There are a lot of things that come to mind when people think about Camp. Like hiking, campfires, swimming, singing, stories, and that blasted person who plays Reveille at way-too-early-o-clock in the morning. (Go ahead and click on the “sound” link on that Wiki page. It will transport you RIGHT back to early morning camping. Ugh.) Another thing that I think of when I think of camp? Flags. Not just the good ol’ USA flag, but special camp flags.

We definitely needed a Camp Loopy flag. But instead of making it up to depict the Camp Loopy logo (which would be cute, but not useful), I decided that a multi-colored bunting would be a lot more fun and a lot more practical. I picked three of my favorite colors from Cascade 220 (8895, 8505, and 8908 ) and doodled up a quick pattern for you. You can find it on the Free Patterns link over there in the right hand column of my blog. I hope you enjoy it!

I knit it so that the flags were spread out a bit. I like it this way because we have a fence in the back yard and I like looping the rope-y part behind the posts. However, you can also knit it so that all of the bunting flags line up continuously together. Just delete the spacing between them, when knitting up the pattern.

Other ideas for this pattern:

- do it up in holiday colors (Halloween? Valentine’s Day? Christmas?) and string it along a fireplace mantel.

- ditto for seasonal colors, Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. It would also look cute looped around a chandelier (away from the bulbs, of course).

- do it up in nursery colors and decorate a baby’s wall or shelves.

- do it up in multiple colors and use it for all family birthday celebrations.

- do it up in your favorite colors and use it in your craft/knitting corner. That’s what I’m doing with the set that I knit here.

They’re quick and easy to knit and it’s fun to come up with different color combinations. Got any color combo ideas you want to share?

Sheri whoalsowantsoneoftheseinautumncolors

Lots of beautiful yarn for you to check out today! But first – here’s a little neck scarf/shawlette that I finished up right before I headed off to TNNA Market. It’s The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief, which is a free download. I was testing out Zitron’s Unisono, a DK weight yarn that has long color repeats (as well as a line of solids.) I love the base – squishy, springy, but with great stitch definition. And of course it’s always fun to knit with yarn that changes colors as you go along. I headed over to the booth and ordered it straight away, that Saturday, and now we have it in stock. Here’s the link for the solids and the semi-solids/multi-colors. This would make really comfy socks. And here are a few more pattern ideas for this yarn: Cerus Scarf (by Hilary Smith Callis), Princess Mitts (by Jennifer Hagan), and the Boneyard Shawl (by Stephen West).

Besides the multi and solid Unisono colors, we’ve also just added in:

Madelinetosh Sock – 38 more colors new/re-stocked, bringing our total up to 92 different colors for you at the moment. And although it’s called “Sock”, you know that it’s equally popular for shawls, right? Check out some of the two-color projects that the Loopy Campers are finishing up. Many of those would be great done up in this Tosh Sock.

Malabrigo Rios – this 4-ply worsted weight superwash has been really popular (and hard to get on re-order, due to its popularity.) Great for sweaters, hats, cowls and quick scarves. Or how about using it for the Watershed pattern (by Amy Swenson)?

Malabrigo Rasta – a bulky weight that is a quick quick knit. If you buy a skein of this and would like the free Howling Winds Cowl pattern that goes with it, just add a note to your order and we’ll send it to you. Here’s the blog post that shows the one I knit up in a couple of hours.

Dream in Color Smooshy – in the new “Fire-Scorched Solids” colorways. These colors come in brilliant jewel tones, with a beautiful charcoal highlighting. Eleven new colors: Starless Sky, Amethyst Ink, Wicked Royal, Aqua Jet (shown in the photo), Peacock Shadow, Twilight Lime, Emerald Darkness, Sundown Orchid, Raspberry Blaze, and Chocolate Night. I’m thinking I need to do a one-skein shawl with one of these colors. Wouldn’t Damask (by Kitman Figueroa) be gorgeous in this?

Blackthorne Needles – back in stock. These are DPN’s are made from carbon fiber (the same material as the skin of a stealth jet). They are lightweight and very strong, with pointy ends.

Namaste - re-stocks on Monroes, Hermosas, Buddy Cases, and Circular Cases.

HiyaHiya – a new color in their project bags – Purple! This goes along with the Turquoise and Red bags, already in stock.

Dolce Handknits- a new pattern line that we added in while at Market. Kim’s styles are beautiful and we’ll watch for more from her in the future.

Have fun checking out everything that’s new, and we’ll get your orders shipped out to you tomorrow!

Sheri whoisnowupto4NamasteCircCasesformyneedles.
Muststopbuyingneedles.

The Campfire Story about Loopy is cracking me up! Did you read it? Loopy started off knitting in the attic of a house and he has: taught the UPS guy how to knit, drunk a portion of  shrinking potion, followed the Wollmeise trail to Germany, danced with blue and green lights, talked to Dr. Who, and met friends along the way. Great job on the story-telling! I’ll draw a yarn winner next week, so feel free to continue the story over the weekend.

Here is a cake that has ALL the right flavors in it – brownies, chocolate chip cookies, marshmallows, graham crackers, cheesecake, and chocolate frosting. Doesn’t it look unbelievably decadent? I especially love the thick layer of chocolate frosting on the top. I saw this over on Julia’s blog and asked permission to share the photos and recipe with you. (I was afraid that if I made it to photo myself, WH and I would then eat it. Which would have been very very good. And very very bad. But I will make it sometime, when there are more people around to eat it. It looks way too good to pass up.) You can find the recipe for this cake here. It’s a little long, so I’m sending you over there instead of typing it all up here.

Check out some of the rest of the recipes on Julia’s blog. She does a great job of coming up with unique flavors and combinations, that all work together to mix into something wonderful. Like Basil Cauliflower Pizza, Breakfast Cookies, Goat Cheese and Phyllo Pizza, Grilled Vegetable Platter with Cilantro Avocado Aioli, Chickpea and Feta Salad, and …. well, I’ll stop now. You can pop over there and poke through all of the categories on your own. I know you’ll come up with several “must make” recipes for yourself and your family.

Do you ever have a weekend where you SHOULD be doing one thing but you WANT to be doing another? I really should be packing boxes, since we’re moving our household in three weeks. But what I want to be doing? Working on my Pamuya Shawl. What should you be doing? And what do you want to be doing instead?

Sheri ormaybeIshouldavoidbothofthosethings
andjustmakethiscake?

We’re having a campfire and everyone is invited. Come out out of your cabins and tents and join us. Speaking of cabins, did you know that Claudia Hand Painted has a colorway called “Cabin Fever“?

She also has “Boot Camp“:

And “Campfire“:

Which brings us back to the point of today’s blog. Part of camping is sitting around the fire, telling stories, right? So let’s tell a story about Loopy. I’ll start, and anyone who would like to can add one sentence – just one sentence – in the comments below to continue the story. Once the comments start, you need to add your sentence so that it continues the story from the comment above yours. (I realize this might be problematic if you have never left a comment on this blog. Those comments go into a queue for approval, which will make them show up in the right order, but at a later time. But come to think of it, that might add a few interesting twists to the story!)

Next week, I’ll randomly draw a comment to win two skeins of Claudia Hand Painted in your color choice. So let the story begin:

It was a beautiful afternoon (although the forecast was for storms that night.) Loopy had a long list of things to-do, and a house full of people to entertain, but all he really wanted to do was to sit down and work on his Camp Loopy project. He grabbed his project bag and snuck off to hide in the attic for some knitting time. Loopy opened the two attic windows for a nice breeze and settled down to knit. He was in the middle of a long row of (K2tog, YO’s), when he heard a loud crash from the floor below.

(Your turn. Keep it going!)

It’s fun to have so many of you camping along with us at Camp Loopy this summer! Watch for the Camp Loopy Photo Gallery to go up this week, as I know that quite a few of you are already finished with your beautiful projects. (Not me. I will probably use every bit of the next 3 1/2 weeks to finish my project. But I’m enjoying it!)

We decided that you might need some new Camping Equipment, so we’ve put a few essentials on sale this week. You’ll find 15% off all water bottles, travel mugs, regular mugs, and knitting and project bags. (You thought we were going to say tents, sleeping bags, and camping stoves, right? But those aren’t nearly as fun as bags and mugs and water bottles.) The sale prices will be up until midnight this Friday, 6/24 (Central Time) and while supplies last, so enjoy it while you can.

We’ve also added in: Madelinetosh Sock – shown here in Fathom (with more going up next week – some needed to be re-photoed), Schoppel Walle Zauberball (try this fun pattern with a ball of this striping yarn), HiyaHiya (needles, Dumpling Cases, Puppy Snips, and project bags), Dream in Color Starry re-stocks, and a limited quantity of t-shirts from Lorna’s Laces (where you can choose from “I make pretty string” and “I make string pretty”, in two different t-shirt styles.

Check back for this Wednesday’s blog, where we’ll be telling an interesting Camp Loopy story around the campfire, and you will have a chance to participate in the story-telling.

Sheri alreadyplanningmyProjectTwoforCamp,
butmustfocusonProjectOneFPS.

Are you ready for s’more recipes that are perfect for camping? (Lame joke. I couldn’t help it.) These are best when you zap them in the microwave for 15 seconds before eating. It melts the chocolate and marshmallow just enough to seem like you’re enjoying an old-fashioned S’more. (Really, I can’t believe the authentic taste that you get from this recipe. Must be the graham cracker crumbs in the dough.)

S’mores Cookie Bars
(original recipe from Lovintheoven)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (like Hersheys)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Preheat over to 350 degrees and grease an 8 x 8 baking pan.

Cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Gradually add this into the butter/sugar mixture at low speed, until mixed well.

Divide the dough in half. Press the first half into the bottom of the pan. Layer the chocolate bars over the dough and then spread the marshmallow creme over the top of the chocolate.

Roll out the remaining dough to fit over the top, and then layer it on. (You won’t be able to pat it out on top of the creme, so rolling with a rolling pin is the easiest way to do it.)

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting.

How are your Camp Loopy projects coming along? I started mine with the two colors I showed you in this post, and had to rip out the multi-color Mansfield Garden Party, four rows in. I really thought it was going to work, but once I added it to the Celadon, they just looked bad together. I’m using Seawash with the Celadon instead. Much better. I still love the skein of Mansfield that I have. I’ll pair it with something else and will make another two-color shawl. In fact, I have so many patterns that I now want to make, thanks to all of you for sharing links over on Ravelry. Have you found more two-color projects that are now on your list, once this first one is done?

Sheri whomayhaveeatenoneortwoofthosebars
fortestingpurposesonly