Tag Archives: jared flood

Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03!

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We are delighted to announce that Brooklyn Tweed’s newest yarn has arrived! Meet Ranch 03, the third in Brooklyn Tweed’s series of single-source, small-batch yarns.

Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03:

  • sport weight
  • worsted spun, 5 ply
  • 100% merino wool
  • 170 yards/50g
  • $16.50 each

Ranch 03 is a sport weight, worsted-spun, limited edition, ranch-specific Merino yarn, which means every fiber in these skeins was sourced from a single flock of sheep living on Campbell-Hansmire Ranch in Eagle County, Colorado.

Brooklyn Tweed has always sought to highlight single breed wools and support US ranchers with sustainable environmental practices. This project allows them to shine a spotlight on the people and practices behind their yarns, one ranch at a time.

After the wool was sourced at Campbell-Hansmire Ranch in Wyoming, scoured at Chargeurs in South Carolina, and spun at Worsted Spinning New England in Maine, it traveled here to North Carolina to be dyed at Ultimate Textiles in Rutherfordton. We are not often able to trace a path directly from sheep to skein, but Brooklyn Tweed believes in transparency around the supply chain and in supporting the US fiber industry every step of the way.

What to knit with Ranch 03? The BT design team has come up with a trio of new patterns, showing off what Ranch 03 can do in colorwork, cables, and simple texture:

  • “Spero,” by Jared Flood – colorwork yoke pullover
  • “Dalleray,” by Lis Smith – cabled cowl in two sizes
  • “Hansmire,” by Jared Flood – ribbed hat for all ages – free with purchase of Ranch 03!

I got a head start on my “Dalleray” cowl, and I’m loving every springy stitch. Can’t wait to see it finished and blocked!

Here are some more ideas for Ranch 03 from independent designers:

Order Ranch 03 online for local pickup or shipping!

Join us for a Dapple KAL!

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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:

Accessories:

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!

Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Dapple!

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We’re excited to announce the arrival of Brooklyn Tweed’s newest yarn, Dapple!

Dapple is a 2ply woolen-spun blend of 60% merino wool and 40% organic cotton, a DK weight yarn with softness and bounce. Each 50 gram skein has 165 yards, and costs $15.25.

Dapple is tonally dyed, meaning skeins in the same colorway differ from one another even in the same dye lot. Some are lighter, some are darker, some almost look marled! This isn’t immediately apparent when looking at one skein of Dapple at a time, so I’ve laid out big groups of each colorway to give a better sense of the variety.

It’s a refreshing new look from Brooklyn Tweed, and one that invites new ways of playing with color. Bold stripes and colorwork come immediately to mind, but don’t shy away from using Dapple in a single-color garment; you can arrange the skeins in a gradient from light to dark, or arrange them randomly by value and alternate skeins for a more blended effect.

Like all Brooklyn Tweed yarns, Dapple is sourced, spun, and dyed in the US, an effort to produce beautiful yarn sustainably and ethically.

Part of that ethical production is acknowledging that cotton is a fiber with a fraught history in America, one whose impact is still felt. Cotton production is rooted in the displacement of indigenous communities, the exploitation of the labor of enslaved Black people, and the devastation of land through overproduction.

In contrast, Dapple’s cotton comes from members of the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative, who maintain safe labor practices for their employees while farming in a sustainable manner. It is as important to invest in this work as it is to learn about this history, and Brooklyn Tweed is doing both and inviting us to join them. Going forward, they are donating a portion of Dapple’s proceeds to the National Black Farmers Association, and are sharing a series of videos and essays on textiles and race as they introduce Dapple.

What to make with Dapple? This new yarn has launched with patterns from Jared Flood: “Ginn,” a raglan pullover, and “Urtia,” a half brioche hat. Stay tuned for more pattern ideas, and to see what’s on our needles – we’ve found so many exciting projects for Dapple!

Order Dapple online for local pickup or USPS Priority Mail Shipping – thanks again for your support and understanding during our temporary closure!

Though we’re in the midst of our Annual Inventory Sale, Dapple will not be discounted during this time. Thanks for understanding!

On our needles.

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What’s in Anne’s Plystre Project Pouch, besides a Baby Baggu?

A grandson-sized “Atlas (For Kids),” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft!

I love the color combination she chose – Flannel for the main color, Snowbound and Old World for the contrast colors.

Many of you know that Anne never limits herself to one project at a time. So what else is on her needles right now? Let’s take a look!

Anne’s “Calla” tank is growing, stripe by stripe. You can see how Anne keeps unruly plant fiber yarns in check, by hand-winding them into tight balls and storing them in ziplock bags as she knits.

Designed by Shellie Anderson for Shibui Koan, this is shaping up to be a lovely, lightweight summer garment.

Anne is almost done with another Shellie Anderson design, “Cather,” an elegant pullover in Shibui Echo. As she set in the first sleeve the other afternoon, she remarked on cocoknits Claw Clips – “I don’t know how I ever seamed without them!”

Another work in progress from Anne’s collection is this “Rainy Day Hat,” designed by Melanie Berg for her Balayage yarn. It’s a super-soft fingering weight blend of merino and alpaca, a treat for the hands.

I confess, I’m not quite as prolific as Anne, and my projects are coming along more slowly! Above is my “Kirigami,” designed by Gudrun Johnston and knit with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor. I’ve been savoring this project for some months now, enjoying the simplicity of stockinette and the elasticity of Arbor, one of my very favorite yarns.

I’m about halfway through Churchmouse’s “Vineyard Cowl,” knit with one skein of Baa Ram Ewe Winterburn DK. It’s an easily-memorized stitch pattern, and a soothing knit in this wonderfully wooly yarn, shown here on another of my works-in-progress – a quilt I’ve been slowly stitching.

There’s a lot we miss about being “open” in the usual sense, but one of the main things is seeing what everyone is working on! What’s on your needles? Share in the comments, or post photos on Instagram, tagged #hillsboroughyarnshop – we can’t wait to hear from you!

Sale of the Week, Virtual Trunk Show: Brooklyn Tweed Fall 2019!

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Though we’re keeping our doors closed during May, we’re still virtually open for mail orders, and we want to offer something fun during this uncertain time. Throughout May, we’ll have a special sale each week – 15% off a featured yarn, our Sale of the Week!

Another trunk show has arrived from Brooklyn Tweed – the Fall 2019 collection is here! We are truly sorry that our doors can’t be open to walk-in traffic at this time, when it’s such fun to see and touch these garments for yourself. However, you don’t have to miss out on the 15% discount we’re offering on featured BT yarns until May 30 – if you see something here that you like, email us with questions or to place an order!

It’ll have to be a Virtual Trunk Show this time – let’s take a look at the Fall 2019 collection!

 

 

“Auna,” by Gudrun Johnston, geometric colorblock shawl knit with 4 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Vale ($15 each; 2 skeins Thaw, 1 skein each Morel and Vernal).

 

“Cilfor,” by Gudrun Johnston, circular yoke pullover with pockets, knit with 8 – 14 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Shelter ($16.50 each, shown in Yellowstone).

“Collomia,” by Gudrun Johnston, colorwork pullover knit with 9 – 17 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Shelter ($16.50 each, Woodsmoke (MC), Nest (C1) and Bale (C2)).

 

 

 

“Dominy,” by Gudrun Johnston, A-line pullover knit with 5 – 9 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Peerie ($15.25 each, shown in Burnished).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Dovera,” by Veronik Avery, colorwork tam knit with 4 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Loft ($18.75 each, shown in Meteorite, Tent, Birdbook, and Sweatshirt).

“Graff,” by Jared Flood, cabled hat knit with 2 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Peerie ($15.25 each, shown in Marigolds and Nori).

 

 

 

“Lowra,” by Veronik Avery, belted cardigan knit with 10 – 16 skeins Brooklyn Tweed Arbor ($18.75 each, shown in Carob).

“Maremma,” by Norah Gaughan, cabled scarf knit with 7 skeins Brooklyn Tweed Quarry ($25 each, shown in Citrine) or 8 skeins Brooklyn Tweed Arbor ($18.75 each, shown in Mesa).

“Rockcress,” by Norah Gaughan, cabled pullover knit with 9 – 14 skeins Brooklyn Tweed Shelter ($16.50 each, shown in Wool Socks).

“Sagemoor,” by Veronik Avery, v-neck colorwork pullover knit with 9 – 13 skeins Brooklyn Tweed Loft ($18.75 each, shown in Cast Iron (C1), Embers (C2), Tent (C3), Pumpernickel (C4), Sweatshirt (C5), Cinnabar (C6), Button Jar (C7), and Meteorite (C8)).

 

 

 

“Sethera,” by Norah Gaughan, colorwork cardigan knit with 11 – 30 skeins Brooklyn Tweed Shelter ($16.50 each, shown in Caribou (C1), Fauna (C2), Embers (C3) and Meteorite (C4)).

“Tillage,” by Jared Flood, cabled turtleneck knit with 11 – 18 skeins Brooklyn Tweed Arbor ($18.75 each, shown in Treehouse).

Most every Brooklyn Tweed yarn is featured in these designs: the lace weight Vale, fingering weight Peerie and Loft, DK weight Arbor, worsted weight Shelter, and bulky weight Quarry – all of which are 15% off during the Virtual Trunk Show. Email us with your order by May 30, and take care!

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

Sale of the Week, Virtual Trunk Show: Brooklyn Tweed Holiday 2019!

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Though we have to keep our doors closed during April, we’re still virtually open for mail orders, and we want to offer something fun during this uncertain time. Throughout April, we’ll have a special sale each week – 15% off a featured yarn, our Sale of the Week!

Another trunk show has arrived from Brooklyn Tweed – the Holiday 2019 collection is here! We are truly sorry that our doors can’t be open to walk-in traffic at this time, when it’s such fun to see and touch these garments for yourself. However, you don’t have to miss out on the 15% discount we’re offering on featured BT yarns until April 21 – if you see something here that you like, email us with questions or to place an order!

It’ll have to be a Virtual Trunk Show this time – let’s take a look at these select pieces from the Holiday 2019 collection!

“Marquam,” by Veronik Avery, knit with 5 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Arbor ($18.75 each; 2 skein main color Fleet, 1 skein each contrast colors Hammock, Tincture, Driftwood).

“Bybee,” by Gudrun Johnston, knit with 8 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Peerie ($15.25 each; 4 skeins main color Thaw, 2 skeins each in contrast colors Gale and Norway).

“Gammans,” by Norah Gaughan. Short cowl knit with 5 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Arbor (3 in main color Degas, 1 skein each contrast colors Arabesque and Carob). Beanie knit with 3 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Arbor (1 skein each in Vintner, Butte, and Ranier).

“Ardenwald,” by Jared Flood, knit with 2 skeins Brooklyn Tweed Arbor (shown at left in Tincture) or 2 skeins Brooklyn Tweed Shelter ($16.50 each, shown at right in Iceberg).

“Svenson (For Her),” by Jared Flood, knit with 10-17 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Arbor (shown in Hammock).

Some of our favorite Brooklyn Tweed yarns are featured in these designs: the fingering weight Peerie, DK weight Arbor, and worsted weight Shelter – all of which are 15% off during the Virtual Trunk Show. Email us with your order, and take care!

 

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

Show and tell: blankets.

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Time for another round of show and tell! I love to take photos of finished projects when folks bring them into the shop to share with us, and to share them here on our blog. I always seem to have a backlog of photos, thanks to the many productive knitters and crocheters who frequent our shop. Here’s a batch of show and tell featuring those most ambitious of projects – blankets!

Above is Nancy’s “Karoo Vintage” blanket, a magnum opus of colorful crochet. She used a variety of yarns, all plant fibers – Cascade Ultra Pima, Universal Bamboo Pop, Shibui Rain, Tahki Cotton Classic, and others. Bravo, Nancy!

The next two blankets come from a different Nancy, one who prefers to knit. Above is her “Tweed Baby Blanket,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in a pleasing gradient of red and pink.

Nancy also made this “Umaro” baby blanket with Brooklyn Tweed Arbor. The simplicity of white brings clarity to this incredible stitch pattern. Nancy was generous enough to create this blanket for the shop as a sample – don’t miss admiring it next time you’re in!

Amy also completed an “Umaro” blanket recently, using Brooklyn Tweed Quarry held double. This intricate stitch pattern looks entirely new at such a large gauge.

Amy has an “Umaro” class underway at the shop now, and we’re so looking forward to seeing all the cozy blankets that come out of it!

Thanks to Nancy, Nancy, and Amy for sharing their work, and to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We can’t wait to see what you make next.

Show and tell: stranded colorwork.

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While the shop is closed for a Thanksgiving break, I thought it would be fun to catch up on some show and tell here on the blog. We’ll reopen at our regular business hours on Tuesday, December 3; til then, let’s have a look at some of the projects folks have brought into the shop to show us!

I noticed a theme running through my current stash of show-and-tell photos: stranded colorwork. It’s a popular technique in our classroom, which is where these first two projects came to be. Above is Kristen in her “Galloway” cardigan, knit with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, looking lovely in shades of blue and gray. Below is Peggy’s “Galloway,” and also her very first sweater – well done!

Shelter is a popular yarn for colorwork sweaters – it’s what Glen used for his “Knitter’s Dude” cardigan, designed by Andrea Rangel. This was his first steek, a milestone, and expertly executed. Nice job, Glen!

Emily knit this “Plum Pudding Pig” with Fibre Company Lore, a DK weight Romney wool that’s well-suited to colorwork. When she brought it in for show and tell, we all wanted to give it a squeeze.

Below is Shula’s “Tessera Cowl,” designed by Jared Flood, and knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft. Not all knitting projects are a joy from beginning to end – of this one, Shula bluntly said, “This was a pain in the neck,” laughing, but relieved to be done with it. We’ve all had projects like this, no?

Shelley knit this “Còinneach” cardigan with Swans Island All American Sport in a striking color combination, candy-colored brights popping out against a neutral brown background. The pattern is from Kate Davies’ West Highland Way.

Thanks to Kristen, Peggy, Glen, Emily, Shula, and Shelley for sharing their work with us, and thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop!

Hope you all are enjoying the holiday, we look forward to seeing you when the shop opens again on Tuesday, December 3. In the meantime, look for more show and tell on our blog in the coming days!

Limited Edition colors in Brooklyn Tweed Arbor!

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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!

Show and tell: Brooklyn Tweed Quarry.

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Time for another round of show and tell! These projects were all knit with Brooklyn Tweed Quarry. Quarry is Brooklyn Tweed’s heaviest yarn, a Targhee-Columbia wool that’s loftier than most bulky weights on account of its woolen-spun, loosely-plied structure. Many knitters who have worked with it describe its texture as “doughy” or “spongey,” which may sound odd, but get some on your needles, and I expect you’ll agree. Let’s have a look at what folks at making with it!

Kerry designed this “Chunky Gansey Cowl” for Quarry, taking advantage of its sharp stitch definition and soft feel. Her pattern is a great one for sampling Quarry if you’d never tried it, and uses just one skein.

Becky knit this “Luoto” hat with one skein of Quarry as well, then came back for several more skeins to knit this clever pattern a few more times.

Here’s Sidney’s recently-completed “Byway,” knit with Quarry, and meticulously blocked to perfection.

The cable and texture pattern, designed by Jared Flood, shows beautifully in this soft lavender gray color.

Anne knit this “Freja” for her mother, who wore it daily throughout the winter. This design captured the attention of many knitters when we had it on display during a trunk show, and I’m looking forward to seeing more “Freja” cardigans out and about this winter!

Thanks to everyone who begins their projects with a trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop – we can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next!