Tweed yarn: northern character

Tweed yarn is wool with a built-in pattern: fibres of different colours blended before spinning, plus the classic tweed nep, little flecks of contrast colour scattered through the thread. The result knits up as fabric with depth, and no two skeins are exactly alike. It suits Scandinavian colourwork especially well, and the whole selection is gathered in the Nordic Colourwork category.

A short history of tweed

Tweed begins in Scotland in the 19th century, when local farmers used sheep's wool to make durable, warm clothing for a harsh climate. It won popularity for its longevity and its ability to hold warmth. At first it was working clothing; by the 1920s suits and coats made from tweed were loved by aristocrats and high society, and tweed pieces have been in fashion ever since.

What makes tweed yarn special

Tweed is usually wool, which gives it strength and good insulation. The melange structure comes from blending fibres of different colours, so the shade shifts as the light moves. Tweed adds volume and an interesting surface to knits, holds its shape well and does not wrinkle, which makes it a good candidate for practical everyday garments. From sweaters and cardigans to accessories and home textiles, its insulating properties put it firmly in the autumn-winter season.

Tweed at Hollywool

Our tweed list, from fine to bulky:

BC Garn Loch Lomond GOTS is 100% GOTS-certified wool with a soft texture, 150 m on 50 g, in a rich palette. The fine version, Loch Lomond LACE GOTS, stretches the same wool to 300 m on 50 g for openwork shawls and light sweaters.

BC Garn Hamelton Tweed 2 GOTS is the super-bulky sibling: 90% organic wool, 10% viscose, 60 m on 50 g, for the warmest knits.

Northern cousins deserve attention too: Shetland-style BC Garn Bio Shetland GOTS, 100% organic wool with a generous 280 m on 50 g, and the Icelandic Lopi Léttlopi, 100% wool at 100 m on 50 g, the classic yarn of dense colourwork.

If you have not decided what to knit yet, try a vest: about 8 skeins of Hamelton Tweed 1, and it knits up faster than you would think.

A Hamelton Tweed beanie

Hamelton Tweed 1 from BC Garn is wool with a drop of viscose for stability, and it keeps ribbing and stitch patterns well. The beanie below is reversible: the four-wedge crown looks good on both the right and the wrong side, and it suits both men and women.

Quick knitting notes

Gauge for 1x1 rib: 23 sts per 10 cm. 4 mm circular needle, 40 cm. 2 skeins of BC Garn Hamelton Tweed 1.

With 4 mm needles cast on 88 sts, a snug fit for a 53-54 cm head; size up if you need, the stitch count must be a multiple of 2. Join in the round. Work 1x1 rib for about 57 rounds or 25 cm.

For the crown, divide the stitches into 4 wedges, allowing 5 stitches per decrease, ssk, p1, k2tog. Decrease 8 stitches per decrease round, every other round, until about 8 stitches remain. Knit them 2 together to the right until 4 stitches are left, break the yarn, pull through and weave in. Block, dry and wear.

All BC Garn lines are covered in detail in our BC Garn yarn guide. And if the yarn you need is out of stock, we will find a substitute by composition and yardage.