Yarn Review: Arbor DK by Brooklyn Tweed

Frustrated by having to wade through long blog posts before getting to the "good stuff" that you came to the website for? Not here knit lovers, not here.

When I finished my holiday knitting, I wanted to make something for myself. Whether you call this "selfish knitting season" or "self-care knitting season," after making for everyone else, I wanted a quick(ish) project that I could finish before going back to work. I love Isabell Kraemer's patterns, and I've wanted to make la vie est belle (Dieppe) for a while. One of the suggested yarns for the pattern is Brooklyn Tweed's Arbor which is a DK yarn. I'd never tried it, so I purchased some from the Brooklyn Tweed website.

Color Options

Let's talk color selection - you go to the website, you check out the colors, right? These are all solids which is great if you're looking for yarn for that project that you just feel "It cries for solid." Most of my work cries for SPECKLES AND COLOR AND RAINBOWS AND...but I digress. Arbor has a lot of good options. Most are muted, and there's a lot of good neutrals in the selection. I personally don't own a lot of neutrals and I feel the need to have more, so I will be back to Brooklyn Tweed. I chose the colorway Humpback which is a warm gray with brown tones, but I really debated because, well, Kettle (black), Porter (dark gray), and Mesa (clay) were calling me. Later kittens, later.

The Yarn

Arbor comes in 145-yard skeins, which I appreciate because yardage for projects varies (dumb statement but you know what I'm saying) and I dislike leftovers. The yarn I ordered (4 skeins for this project) arrived quickly - shipping for me was good (important to me, especially when I want to knit it RIGHT NOW). 

Yarn comparison - Colorful Eclectic Pioneer DK on top
(light), Brooklyn Tweed Arbor DK on the bottom (dark)

I wound one skein into a cake, and it felt solid but not heavy - Brooklyn Tweed's website has it perfect when it states that Arbor, made from Targhee fleece, is plush, dense, and sturdy. While it does feel dense as you're knitting it doesn't feel heavy, if that makes sense.

Knitting With It

My progress on la vie est belle

I really like knitting with Arbor. It's soft to the touch, not scratchy, it feels solid when you hold it, and I haven't had many problems with splitting. The pattern calls for a lot of K2Tog and I tend to pick up a bit from another stitch if I'm not paying attention and I split the yarn myself, but I have had that problem maybe once and I'm about halfway done. So far I haven't had any knots, super fuzzy spots, or thinner spots in the two skeins I've worked through. If you want to see my progress on this project, check my work here. Once the project is finished and blocked, I'll create a new post with information about washing, blocking, and wear.

The Roundup

If you're looking for a solid-color solid-feeling DK weight yarn for your project, I would definitely suggest Brooklyn Tweed's Arbor with no reservations or "just remember" statements.

The Long (Sword) and Short of It:

Yarn Manufacturer: Brooklyn Tweed
Yarn Name: Arbor
Weight: DK
Purchased from: Brooklyn Tweed
Price: $14.50/145y skein 
Fiber content: 100% Targhee wool
Color used: Humpback
Notable attributes: dyed in the wool; worsted spun; 100% American made; 3-ply

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Just a reminder - this is not a paid post by any means. I bought the yarn, I bought the pattern, I knit it on my own, and aside from a few words used from the Brooklyn Tweed website in the description, the observations are my own. All opinions about the product are my own as well. None of the links in this post are affiliate links - we do not receive any reimbursement or payments for posting. Happy crafting!