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.

Back in stock with new colors: Kelbourne Woolens Germantown!

Posted by Julia on March 18, 2022

Last week, a giant box arrived from Kelbourne Woolens, packed full of their worsted weight wool, Germantown. Inside were no less than 10 new colors, plus a handful of colors we’d sold out of. We now have 35 shades in stock, including a few marled Germantown Unicorns – enough to warrant a new display!

Kelbourne Woolens Germantown:

worsted weight
4ply, worsted spun
100% North American wool
220 yards/100g
$16 each; Germantown Unicorns are $16 each

Germantown is a recreation of a classic wool that had been produced in Germantown, Pennsylvania, under a few different brand names since the mid-to-late 19th century. Made of 100% North American wool, Germantown is a worsted spun, worsted weight yarn with a smooth texture, soft hand, and nice elasticity.

One 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 an entire Year of Hats!

Here are some more pattern ideas for Germantown:

“Blanket of Joy,” by Kay Gardiner & Ann Shayne – striped textured blanket
“Learn to Knit a Log Cabin Blanket,” by Staci Perry – log cabin blanket
“a cool cap,” by Park Williams – wide-ribbed hat
“True Crime & Knit,” by Safiyyah Talley – textured hat
“Citrus Slice,” by Annie Lupton – colorwork pullover
“Anna Vest,” by Karen Templer – textured buttoned vest
“Courage Shawl,” by Shannon Cook – 3 color striped slip-stitch shawl
“Sequence,” by Hailey L. Stanton – 5 color slip-stitch shawl
“Easy Germantown Handwarmers,” by Courtney Kelly – textured, seamed fingerless mitts

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Germantown in the worsted weight section here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop! We’re open from 11-5:30, Tuesdays-Saturdays, and also taking orders online for local pickup or shipping.

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!

Courage Shawl.

Posted by Julia on January 31, 2021

Shannon Cook’s “Courage Shawl” has been a popular one at our shop, and though we don’t carry exactly the marled, self-striping yarn it calls for, we’ve always come up with appealing substitutes. This pattern came to my mind again recently as I rediscovered Reynolds Odyssey, a marled, self-striping wool that’s been hiding in plain sight in our worsted weight section for years!

Reynolds Odyssey:

worsted weight
marled, self-striping
100% merino wool
104 yards/50 g
$10 each

The “Courage Shawl” is made with three colors: two solid shades, and one of these marled self-stripers. For the solids, I went with the hearty Kelbourne Woolens Germantown and the oh-so-soft Austermann Merino Silk.

Austermann Merino Silk:

worsted weight
70% merino, 22% silk, 8% cashmere
125 yards/50 g
$10 each

I had so much fun putting these “Courage Shawl” colorways together, and naming them after different kinds of courage – I hope you like them, too! Each of these bundles is $65, the pattern is an additional $7.

Order online to make a “Courage Shawl” of your own!

New colors in Malabrigo Rios.

Posted by Julia on September 10, 2019

Malabrigo recently released a bunch of new colors in their beloved worsted weight superwash merino, Rios. Meet the Tribeca collection!

Rios is beautifully hand-dyed in rich, memorable colors, soft and springy in the hand, and machine-washable, no less. A superwash worsted weight wool is a versatile kind of yarn, good for garments and accessories alike. We’ve seen it all in Rios over the years – sweaters for all ages, blankets large and small, hats and mitts and cowls and slipper socks and more.

These delicate pastel shades are semi-solid, ideal for showing off texture patterns. Try Tin Can Knits’ “Flax” and “Barley,” Stephen West’s “Dustland,” Joji Locatelli’s “Hipster Shawl,” and Andrea Mowry’s “Nurtured.”

With so many beautiful colors, it’s tempting to combine them, too – for colorful ideas, check out Shannon Cook’s “Bradway,” Lisa Hannes’ “Walk in the Woods,” Jennifer Steingass’s “Fern & Feather,” Andrea Mowry’s “Nightshift,” and Tin Can Knits’ “Banff.”

Come by the shop to pick up some Malabrigo Rios for your next project! See you there.

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!

Show and tell: colorful shawls.

Posted by Julia on July 14, 2019

We love seeing what folks are making with yarn from our shop. When we choose the yarns we want to carry, test driving them in swatches and discussing their qualities, we’re thinking always of how our clientele might use them. Our knitters and crocheters come up with projects even lovelier than we can foresee, however – let’s look at some show and tell!

Elsebeth knit this mosaic and lace shawl with Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply, a fingering weight yarn that’s hand-dyed in painterly, low-contrast colorways. The pattern is “Laurelie,” by Lisa Hannes.

Here’s another Lisa Hannes design, “Right Around the Corner,” knit by Cindy. Though the pattern calls for fingering weight yarn, Cindy chose Fibre Co. Arranmore Light, a DK weight, preferring the cohesive fabric it makes at this gauge.

Tom knit this textured shawl with Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 01, a naturally-dyed Rambouillet wool with sharp stitch definition. The pattern is “Bradway,” by Shannon Cook.

Below is Robin’s “Entrelac Shawl,” knit with Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Starke 6, a self-striping yarn.

She taught a class here at our shop on this project, an unusually delicate example of entrelac, knit loosely for maximum drape.

Linda knit this “Efflorescent” shawl during a class here at our shop, following Felicity Ford’s pattern but adding a clever lining and closure at the neck.

She knit it with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, a fingering weight wool that’s perfectly suited to steeked colorwork projects like this one.

Thanks to Elsebeth, Cindy, Tom, Robin, and Linda for sharing their shawls with us! Keep an eye out for even more show and tell soon.

Brooklyn Tweed Wool People 12 Trunk Show!

Posted by Julia on February 17, 2019

We are delighted to announce that a new trunk show from Brooklyn Tweed is here to spend a couple of weeks at our shop. Come by before March 3rd to see the Wool People 12 collection!

Wool People is an annual collaboration between Brooklyn Tweed and a variety of independent knitwear designers from around the world. Some of their names are familiar, like Shannon Cook, Isabell Kraemer, Melissa Wehrle, and Emily Greene, but many are new to me. Those designers bring their own vision and aesthetic to Brooklyn Tweed’s breed-specific wool yarns, a combination that offers an exciting array of new designs.

Brooklyn Tweed’s lightest weight yarns are featured in these designs: the lace weight Vale, fingering weight Loft and Peerie, and DK weight Arbor, all of which are 10% off during the Trunk Show.

Though there are plenty of cables and other texture patterns on display, there’s a special preponderance of lace in this collection – delicate pullovers with lace yokes, garter stitch shawls with lace edgings, a turtleneck covered in eyelet linework, an allover mesh-lace pullover, and others. If you are a lace lover or curious about the technique, this show is a must-see!

Come by the shop before March 3rd to see Wool People 12 and get featured Brooklyn Tweed yarns at 10% off!

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

By Hand Lookbook No. 7: British Columbia’s South Coast.

Posted by Julia on October 8, 2018

The latest volume of By Hand is here!

By Hand is a series of lookbooks, a magazine of sorts, where each issue focuses on a city or region. The subject matter is the makers of that community, the designers, hand-dyers, yarn companies, and fiber artists that both shape and draw inspiration from the place they call home.

The focus of this issue is the south coast of British Columbia, and the weavers, needle-felters, ceramic artists, and natural dyers who live and work there.

Many of these names were new to me as I paged through this issue, but Shannon Cook is a familiar one – her “Bradway” shawl and “Veronika Cardigan” have been popular patterns here at our shop.

Along with maker profiles, By Hand also features knitting patterns, recipes, and other crafty projects. So many of us partake in a variety of handiwork, though we may call one or another a favorite; it’s nice to see a diversity of interests on display in this publication.

You’ll find By Hand on the teacart here at the shop. Come by to pick up a copy and plan your next project!

Laine Magazine, No. 6.

Posted by Julia on October 3, 2018

Last week, we welcomed another beautiful new issue of Laine Magazine.

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers and handicraft as its focus. It’s only a couple of years old, but it already has quite a following, and a reputation for beautiful designs and tantalizing photography.

Inside this issue of Laine, you’ll find a mix of knitting patterns, articles, recipes, profiles on fiber artists, and a travel guide to Reykjavik.

There are lots of familiar names sprinkled throughout this issue, like Andrea Mowry, Tukuwool, Shannon Cook, Brooklyn Tweed, Nancy Marchant, and Fibre Company, but we love getting to know new designers and yarn companies through Laine, too.

Come by the shop to page through Laine and our other books and magazines. We hope you find inspiration here!