Your to-do list is endless. There is always something to do, from prepping lunches and managing your work schedule to school drop off and pick up. So when you decide to use your rare free time to knit, don’t waste it deciding what yarn to use. You need to be able to quickly decide which skeins to pull from stash or order online with confidence. You want to know that you will delight in the finished piece - you deserve to like the way you look and feel good knitting it and wearing it.

That’s why I take time out each pattern launch to write a thorough yarn review for the suggested yarn.

While the Brooklyn Tweed Tones Lights skeins were kindly gifted by Brooklyn Tweed, I purchased the sweater quantity of Loft used in the blue sample. This post was not sponsored or paid for, and all thoughts & opinions are my own. 

The Semilla Cardigan is actually a reinterpretation of a pullover I designed several years ago. I had cast on with Brooklyn Tweed Loft on a whim and just fell in love with the fabric it created. I admit I was a little skeptical about knitting a sweater with Loft. I was worried it would feel too rustic against my skin or that it would be too fragile to wear for my pre-kids active lifestyle.

Thankfully, I was wrong. It kept me warm in the winter without overheating me in the spring. That pullover is still one of my most worn sweaters (and has almost no pills), and one day, it will get a deserved update. 

But until then, I reimagined the stitch pattern on this modern v-neck cardigan to be a more versatile layer in your wardrobe.

In August 2022, Brooklyn Tweed launched Tones Light, which shares the same woolen spun treatment as Loft in a vast array of colors. 

The Hard Facts

All About Loft & Tones Light

Sourced and produced from the US, Loft & Tones Light are breed-specific wool yarns, meaning the fiber is sourced from a single breed of sheep rather than a blend of several breeds.

Loft is sourced from a Targhee-Columbia sheep breed that balances softness & elasticity with durability and Tones Light is sourced from Columbia sheep raised in Wyoming.

Both Loft & Tones Light are woolen spun, making them incredibly light and airy. This technique creates a fiber that looks and feels delicate in the skein but transforms into something strong and refined when knit. Plus the micron count (24) makes them suitable for next-to-skin wear. Merino wool has a micron count of around 17, and cotton tends to be closer to 11. In comparison, 24 is pretty good for a wooly wool!

Tones Light gets special treatment thanks to the dye technique that is used. Each color is dyed over a lighter or darker base to create the under- and over- tones.

So Many Colors to Choose From

Considering Loft and Tones Light are essentially interchangeable, look how many different color choices you’ll have for your own Semilla Cardigans.

Featured in this article: Wallflower Undertone (TL), Acer Undertone (TL), Iceberg (L), Fossil (L), Yellowstone (L), Embers (L), and Snowbound (L).

Initial Impressions

In the skein, Loft and Tones Light feel quite wooly, a little rustic, and not exactly soft to the touch.

Winding the skeins on a yarn swift was easy enough with no knots or tangles. However, you should be careful and wind slowly with less tension than you might be used to. Loft & Tones Light can break if you pull on the fibers too hard. 

My Morning Cardigan was knit in size 3 US, and the Semilla Cardigan was knit in size 4 US, so the gauge is quite flexible. The fibers essentially fill in the space between the stitches, though I wouldn’t go any higher than a size 6 US.

What Else Can You Knit with Loft & Tones Light?

I have yet to find something I don’t like in Loft. Lace patterns look romantic, cables look perfectly lived-in and vintage, texture patterns look & feel inviting, and colorwork looks like a watercolor painting.

The fabric that Loft and Tones Light create is smooth and even out of the yarn cake, but it really has a chance to shine once it’s been wet-blocked. Wet blocking allows the fibers to relax and soften, and the stitches blur together ever so slightly, giving them that unique heirloom quality and giving your finished piece extra strength and durability.

For a little extra structure, I’d recommend pairing Loft and Tones Light with seamed knitting patterns or those with sneaky seamless techniques like a three-needle bind-off, picking up stitches along a selvage or bound-off edge, and reinforced faux seams.

For stress-free seaming with Loft & Tones Light, use a worsted spun fingering or sock-weight wool yarn in a matching color and avoid your seaming yarn breaking from the constant tugging.

For techniques like the sewn bind off (as featured on the button band in the Semilla Cardigan) go slow. Patience will be your friend on this one, so wait until the kiddos are tucked in bed at the end of the day before doing this last step.

How to Care for Your Projects Made with Loft & Tones Light

Though my sweaters haven’t had any issues yet, you might experience some pilling in the underarm, or anywhere there is moisture and friction. If you need to take care of any pills, use the Gleener and again, go slow. 

When it’s time for a wash, soak your pieces in cold or lukewarm water with a wool wash, blot, and lay flat to dry. It may be helpful to pin it to the desired measurements to maintain the same fit.

Ready to Use Brooklyn Tweed Loft or Tones Light?

The Semilla Cardigan strikes that delicate balance between gentleness and strength, between mindfulness and mindlessness. The rhythmic seed stitch is broken up by cheeky eyelets that add a bit of visual appeal and knitterly interest.

Or shift your focus to lace and a cozy long length and cast on the Morning Cardigan.

What do you think?

Have you ever knit with Brooklyn Tweed Loft or Tones Light before? What are some of your best tips for working with woolen spun yarns? Share all your thoughts in the comments below!