Shelter, Brooklyn Tweed’s worsted weight, woolen-spun Targhee-Columbia wool, which we currently have in every available color.

The same can be said of Loft, Shelter’s fingering weight counterpart, used in two of these patterns. The remainder are knit in Quarry, a bulky weight that we don’t currently stock; we’re happy to help you find a proper substitute if you fall for one of the Quarry designs.

Look for Michele Wang’s Capsule on the teacart here at the shop, surrounded by other Brooklyn Tweed books and the latest publications. We’re also expecting a Capsule trunk show later in the year, something to look forward to! In the meantime, see you at the shop.