Today we’re talking with Monica Jines, pattern designer behind all of our “Monica Knits” patterns. (She was also the designer for our March Sock Club, which you all loved.) Monica lives in Indiana, and I know you’ll enjoy learning more about her. (Here’s a photo of her most recently finished design - a baby dress and socks.)

Loopy: We love your patterns here at The Loopy Ewe! What was the first thing that you designed, and what gave you the courage to try it?
Monica: I really don’t remember the first thing I designed. I have always tweaked patterns and added something extra to them. After awhile I decided if I could change necklines and add or take away from a written pattern, I could make something from start to finish on my own. Once you get the technical stuff figured out, anyone can do it. And I had a great teacher, which helps.

Loopy: Do you think up designs in your head and knit them, or doodle on paper first, or just start knitting? What is your process?
Monica: I see the stitch patterns in my head. I have been accused of being obsessed with knitting by my family, and it may be true. I dream about yarn and designs all the time. Once I get a pretty good idea of what I want, I usually will write out the stitches and see if the pattern will work in a sock. Sometimes I just start knitting, just depends on how bad I have an urge to start something new. And I suffer terribly from start(itis).

Loopy: I think a lot of knitters can relate to being a bit obsessed with knitting! Have you been a knitter for a long time? Who taught you to knit?
Monica: I don’t remember not knowing how to knit. My mother, whom I think was the best knitter around, taught me. Since I don’t remember actually learning I must have been fairly young. I thought she was a magician; she knit so fast and could fix mistakes in no time flat. I was in awe of how fast she could knit up Aran sweaters, and I think that is where I get my love of all things cable.

Loopy: I hope you inherited her fast knitting skills! Does anyone else in your family knit?
Monica: We are a family of knitters. I think as children we all learned. With some of us it “took” and others it was a while before the knitting fever hit. I have 2 other sisters who are avid knitters, Karen and Marjorie. I have taught all three of my children to knit. My eldest is my knitting daughter. Together we knit fingerless mitts for all of her friends for this past Christmas. They were all different and all original designs. She enjoys knitting with BIG needles and BIG yarn though, she likes the instant gratification. The boy child knows how to knit, but would much rather play the X Box, although he did help one of his teachers with a knitting project this year. And the youngest has been working on the same Madeline bag for the last 2 years. She is a high energy child and just can’t sit longer than a round or two. And the Husband just doesn’t “get it.

Loopy: That’s so fun that you share this with your whole family! (Well, except for the Husband.) What is your favorite thing to knit, and do you have a favorite yarn that you like to knit or design with?
Monica: My favorite thing is by far, socks. I love the portability of them; I love small needles and skinny yarn. And I want to have a different pair for each day of the year, even though I can only wear them for 4 or 5 months out the year. I am so spoiled; I hate to wear commercially made socks. I also like to make children’s clothing. My kids are all getting older now, so it is not as fast to knit for them … and they expect everything yesterday. The older two are adult sized now, so when I get the urge to make something baby or toddler size I will make it for charity or keep it for a baby shower gift. Favorite yarn, Oh my goodness there are too many too choose from. The list of the ones that “aren’t” my favorite is much shorter, but I don’t want to mention names. As far as favorite to design with, I like yarns that don’t have drastic color changes, like the nearly solid yarns. But I do love to knit with the brightly colored ones too. It really just depends on the design.

Loopy: We don’t tell favorites around here, either. How do you find time to knit each week? Any hints for the rest of us?
Monica: I have been accused of knitting in my sleep. Once I knit a set of sleeves together while I was “dozing.”(I knit my sleeves at the same time). As far as finding time, I take knitting with me everywhere I go. I have a pair of socks that live in the van for knitting emergencies, waiting in traffic, waiting for the kids at after school functions, the endless wait in the Allergist office while all three of them are getting there allergy shots. But most of my knitting is done in the evening after the kids have gone to bed. Only working part –time helps too.

Loopy: A knitter should always be prepared with knitting to do. It sounds like you have that down pat. (And we loved the story of you knitting your sleeves together in your dozing…) So - Stash - do you believe in it? If so, do you find you have more sock yarns, lace yarns, sweater yarns? And do you have a good place to store it all?
Monica: Stash ??? Some people worry about retirement funds, I worry about not being able to afford yarn on my pension when the time comes, so I need to be a “Collector” of yarn now, that way I won’t run out in my lifetime. I start to get a bit twitchy if I use up too much yarn from the collection, and don’t have more yarn coming into it. I can never join those “Knit from Your Stash KALS”, they are just not for me. As for the largest amount by type of yarn, by far, sock yarn. I have yarn for several sweaters and a few shawls, but I need 365 pair of socks you know, so the majority is sock yarn. And storage, ahem, that is a sore subject in this house. According to Hubby my storage area is the “entire” house. I don’t see too much wrong with that, but he has other ideas. It is something I plan to work on in the near future.

Loopy: You’re right - not being able to afford yarn in retirement would not be good. Another great reason to collect now. Would you like to tell us about your family? And what do they think of your knitting?
Monica: My husband Tony and I have been married for 19 years this coming June. He tolerates the knitting obsession because he knows it makes me happy. He unfortunately learned years ago, that knitting does not save us any money; I remind him it keeps me sane and that is more important. I think he agrees esp. since the tools of the trade are very sharp, pointy sticks. My children don’t know any different and they think the other moms are different, you know, the ones that don’t knit. We call them “muggles”. Anyway, we have 3 children; 2 girls ages 16 (driving … yikes) and 10 and the boy child is 14 and they are the most wonderful kids around.

Loopy: You have some fun new patterns in a book that just came out on Cables. How did you get patterns in that book?
Monica: Yes, that was very exciting for me. I kept toying with the idea of submitting some designs to magazines and online magazines, but for some reason was just dragging my heels. My #1 cheerleader is my sister Karen, and she encouraged me to send in the designs. I had asked for submission guidelines and editorial calendars from several places, and the one from Vogue just really caught my attention. They were asking for cable patterns for a new “Knitting on the Go” book. I think it was at the end of December 2006 that I submitted them, and then waited and waited and waited and then finally in April I heard back from them. I had submitted 2 designs and they accepted both of them. I was so excited; I think I was smiling for days. It was a wonderful experience that I hope to repeat. The book was released earlier this Spring and is “Cables, Mittens, Hats & Scarves on the go”.

Loopy: We had to buy that book because you were in there! (Well, and we like cables.) Do you have any good movie or book recommendations for us to knit to?
Monica: The last movie I went to see was The Bucket List and I loved it. It is one I will definitely purchase and watch again. As far as books, I really haven’t had much time to read, what with all this knitting I have been doing. I will have to fix that as reading has always been a relaxing thing for me. Can you recommend any good books for me to look into?

Loopy: Oh, I’m sure people will leave some comments with some good book suggestions for you. Anything else you’d like to add?
Monica: I have a story to tell you Loopy. I think I have shared this with the Loopy Lady, but I want to share it with you too. I was taking a box of patterns to the Post Office to mail The Loopy Ewe. Waiting in line, knitting my socks, minding my own business, and a gentlemen behind me asked, “Aren’t ewe’s female sheep?” And I replied “yes they are”, thinking he must have been referring to the mailing label on the box. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, and then he asked, “Well what exactly is a Loopy Ewe, is that some kind of farm for sheep that have gone crazy or something?” My youngest was with me and she started giggling, she looks at me with tears running down her face from trying not to laugh as I explain about the yarn shop. She whispers to me, “Can you believe he hasn’t heard about The Loopy Ewe, where has he been?” Kids are the greatest. Many thanks to the Loopy Lady for a great yarn shop and for giving me the opportunity to share my patterns with knitters around the world.

Loopy: I think I have to be offended that he called me a female. FPS.

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Today is Web Guy’s Birthday! May 12th has been one of my favorite days of the year for the past 21 years, just because of him. Happy Birthday, Favorite Son!

Sheri didsomespinningovertheweekendandboywasitfun!

Today I wanted to introduce you to one of my favorite etsy shops - GudonyaToo. Many of you have received their fun Loopy Bath Kiss in a recent Sock Club (or “Don’t Be Blue”) kit. Some of you tried to eat it because it smelled and looked so good! I have loved their products for quite awhile, and they have been wonderful to work with for our kits. I thought you might like learning a little more about Tina and Brian, the couple behind the shop, today.

Loopy: We’re big fans of your wonderful products over here at Loopy. Everyone loved the Loopy Bath Kisses you did for us! Can you tell us how you got into the business and how long you’ve been doing it?
GudonyaToo: We had such a great opportunity back in July of 2007 when we were glancing through the etsy forums and saw a great B&B shop was for sale. I believe that was on a Friday, and by the next day we were making a 12 hour car trip to buy our new baby. We opened our shop, GudonyaToo, in August, and the rest is history!

Loopy: What a fun business to buy into. What is your favorite product and scent?
GudonyaToo: Oh my gosh!!! Make me choose. My shower would tell you the whole story! But if I had to narrow it down it would be my Cotton Candy Salty Dawg Shapoo. Then of course I have to use my Cotton Candy Whipped Clean, and my Cotton Candy sMOOchie (the new and improved Loopy Kiss product) ….

Loopy: So the “kiss” now comes in the new sMOOchie Bar? We like the looks of those, too. Of course The Loopy Lady’s personal favorite is your Whipped Clean. She says that one fingertip of the stuff on a scrubby makes enough suds for the whole shower. So how do you come up with new products?
GudonyaToo: Customer requests and market demands. Plus Brian comes up with some great stuff for me. That’s how Salty Dawg came to be. We had a big mishap with a shampoo bar, and let’s just say I had the best oil treatment ever for my hair. But I couldn’t get it clean! It was horrible. I used my shampoo twice, Dawn Dish Soap twice, and I still looked like I hadn’t washed my hair in a week! LOL! So Brian came up with the Dawg in hopes that I could one day leave the house again. Thank goodness it worked.

Loopy: I don’t think us ewes can use “Dawg” shampoo, but The Loopy Lady might need to try that. What are some challenges you have had in building your business?
GudonyaToo: Not having enough time in the day. We usually work 12-16 hours a day, shipping, producing, customer service, and sometimes to experiment with the new guudies! I always joke and say it’s a good thing we don’t have toddlers because I’m afraid they wouldn’t get fed.

Loopy: Never enough time in the day to get everything done. Boy, we can relate to that! What is your favorite thing about the business?
GudonyaToo: Being my own boss and setting my own hours. It is so cool to also dream about how far we can take GudonyaToo.

Loopy: Do you have help, or is it just the two of you? And is this a full-time job, or do you also do other things?
GudonyaToo: Just the two of us. And it is my full time job and it’s Brian’s second job. He is an electronic engineer by day, and a B&B guru by night.

Loopy: Of course we need to know if you knit?? Or do you have other fun things that you like to do to relax?
GudonyaToo: I chose to learn how to crochet, due to the simple fact that I’m SCARED to death of knitting needles! There is something about long pointy sharp sticks that gives me the heebie jeebies!

Loopy: Awww. They’re fairly harmless. I think you’d like it! We’re always looking for good book and movie recommendations to knit (or crochet) to - do you have any for us?
GudonyaToo: I would love to recommend something, but we don’t have much time for that. I did see Alvin and the Chipmunks on Christmas Day and I loved it! I guess we never really grow up.

Loopy: Will we ever see GudonyaToo in stores near us?
GudonyaToo: Hopefully in the future, if we dream big enough!

Loopy: Well we’ll watch for that. In the meantime, we’ll catch you in your etsy shop. Anything else you’d like to add today?
GudonyaToo: Don’t ever be afraid to live your dreams. Like my sister likes to say, “Life isn’t a dress rehearsal, you only get one chance to live it.”

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I hope you had fun learning more about Tina and Brian and their shop. (Seriously - check out my personal favorite, Whipped Clean, and the new sMOOchie Bar. They have figured out a way to ship sMOOchie Bars in the hot summer temperatures. I wish we could do the same for Loopy Kisses….)

Sheri scarfphotosonWednesdayandfunstuffgoingupintheshopthisweek-woohoo!

If you’re a Wendy Knits reader, or a Loopy Legends Collector, you’re already heard about the elusive L-B! Well guess what? Loopy tracked her down and interviewed her for this week’s Limelight! She has a soft spot for animals of all kinds, so it’s no wonder that Loopy was able to talk her into the interview. It’s still next to impossible to get a photo (which makes one wonder if she truly does exist, or is a figment of Wendy’s imagination.) Here is a photo from our Fall Knitting Weekend last year. L-B tried to hide behind Maggie the sheep, but she was only marginally successful. She did give me permission to share this photo with you.

Loopy: Hi L-B! Well you’re a Loopy Legend, and you’re a Wendy Legend, right? (Which is better than being an Urban Legend, we think. Or maybe you’re that, too?) Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed today.
L-B: L-B in the Loopy Limelight? But haven’t you already interviewed Wendy? It’s commonly thought that I am Wendy’s imaginary friend. But, I’ll be happy to answer your questions and let your readers decide if I am real or not!

Loopy: We’ll read your answers verrry carefully, with all of that in mind. So when did you begin knitting, and who taught you:
L-B: I began knitting around the age of 9, teaching myself from an old book that had pictures of a baby tangled up in yarn. I began knitting doll clothes, especially dramatic, multi-color and lace hooded capes for my trolls (I remember learning yarnovers and pulling the long troll hair out from the holes!) and cabled hats for myself and freeform wall-hangings!

Loopy: Do you have a favorite thing to knit?
L-B: I love all forms of knitting now, but if I had to choose only one style, it would be Aran. I began spinning in the mid-seventies when acrylic was rampant and I wanted to knit with wool. I don’t spin as much now, but a beautiful handpainted roving or a fleece fresh off the back of a sheep at the State Fair never fails to lure me back!

Loopy: Since none of us feel like we ever have enough time in the day to knit, do you have any tips for us:
L-B: Time? I would trade much of my stash (please don’t ask) for more knitting hours in the day! My knitting goes everywhere I do–I knit on breaks at work, in restaurants, standing in the grocery line and even at stop lights (dare I admit that?). I enjoy knitting while mall-walking and one day felt a tug on my yarn. I turned to find one of the senior mall-walkers holding my yarn. The ball had fallen out of my bag as I walked and he had picked it up nearly on the other
side of the mall! He said he started rolling up the ball wondering what he’d find at the other end! Now, my challenge is to find knitting time with a puppy in my life. I’m getting good at tossing the ball a long way and knitting until Rose returns with the ball.

Loopy: We know you love animals, and they seem to love you, too. Tell us about your pets.
L-B: Rose is the most recent of my furry friends. She is a 6 month old Australian Shepherd who was unfortunately bred with double-merle genes, resulting in total deafness and some visual impairment. She was rescued by a wonderful woman with Aussie Rescue (ARPH) and I adopted her in March. She is an amazing dog who doesn’t seem to know she has any limitations. When she can’t see or hear me, she can scent me out. I’m training her with hand signals which she picks up quickly, but I have to be creative to get her attention to actually see the signs. A stick with peanut butter on the end has been a fantastic training tool! Lucky cat is well-known at Wendyknits for wooing Lucy, but they have yet to actually meet. Still, he “wears” his tuxedo at all times in the event he ever meets Lucy. Clancy, the beagle, and Molly, the tortoiseshell cat, round out the group, all of them with special challenges that constantly inspire me.

Loopy: They’re all very beautiful animals! And speaking of Lucy and Wendy, how did you and Wendy get to become such good friends. (If, indeed, you are two different people….)
L-B: Wendy and I met via her blog as we have the same passion for traditional knitting, then later in person since we both live in Virginia. Wendy is focused and prolific in her knitting while I can be perfectly satisfied knitting “nothing” with two swizzle sticks and embroidery floss as I did years ago on an airplane when my knitting needles were taken away at security. The process of knitting, manipulating the stitches, playing with color, fascinates me, which helped lead me into doing test and sample knitting for Apple Laine, Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Clara Parkes’ book, The Knitter’s Book of Yarn and , of course Wendy’s book and patterns. We are best of friends and possibly alter-egos. Wendy calls me Hippy Crunchy (I call her Bag Ho) and I boast 34 years as a vegetarian and nearly as long as an avid New England Contra dancer, whereas Wendy enjoys omnivorous gourmet cooking and has graphed Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album and knitted it into a sweater!

Loopy: So are there any tales you’d like to tell about Wendy? Now’s your chance, you know.
L-B: What do you not know about Wendy? You mean that I can share, right? Well, her generosity is well-known, but did you know she gives her handknitted socks away to the Salvation Army? No telling where you may see her socks on the streets of D.C.!

Loopy: I think you probably just started a run to The Salvation Army. You two invented the phrase “Sock Yarn Doesn’t Count as Stash.” (Which you have graciously lent to us for a few fun products.) How did that come about?
L-B: Our phrase “Sock Yarns Don’t Count as Stash” was born out of our agreement last year to knit from our stash until we met at Stitches East. But, we were addicted to The Loopy Ewe and also wanted to rejoin the BMFA Rockin’ Sock Club, so we decided to amend our “tongue-in-cheek “rules” to agree that sock yarn and spinning fiber did not count as stash. But, man, did the sock yarn stash grow! (again, don’t ask!) I was already hooked on yarn from Apple Laine, Blue Moon Fiber Arts and Claudia, but The Loopy Ewe introduced me to my newest favorites, Tempted, The Sanguine Gryphon and Zen String! I really do need to put the sock knitting down sometimes to knit the aran and lace weight yarns that are being neglected.

Loopy: We like that you’re a bit addicted to sock yarn and we don’t think you need to put it down for a second. But we might be biased…. Thanks for agreeing to be in The Limelight with us today!
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The Spring Flingers are coming! We’re so looking forward to having some of you here in just a few short days. (But we really wish that all of you could have come. Next year?) Due to preparations for the Spring Fling, The Loopy Ewe will be closed for in-person shopping this week. However, the online shop never closes and we’ll keep shipping orders, so you can keep shopping online during this time. This week’s Sneak Up will include: Duets, Hand Maiden Casbah, Numma Numma BabyBoo, Scarlet Fleece (more new colors), Noro Sock Yarn (only part of our order came, but we’re happy to share what we have so far), Pattern Tamers, and Gales Art Roving (this is Black BFL, hand-dyed - amazing stuff). So, lots of fun things to look forward to this week.

Sheri sotellme,isL-BafigmentofWendy’simaginationandthephotoissomeimposter?

Today we wanted to introduce you to Allen, the creative force behind Numma Numma! (Psst - we have more of her beautiful yarn going up sometime this week, along with more of Adam’s yarn from last week’s Limelight - yay!) I hope you enjoy reading more about Allen and her business.

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Loopy: Hi Allen! It’s nice to have you with us today. We’ll start with the basics - How long have you been a knitter and who taught you?
Allen: Hi Loopy! I’ve been a knitter for almost 30 years now. My great-grandmother taught me when I was nine. I was totally bored one summer, and she was making this giant afghan on a circular needle. (In my child mind it was giant, anyway - probably, in reality it was just a throw.) She told me something about idle hands (in German - don’t remember what it was) and taught me how to cast on. I knit a belt out of this awful rust-colored acrylic (it was the 70s, so it was fashionable) and wore it all the time.

Loopy: It’s nice that you were able to make something that you actually wanted to wear when you were done. Do you have a favorite thing that you like to knit?
Allen: Probably socks and kid’s stuff for my girls. I love larger projects too, but I suffer from project start-itis and need to finish things in a reasonable amount of time or they are toast - into the UFO pile for who knows how long. In fact for the DC KAL, I chose a vest - because I know me and, well, I want to finish…

Loopy: We know nothing about Start-itis around here. (Umm - have you seen the display of single socks that the Loopy Lady has here? Jeesh.) What’s the most difficult project that you have attempted so far?
Allen: Knitting-wise probably lace in general. Only because it takes so much concentration and focused attention - which I never have with 3 girls who are 7 and under. In fact, right now the 2-year-old, Ruby, is hanging on my leg saying “Hi, Mommy” while she unpacks my desk - so I hope my answers are actually coherent.

Loopy: Well so far I understand everything you’re saying, so you must be good at multi-tasking! What made you look into dyeing your own yarn, and how did you learn how to do that?
Allen: I started dyeing my own yarn to develop colorways that would be favorites for me and my girls. The first colorways that became toasty flavors were fig preserves (my favorite), georgia peach (my Claudia’s favorite - the 7 year old), grape jam (for my Stella, who’s 4), and strawberry jam (for my Ruby who’s 2). All of those colors still have sentimental significance for me. I learned by trial and error and from friends. There are actually several excellent local dyers in the area who are generous enough to share their knowledge, and there are great opportunities for dye classes - here in Atlanta we have the only LYS with a dye studio. Makes for some fun learning times. I am pretty analytical - so the science of it is interesting to me - it really took practice and patience and lots of notes. I have notebooks full of dye samples, and I am constantly trying to improve my work.

Loopy: Can you tell us what else you do, in addition to your yarn dyeing business? Do you have another job as well?
Allen: I am a mom. And wow is that a second job! Who knew that vocation was so demanding and rewarding all at once… When I became pregnant with my first Claudia, I was actually in New York City working on my PhD in management at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Studying organizational behavior. Considering the strategy of games in decision making. Analyzing entrepreneurship and trying to figure out what sparks it. Recently I caught up with my major professor from Stern. We laughed about the fact that I could be the subject of entrepreneurial study now, and I told him that motherhood required more strategic thinking than anything I was required to do at Stern. All that said, I am totally happy with my choices. I am here for my girls as they grow, and they will have a childhood filled with memories of handcrafts and fiber art - what could be better. My studio (which has just undergone renovation and is finally complete - yay!) is in my basement, and my girls have their own play area. It just works, and I am so thankful for this life.

Loopy: The new studio looks fun! How do you come up with your colorways? Do you have a personal favorite?
Allen: Well, I steal the colors. Really, I do. Right out of nature. All of the toasty flavors are toasty toppings - so I think about the colors of the finished product as well as the fruits and vegetables, etc that go into those products. Then I pull out my “color books” - books full of small, dyed samples and go to work. All of the babyBOO colors are baby food flavors, and I follow the same creative process. Saucy is sauces and saucy things. Spicy (my laceweight which is currently in development) is all spicy foods and spicy things. Texas toasty (my dk merino - currently in development) is all tex-mex flavors. This is the most fun part of my job, and the creative process always makes me so grateful to live in a world created in these brilliant colors. Personal favorite, this is tough because I really like them all for different reasons - but if forced to choose, I would probably say that my personal favorite is Elvis. Just because it is so puzzling to people. Elvis is named for Elvis’ favorite sandwich - peanut butter and banana on white bread with a bit of honey, fried or grilled. So the flavor is manifest in brown, black, soft yellow, white, gold and deep ochre.

Loopy: Mmm - now I might need an Elvis Sandwich for my dinner. There are a lot of dyers out there these days - how do you stay fresh and unique in what you do?
Allen: Wow, good question, Loopy. I am particular about my base yarns, and I am always asking my mills to spin new stuff. I am always auditioning new yarns. Always experimenting with technique and color. Always listening to opinions from test knitters as well as the knitting community and constantly tweaking and improving my craft.

Loopy: Ok, besides knitting and dyeing, do you have other hobbies or interests?
Allen: I love to spin - that’s a new love. My dear husband got me a wheel from Christmas this year. I love to read. I love paper crafts. I love to play with my kids. I love to talk and eat - are those hobbies? Maybe just interests.

Loopy: And do you have a favorite book/movie recommendation?
Allen: I am such a goober when it comes to movies. I watch tons of documentaries - the latest one that I really liked is Protagonist. As far as movies I can watch over and over - Gone With the Wind, My Fair Lady, Baby Boom (because my Ruby looks just like the baby in the movie), and (my husband would say) anything with Matthew McConaughey - but that’s not really true most of his movies are, well, silly. I am a MUCH bigger fan of Alan Rickman. I am a total book worm and will read anything you put in my hands. I really enjoyed reading the entire Harry Potter series (twice - I warned you I was a goober). I also love Waiting by Ha Jin (a writer who lives here in Atlanta and is an Emory professor) - actually I have loved all of his novels and stories, but this one was my favorite. It makes you think about wishing and waiting and time and what you really want in life. And I am a southern girl, through and through, so I have to give a shout out to my favorite southern trio - the late great Ms. Eudora Welty (I have my own Stella-Rondo - named for my grandmother and nick-named thanks to “Why I Live at the P.O.”), Clyde Egerton, and Michael Malone. In the reading cue right now are Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson) and The Ten-Year Nap (Meg Wolitzer). At least one of those will probably come to the fling with me.

Loopy: Lots of good recommendations! Anything else you’d like to add?
Allen: Maybe you shouldn’t ask me that, Loopy. As you can see, I am a bit of a talker. Perhaps I should just close by saying that I have really enjoyed our chat, Loopy. I am honored to be in the Limelight, and I can’t wait to meet you and that fantastic Loopy Lady in person in just a little over a week at the Spring Fling.

Loopy: We can’t wait to have you here!
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Sheri thepostmanjustrolledhiseyeswhenhewalkedintodayandsawalloftheboxesgoingout.
Ithinkwe’restretchinghim.It’sallgood.

Today we have an interview with Adam, aka The Yarn Nerd. I know he has a lot of Loopy fans, and we thought you might want to know a little more about him. Being a guy in the yarn-dyeing community is a little unique, and we’re sure glad that he picked it up. (And if you’re wondering how to get some of his yarn - he just shipped a new order off to us - as much as he can do at a time - so we’ll have it in stock within the next couple of weeks again!).
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Loopy: Hi Adam! Thanks for being in the Limelight today. First of all, how long have you been a knitter, and who taught you?
Adam: I’ve been knitting for about 2 1/2 years now. My mom had picked up knitting a bit before that, and one day we were in the car waiting together. She was knitting along on a scarf, and I was pretty bored, so I said, “you should teach me that.” So she got out some acrylic yarn (this was before we discovered the yarn store) and some big needles, and showed me how to make a scarf. It took me a month or two to finish that scarf, but once it was done, I was hooked. I haven’t been able to put down the sticks since.

Loopy: I’ll bet she’s really proud of all that you have done in the yarn industry now! Do you have a favorite thing that you like to knit?
Adam: I’ve knit a variety of things, including socks, scarves, mittens, hats, sweaters and even dog blankets, but I would have to say socks are my favorite. For me, the process of making a sock is very intriguing, from the heel turn, to the gusset, to the toe, or even the other way around. The simple construction that allows you to have a fitted sock is very fascinating to me, and I love the math involved, in calculating the gauge and insuring the perfect fit every time. Also, I’m on the go a lot, with work and grad school, so I almost always have a sock with me. It takes me a while to actually finish a pair, but slow and steady wins the race, right Loopy?

Loopy: Definitely right! And we’re partial to socks around here, so I’m glad to hear that it’s one of your favorite things to knit. What’s the most difficult project you’ve attempted?
Adam: So far, my Mount Everest of knitting would have to be the Garden Shawl from Fiddlesticks. About 1 1/2 years ago, I thought I’d make my mom a nice lace shawl for Christmas. Knowing that she’s a big gardener, I thought this shawl would be a very touching gift. Unfortunately, I was a bit optimistic on how quickly I could knit a gargantuan lace shawl, and was only about 1/2 done when Christmas rolled around. So I wrapped it up on the needles and gave it to my mom, promising to finish it as soon as possible. Well, it’s been over a year now, and I’m still going. At this point, it’s actually a running joke on my blog, with my mom often chiming in to chastise me for starting other projects and neglecting her shawl. I’m definitely going to finish it one of these days, but it’s hard to get any progress when I’m at the point where one round takes 45 minutes to complete. So again, I really hope that slow and steady will win the race with this behemoth.

Loopy: I notice that pattern says it’s for “experienced knitters” and you started it after you had been knitting for a year? You must be fearless. I hope your mom gets it soon! What made you look into dyeing your own yarn, and how did you learn how to do that?
Adam: I actually started dyeing yarn for a dyeing swap that the infamous Scout, of Scout’s Swag, arranged 2 years back. I’m lucky enough to live in the same city as Scout, and we’ve become pretty good friends since the first time she accosted me in our local yarn shop. (She’s quite an outgoing person!) So I participated in the swap, and began to dye yarn here and there, and look at me 2 years later! As an engineer with an artistic side, dyeing yarn gives me a real opportunity to unite my love of math and color into one passion. I use my right brain to control the dyeing process, with precise weighings, pH measurements and record keeping. My left brain comes in when I pick the colors to dye. Whether I’m going for a tonal variation in a semi-solid colorway, or a variegated yarn that really pops, the process of color selection and application allows me to let my inner artist out. I love the totality of yarn dyeing, because I can be both precise and artistic.

Loopy: Yay for Scout’s encouragement! (We like Scout.) And it’s good to know that you’re using your whole brain in the process. Some of us are more one-sided than that. Now - on to another concern. There are not enough men-knitters in the world. Have you converted any of your friends into knitters yet?
Adam: Unfortunately, at this point, I haven’t been able to convince any of my friends that knitting is worth trying yet. But I view the fact that my friends are very tolerant and understanding of my knitting as a major victory. As a guy knitter, you experience a number of reactions from people, from very warm to a bit unpleasant. So to me, the fact that I can sit down at a friend’s house and pull out the needles, without my friend thinking I’m crazy is a big step. I’m hoping to further break down some people with repeated handknit gifts, so not all hope is lost yet.

Loopy: Well you’re right - getting them to accept you knitting is the first half of the battle. Keep after them, though. We need more guy knitters. How do you come up with your colorways? And do you have a personal favorite?
Adam: I actually dye all of my colors with mixtures of primary colors, so I have a big book of samples that I’ve accumulated through trial and error. Usually when I want to come up with a new colorway, I lay all my samples out on the floor and arrange them until something strikes me. Some of my favorite colors have come about through putting colors together that I wouldn’t have thought would go. My personal favorite these days is a brand new colorway called String Theory. It has mustard yellow, silver, orange and aqua, and I really love the way the colors play off each other, to create a bright colorway with an unexpected pallete.

Loopy: We’re getting that colorway in our next batch, right? It will be fun to see it. There are a lot of dyers out there these days, how do you stay fresh and unique in what you do?
Adam: One thing I really like to do is work on the basics. I spend a lot of time evaluating new base yarns, by making gauge swatches, and performing different dye tests to see how each fiber behaves. My philosophy is, if I wouldn’t want to knit with it, then I won’t dye it. I also spend a lot of time getting to know my dyeing methods, and what results they’re going to produce. I perform tests to see how much my yarn will bleed when washed, and if I’m producing yarn that seems to bleed a lot, then I’ll tweak my process to make sure that my colors are as wash-fast as possible. Another thing I do that I’m especially proud of is a process called Create Your Skein. I stock undyed yarn on my website, which you can have custom dyed in the colorway of your choosing. You pick up to 4 solid colors, and in a week or two, I dye up your dream skein. You can also order my existing colorways, so if your favorite base isn’t stocked in your favorite color, just order it with Create Your Skein. By putting the whole process on my website, it makes it easier for people to custom order yarn, not to mention less work for me to coordinate multiple e-mails, so it’s win-win for both parties.

Loopy: Ok - enough about the yarn. We know that you don’t dye yarn full-time. Can you tell us about your other job?
Adam: Loopy, if I told you about that job, I’d have to kill you. Ha, just kidding! Actually, I work part time at a National Science Laboratory, as an Electrical Engineer, doing work in the field of Communications. This is actually a bit different than what you might normally think of as Communications, in that I do things like design specialized wireless networking equipment, and figure out bit error rates for spread spectrum systems. Don’t worry if this sounds foreign to you, because half the time it sounds foreign to me too. Just remember to thank a Communications Engineer one day, because the amount of math and theory that makes your cell phone work is quite staggering. In addition to working 30 hours a week, I’m also attending school to get my Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering, which hopefully I should be receiving this Fall. Between work, school, yarn dyeing, knitting, and other hobbies, I’m quite the busy bee.

Loopy: So tell us about some of those other hobbies and interets!
Adam: Loopy, I have so many hobbies, it’s hard for me to keep track of them all! In addition to yarn dyeing and knitting, I love to play the violin, cook, clean (yes, clean!) and ride my bike. I recently began riding my bike to work, and am trying to use my car as little as possible, which is quite the challenge sometimes. My true athletic passion is skiing, although a nasty fall this season has left me with a tender knee, so I’ve had to hobble around a lot lately. I also spend a lot of time playing with my two Schnauzers, Dallas and Emma, who are always there to lick me and get into trouble. They’re also quite good at modeling my knits for the blog. There’s many other things that I’ve dabbled in, including photography, gardening and web design. There’s a reason my friends refer to me as The Renaissance Man.

Loopy: Do your dogs like sheep? Just askin’. They look nice, but you can never quite tell about dogs. Anything else you’d like to add?
Adam: I think that about covered it Loopy! Be sure to tell Sheri thanks for offering Yarn Nerd yarns at The Loopy Ewe, it’s been quite an honor to be featured among so many giants in the yarn dyeing industry! Oh, and don’t forget to mention that I’m single!

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I hope you enjoyed learning more about Adam, The Yarn Nerd! (Single gals - how nice would it be to have a guy in your life who dyes yarn??)

Sheri workedonmyDCsweaterthisweekend-lovehowit’sturningout

Today we have another one of our Loopy Legends in the Limelight! Capi has been a long-time customer and I know you’ll enjoy reading about her. (She also has one of the largest sock yarn stashes that we know about. You’ll see pictures!) So many of you emailed to ask if we’d be telling you more about the Loopy Legends, and we’ll do as many of them in the Limelight as we can. (Some of them may want to stay anonymous - but we’ll ask them. We think it’s more fun not to be anonymous when you’re a Legend.)

Loopy: Hi Capi! You have a very unique and memorable name. Was that your given name?
Capi: No. The day after I was born, Dad came to the hospital and casually asked what name my Mother had picked out. She told him, “Aldorpha Evangelina.” His comment: “Try again.” She then came up with Carol, which later turned out to be what everyone who had a blond-blue-eyed-female-type-kid was using. This was after the then popular Carole Lombard, who herself was actually born Jane Alice Peters. So all thru grammar school (we didn’t call it elementary back then) I was one of 5 or 6 or 9 Carols in my class. As I was getting ready to enter my township high school (5 towns), my girl friend across the street said, you definitely need a nickname. Putting our heads together, we came up with CAPI which is really just CArol PIke - the first two letters of my first and last name. It stuck and I have been Capi ever since.

This worked to my advantage at one point in my life, back when I was a shrimp fisherman-woman-person down in Mexico in the Sea of Cortez. The port captain, who controlled who could or couldn’t work on the boats (or even buy wholesale shrimp) was also called Capi, therefore making he and I namesakes. In Spanish when another person shares your name, you call one another “tocayo” - a habit we don’t have in English, but which forms a bond with that individual. Being tocayos allowed me to work on the shrimp boats … the only American AND the only woman to do so in the entire area.

Loopy: I’ve never met another Capi, so you’re we think you’re pretty unique! Although we like Aldorpha, too. You’re one of our Loopy Legends and have been a long time Loopy customer. Do you remember how you found out about The Loopy Ewe?
Capi: Oh, I was undoubtedly Googling for sock yarn, as I did almost every night trying to build up my stash of sock yarn so I could knit socks to go with my Cayman Crocs. I had other shoes, but when some friends in Phoenix turned me on to Crocs, “Katy bar the door!” I had to have every color that they made. I now own 42 pair of them, they have their own shoe racks in the corner of the bedroom. Well, now if you have all of these lovely colors of Crocs, then you’ve got to make socks to go with them, right?

Loopy: You definitely need socks for Crocs! (And we like your display of them - kinda like having a rainbow in your bedroom.) Did you like your Loopy Legends colorway?
Capi: Do I like my Legends colorway, Capi’s Arizona Rainbow? NO, I LOVE my colorway. I truly could not have picked better colors. It’s sorta like the commercial for the brand name spaghetti sauce using people with Herb, parsley and such names….well, a little bit of….nope nope, just couldn’t add or subtract a single color…the colorway is just perfect as it is! Kudos to Sheri and the Zen String zone.

Loopy: Well it wasn’t necessarily easy to pick colors for you because we know you already have a great yarn stash. How long have you been knitting and who taught you to knit?
Capi: I first began knitting when I was a kid, probably around 9, by my Grandma. I just knit scarves and rather non-descript doll blankets though as I could never seem to follow a pattern. Years later, while at my Aunt Mary’s house, she watched me struggling with my knitting and said in a very disgusted tone, “My Mother taught you to knit, didn’t she? I said, “Yes.” and then she explained that Grandma knit backwards, which was why I could never follow a pattern. She and later a college friend, helped me get back on track and I have been knitting ever since, with some breaks for other hobbies.

Loopy: You learned to knit backwards? That’s funny! Do you know how many skeins are in your stash? And how long would it take you to knit that up?
Capi: Yes, I know exactly how many skeins are in my SOCK stash…well, not the skeins, but the colorways…..to date there are 2153, with 6 more enroute. That is to say, there are that many colorways for 2153 pair of socks…but I could probably squeeze out another 1000 pair of socks with the leftover yarns, many of which would match one another. Or I could make tons of mini-socks. I actually give away some of my sock yarn to a friend so that she can make these darling octopus toys for cats…sprayed or stuffed w/a bit of catnip…hooo boy! How long to knit that yarn up…hmm, see I am trying to insure my longevity and figure I’m gonna have to live to be at least 115 or so.

Loopy: We’d like to think you’ll live that long, too. What a fun stash you have! You’ve traveled a lot. What has been your favorite trip so far?
Capi: My favorite trip? I would have to say probably my favorite trip would be any one that is still in the planning stages in the future. I think the anticipation is often just as exciting as the actual trip. However that is a rather intangible answer, so I will have to narrow it down to 3 that I have actually gone on already…Hudson’s Bay at Churchill Canada to kayak with the beluga whales (those white smiley ones) who come up and visit with you and even bump your boat, but not maliciously. To Peru in the Andes and the Amazon Valley, where a full sized tapir would come into the chow hall and beg food at dinner time. And of course, China. Many aspects of China were great…I have been there 4 times. A highlight was going over at Christmas 2 years ago and going up to what was Manchuria to see the Ice Festival. It begins in Jan and lasts until April….never gets above zero.They have 4 story buildings made of ice w/neon lighting…a clock tower that actually works. Fantastic ice and snow carvings. It is like another world.

Loopy: Wow. I’ll bet it’s COLD in those ice buildings! Have you met any famous knitters along the way?
Capi: No, but I hope to at the 2 yarn retreats that I will be going to in April! Oh, well I met Vanna White at ACCI trade show one year…does that count?

Loopy: We’ll count Vanna, since she does knit. Now, we also happen to know that you collect more than yarn. Care to share any of your other fun collections with us?
Capi: I used to be a rubber stamper and have probably 10,000 or so stamps…that are just crying, “what about us, aren’t we your friends anymore?” And since I began going to China a few years back, I now also collect Yixing (ee-shing) teapots, which are made from a special purple clay called Zisha. The teapots are never glazed & the clay absorbs the flavor and odor of the tea brewed in it so over time the seasoned pot becomes quite special. The pots are only made in one town in China, Yixing, NW of Shanghai. Some of the artisans are famous and command big bucks (or yuan) for their creations. (Speaking of China, this is Capi’s beautiful Bengal cat XiXin (she-sheen).

Loopy: The teapots sound interesting. I’ll bet that is a pretty collection! We’re looking forward to having you here at the Spring Fling. Have you been to other knitting retreats - what is your favorite thing about knitting retreats?
Capi: Ah, I have never been to a knitting gathering before so this will be a brand new experience. However, by the time I get to see and meet you in person, Loopy, I’ll be coming directly from another knitting retreat being held in the San Juan Islands above Seattle. Can I bring you a salmon?….uh, no I don’t suppose youse ewe’s eats salmons. But to answer the question…I would think the comraderie and exchange of ideas would be paramount to me.

Loopy: Um, no, to the salmon. That’s correct. But thanks for the offer! Well, since we’re always on the lookout for good books - do you have a favorite?
Capi: You know, a few weeks ago, I might have named any number of mystery authors since that is my normal genre, but I recently finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen which was fantastic. Written by a woman, but told in the first person about a man in a nursing home and done in flashbacks about his time with a circus….truly wonderful insight into people. I have another book in the wings, so to speak, now loaded on my Kindle, but I haven’t begun it yet. As a fan of all of the Janet Evanovich books, one of my knitting buddies told me that Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie was of that ilk….I’ll let you know if you should add it to your “counting sheep don’t sleep, latenightreadinglist.”

Loopy: I count socks when I can’t fall asleep. Counting sheep just makes me want to get up and play and doesn’t make me any sleepier. Socks - now socks make me sleepy. Anything else you’d like to add?
Capi: Are you kidding? I think I have taken up far too much of your valuable knitting time as it is….back to my sock knitting. I’ll never get those 3 pair a week socks done at this rate. Loopy, thank you so much for your time and indulgence. It has been a real pleasure and I sure look forward to meeting you, the Loopsters, and the Loopy Groupies at the upcoming Spring Fling.
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Sheri whowantstohaveasmanyknittedpairsofsocksasCapidoessomeday