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.

Shelter or Tones + Ramblewood shawl.

Posted by Julia on September 29, 2021

Tamy Gore’s newest pattern caught my eye – check out “Ramblewood,” a five color shawl knit in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter.

“Ramblewood,” by Tamy Gore, photo © Tamy Gore

This triangular shawl features slipped stitches, stripes, and eyelets, the techniques shifting from section to section. I love the colors Tamy Gore put together for the “Ramblewood” pictured above – a neutral palette of grays with an autumnal pop of mossy green and amber.

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter: worsted weight, 100% Targhee-Columbia wool, 140 yards/50 g; $16.50 each, or $115.50 for seven skeins needed to knit “Ramblewood.”

I put together a few more color combinations in both Shelter and Tones, pairing other pops of color with these neutrals.

Brooklyn Tweed Tones: worsted weight, 100% Columbia wool, 140 yards/50 g; $16.75 each, or $117.25 for seven skeins needed to knit “Ramblewood.”

Order online if one of these colorways piques your interest – we’re also open for drop-in shopping, no appointment required, from 11am – 5:30pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays. See you at the shop!

Laine Magazine, No. 12.

Posted by Julia on September 17, 2021

The newest issue of Laine Magazine is here!

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers as its focus, and a reputation for beautiful designs and tantalizing photography.

Issue 12 features patterns from an amazing group of designers, the likes of Olga Buraya-Kefelian, Kristin Drysdale, Tamy Gore, Jeanette Sloan, and more.

I spotted a few familiar yarns among these designs, the kind of rustic wool that Anne and I have such a soft spot for – here’s the toothy Isager Jensen in a dramatic cable and drop stitch yoke by Olga Buraya-Kefelian, followed by Kristin Drysdale’s colorwork pullover in Tukuwool Fingering.

We love super soft fibers, too, of course – how about Shibui Haven, a merino/cashmere blend? Dee Hardwicke has put it to use in a colorwork cowl and mitt set, below.

Laine No. 12 is $30 each – come by the shop or order online for local pickup or shipping! We also have Laine No. 8, No. 10, and No. 11 in stock, and Laine’s most recent books, Fair Isle Weekend, Strands of Joy, 52 Weeks of Shawls, and 52 Weeks of Socks – now in paperback. See you at the shop!

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!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Macaroons.

Posted by Julia on July 17, 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 month’s limited edition color is Macaroons, a variegated mix of bright yellow, purple, pink, and green against a creamy vanilla backdrop.

We have a whole rainbow of Collector’s Club colorways in stock, and Macaroons fits right in.

I think it particularly plays well with Vintage Valentine, a more saturated colorway that picks up some of the same shades. From there, I wandered over to our Brooklyn Tweed Peerie, and came up with three color combinations for Tamy Gore’s “Shades of Peony” shawl.

Yarn bundles for “Shades of Peony” are normally $92.50, or $78.63 during our Annual Inventory Sale – order online for local pickup or shipping, or make an appointment to shop our July sale in person!

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

Koigu Collector’s Club: April Showers and Snow Tulips.

Posted by Julia on May 8, 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. This month, we also got a special color in Koigu Othello, a super soft, super bulky yarn!

Koigu Othello:

super bulky weight
100% merino wool
95 yards/100g
$23.50 each

Othello is thick and squishy, sure to knit up quickly on US 10 or 11 needles. What to make with this special April Showers colorway, streaked with pastels and pale gray? Pick up one skein for a “Big Chunky Comfort Hat,” “An Unoriginal Hat,” or “Vanessa Headband.” Two skeins makes a “Painted Stones Cowl.”

We also got the classic fingering weight KPPPM in a special limited edition color – Snow Tulips (below) is a variegated mix of peach and cream, seafoam and blue, with dashes of burgundy and orange.

Koigu KPPPM:

fingering weight
hand dyed, variegated
100% superwash merino wool
175 yards/50 g
$15.50 each

One way to use highly variegated colorways like Snow Tulips is to pair them with a solid, drawing out one of the many shades that appears in the mix. Looking through our fingering weight yarns here at the shop, Anne and I found complementary solids in two yarns – Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering and Baa Ram Ewe Titus.

Since we’re offering two yarns, how about two patterns, too? Any of the yarn bundles pictured here can be used for either “Woods Haven” or “Leya,” two shawls by Tamy Gore that lend themselves to high contrast color pairings.

Koigu + Cumbria Fingering bundles are $53, and Koigu + Titus bundles are $60. Order online for local pickup or shipping!

Hello, Brooklyn Tweed Ranch 03!

Posted by Julia on March 17, 2021

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:

“Lehto,” by Anna Johanna – colorwork yoke pullover, from the new Strands of Joy
“Sonrae,” by Jennifer Steingass – colorwork yoke pullover
“Emsworth,” by Isabell Kraemer – textured pullover vest
“Miami Cuban Cap,” by Anne Hanson – cabled hat
“Pixie Dust,” by Tamy Gore – asymmetric shawl with brioche, eyelets, and slipped stitches

Order Ranch 03 online for local pickup or shipping!

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: March.

Posted by Julia on March 8, 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. March’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 elaborate celebration cakes, so these skeins are shades of vanilla sprinkled with a rainbow of bright colors.

Wild variegated skeins like these pair well with semisolids, which can highlight one of the many shades, or contrast entirely.

Here are a few two-color pattern ideas for the pairs above:

“Livie,” by Tamy Gore – asymmetrical shawl with stripes, color blocks, and eyelets
“Tokerau Shawl,” by Francoise Danoy – crescent shawl with color blocks and lace
“Fingering Brioche Bandana Cowl,” by Lavanya Patricella – bandana-shaped cowl in 2-color brioche

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!

Back in stock: Brooklyn Tweed Dapple.

Posted by Julia on January 11, 2021

Dapple was one of the brand new yarns we brought in last year, Brooklyn Tweed’s first departure from wool – a DK weight blend of organic cotton and merino. It’s been popular here at our shop, so we jumped as soon as BT had more in stock. Delighted to report that we now have a fresh supply on hand!

Brooklyn Tweed Dapple:

DK weight
woolen-spun, tonally dyed
60% merino wool, 40% organic cotton
165 yards/50 g
$15.25 each

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 in a few colorways to give a better sense of the variety. You can see each color laid out this way on our first Dapple blog post, and lots of pattern ideas on our second.

Tamy Gore recently published a gorgeous colorwork pullover designed for Dapple, “Graphic Elements.” When our big box of Dapple arrived, this sweater was exactly where my mind went – here are some color combinations to get you started planning your own!

Tamy Gore’s lovely original colorway is shown above, and below are those I put together – I’ve named them for some of the basic elements of graphic design, all concepts we see again and again in the knitting world.

Order Dapple online for local pickup or USPS Priority Mail Shipping – thanks again for your support and understanding as we remain closed to walk-ins!

New colors in Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering.

Posted by Julia on December 24, 2020

A recent order from Ewe Ewe brought three new shades of Fluffy Fingering!

Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering:

fingering weight
3 ply, worsted-spun, smooth
100% superwash merino wool
145 yards/50 grams
$10 each

Like all Ewe Ewe yarns, Fluffy Fingering is tightly plied for excellent stitch definition, and comes in a range of solid colors from neutral to pastel to bright. Its machine-washability makes it suitable for socks, baby things, and frequently-worn accessories, but it’s just as happy in a shawl, perhaps paired with a hand-dyed yarn for contrast.

What to make with Fluffy Fingering? Here are a few ideas with rich texture, to take advantage of that sharp stitch definition:

“Droplet Capelet,” by Denise Bayron – a unique and versatile accessory between a cowl, shawl, and poncho
“Moving Forward Wrap,” by Denise Bayron – arrow-shaped textured lace wrap
“Lewaro,” by Dawn Henderson – cabled socks with twisted stitches
“Carrots & Radishes Hat,” by Dawn Henderson – cabled beanie
“Sugar Shack Cowl,” by Tamy Gore – color-block textured cowl

Order online for local pickup or shipping!