Brooklyn Tweed Blog

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...

Our world often exists in an imposed expression of a binary, so many binaries that create artificial boundaries for all individuals. Humans have imposed the idea of a strict binary of gender to different degrees at different times throughout history; however, gender is a spectrum. A vast array of different facets of humanity all expressed through the ideals and experiences of each of us, with so much in common and so many beautiful differences. Often those who seek to exist in a space without the constraints of gender binary struggle to express and create their identity because the tools of...

Our month-long celebration of Norah Gaughan's design career has been an absolute pleasure to watch. I've loved seeing all the beautiful projects that knitters have created using Norah's designs and stitch patterns, and thought I'd share one of the most beloved handknits in my own closet. A few years ago I had the pleasure of working as Norah's photographer for the Knitted Cable Sourcebook, a collaboration that gave me a beautiful window into her creative process inventing original cabled fabrics and stitch patterns. During that time she introduced me to the concept of freeform drawing with cables. Considering line weight, directionality, angles, and background textures (as an illustrator does) to create complex pictorials.   ...