Brooklyn Tweed's design coordinator Lis Smith is also a natural dyeing enthusiast! With all of the beautiful Fall colors around us this season, we asked Lis to share her suggestions for folks wanting to try natural dyeing at home with Brooklyn Tweed yarns.
In late 2021, G.J. Littlewood & Son, Inc., the historic Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, dye house that stock dyed the wool used to make Shelter, Loft, Quarry, Tones and Imbue, permanently closed due to severe flood damage sustained in September's Hurricane Ida. Suddenly, two-thirds of our yarn lineup was out of production, during an already challenging time for manufacturing – and the long-term loss of resiliency in our domestic supply chains meant that there was no back-up option to call on. The loss of Littlewood reverberated through the U.S. wool industry – and our small team needed to find a solution, fast....
Each time I add a new skein of yarn to my stash or a new pattern to my library, I am confronted with the question of “why?”. Why do I buy new yarn and new patterns when I already have so many that are ready to be used to create socks or shawls or sweaters or… whatever? The closest I can come to an answer that feels “right” is to say that I do it because of the idea of possibility. As a maker, when I see a skein of yarn my mind fills with the possibility of what that...
Clothing is wearable art that can tell thousands of stories without a single word being spoken. As knitters, crocheters, and fiber artists, we have the power to proliferate possibility and infuse our most authentic story into our creations stitch by stitch. Whether intentional or unintentional, decisions chosen when crafting a handmade creation compose all of the little puzzle pieces that influence the larger-picture and story called fashion. [Melodia Shawl by Janina Kallio] Makers have a special connection to fashion because every fiber industry role can influence dominant styles or trends within the culture - yarn companies creating fresh yarn, manufacturers...
Hello. I am a flannel shirt.I am blue and black. I have a front and a back, two sleeves, and seventeen buttons.You, my caretaker, came into my life when you borrowed me from a friend’s closet one stormy summer afternoon in Michigan. As you buttoned me to your neck, you were grateful for the temporary warmth, yet somehow shy of claiming the shelter that I offered.In that moment, you believed me to be a paradox, a thing of profound desire shrouded in a threat. At the same time you felt effervescent with joy at the thought of wearing me, you...