I picked Lorna’s Laces Pearl for my First Quarter Challenge yarn, because I love the way it looks in a shawl.

We’re still collecting votes for the Fourth Quarter Challenge, so make sure to email us (support@theloopyewe.com) with your vote. After I blogged that on Monday, Cheryl from MA emailed to ask whoever won the third Camp Loopy project vote. That reminded me that I never finished that off!  Here’s why. We asked for voting right before *Thanksgiving, which turned into The Big Loopy Move, which turned into The Second Loopy Move, which turned into Christmas, which turned into The Grand Opening*. We only had 11 Project Three votes cast at the beginning, and all 11 people voted for 11 different projects. I know that there were over 600 photos to go through, but you all did that very well with the first two camp projects. Typically, we have lots of voters weighing in with voting. I intended to re-blog it and ask for more votes, and then … well … things were a little crazy around here and I just forgot. (Repeat reading from * to *.)  So now, instead of asking you to vote again, I’ve just used the random generator to pick five winners from Project Three.  So congratulations to Una-Mary in Australia for the Absolutely Love It Shawl, to Amy in WA for the Lazy Loopy Shawl, to Barbara from MN for the 800+ Yards, to Kristine from TX for the Camp Sweater,  and to Beth from NY for the Travel Shawl for Camp Loopy.  We’ve added a $25 Loopy credit to each of your accounts, and I know you’ll have fun spending it. (And thank you again, Cheryl, for the reminder!)

So back to the issue of knitting shawls and (me) not wearing them. Do you knit shawls? And do you wear them?

Sheri stillenjoyingmyPalindromeScarfandIwilldefinitelywearthat

This has to be the quickest knit scarf I’ve done.

So do you have a pattern that you have enjoyed enough to knit more than a time or two? What is it? Leave your answer in the blog comments and you’ll be entered in this month’s blog contest! We are drawing for two goodie bags (shown here). Each prize contains our Small Loopy Project Tote, a Loopy Travel Mug, a Loopy Heel Soak (hiding in the back of the bag), a Little Loopy, and a skein of multi-colored Wollmeise (each prize bag has a different skein – we’ll send you a pretty one).

Our official Colorado Loopy shop grand opening is this Saturday, January 28th,  from 10 am – 4:30 pm. We will have an in-store drawing for two of these bags as well as giving away two of them here on the blog. We’ll announce the winners in next week’s blog, and will also contact you if you win.

I’m looking forward to hearing which patterns have captured your attention enough to make multiple times. I have several on my own favorites list! (Like these new Cloisonee Mittens out of Cascade 220. And wouldn’t you know, we just re-stocked all of our 220 colors? With 248 different color choices, I might get a little carried away with color combination options…)

Sheri whohassevenprojectsonthe”startrightnow”list
butwhat’safewmore?

Here’s a cowl that I made for a friend right before Christmas. Pattern: Honey Cowl, Yarn: Wollmeise Lace, held and knit double. It’s one of those patterns that looks great when it’s done, but is a lot of knitting knitting knitting knitting knitting of the same stitch when you’re working on it. Cute, though. And warm. I continue to be quite sold on these long cowls. Unlike scarves, they stay around your neck and you don’t worry about getting out of a car and losing it in the parking lot! (Maybe that only happens to me.) I also like that you can double them up to make them warmer around your neck, and then unloop them as you walk in and out of shops and get too hot. (Maybe that only happens to me.) Someone needs to design a few more of these. My favorite continues to be Carrie’s Summer Wind Cowl. I’ve made three and still didn’t keep one for myself. Right now I’m finishing up a scarf, which I’ll show you next week. I hope I don’t lose it in a parking lot when I wear it out and about. (Does that really only happen to me? Have you ever lost anything you’ve knit?)

Sheri whoshouldalsoprobablywearmittensonastring

This is the Skinner Hat by Melissa LaBarre, knit up in a new yarn line that we’ll be adding in to the shop soon. (Still under wraps, but I love the yarn.) It’s a 50/50 merino/silk and knit up beautifully. The hat is long so that it slouches in the back when you wear it. (Or if you have Rapunzel braids, I would imagine you could tuck them all up in there and keep them warm and dry.)

Guess who else likes merino/silk blends? Zoe had a good time checking it out.

“Mine?”

I thought I’d celebrate Thanksgiving week by giving away a few things in the blog this week. It seemed fitting to share some extra prizes with all of you, since YOU are at the top of The Loopy Ewe Gratitude List this year. Today’s giveaway – 5 of you will win a copy of this pattern, just because I liked it so much and want to share it with you. If you’d like to be in the running, leave a comment below. We’ll announce the winners on Wednesday’s blog (where we’ll then have another giveaway to share with you.)

Sheri oughttogobacktothecowlnow,butmightstartsomethingelseinstead

You can wear them long:

You can wear them looped twice around your neck:

Or you can wear them more like a scarf:

I’m making another long cowl in a different pattern, and …. I’m bored. Oh, the cowl will be nice when it’s done and I’m knitting it double-stranded with Wollmeise Lace, but it’s sucking the knitting mojo right out of me. Each night I think I’ll knit and then I don’t want to pick that project up. So guess what? I think I need to start a new project. Don’t you think? Maybe I can talk myself into a set of 4 rows on the boring cowl (because that’s the pattern repeat) and then I can hop over to the more interesting project. That might just get me through it.

I’ve been keeping my cowls, scarves and shawls draped over this mannequin (bought for $10 at a shop going out of business), in my little office by the front door. It’s easy to grab one on my way out, and I like seeing them layered there.

Although, to be honest, it usually looks quite a bit messier. More like this:

Also? I don’t like that front door and I don’t like the terra cotta colored tile in this new (to us) house. But both items are way down on the “gotta change that” list, since they are perfectly fine and serviceable for the time being. Darn it.

Do you have a place to keep your most wearable knits out and easy to pop on as you walk out the door?

Sheri hopingtogetmyknittingmojobackagainsoon

It didn’t take long for me to become totally smitten with two-color shawls, after Camp Loopy this summer.

Another shawl on my soon-to-make list (in fact, I found yarn at Loopy this week for it) is the Sothia. Gorgeous. I know that ruffle will take close to forever, but I’ve done 2 Mara’s, so I’m pretty sure I can stand it. (And hey – the pattern is on sale until the end of October. Happy Birthday Robin!)

I was also particularly attracted to Spectra (which I’m thinking I will make with Zauberball and something), Daybreak (which will be a Loopy Ewe Solid/Jitterbug mix and also? Stephen, stop with the awesome patterns already), Catkin (I already have 2 Madtosh sock colors set aside – a copper and a teal), and Pamuya (which I may knit as a one-color out of JulieSpins Silky NorthShore. And guess what? That’s a teal colorway.). I made one Pamuya for camp, but really want to make another as well. I’m not a big fan of the two colors I put together for the first one, but it was definitely an interesting pattern to knit.

Are there any two-color shawl patterns that catch your eye? Or do you have a one-color pattern that you’d like to turn into two?

Sheri shippedmyselfaboxofyarnfromSt.LouistoFortCollinstoday

My Fourth Quarter Challenge project is done!

One thing I’ve realized about my stash – I have a lot of single skeins. In fact, it’s mostly full of single skeins. There are projects that I want to make (like Sothia and another Whippoorwill) that are multi-color projects, but they require two skeins of one color, plus one of a coordinating color. I need to start getting 2 skeins of some of my more favorite colorways. I used to just get one skein, because I was making socks or one skein shawlettes. After seeing all of the fun 2-color shawls that you all did for Camp Loopy, my knitting preferences have changed a bit. I need to go Loopy shopping again.

Do you add mostly single skeins to your stash? Do you always have a plan for the yarn you’re buying? Because frequently, I add single skeins to my stash without knowing for sure what they will become. I need to start doubling up on the ones I think might become a larger shawl.  (Also? I need to start wearing shawls. I have such fun making them, but I don’t wear them all that often.)

Sheri enjoyingabeautifuldayhere.Seethemorningsuninmyphotos?

Last year, I did a few posts with holiday knitting ideas and pattern links. (You can find those posts here, here, and here.)

1. Cowls are something that most people don’t buy for themselves. (I think this is partly because you don’t see too many for sale in the stores.)
2.  Most cowls are relatively quick and easy to knit. You can finish one in a couple of nights.
3.  Many of these patterns take just one skein of yarn, so it’s a project that doesn’t break the bank.
4.  It’s a fun way to try out new stitch patterns and techniques, without committing to a large project.

Here are some ideas, along with some of the cowls I have knit up. (The only repeat link from last year is the Irish Cabled Neckwarmer, because it’s one of my favorites and I wanted to include the photo!) After researching these patterns, I’m ready to make some more.

Fingering Weight Cowls (these tend to be drapier and lighter):

Summer Wind (hot off my needles, shown here in Alisha Goes Around)
Cream and Sugar Cowl
Miss Doolittle
Less is More Cowl (pull it up when the wind gets cold)
Mimzi Cowl

Yarn suggestions for fingering weight cowls: Alisha Goes Around, Claudia Hand Painted, Done Roving, Dragonfly Fibers Djinni, Dream in Color Smooshy, Fiberphile MCN, Hand Maiden Casbah, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, Madelinetosh Sock, Shibui Staccato, Spud and Chloe Fine, Studio June Super Cash Sock, Swan’s Island Fingering, The Loopy Ewe Solid Series, Three Irish Girls Adorn, and Trekking XXL.

Sport and DK Weight Cowls (these tend to be a bit warmer):

Gyre
Stacked Eyelet Cowl
Caera Cowl
Polyphylla Cowl
Julia Neckwarmer
Trickledown Neckwarmer & Mitts
Lava Flow Cowl (shown here in Lorna’s Laces Honor)

Yarn Suggestions for sport/dk weight cowls: Alpaca with a Twist Baby Twist, Amy Butler Belle Organic DK, Blue Sky Royal, Cascade Epiphany, Fiesta Ballet, Hand Maiden Camel Spin, Madelinetosh Pashmina, Madelinetosh Sport, Malabrigo Silky Merino, and String Theory DK.

Worsted Weight Cowls (these tend to be warmest of all and quickest to knit:
Irish Cabled Neckwarmer (Shown here in Malabrigo Rios)
Herringbone Neck Warmer
Lady Jessica
Fern Neckwarmer
Simply Soft Cowl
Cable Crush Cowl
Lace Twists Neckwarmer
Snow Drift
Eternity Scarf

Yarn suggestions for worsted weight cowls: Amy Butler Belle Organic Aran, Blue Sky Worsted Hand Dyes, Cascade 220, Cascade Eco Alpaca, Dream in Color Classy, Fiesta Boomerang, Lang Yak, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted, Malabrigo Rios, Spud and Chloe Sweater, Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino Worsted, and Universal Cotton Supreme.

I hope you found a few fun patterns in this batch! Have you started on gift-knitting yet? Or are you not knitting for gifts this year? I’m still undecided about making gifts this year, but I’m definitely going to be making some of these cowls, either way.

Sheri who-apparently-getsalittletooattachedtotheknittingonceitisalldone

Well, actually, it was done last week.

Of course I didn’t realize that I was going to end up using 2600 yards instead of 800 yards, in order to make it big enough. That kind of defeats the purpose of using a crocheted project for “speed”. But I do love the end result. It’s big, thick, warm and heavy – perfect for a Sunday afternoon nap in the wintertime. This was made using Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand Dyes in Chocolate, Ecru, Lagoon and Tan.

I’m not sure I’ll ever be brave enough to crochet beyond these simple stitches and blankets, but this was fun to make. It ended up being wider than I needed it to be, in order to get the length I wanted. I had thought that if I made the very center of it long and narrow and I just kept going round and round the edges, then the throw itself would end up long and a bit more narrow. It ended up being 60″ x 64″. Shouldn’t it have worked out to be quite a bit longer than wider, considering how I started it in the middle?

Did you learn anything working on Project Three, or your last big project?

Sheri whonowhastwohexapuffsflatsdone.
Cutelittlethings.

I had a lot of fun knitting up these mittens for Project Two of Camp Loopy.

Believe it or not, I’ve actually had some time to try a few new recipes in the past couple of weeks. (Partly due to the fact that we’ve had people visit us already.) One of the recipes I’ve loved the most are these Cake Ball Truffles. They are …. so awesome. They’re not cake balls, because you don’t bake a cake and crumble it up to make the insides. You just make the batter (no eggs, so it’s safe to eat) and then roll them into balls and dip them. Easy. Yummy. Give them a try if you like the taste of cake batter like I do. The original recipe comes from The Girl Who Ate Everything blog.

Cake Batter Truffles by The Girl Who Ate Everything
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup yellow cake mix
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
4 Tbl. milk
2 Tbl. sprinkles

Truffle Coating:
16 oz. almond bark or white candy melts
4 Tbl. yellow cake mix
sprinkles

(Note – I doubled this recipe so that I could use almost the whole box of cake mix. And because one can never have too many truffles.)

Beat together butter and sugar. Add the cake mix, flour, salt and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add 4 Tbl. milk to make a good dough consistency. (Use more or less, depending on how it’s looking to you. You should be able to make a nice firm ball of dough with it.) Mix in the sprinkles by hand. Roll into 1″ balls and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Melt the almond bark in the microwave (30 seconds at a time, so that you are careful not to burn it.) When it’s melted, stir in the cake mix. Dip the balls into the coating with a fork, tapping the fork on the side of the bowl to remove excess coating. Place on a cookie sheet and top with sprinkles right away, since the bark will harden quickly. Chill until ready to serve. A doubled recipe makes about 3-4 dozen truffles.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that sprinkles just make things look happy? That’s why you get two truffle pictures today. I’m promoting happiness. How are you promoting happiness today?

Sheri whopromisestosharesomehealthyrecipesintheweekstocome,too