October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and we are partnering up with an organization here in Fort Collins called Hope Lives, to provide handmade items to those in need. Hope Lives provides free holistic wellness and lifestyle support services to women in northern Colorado who are battling breast cancer.

If you’d like to participate in this, we are collecting knit or crocheted shawls, lap blankets, fingerless gloves, socks and slippers for the women going through treatment. We have a collection basket here at The Loopy Ewe and we plan to keep the collection going through December.  You can knit with any yarn that you have handy and want to work with. Thank you in advance for anything you can knit/crochet to help!

Of course there are many wonderful agencies that would be happy to have items like this year-round, so if your time is tight this fall, we hope you’ll consider making something at another time of the year, to share with groups around you. I know many of you do this on a regular basis and are happy to be able to do it. Thank you for having such a generous spirit!

Sheri planningonmakingfingerlessmittsforthisproject

We have had so many wonderful photos shared in our photo galleries throughout the past two summers of Camp Loopy, that I thought I’d highlight some of the patterns that have been a popular choice. I love seeing the same pattern done up in different colors and different yarn. Today, I want to highlight the Sothia Shawl. This is one that came up several times in last summer’s camp photos, and I thought it was so beautiful that I knit it up myself last fall. I did mine in String Theory Caper Cobalt and Hand Maiden Casbah in Smoke. What I love about this pattern – the shape (it makes it easy to keep it around your shoulders) and the cool ruffle. Yardage – this striped version takes about 750 yards of the main yarn (the blue, in my shawl), and 250 yards of the other color (the gray, in my shawl). Here are some of your shawls, that inspired me!

Eevi’s version out of Madelinetosh Merino Light Nutmeg and Cascade Heritage Sock (with a smaller ruffle):

Amanda’s version out of Madelinetosh Merino Light in Fawn and Rose:

Karen’s version out of Spud and Chloe Fine in Popcorn and Lipstick:

Judy’s version out of The Loopy Ewe Solid Series in Dove and Iron:

Margaret’s version out of The Loopy Ewe Solid Series in Kiwi and Eggplant:

Amy’s version out of Cascade Sock in Steel, Anis and Como Blue:

Sue’s version out of Three Irish Girls Cashmerino Fingering in Saoirse and Zephyr:

Julie’s version out of Dream in Color Everlasting Sock in Passion and Plenty:

Brian’s version out of Dream in Color Smooshy in Dusky Aurora (nice to see a one-color version!):

Leslie’s version out of Madelinetosh Sock in Molly Ringwald and Wash:

Raven’s version out of Madelinetosh Merino Light in Malachite and Moorland:

Sharon’s version out of Shalimar Zoe Sock in Buttermilk and Thistle:

Marilee’s version out of Dragonfly Djinni in Titania and Madelinetosh Sock in Celadon:

This is a large-sized shawl that is wonderful to wrap up in. Have you tried it yet?

Sheri ruffletookforever,buttotallyworthit!

It’s one of those “luscious” Monday Updates today. I know there is a lot of yarn out there that is wool and slightly scratchy and knits up beautifully into all kinds of projects. But there is some yarn out there that is a combination of wool and other things (like cashmere and silk) that knits up into beautiful things but also feels heavenly while you’re working with it. Those are the types of things we have for you in today’s update. We just added in:

Madelinetosh Pashmina Worsted – We have this for you in 40 colors, and it’s something you’ll want to make a sweater with. (Ok – you can also use if for hats and scarves and mittens and warm shawls.) This is a worsted weight 4-ply yarn with 75% merino wool, 15% silk and 10% cashmere. It has 210 yards to the skein and can be machine washed in cold water, and air-dried flat. (Shown above in Stargazing.) Try knitting this up in the Debaser Scarf, or a Knotty But Nice Hat, or a Deephaven Cowl, or a Moody Sweater.

Jade Sapphire – This 4-ply heavy fingering (maybe even edging into the sport category) weight yarn comes 200 yards to the skein and is 100% cashmere from Inner Mongolia. Perfect for cowls, scarves, gloves or shawls. You’ll love the feel of this yarn. (Shown here in Seeing Red.) You could try it in the Parquet Tiles Shawl (I love the texture), the Eleanor Cowl, or Straightforward Mitts.

Swan’s Island – re-stocks in the soldout colors of Lace, Fingering, and Worsted. Swan’s Island yarn is spun in a historic mill in Maine and then hand-dyed using all-natural dyes. This results in beautiful yarn that is wonderful to work with and kind to the environment.

ScoJo Eyewear – More of my favorite reading (and knitting and computing) glasses, this time in a pretty cobalt blue.

Cascade – we re-stocked most of our lines of Cascade last week (mid-week), so if you’ve been waiting on a color to come back in a certain base, check that out.

Happy shopping and happy knitting this week!

Sheri  wantingtohaveaBoxofFundeliveredtomyhouse
justtomakemymailladysmile.

We will soon have new colors available in some of Namastes favorite bags and accessories, and we know you like to be able to pre-order these things so that you don’t have to watch closely for them. If you’d like to order any of these, please email us (support@theloopyewe.com) and we’ll save it out for you. You don’t have to pre-pay. We’ll set up an order and invoice you as soon as they arrive (sometime in October). Click on the photo below to see the bags larger.

We’ll be getting:

Hermosa Bags in Carribean Blue and Pumpkin Spice. We already have them in Espresso and Eggplant, shown in the photo. ($85)

Zuma Bags in Pumpkin Spice, Canary Yellow, and Carribean Blue ($69)

Harlow bags in Canary Yellow ($85)

Circular Cases in Canary Yellow ($24)

Skinny Mini Cases in Canary Yellow ($15)

I am so getting those yellow options for myself. What a fun, sunny, happy color! (Yes, I do need more bags. Have you seen how many in-progress projects I have going on? They deserve bags. That’s what I’m telling myself.)

Sheri alsogladtoseeZuma’scomingback

Lots going on around here today! My yarn is ready for my Fourth Quarter Challenge project. (I’ve knit 6 rows so far. Woohoo!) This is Wollmeise Lace (color: Spice Market, which we don’t get in very often) that I picked up in Claudia’s shop in Germany and have been saving to knit into a sweater. It’s incredibly handy to have both skeins on the large sized Yarn Caddy so that they unwind without tangling as I knit. I did put a circle of cardboard between the two, just so they keep to themselves during the process.

Our Loopy Ewe Solid Series yarn is featured in a new crochet sock pattern in Interweave’s Fall 2012 Crochet Magazine, on sale now. The pattern is called Zig Zag Socks by Patsy Harbor  and uses 1 skein each of Malachite and Pumpkin. (Photo by Harper Point Photography, used with permission.)

I finished my Charlize Shawl. I was intrigued by the open body and solid ruffle. It was quick to knit. I made the small size and used one skein of Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere in Slippery Trail. I love this yarn base.

And finally, for those who routinely ask about Mocha, the outdoor cat that doesn’t belong to us but thinks he does – here’s an updated photo. His beautiful fur is growing back, he likes being brushed (I’m trying to help him avoid another shaving due to mats), and he continues to like hanging out on our back deck. I’m still trying to figure out a plot to adopt him forever. I just don’t think his owners would appreciate it …

Do you have any random Wacky Wednesday news to share about your day?

Sheri madethesebrowniestocelebrate
Elfbirthdaysthisweek.Wantone?

Today’s Monday Update is all about soft, smoothy, luscious feeling yarn. You can’t go wrong with any of it. We just added in:

Malabrigo Sock - I don’t know how long you’ve been waiting on this Sock base to come in again, but I feel like I’ve been waiting close to forever. I’m so glad it’s here! This fingering weight yarn seems to be used just as often for cowls, scarves and shawls as it is for socks. At 440 yards per skein, it’s plenty for most sizes of socks and one-skein shawls. (Shown here in Marte.)

Malabrigo Silkpaca – 26 more colors of Malabrigo’s newest lace weight. This 70% Baby Alpaca / 30% Silk base comes 420 yards to the skein and is perfect for shawls and scarves or cowls.

Mountain Colors Bearfoot – My second ever pair of socks was knit from this yarn, and they continue to be my warmest, coziest pair. This fingering weight base is 60% superwash merino, 25% kid mohair, and 15% nylon. I’m sure it would make equally cozy scarves, hats and mitts, too. We have 25 colors up for you tonight. (Shown here in Thunderstorm.)

Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere – This is another yarn that doesn’t come around all that often. When they have this base in stock, we order lots, though! I’m working on a shawl out of this fingering weight yarn, and the 70% super wash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon base is spoiling me. I’ll show you my shawl on Wednesday’s blog post. (There. That will make me get it done. Nothing like putting a deadline right out there on the blog…)

Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere Camp Colors – We also had them do up four colors to celebrate the bug groups from Camp Loopy this summer. You’ll find Dragonflies, June Bugs, Lightening Bugs, and No-Seeums under the Camp Loopy category on the homepage. (We’ll have more Camp colors coming later this month.) Shown here in No-Seeums.

Universal Cotton Supreme & Cotton Supreme Batik - This yarn is great for spring and summer sweaters, and for kids clothes year round. It’s 100% cotton and can be tossed in the machine to wash and dry, so it’s easy care. (I made a sweater out of it that turned out too large because I didn’t think being off 1/2 stitch per inch was that big of a deal with gauge. Turns out, it IS a big deal. Lesson learned. And this yarn does.not.shrink.at.all when you put it in the dryer. Even if you want it to shrink.) I think the Batik colors are particularly cute for kids sweaters.

Kollage New Square DPN’s - Now made in the U.S., these needles have been re-done and are better than ever. We currently have the new styles in circular sizes 24″, 32″, 40″ and in the 6″ DPN’s. Many knitters say that square needles are easier on your hands. These DPN’s come five needles to a set. Due to the difference between square and round needles, you’ll want to be sure to do a test swatch for needle size. Most knitters find that they need to go up a needle size on these square needles.

Enjoy your shopping and we’ll get your Box of Fun out to you asap!

Sheri finishingshawl,then4thquarterchallenge