It seems like our space is shrinking. This place seemed so big when we first moved into Loopy Central. I thought we’d have plenty of room to grow for a long time into the future. Somewhere along the line, someone kept adding in more stock and a few more products here and there, and all of a sudden, the walls are shrinking. Or something. Here are a few of the boxes that have arrived so far this week. The UPS gal hasn’t been here today yet, and when she comes, I don’t know where she is going to put anything. We need to unpack these and make room, don’t you think? (Or someone needs to stop ordering things.) And here’s what our front entry room looks like at the moment. Not nearly as nice and cute as when the boxes aren’t there. These are fun boxes, though, and they won’t be around for very long. They contain something that will be going into our Second Anniversary Celebration Kit – woohoo! More about that in a couple of weeks, when we hit August 1st. But back to the space problem – we have a solution. We’re knocking down some walls and expanding things around here. Didn’t you wonder where 240 different colorways of Cascade 220 would end up? We have a whole wall planned around it. We’re able to get the space next to us and once it’s all done, you’ll never know a wall was knocked down – or so they tell me. I’ll have to get a picture of Joe, the guy who does all of the work in this building. He knocked down all of the walls that sub-divided Loopy Central before we moved in, and I have great confidence that he’ll make the addition look just as great. Target date for the new addition is August 15th, and we’ll keep you posted. We have so many fun things planned! (Note – UPS just left – 8 more boxes plus a box marked “perishable” and “haut chocolat” and “open immediately”. Like they needed to tell us that? Inside we found the most exotic sounding chocolate bars I have ever seen. Check them out. Our sweet friend Capi sent them to us – thank you, Capi!! As soon as this blog is posted, we’re having a chocolate tasting. That Bacon Chocolate bar will be first, because I can’t even imagine it. And then we’ll unpack all of the cases of yarn that have piled up this week…)

It has been a busy week already. The Wollmeise went up at 9 pm on Monday night and sold out in 5 minutes again. (4.8 minutes, for those of you who like precise numbers, and we had over 300 skeins of it this time.) I have no explanation for such craziness, (well I do – it’s beautiful yarn) and I know it’s frustrating for those who would like to get their hands on a skein of it. Remember to check Claudia’s site on Fridays, as that is when she does her updating a few times a month. (Not every Friday – just some Fridays.) She is working so hard to get as much done as she possibly can and she’s already working on another order for us. We’ll keep getting it, and we have a few changes in the works for the next Wollmeise update. The Barista colorway sold out first and Knitting Daughter thinks that is pretty great since Claudia did that one up in her honor! We will definitely have it again. Here is the photo of it if you didn’t get to see it.

We also put a lot of new things up last night and you need to check them out, if you haven’t already! We added in Hazel Knits (a new indie dyer for us), Noro Silk Garden Worsted, Fleece Artist Merino (some gorgeous semi-solids this time), Perchance to Knit, Spindle City, Indie Dyer, Opal Hundertwasser, Lorna’s Laces (more Franklin’s Panopticon, and we will also have it in the roving as soon as we can get that photo-ed), Spritely Goods Sidhe, Trekking, Jade Sapphire Silk/Cashmere, S.R.Kertzer On Your Toes Bamboo (wool free, SO soft), new colors from Colinette Jitterbug, Jade Sapphire Cashmere Scarf Kits (you will not believe how wonderful that cashmere feels), and Beanie Baggies.

I’ve been getting some “are you going to be getting this?” kinds of emails, so I thought I had better address them on the blog. I’ll answer all of those on Friday. (Some of the “are you getting this?” answers are in all of the boxes that have come in this week.) It will kind of update you on what we have coming in and a few things that we have planned. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a picture of Loopy taking a snooze. He found a delightfully comfortable bed, but I’m not sure that Gracie appreciates it at all …..

Sheri thereisaveryshadycharacterwalkingacrosstheparkinglotwithastrangelookingbag.
Whatdoyouthinkhe’supto?IthinkhewantstostealourChocolateBaconBar.

Today, for the first time, Loopy shares the Limelight with another animal. Of course it’s a special animal, to be able to be featured in the Limelight. If you’re on Ravelry, you know Bob. Bob pretty much runs things over there. I think he lets Casey and Jess believe that they are connected to it, but we all know that Bob is the Brains behind it all. That, and he’s also the mucker-upper when things go awry. (Have’t you seen his image come up on your screen in times of trouble?) In this photo he’s modeling his first sweater. We like that it’s red. Good choice.
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Loopy: Hi Bob! Finally I get to interview one of my own kind. Sort of. Thanks for being in the Limelight today. First question – what did your people do before they started Ravelry? Did they sit home and play with you all day, or did they have jobs where they went off to work?
Bob: Hi Loopy. When I was a puppy, Casey had a web development job. He left on the noisy scooter early in the morning and then when he was home he was working on Ravelry at night and didn’t have much time to play with me. Before I came, Jessica was working as a study abroad advisor and then quit that to go to school and take care of me. We went to the DOGPARK every day!! (I know when Jess and Casey are talking about the D-O-G-P-A-R-K even when they spell it out, because I am a super smart dog.)

Loopy: Well yes – you have to be smart to be the Brains behind Ravelry. No wonder you can spell, too. Were you in on the conversations when they first started talking about Ravelry? (Seriously, Bob – you can tell us. Who had the idea in the first place, and how long did they sit around discussing it before they had the beta-testing ready?)
Bob: Jess has a bit of a temper on her sometimes – she says bad words. It is usually when she has that tickle-string and the pointy-things, and sometimes when she is on the computer trying to find things to make with the tickle-things. I think before I was born, she couldn’t pet me when she got upset and couldn’t find things, so she would complain to Casey instead. He tried to find a way to make her happy when she couldn’t find the tickle-string information and decided to make a website all about it. I think a site about rawhides and DOGPARKS would have been better. Jessica keeps all the tickle-string in a basket on the floor. She says I can’t touch it, but she lets me smell it all I want. I especially like the string that smells like bunnies. I wish she had one that smelled like squirrels – that would be the best.

Loopy: I think a site about clover and PASTURES would be lovely, myself. And I have to say that I’m sort of glad you don’t prefer yarns that smell like sheep. But that’s just me. Are there things that make your people really frustrated with this job? (You know, like when you get into the system and mess things up?)
Bob: I think the things that are challenging change all the time. They haven’t done anything like Ravelry before so they are learning a lot as they go. Mostly they are all just very excited about Ravelry, and they always say things like, “Hey! I have an idea!” and also “so much to do!”

Loopy: I guess when you hear those two phrases, it probably means no DOGPARK for awhile, huh? What is your favorite feature on Ravelry? (Personally, we like the little icons that pop up when you type in certain words, but we REALLY think that you need a Loopy Sheep to pop up when someone types in “The Loopy Ewe”.)
Bob: I like all the people who start groups about me. Did you know there is a group for a Ravelry award named for me? And there are people who think I would make a good American President! There are also people who are Ravelry cheerleaders who also took my name. It makes me feel almost as good as when I get a good earscratching. I also like to look at the dog groups with all of the pictures – although I wish Casey would make it so I could smell them.

Loopy: I’d vote for you for President, Bob. You might be just what we need. I’m hoping that you get more time with your people now that Mary-Heather is helping out. How did she end up working at Ravelry?
Bob: Mary-Heather had been helping Jess and Casey for a long time on Ravelry – they have said how happy they are to have her working with them. It was very lucky they were able to make enough money to hire someone and MH was just leaving her job and she was exactly what they were looking for. It has been very nice – she helps them a lot.

Loopy: What do your people like to do in their spare time that has nothing to do with Ravelry or knitting? (Besides catering to you, of course.)
Bob: They like to take me in the car and go outside of the city. It is fun because then I can run and play fetch on really big lawns. They also read books a lot – more than they used to – so that is good. Sometimes they bring me into the city with them on the Vespa and we all like that very much. I have a special sling so can sit on Jessica’s lap on the scooter. I like to sniff the air and look at the smiling kids in cars. And Mary-Heather told me she likes to watch old movies with her sweetie and cook things.

Loopy: Wow – your Vespa rides sound fun! Maybe I’ll come visit so that I can get a Vespa ride, too. Speaking of traveling, sometimes we see Jess and Casey at different festivals and markets. Who takes care of you when they’re gone?
Bob: I go to stay with Aunt Erica and Uncle Kyle when they go away with their suitcases. It is very fun because I get to go to work with Kyle and his office has elevators. I like to run in the elevators and go exploring. The bell is just so exciting! They also play with me a lot and throw my toy for me over and over and over.

Loopy: You’re lucky to have good back-up people. They sound like a nice choice. Do you like cats? We have some cat-lovers who want to know.
Bob: I like to play with cats but they don’t like me very much, I don’t think. I especially like it when cats have big swishy tails!

Loopy: Hmmm – we might need to make sure to keep you away from Gracie and Zoe if you ever come visit. Where do you think Ravelry will be five years from now, and how will this affect you? (We’re thinking a customized doghouse would be in order.)
Bob: Wow, 5 years is a long time on the internet, even in dog years! Hopefully my people will have an office by a DOGPARK where we can go during the day!

Loopy: I’m sure you can work out a deal like that! Can you share any fun Rav Stats with us?
Bob: There are 19 Ravelers named Bob, including me. There are also lots of people with pets named Bob – Bob the cat, the other Bob the cat, Bob the bunny, Bob the swiminator (he’s a fish), and Bob the potted plant. The Boston Terrier group was the first group on Ravelry. Did you know that the Loopy Groupies was the 57th group on Ravelry? (Now there are over 6500 groups.) Also, congratulations to the Loopy Groupies – your 100,000th post was on July 3rd!

Loopy: 100,000th post? That’s a heck of a lot of talking out there in Loopy Groupie land! Anything else you’d like to add?
Bob: Most people don’t know that I am more than a mascot (although, clearly you do, Loopy.) I make sure that Casey is getting things right. Here is a photo of me supervising. Also, thank you to everyone who has sent me cards and dog treats and virtual scratchies. Being Ravelry’s mascot is hard work, but it is worth it.

Loopy: You’re so right. People have no idea how hard it is to be a mascot. That’s another reason I like you so much, Bob. You understand.
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Sheri nowLoopyispesteringustoaddaP-A-S-T-U-R-EtoLoopyCentral.FPS.

My office here at Loopy Central is on the ground floor and there is a nice big window (two actually) to keep me sufficiently distracted, when need be. Right next door to us is a Montessori school, so it’s fun to watch the kids when they’re outside playing (or riding ponies and having a carnival, or going for a ride in the 8-seater cart.) But I also get to see people from this building, talking on the phone. I guess they feel that if they walk out the building and down to the corner (which is where my office is), it’s “away” from people and they can talk in private. Do they think that these windows are just for show? Don’t they realize that someone is in here? I can hear whole conversations! (Well, usually I vacate the office and find something to do for a bit. I have no desire to hear whole conversations.) Frequently they’ll even lean up against the glass as they talk. I have been so tempted to give a big knock on the glass, but I think it would give them a heart attack. (Ok – I wouldn’t really do that. Really.) It just cracks me up that my windows seem to be the ideal phone place. Maybe I should tape a little sign to the window.

I’m glad you all have had fun snapping up the Cherry Tree Hill Select yarn! We have more on the way. I also wanted to let you know what will be going up next week (besides the Wollmeise). We’ll have: Indie Dyer, Opal, New Colinette Jitterbug colors, Jade Sapphire Silk/Cashmere laceweight, Spritely Goods Sidhe, Fleece Artist 2/6, Hazel Knits, more Spindle City, Kertzer On Your Toes Bamboo/Nylon (no wool in there), Lorna’s Laces (including lots more of Franklin’s Panopticon), Noro Silk Garden, and Cashmere Scarf Kits from Jade Sapphire. (Whew!) In-house for the week after that (so far – but you know there will be more): The Sanguine Gryphon and Enchanted Knoll Farms yarn and roving. We also have several other cool things in the works for later this summer and fall – you know we’re always working on something for you!

Today’s recipe is one from my German grandmother and was always a favorite whenever we went there for dinner. These biscuits are wonderful. The only time I’ve tasted any that came close to tasting as good were from the Bill Knapps restaurants in Michigan. (Hey – those of you from Michigan – do you still have Bill Knapps up there?)

Grandma’s Biscuits

2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
5 Tbl. shortening
1 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients together and then cut in the shortening. Add milk and mix well. Knead the dough for about a minute. Roll out to 1/2″ thick and cut into biscuit shapes. Brush tops with a bit of milk and bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes. Enjoy with butter and honey!

That’s all for today. Knitting Daughter and I are on a mission to do a little shopping this afternoon and then meet up with WH for dinner. The rest of my weekend? A little work and some more knitting. Right now I’m working on a sock out of Spirit Trail Fiberworks Turkish Stone (I so love this color) and will also do a few more rounds on my Gust scarf for our KAL. (How are your KAL projects coming along?) Then of course there are a few more yarns all caked up and waiting in the wings. I just never run out of things I want to knit up.

So leave a comment and let me know what you see outside YOUR window. My favorite thing to see in the window is Zoe, when she comes to Loopy to visit for the day. Here she is, totally enjoying the sunshine and humoring me during the photo-taking. She just loves it here. She was with us at Loopy every day when it was in our house for the first year, so she still feels a bit of ownership, I think. You know cats – they think they own everything.

Sheri anotherreasontolikerainydays-noonestandsoutsidemywindow

That’s the only complaint I’m going to make about the heat. Just what’s in the title. But let me just say that at least the ocean breezes cool things off at night in Florida, whereas it just goes from “hot” to “still hot” in the evenings here in St. Louis. FPS.

Hey – I’m back! Thanks for all of the welcome home emails – that was nice. We had a great time in Florida (did I mention that it cools down a bit at night?) and I think that Web Guy was happy to see us. Or he was happy for some home-cooking. One of the two. It was nice to see where he is spending his summer and we enjoyed touring the company he is interning with. Seems like a great group there and we’re so glad he has had this opportunity and experience this summer. Knitting Daughter was glad to have her brother to spar with battle in Guitar Hero for a few days. We had fun hanging out, watching fireworks on the beach, shopping in downtown Venice, and catching a few movies. And a few cooking shows on TV. Remind me not to watch any more cooking shows on TV. It becomes painfully clear that, although I thought I was a pretty good cook, I am not. Not in the least.

I did some knitting, although not as much as I thought because I did a lot of reading. I miss having time to read and it was a great way to spend a few evenings! I finished a second sock and did another sock from a new indie dyer. I’ll show you those later. Check out this lovely Neighborhood Fiber sock (”Shells” pattern, Cooper Circle colorway). I just love the depth of color (and the yarn base) in this line. I also did a Feather and Fan scarf for myself, since I fell so in love with the other one I made this summer and sent to a lovely person in a swap. This one is Wollmeise Krauterbeet. (I thought the new shoots on this bush would look so pretty in this photo, but what they ended up doing was just making the scarf look lumpy and bumpy. It really is a great scarf, away from the pokey branches.) Speaking of Wollmeise – we will put up over 300 skeins next week, in its own quick Sneak Up. (It will go quickly, the skeins aren’t reserved for you until you complete the checkout process completely, and yes, I know it’s frustrating to try and get Wollmeise.) Here are the colorways that we’ll put up (in the 100% Superwash base): Indisch Rot, Barista, Veilchen, Emil, Lowenzahn, Poison Nr. 5, Franz with Chicken Pox, Krauterbeet, Zenzi, Pfauenauge, Spice Market, Am Kalten Polar, Birkenrinde, Turkis und Karneol, Raku-Regenbogen, Campari Orange, and Rhabarber.

I also found the yarn shop where I want to spend my weekly Knitting Night, once I retire. (Although that might be a touch difficult since WH and I want to eventually retire in CO and this shop was in GA…) I had a great time at Knitch and you have to stop in if you’re ever in the Atlanta area. Kim and her staff couldn’t be nicer, and the whole place was beautiful and welcoming and relaxing. It’s one of those shops where you walk in the front door and breathe a sigh of relaxation. Also, they have a cute bug out front, knitting away, who was very happy to see Loopy and have a picture taken with him. (And two cute Italian Greyhounds – Tank and Olive – who will make you want to own one.) Definitely worth a visit.

Oops – I just hit “publish” and I meant to hit “save”. FPS. Anyway, I just did a quick little Sneak Up, so head on over and check it out. We have a brand new yarn base from Cherry Tree Hill called Select Supersock and it’s wonderful. The lower micron count means that it’s as soft as can be, and it also takes the dye very intensely. We have it at a special introductory price of $22 a skein, going to $24 a skein soon. Also, we added Chic Knits patterns, more Fiesta Boomerang, Chewy Spaghetti Sport, more Atenti bags, and Spindle City Yarns.

Sheri betterclosequicklysinceIhavehalfofapostsittingupthereandhavenoideahowtotakeitbackoff.
DidIalreadysayFPS??

Today we have Khris from Chewy Spaghetti in our Loopy Limelight. The first thing that drew me to Khris’ line was the fun name for her company! But of course it’s her beautiful yarn that took over from there. We’re glad to have her in our indie-dyer line-up, and I know you all are glad we have her, too.
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Loopy: Hi Khris! So speaking of that fun name, how did you come up with that for your business?
Khris: When my son was little, he loved the old movie The King and I (the Debra Kerr/Yul Brenner musical, not the animated version). He began repeating lines from it, and one day he told me that I was a “very difficult choomon”. My husband and I laughed and laughed at his proclamation, and his mis-pronounciation of the word “woman”. In fact, my husband thought that it was so funny that he began calling me choomon (because I *can* be a very difficult woman at times LOL). It became a nickname, and I started using it as my user name online. When I started my knitting blog, I wanted to incorporate the user name and also reference knitting or yarn somehow. I had seen a photograph online once, of a bowl of yarn with a fork sticking out of it that had stuck in my mind. I sort of rolled that all together- with the idea that yarn would be really chewy to try and eat, and came up with Chewy Spaghetti.

Loopy: That’s a great story! How long have you been knitting and who taught you to knit?
Khris: I never actually wanted to learn to knit. When my son was about 6 years old he wanted to learn to knit . I didn’t know anyone who could teach him. So, I picked up a kids knitting book from the library, got some yarn and needles, and went to work. After three weeks of spending an hour each day trying to figure out the cast on, I finally figured it out. I spent another week or so mastering garter stitch, and then sat down to show my son. Of course, he was no longer interested in knitting. I showed him anyway, and started him on a scarf. He knit on it in the car some, but he never did finish that scarf. By that time, I saw knitting as a challenge. I was going to figure this out if it killed me. I didn’t enjoy the process, or the end product, but that didn’t matter. I started knitting toy balls for the children. They were a great first project because the kids didn’t care what they looked like, the type of yarn didn’t really matter, and I learned increases and decreases. I spent a whole year knitting nothing but those balls. Eventually, I began adding stitch patterns, cables, and stripes to them. Only after I knit all of those balls did I ever cast on for my first scarf. I moved right on to sweaters, and I knit my first one in a knitting class taught by Joan McGowan Michael. She was a wonderful teacher, but I never did finish that sweater.

Loopy: It’s ok to have an unfinished sweater in your UFO pile. We understand. What is your favorite item to knit?
Khris: My favorite item to knit is socks, of course. They are a very addicting pastime. I think it’s because they are so portable, so quick to knit, and also that you can easily change patterns from the way they’re written. I also love knitting dancewear for my daughter. I’m working on a Hew for her right now. Anything written in a top down fashion is fun knitting to me.

Loopy: We had to go to Ravelry to find out what a Hew was. So it’s a type of shrug. (Here is the Ravelry link, if you’re on Ravelry!) So what is the most challenging thing that you have knit so far?
Khris: My most challenging project to date was probably a Fair Isle vest that I knit a few years back. I had never used that technique before, so it was a learning process.

Loopy: Some of us still haven’t tackled Fair Isle. (ahem) You were reluctant to start knitting but then learned that you loved it. What took you into dyeing yarn?
Khris: When I started knitting socks, I started with self striping sockyarns. They were not that exciting to me, but they were functional. Then, I discovered the beautiful hand dyed yarns that are available. Those were very attractive to me, but the price difference was off-putting. I saw an article online about dying yarns with Kool Aid, so I thought that I’d try it. I’ve always loved color, so I was hooked after the first time. It was a new challenge, and one that I loved.

Loopy: We love some of the color combinations that you have come up with. Where do you get your ideas, and do you have a favorite one?
Khris: I take color inspiration from everything around me. Color is everywhere- and not just in nature. I try to be open to the combinations when I see them. I take a snapshot with my mind’s eye so that I will remember later. My favorite colorways are always changing. Every time I think that one is my favorite, I come up with a new one that I like even better.

Loopy: It’s probably good that your favorite is always the next thing that you come up with! What is your favorite thing about your job? And your least favorite?
Khris: My favorite things about my work are also my least favorite things about my work- the actual dying process, and coming up with new colorways. When I have a large batch of yarn to dye, I get into a zone where my hands are busy with repetitive motion, and my mind can wander. It’s a little bit like mindless knitting in that way. It’s also a wet and dirty job, and my workshop is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. We’re working on making improvements to eliminate that problem. I love playing with color, and coming up with new combinations. But it’s stressful when I feel “blocked”, or can’t get the color to match my idea of what it should be. I guess that dyer’s block is a little like writer’s block.

Loopy: Dyer’s Block would be frustrating! I guess that’s the time to walk away from the workshop and enjoy doing something completely different for awhile. Tell us about your family!
Khris: I’ve been married to The Rusty Knight for 14 years this month. He’s a Geologist (which means that we have lots and lots of rocks around the house and yard), and a wonderful partner and parent. We have two kids, a dog and three cats. The Boy Wonder is 12. He amazes us daily. He has Asperger’s Disorder, which is like mild Autism. When he was little, we didn’t know if he would ever really fit in with his peers. He’s found an amazing group of kids who appreciate his unique personality, and who accept him just the way he is. Princess Stomping Foot is 9. She has found her calling in the world of dance. She fell in love with ballet at an early age, and that love affair is still going strong. She has an amazing amount of perseverance when she sets her mind to something. At the age of three, she gave up all meat except fish. She just made the connection between the animals that she loved and the food that we eat. She remains a vegetarian, even though the rest of the family is not. Sometimes it’s difficult to plan meals, but we are very proud of her for sticking with her decision. The Princess overcame a rough start, spending her first week of life on a heart/lung bypass machine called ECMO. Except for the scar on her neck, you’d never know it now. We’ve chosen to educate the children at home, and I love being able to watch them grow and learn each day.

Loopy: We love the names that you have given your kids in blogland! They sound like great kids. Does anyone else in your family knit?
Khris: My mom is a very crafty lady. She does a little bit of everything- from toll painting, to cake decorating, sewing and quilting, knitting and crochet. It’s funny that I didn’t learn to knit as a child, although I do remember being taught crochet (which I can’t do now). I have taught both of my children to knit. The Boy Wonder did not keep it up, but his sister occasionally pulls her knitting out and works on it. Her first project was a scarf. It took her 4 years to finish it, and she gave it to her father for Christmas. He wears that brightly colored, wobbly scarf very proudly.

Loopy: With all of that beautiful yarn around the house, it would be unusual if it didn’t inspire other people in your household to knit from time to time! Thanks for being in the Limelight today. Anything else you’d like to add before you go?
Khris: I feel really fortunate to have found this little niche in the fiber community. It’s really full of amazing people, wonderful artists, and generous patrons.

Loopy: We agree! (And for those of you waiting on our next batch of Chewy Spaghetti, it ought to be up sometime this week.)
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Sheri drivingbackfromFloridatodayandknittingawayinthecar