Because it’s February (the month of love – and you know we love you!) and in honor of our first Colorado Loopy Ewe Spring Fling coming up, we thought it would be fun to give away a spot at our Spring Fling for a contest this month. Not only that, but if you win, you get to pick a friend to bring along with you. We saved a spot for them, too! You cover the cost of getting yourself to the hotel (by plane, train or automobile), and we’ll provide you both with the Fling weekend package for free. (Pop on over to this blog post to see what is included in the Fling weekend package.) If you have already signed up for a spot at the Fling, you’re still eligible to enter the contest and get your Fling package for free for you and a friend. We don’t want to leave you out. The Spring Fling dates are April 18-21, Thursday evening through Sunday morning.

So do you need a weekend away with your best buddy? Would you like to hang out with a bunch of great knitters, visit Loopy Central, take a class, get a goodie bag and relax all weekend? If you want to be entered to win, leave a comment below and tell us you’d like to attend and who you want to bring along with you. We’ll use the random number generator to pick someone next week and will report back with a winner. It’s going to be a great weekend!

Sheri alreadythinkingaboutmyFlingknittingprojects

It’s always fun to see our Loopy Ewe Solid Series in print, and we have two more to share with you. In the newest Interweave Crochet Accessories magazine that just came out, our yarn was featured in the Pleiades Shawl, a fun star-inspired shawl that drapes around your shoulders. This one was done in Eggplant, Barn Red and Smoke. (Photos by Harper Point Photography.)

I received a copy of Carol Sulcoski’s new Sock Yarn Studio book in the mail, and it’s a must-have. So many great designs from some of your favorite top designers, including Wendy Johnson, Veronik Avery, Franklin Habit, Hunter Hammersen, and more. It starts out with great sock-knitting information from Carol (avoiding pooling, repeats with self-patterning and multicolor yarn, using sock patterns for other projects, etc.). Then you get to the gorgeous patterns. You’ll find cowls, gloves, scarves, hats, shawls, sweaters, an adorable baby cardigan, and more. Of course my favorite pattern in the book is the one that Wendy designed with our Solid Series, called Kitteh Mittens. She used 1 skein each of Coffee and Cerulean.

Would you like to make a pair? Leave a comment below and we’ll use the random number generator to pick someone to win the book and your choice of 2 skeins of The Loopy Ewe Solid Series. (Hey – wouldn’t those mittens be cute in orange and black for Halloween trick-or-treating? Next year.)

We also have a winner from last week’s Halloween day blog contest. Congratulations to Linda in Illinois, whose favorite go-to food or drink on cold days is hot mulled apple cider. Yum!

Speaking of our Loopy Ewe Solid Series, the winder has been going nonstop today, working on more Loopy Cake sets for you. (More Steampunk, but also more in the series. I told you we were having too much fun coming up with themes!)

Sheri prettypianomusicplayingintheshoptoday.Wishyouwerehere.

Thanks to those of you who have checked in via email and comments, to let us know that you are ok, despite this massive storm that has moved through your area. We continue to watch the news and are thinking about all of you. What a storm.

Since today is Halloween, I decided to share some fun blog posts from other people! These are some of the blogs that I read regularly, and don’t share them often enough with all of you. (And then scroll to the bottom of the post for a chance to win a treat from us!)

Want to see how some zoo animals react to pumpkins and masks and other Halloween celebrations? (I like the baby Cheetah trying to hide behind the pumpkin. Although the monkey and mask is cute, too.)

Here are some cute dinner ideas. (I like the Rice Krispie Candy Corn Cupcakes and the Mummies in a Blanket.)

My favorite food blog is the one my dear friend Monica writes. You might want to check out her:

Whole Grain Maple Pumpkin Spice Donuts (good any time this fall)

Overnight Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (and her other flavors of overnight oatmeal)

Hot Spiced Drinks (yum – hot apple cider!)

Maple Pumpkin Spiced Lattes (made in your slow cooker)

Baked Potato Soup (can also use leftover mashed potatoes. I made this last winter and it’s delicious.)

Of course she has tons of non-fall recipes, too. Check her recipe index.

Check out the Halloween Hay Bales, all dressed up for the holiday. (Mummy – ha!)

Free printable pumpkin carving patterns.

Last minute quick-and-easy costume ideas. (I can’t pick a favorite – several of them cracked me up! But Ceiling Fan? Love that.)

Creepy music to download for free.

Since we don’t get to go trick or treating with our own candy bag any more, we thought we’d put together a bag of treats for one lucky winner! (Shown here, $60 value.) If you’d like a chance to win, just leave a comment below and tell us your favorite food or drink that you make (or buy) when it’s cold and rainy and blustery and you just need something warm and wonderful. I tend towards soup when it’s cold outside. Even better if I can make it in the slow cooker so that it’s ready and smells wonderful when I get home from work. I have a few favorites. Wild Rice and Chicken Soup, Lasagne Soup, Cheddar Chowder, and Cold Weather Chili. Even better with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on the side. So what is your go-to food when it’s cold and you need something that warms you up?  We’ll randomly draw a winner next week!

Sheri wishingIhadleftsoupintheslowcookerfordinnertonight

Brrr – it’s downright cold around here in the mornings now. How about where you are? It’s the perfect weather for knitting a new fall sweater, and we have more of one of our favorite sweater yarns up on the website in tonight’s Monday Update. Just in:

Stonehedge Fiber Mill’s Shepherd’s Wool - a worsted weight yarn that has quickly become a favorite for many of you. We’ve re-stocked all of the colors and they’re ready to turn into sweaters, vests, scarves and hats! (Shepherd’s Wool also come in a DK weight.)

Biscotte & Cie – Did you see the cute twisted Stitch Surfer sock pattern in the latest edition of Knitty, using this yarn? We have it available in 5 different color combinations (self-striping yarn plus solid). It looks like a fun and unusual pattern for all of us sock knitters! (Shown above in the Kit 3 version – Purple Rain.) Don’t forget to check out the regular Biscotte self-striping skeins we have in stock as well. They’re fun to work with. I’ll show you the hat I made with one of them in Wednesday’s blog post!

Shalimar – re-stocks of the Zoe Sock Yarn fingering weight. This batch was done on a new Zoe Sock yarn base, which is a bit softer than the other base. We still have some of the original base left, for those of you who are a fan and don’t like change! The new base is listed on the website under Zoe Sock 2. (Shown here in Asilomar.)

Trekking XXL - lots of re-stocks in all of your favorite colors! This fingering weight sock yarn is great for gift knitting, because there is no special care required. The gift recipients can toss it in the washer and dryer and it will come out looking just as beautiful as when you knit it.

Zauberball - re-stocks in Crazy Socks, Sock, Starke 6 (DK), and Lace. We’ve also added in Zauberball 100 – the single ply fingering weight in a 100% merino wool base.

Fibernymph Dye Works- Hand dyed by Lisa in PA, this fingering weight base is 80% Superwash Merino and 20% Nylon. Great for long-wearing socks and pretty for shawls and scarves, too. (Shown here in Mourning Dove.)

Austermann - re-stocks in Step, the wonderful yarn that is infused with Aloe Vera and Jojoba oil. The softening/moisturizing qualities last for more than 40 washes, and it’s wonderful on your hands as you knit it up.

Zitron – re-stocks in Uni-sono Multi’s and semi-solids, and Filigran (a 100% Superwash Merino single ply laceweight with 650+ yards per skein).

Namaste – the new yellow color is now available in the Harlow Bags, the Circular Cases, the Skinny Minis (shown here), and Zuma Bags. These are a great way to add a little sunshine to your cold Fall and Winter days.

We have a winner from last week’s blog contest, where I asked you what other needle arts you like to do. The Random Number Generator pulled a comment from the bunch and the skein of Fibernymph yarn goes to Julia in TN. Congratulations, Julia!

Happy shopping, and we’ll get your orders pulled and packed up tomorrow. Tuesday’s are always a lot of fun around here!

Sheri thinkingtheElvesprobablyneedextrachocolateonTuesdays,too

Do you ever feel like you stepped onto an out-of-control merry-go-round? (Or yarn winder, if one were able to sit on a yarn winder….) That’s what this week has felt like. Busy, busy, busy. Maybe I just need to sit and chill and knit for awhile tonight. I’ve been working on my Cabled Rib Wrap and not working on my Charleston Tea (although I need to). I’m also ready to get another scarf on the loom. The purple one from last week is done. I’ll show it to you as soon as I wash and block it. I had fun working on it!

It’s time for our October Blog Contest, and I thought it would be fun to give away a skein from our newest indie dyer. I’m happy to say that we’re adding Fibernymph Dye Works to the shop. We’ll have Lisa’s beautiful semi-solids, striping yarns, and also her awesome roving. This line will be going up soon, but you have a chance to win a skein before it goes up! Leave a comment below and we’ll draw a winner next week. You can pick the color you’d like, from these five pictured. (Left to Right: Brigid’s Cloak, Autumn Harvest, Nothing But Blue Skies, Elphaba’s Corset, and An Air of Elsewhere.) The October Blog Question is: Do you have any other needle arts hobbies besides knitting? (Spinning? Weaving? Quilting? Counted Cross Stitch? Needlepoint? Rug Hooking?) To enter the drawing, leave your answer in the comments below. We’ll email you if we draw your name next week.

Sheri BigBandMusicplaying.Makesmewanttowatchanoldmovie.

Thank you for voting on our Camp Loopy Project Two entries! We have tallied the votes and the winner of the Reader’s Choice Award is Janine from Missouri, who finished this gorgeous High Seas lace shawl which she calls “Belladonna Goes for a Swim”. She used Sweet Georgia CashSilk Lace in the Nightshade colorway for this stunning creation. The finished shawl is the shape of a parallelogram. Congratulations on being a Blog Reader favorite, Janine!

We also drew three names from the rest of the 672 photos that were entered, and they also win a $35 Loopy Ewe Gift Certificate! Those went to:

Tamah from North Carolina, who made the Cielo Shell out of Cascade Ultra Pima in the Cornflower Blue colorway.

And Traci in Nevada, who made a Pendulum Shawl out of Shalimar’s Breathless in the Glacier and Ore colorways.

And Christina from California, who made the Let’s Go Shopping Shawl out of Dream in Color’s Starry in the Peacock Shadow colorway.

We’ve added your $35 Loopy Gift Certificate to your accounts. And a big congratulations to all of you who participated in Camp Loopy’s Project Two. We have loved seeing all of the things that you made.

Now that we have all of the photos up and approved for Project Three, it’s time to vote on that one. Hop on over to the Project Three Gallery and pick a favorite. Then email us your vote: support@theloopyewe.com We’ll tally them up and will announce the final list of Camp winners in a couple of weeks.

The Camp fun isn’t over yet! We have some special Camp Colors coming up this fall, as well as the bonus yarn that so many of you earned. You’ll be getting an email from us in the next couple of weeks, if you finished all three projects within all of the guidelines. And as soon as the Camp Colorways are ready, we’ll share that with you on the blog. It looks like we’ll have two different batches of Camp colors, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Have a great weekend!

Sheri alsostaytunedfortheFourthQuarterChallenge,comingupinaweekortwo