I’m tardy with today’s post because I wanted to wait and see what treasures the new Brooklyn Tweed Wool People 7 collection might hold. Of the fifteen patterns, eleven are sweaters, but it’s these shawls that are lighting me up this morning — and not just because I’m still on a quest for the perfect wrap for my mom. The triangular Shetland shawl, Halligarth, is by Gudrun Johnston in two sizes, and it’s the one I’m most itching to cast on right this minute. I love the look of the geometric tree motif lace, and it looks like fun to knit. One of you used the phrase “granny’s dresser scarf” in a comment recently, which is a concept I hadn’t thought of for ages, and Dawn Catanzaro’s Nimbus has that kind of heirloom character about it. But I find it so pretty and current somehow. It’s just lengthwise garter stitch with that very traditional lace border, knitted on in a smartly seamless way. Could I stand knitting all those long rows of garter? If my mom loves this as much as I think she might, I’d do it for her.
I also love the wrap-sized version of Tanis Lavallee’s diagonal striped Vector. And a couple of the sweaters may make it into my queue at some point. I’m particularly intrigued by the construction (and enamored with the details) of Bristol Ivy’s Devlan, although I would have to change the neckline. But honestly, my favorite thing about the whole lookbook is this gorgeous model and her silver braid, my dream hair of the future:
(That’s Joji Locatelli’s Seacoast sweater she’s wearing.)
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That’s always a problem with Brooklyn Tweed — I can never decide if I actually love the knitted item, or if really I just want to look like the model wearing it. :)
I lived that (new?) older model too. I want to look like her when I’m older. Wearing fabulous knitwear too.
Beautiful tones of driftwood in her hair. I love the sweater too!
The Halligarth was the first thing that caught my eye along with the Nimbus. Adore the Vector, like the wrap version. I keep saying no more projects but then you see this book and you are ready to go to the yarn store.
I’m drooling over all of it too! I had the same reaction to that gorgeous model. My sister and I were discussing this the other day, as she said she was pushing our mom to get her hair dyed. I personally LOVE the look of gray hair, and I don’t know why it’s such a feared color. I know the texture changes a bit with the color, but still! Why does older=ugly? It simply doesn’t. I just hope my hair is thick enough to pull off that look in the future. To me it looks so confident, like you know who you are, and what you’re about.
Amen.
Totally with you on the silver-gray hair model, she’s a stunner and how I would love my own hair to turn to this same luminous share of gray. I noticed the wraps too, they are gorgeous. One never has enough wraps. I was really happy to see Joji Locatelli featured, she’s a great designer.
You can do miles of garter with fingering yarn, I’m finishing a similar shawl with a lot of garter rows (much shorter, but still…) and with the right yarn, it just knits itself. A few good movies, a cup of tea, comfortable seating and you’re set.
Of course I meant shade of gray – or grey – guess both spellings work.
My goodness. I’m with you. That woman is so lovely! I’m also with you on the wraps. BT gets me every time. I still need to get moving on the Hugo I’m knitting for my husband. (I have part of a sleeve done. Ha!) I do wish that Instagram knit along was also in blogland as I may be the last person on Earth without Instagram (or a device that does such things).
Oh, you should definitely blog it and/or discuss in comments here, or whatever!
I agree with you in E V E R Y word!!!!
Love the shawls, the grey hair, Joji’s sweater,….
The model with the gray hair looks to be Cindy Joseph. She makes a natural skin care line featuring beeswax called “Boomsilk.” boombycindyjoseph.com. It’s good stuff.
Thanks, Jayme and Laura — I’ve definitely seen her before but didn’t know her name or her cosmetics line.
Yes, I think it is her as well. Love her! Her skin care line happily promotes “pro aging” as opposed to “anti aging.” (Which of course is not aging at all; i.e. not even breathing.)
The model IS Cindy Joseph. Here’s some background on her. http://experiencelife.com/article/silver-lining/
I liked a lot of the patterns in this collection as well. I’m going to work up some of the shawls in my Equity Fingering or maybe one of my new domestic bases (I have to tell you about these! I’m so excited about them!) since they are perfect substitutions for the Loft.
I’m eager to see!
I am dying to make a BT pattern! This new collection now has made it just that much harder to choose. ;) The shawls and wraps are always gorgeous but I am also intrigued with knitting a sweater. Now I have never made a sweater before but why not start with something stunning instead of something that looks like it comes from the 70’s. Do you all have a suggestion for a good first sweater pattern? I have conquered mittens, socks, and simple cables so I am not without some skill and desire to learn more!
BTW, I, too, love the age and natural look of the model. I am getting up there and am getting quite a bit of grey hair. But I am not going to dye it since I have earned every last beautiful grey hair on this head!
As a matter of fact, I do: http://fringeassociation.com/2013/11/21/pullovers-for-first-timers-or-an-introduction-to-sweater-construction/
Thank you! You have such a great eye for the patterns you choose; they are all sweaters I would be more than pleased to wear. Now I just have to make some decisions! Originally I was going to start with a top down/raglan style but I am in love with Idlewild so may have to cave to the desire.
Who do you think writes the clearest patterns?
Oh, I am going to be a mess trying to make up my mind! :)
If you’re concerned about it, your best bet is to pick a pattern from a professional source where you know it’s been carefully produced and tech edited and so on. Which isn’t to say it’s guaranteed to be error-free, either. But whatever you choose, check the pattern page at Ravelry to see if any errata have been published and look at the comments of other people who’ve knitted it, because often you’ll find recurring complaints or modifications or whatever that can be very helpful.
Jen, I’m glad you asked that question, because I am in the same boat, trying to figure out a good first sweater pattern. Karen seemed to recommend that free pattern with the scary detachable necklace, and I was worried that given my luck it would end up super 80s if I made a pattern without matching yarn exactly as specified. I am thinking about doing the Yane pattern that was in this BT lookbook or the Joji one (although I can’t tell if I only like it because the model is so pretty!)
I felt the Shelter yarn at AVFKW last week, and I was disappointed because it seemed super rough and not soft. I’m hoping it might soften up with blocking???
By the way, Karen, as a nubie knitter, I’m pretty much obsessed with your blog. Do you ever plan to do events in the Bay Area??
Also, that model used to be “the face” of Eileen Fisher ads for like eons. It wasn’t until they profiled THE Eileen Fisher in the NYT that I realized she wasn’t actually Eileen herself!!
oh yes i love the silver braid!!! beautiful! i would love to have that, but i have a sinking feeling i will be salt and pepper :( i love arabella and hoquiam – they are queued. also hoping for a return of the eye candy that is BT Men……
I, too, am utterly in love with the model’s hair. A few years ago my husband demonstrated how amazing he is by plucking a stray gray hair from my head and declaring that it was a lovely silvery color, adding as an aside how beautiful I’ll be with long silver hair. He totally deserves the sweater I’ll be casting on soon.
Sounds like a keeper.
ooh these shawls, immediate queue status today. i loved reading all the comments on the LOVELY silver haired model, she was my favorite part of the shoot too.
Beautiful models with beautiful knits. I’ll never forget the day I decided to quit dying my hair. I wear it spikey short so it didn’t take long before it was all mine. I had no idea what it would end up looking like and watched in fascination as it grew out. I loved it – it was me! My husband tells me all the time how much he likes my hair. Its a silvery grey – as Anna said, “driftwood hair.” Perfect! And I’m with you-all – Brooklyn Tweed drives me NUTS on many levels. Just looking through their collections makes me happy and following their patterns is so satisfying, with wonderful results.
Another winning collection by BT that’s for sure. And that model is so gorgeous. Like everyone, I’m in love with her hair and plan on wearing my grey proudly! Plus having to upkeep dyed hair sounds like waaay too much work for me, ;)
Karen you should definitely make the Halligarth. I knit the sample in the photo above and it was a joy to make (and not hard, but so hard to send off).
I’ve only dyed my hair once in my life and couldn’t be bothered to refresh it, or whatever you call it. So it’s a good thing I think silver hair is beautiful!
I think there’s a very good chance I’ll be knitting Halligarth at some point. Can’t imagine what it’s like for you to knit these things and then not have them.
I love the sweater, but I’m so warm natured I cannot imagine making it out of wool…Love it though!
Thank you for the Devlan shout out! And believe me that I have about eight of the Wool People 7 projects in my own queue. :)
His look books are always so swoon worthy!
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