Shelter + Otte.

Posted by Julia on April 17, 2021

Brooklyn Tweed’s latest pattern collection is Form + Expression, five garments and accessories united by the theme of self-expression through color and texture.

Of this group, “Otte” leapt out at me, as colorwork pullovers often do. Knit with worsted weight, woolen-spun Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, Jared Flood’s unisex design invites playful color combinations.

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter: worsted weight, 100% Targhee-Columbia wool, 140 yards/50 g; $16.50 each. Sweater uses 9-22 skeins, depending upon size.

Below is the color combination shown in the pattern photo, with Amaranth as the main color and Tartan, Fossil, and Iceberg as contrast colors 1-3.

With this colorway in mind, and with inspiration from “Otte” projects on Ravelry, I came up with some more combinations – let’s take a look!

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.

Isager Alpaca 2 + Samen.

Posted by Julia on April 10, 2021

Last week, designer Stephen West posted new color combinations on Instagram for one of his older patterns, a marled shawl called “Samen.”

“Samen” shawl, knit with Isager Alpaca 2. Photo © Stephen West

I always love to see how he puts colors together, and it put me in the mood to create some “Samen” colorways of my own, using Isager Alpaca 2. The shawl calls for five colors in varying amounts, from 220-420 yards per color – the bundles here include some extra yardage, so you can mix the shades up however you like with plenty of wiggle room to play.

Isager Alpaca 2: light fingering weight, 50% alpaca, 50% wool, 275 yards/50 g; $12 each, $120 for bundles of 10

Hello, Germantown Unicorns!

Posted by Julia on April 7, 2021

We’re pleased to have a special new limited edition yarn from Kelbourne Woolens – meet Germantown Unicorns!

Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Unicorns:

worsted weight
marled
100% wool
220 yards/100g
$16 each

Germantown Unicorns are made from mill ends in the spinning process, combining two shades of Germantown for a unique marl.

Each skein is enough for a hat, and the folks at Kelbourne Woolens have designed one for every month of the year. Even better, every one of these patterns is free to download from Ravelry – look there for “January,” “February,” “March,” “April,” “May,” “June,” “July,” “August,” “September,” “October,” “November,” and “December.” This collection shows Germantown’s versatility in a variety of techniques, from ribbing and texture to cables and lace to stripes and colorwork.

These colorful new skeins got me thinking about Andrea Mowry’s “Nightshift” again, that ever-popular slip-stitch shawl – mixing up the Unicorns with solid shades of Germantown makes for exciting new combinations! Here are a few ideas.

Pick your favorite colors and order online for local pickup or shipping!

Cima + Kinetic.

Posted by Julia on April 4, 2021

“Kinetic” is a mistake-rib cowl designed by Antonia Shankland, where two colors are blended together at the center, making a marled fade.

It’s knit with two strands of Cima held together, making a super soft and springy fabric that’s perfect for wrapping up in. My very favorite cowl was knit with 2 strands of Cima held together, so I can attest to its coziness – it’s years old now, but still the one I reach for all fall and winter!

The “Kinetic” pattern is free from Shibui – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order. You’ll need 3 skeins each in two colors.

Shibui Cima:

lace weight
70% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool
328 yards/50 g
$16.50 each

We have a big selection of colors available in Cima, and there are lots of intriguing ways to combine them – here are a few that caught my eye.

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: April.

Posted by Julia on April 1, 2021

Dream in Color’s Pop Up Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tucson-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. April’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

fingering weight
70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
400 yards/100g
$34 each

This month, dyer Veronica was inspired by Allen’s hummingbirds, a particular species of hummingbird whose warm, bright colors are reflected in these skeins – golden yellows, olive and leafy greens, and streaks of coral, orange, and purplish brown.

As I was unpacking these vibrant skeins, I noticed how well they played with these skeins of Malabrigo Sock – these three would make a striking “Temperance Shawl,” or a “Free Your Fade,” by Andrea Mowry!

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship these pretty skeins directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront remains closed to walk-ins!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Mountain Rain.

Posted by Julia on March 20, 2021

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 variegated mix of teals against a backdrop of pale gray got me thinking about fades, and about Maxim Cyr’s “Volcano Trail” cowl in particular. In this new pattern, two solid shades and two variegated shades are blended together, two strands at a time, for a cozy marled ombre accessory.

All of our Koigu is highly variegated, so I looked to Brooklyn Tweed Peerie for coordinating solid shades – here’s what I came up with! Each of these bundles is $123.25, the pattern is sold separately on Ravelry.

Order online to make a “Volcano Trail” cowl of your own!

Pebble + Duality.

Posted by Julia on March 11, 2021

“Duality” is a brand new scarf/wrap pattern by Jane Vanselous, a simple but unusual design that takes the shape of overlapping rectangles.

It’s knit from end to end, using two colors that are worked together in the main body of the scarf, but separately on the edges.

The yarn is Shibui Pebble, a feather light lace weight blend of recycled silk, merino, and cashmere. Most Shibui colors are available across all of their yarns, presenting differently depending upon the fiber content; here in Pebble, those colors are rich with tweedy flecks.

The scarf size (8″ x 66″) uses just one skein in each color, while the wrap (18″ x 75″) calls for three of each.

Shibui Pebble:

lace weight
48% recycled silk, 36% merino, 16% cashmere
224 yards/25 g
$21.50 each ($23.50 for Julie Hoover colorways)

We have a big selection of colors available in Pebble, and there are lots of intriguing ways to combine them – here are a few that caught my eye.

The pattern is free when you buy 2 skeins of Shibui Pebble – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order.

Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping!

Back in stock: Shibui Haven.

Posted by Julia on February 24, 2021

We’re delighted to have a fresh supply of Shibui Haven after a recent restock!

This decadent DK weight merino/cashmere blend has been mighty popular for Shellie Anderson’s “Helix” hat – we’ve lost track of how many of you are out there making one, or coming back for a second! We’ve got all your favorite colors back on our shelves, along with a few new shades.

To make “Helix,” you’ll need 1 skein each of Shibui Haven and Shibui Silk Cloud, yarns that are known for their softness. Together they are an extra special treat for the hands.

Shibui Haven: DK weight, 80% merino, 20% cashmere, 160 yards/50 g; $25 each

Shibui Silk Cloud: lace weight, 60% mohair, 40% silk, 330 yards/25 g; $26.50 each

The pattern is free when you buy 1 skein each of Haven and Silk Cloud to make the hat – we’ll print a copy and include it in your order.

Pick your favorite color combination and order online for local pickup or shipping!

New colors in Kelbourne Woolens Andorra!

Posted by Julia on February 18, 2021

We’re delighted to have five new colors of Kelbourne Woolens Andorra!

Kelbourne Woolens Andorra:

sport weight
60% merino wool, 20% highland wool, 20% mohair
185 yards/50 g
$12 each

Andorra is a bouncy sport weight blend of merino and highland wool with a dash of mohair. It’s a wooly, lustrous 2-ply with a medium twist, not too tight or loose, and especially after knitting, it looks pleasantly fuzzy – perfect for colorwork knitting!

Members of our HYS Hat Club got two skeins of Andorra in their most recent bundles, contrasting colors to make Tressa Weidenaar’s “Pyramid Hike Hat.” The pattern is named for Pyramid Peak in Weidenaar’s home state of New Mexico, and the colorwork motif suggests high mountains and wide, clear skies.

I had fun putting these combinations together with the “Pyramic Hike Hat” in mind – there are so many possibilities with all these colors!

Here are a few other intriguing patterns for Andorra:

“Adventura,” by Laura Nelkin – choose-your-own adventure color-block shawl
“Snow Drop Hat,” by Kate Gagnon Osborn – geometric colorwork hat
“OneOne Winter Hat,” by Karen Vølund Fechter – vertical striped colorwork hat with corrugated ribbing
“Jenny,” by Courtney Kelley – Bohus-inspired colorwork yoke pullover
“Fine Lines,” by Lori Versaci – striped ribbed tee

Order online for local pickup or shipping! We’re still closed to walk-in browsing, but are otherwise here for orders and pickups between 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. Thanks for your support!

Dream in Color Pop-Up! Club: February.

Posted by Julia on February 3, 2021

Dream in Color’s Pop Up! Club is back! Every month, we’re getting a special new colorway from Dream in Color, a Tucson-based producer of small batch hand-dyed yarns. February’s new limited edition colorway is here while supplies last!

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

fingering weight
70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
400 yards/100g
$34 each

Smooshy with Cashmere is a super soft blend of superwash merino wool, cashmere, and nylon – perfect for a special shawl or pair of socks. A skein like this would make a great “Starshower,” “Pebble Beach Shawl,” “Sockhead Slouch Hat” or “Sockhead Cowl,” all patterns that do well with variegated yarn.

As I was unpacking these vibrant skeins, I noticed how well they played with the brightest shades of Lady Dye Superwash Fingering – these three skeins would make a striking “Free Your Fade,” by Andrea Mowry!

Get in touch if you’d like to place an order – we can ship these pretty skeins directly to you or hold your purchase here for pickup while our storefront remains closed to walk-ins!