Another fun week of deliveries here in Loopy Land! The delivery that garnered the most “awwww’s” was Anna’s Mochimochi kits and patterns. These little characters are adorable, quick to knit, and fun to set on shelves or give away. Most of the kits we just put up will make 3 of each character, so you can do one for yourself and two to give away. (Or three for yourself. You don’t have to share.) In this photo: the Penguin, Zombie and Panda, shown next to a Quarter for size comparison. Also, tucked into my “Lost Socks” sign. (Those are all mini socks attached to that sign, just in case you’re comparing sizes on there, too.)  We also have individual patterns up as well. Anna is the author of Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi and Knitting Mochimochi. None of these individual patterns or kit patterns are in either of the books – these are all new. Remember when I said that I wanted to learn to knit these cuties? That’s because Anna had sent me a sample and I was charmed by them. Can’t wait to try them!

Also up tonight:

Lorna’s Laces – new colors in Shepherd Sport (shown here in Cermak, also look for Cornelia, Farwelll and Kedzie), re-stocks in Shepherd Sock and Helen, and lots of wonderful Wooltop Roving in the 10 oz. size.

Dream in Color Classy - this worsted weight is superwash which makes it great for sweaters and kids. Try Kelly’s “In Threes: A Baby Cardigan“, Kirsten’s “Pembroke Vest“,  or Aimee’s “Moving Mountains Baby Blanket“.

HiyaHiya Sharps – Now that we’ve added in more slatwall for needle storage, we have room for the Hiya Sharps. For those of you who like knitting with pointy-points, these are for you. We have them in 24″, 32″ and 40″ circulars, as well as 6″ DPN’s.

Knitter’s Pride - some of the missing sizes that were backordered last week have come in, as well as the Interchangeable Sets and the Crochet Sets (which join the Single Needle Sets, the DPN Sets, and the Chunky Circular Sets).

Regia – Kaffe Fassett’s newest line, Ombre Stripe, in 6 different colorways that stripe as you knit them (shown here in the Moss Garden Color, #04484).  Fun for socks, mitts, hats and gloves.

Patterns – by Tiny Owl Knits, Ysolda Teague, Cosmic Pluto, and Bekah Knits (in addition to the Mochimochi Land patterns.)

We have winners from our February Blog Contest! I ran the Random Number Generator and these three people have won a $25 Loopy Ewe Credit: Linda S in CA, Katie (Kathron) and Alison (who have both been emailed since I haven’t been able to come up with their address. If you’re Katie who wanted to learn intarsia or Alison who wanted to learn colorwork mittens, check your email folder!)

Have fun checking out What’s New tonight. As always, we’ll be in here packing and shipping the new things out to you tomorrow. We have fun seeing what you order and imagining the beautiful things that you’re going to make with them.

Sheri gorgeousdayhere-sunnyandinthe60′s!

Another big batch of things up on the website tonight – bags, yarn, needles and patterns. That pretty much covers it all! Just added:

Knitter’s Pride Dreamz Needles - We’ve had our eye on this line for quite awhile, but we simply didn’t have space for more needles. Our current Needle Wall is 17 feet long and full. That’s a lot of needles! But we wanted to add in this line, so we added 10 more feet of slatwall for needles so that we could carry this line for you. (That makes 27 feet of needle options here. Lots to choose from.) In this new line you’ll find:

- Symfonie Cubics 6″ DPN’s (a cubed ergonomic shape provides comfort for your hands as you work)
- Dreamz 6″ and 8″ DPNS’s (All Dreamz needles come with a polished wood surface that works effortlessly with all yarn types. Each size is a different color. Note – some sizes are backordered, but we’ll get them soon.)
- Dreamz 10″ Single Point Needles
– Dreamz Circular Needles (16″, 24″, 32″, and 40″)
- Dreamz Cable Needles
– And sets of Dreamz DPN’s, Dreamz Single Points, Dreamz Crochet Hooks, Dreamz Interchangeable Deluxe and Chunky, and Interchangeable Cords.

When I first started knitting, I loved the warm feel of wooden needles and bought them in several sizes. As I got better at knitting, I strayed from wood because the points were never pointy enough for the way I knit, and the wood made my stitches feel draggy. I’m on my second project with the Dreamz Circular needles and I feel like it has all come full circle. These are pointy enough for me, they are polished enough for me (not draggy), and I’m totally sold on them. I hope you like them, too!

In addition to all those needles, we have also just added in:

- A re-stock of the Jordana Paige bags that flew out the door last week!

- New Atenti Carpet Bags in Backstitch, Camelia Sky, Denim Bloom, Groovy Brown, Juliette, Madrid, Night Bloom, Sugar Skulls and Tuscany. (Shown here in Madrid.)

- Chic-A bags - re-stocks and new styles in all colors and fabrics, including a 3-ball yarn keeper (I use my 2-ball one all the time), and a new style that has a 2-ball keeper on the bottom and a bag to keep the project in attached to the top. Smart.

- Cascade re-stocks in : 220, Eco, Eco Duo, Heritage Sock, and Heritage Silk.

- Malabrigo Sock re-stocked in the 12 colors that we could get. We have lots more Malabrigo (all weights) on order.

- Through The Loops Patterns (new and re-stocks)

- Knitting Pure and Simple Patterns (great sock basics, sweater basics, and kids sweaters)

- New Indie Dyer Lola-Doodles – this heavy fingering / light sport weight yarn is soft (merino/cashmere/nylon) and springy and comes with 435 yards in a skein. (Shown here in The Raven). I made this hat when I was testing Temple’s Lola-Doodles line last fall, and I love how the colors knit up. You might try this with Ivete’s Riverside Handwarmers, or Beverly’s Barcarolle Hat, or The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief, which I made last summer and loved working on. I like those patterns that knit up quickly like that.

So there you go. You can pick a new pattern, some beautiful yarn, a set of needles, and a new bag to keep it all together. Fun, right?

Sheri workingonmySothiaShawltonight
Almosttotheruffle!

I used to have a little issue with alpaca. (“Little issue” meaning that any yarn that had alpaca in it was one that I immediately thought I needed in my own stash.) I still like alpaca blends a lot, but I think the “must have” mentality has moved over to yarn with cashmere in it. I keep waiting to get tired of it, but it’s just not happening.

Last week I shared the Palindrome Scarf that I’m making out of the Dream in Color Special Cashmere Worsted Blend. (And I may have bought two more scarves worth of it in the same yarn base. Not confirming. Just saying it’s a possibility.) The week before that I showed you the sweater I’m making out of that same yarn base. And this week, we got in a batch of Dream in Color’s Smooshy with Cashmere again, which is always tempting. (The Cranberry Melt has already made it into my stash today.) Of course it’s not only the Dream in Color cashmere lines. Pretty much any line that comes in with a bit of cashmere is now a magnet for me.

Come buy it all up, so I won’t be able to add any more to my stash. Tonight, we added in:

Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere (shown here in the Cranberry Melt that I had to have). This fingering weight is good for socks (have you seen this pattern for Owlie Socks? Too fun. I think I’ll make Alice’s Shur’tugal, which is a free download here, or you can get her whole book here with even more sock pattern wonderfulness.) And look at the cute owl shawl/scarf – Hogwarts Express. I also found this Nairi scarf/shawlette - I like the option of tying it up front.

We added in more colors in Jojoland’s Melody Superwash, as well as patterns. They have some of the best scarf patterns. I also just saw this Wingspan pattern and think it would be beautiful in Jojoland. And Stephen’s Spectra. And Carina’s Zuzu Petals scarf.

We also have a new batch of Juliespins M370 (2 ply heavy fingering superwash merino, shown here in Persian Violets) and the colors are gorgeous as always, from Julie. How about the Henslowe from Beth Kling? (Ok – you’d need two skeins. But still – isn’t that a wonderful pattern?)

Lorna’s Laces Solemate, Sock, and Sport in re-stocks and three of their new colorways - Giddings, Dobson, and Campbell. (Campbell coming in Solemate and Sock, soon.)

Lorna’s Laces Wooltop Roving – for all of you spinners. We’re finally building the roving section back up. Keep an eye on it!

Soak - re-stocks in Celebration and Unleashed, plus the new Lacey Scent (which they describe as a mix between spring blossoms and sweet bergamot – a light yet alluring fragrance.)

Patterns – from WendyKnits and Born to Knit (both new and re-stocks.)

Bags and Organizers – from Della Q. Whether it’s hooks, straights, circs, or DPN’s that you need to organize, Della has you covered with plenty of different options. (Shown here in her Rosemary Project Bag in the Ocean color.)

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and I’m hoping that you all find time to eat some chocolate and work on some new projects. It’s also Knitting Daughter’s Birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULES! (She was my favorite ever Valentine. And still is.) Tonight I’ll be working on making these sugar cookies to celebrate. Wish I could send some to each of you!

Sheri  whowillalsobeknittingbetweencookiebatchestonight

I picked Lorna’s Laces Pearl for my First Quarter Challenge yarn, because I love the way it looks in a shawl. I made a Traveling Woman in Red Rover Pearl a couple of years ago. This is the Mizzle pattern by Patricia Clift Martin, free on Ravelry.  It looks like it knits up into a pretty scarf/cowl/shawlette type accessory in the fingering weight that is called for. Since Pearl is more of a DK weight, my shawl was a little larger and I like that length and size. I used 2 skeins of Pearl for this and now I have it on display here at the shop, which is where most of my shawls end up. I really love knitting shawls, but I very seldom wear them. I always think they look wonderful on everyone else and kind of dorky on me. But it doesn’t stop me from continually adding shawl patterns to my knitting list, and having several in progress at any given time.

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

I could’ve sworn Baby Hazel’s mom said she made this hat out of 220. So when I went off to get some yarn to make one, I was thinking worsted weight. It ended up being …. um …. too big for a baby. On the plus side, if you want it to fit an adult (and many made comments asking how to do that on this pattern), then just knit it out of worsted. Or if you want it to look cute on your pet sheep – worsted will do as well. For babies? Stick with the fingering weight.

This is the Stella Pixie Hat, free here. It’s an adorable shape and Baby Hazel really looked precious in it when she was in the shop with her mom. I made it with Spud and Chloe Sweater, a yarn that I just love knitting with. I also did an i-cord tie (threaded through the folded over neckband) instead of the button closure loop. This might be my new go-to baby gift to knit. It was quick and easy to knit up and I think it looks adorable. (But in fingering weight next time.)

We have the February Dream Club color up on the website, and it’s a beauty. This semi-solid red/pink was dyed up just for the club and is dyed on the Classy base, so it comes with 250 yards in the skein. The pattern that goes with it is by Beth Kling, and is called Hearts on a String. A great way to keep your neck warm (and stylin’). We will email you the pattern within 48 hours of your Dream Club order shipping, so that you can jump right in and get started on it. I can also see this cowl done up in a navy blue or a charcoal grey to keep the whole thing a little more subtle. And I can picture this happy red February colorway in a scarf like ScWINoNa or Christmas Lace,  or fingerless mitts like the Cozy Thermal Mitts or Ragtop . Lots of ways to use both this yarn and pattern. Remember, we will have more skeins available in the middle of the week next week, too. We always put more up when the people who have pre-ordered make their final decisions.

We have winners!  Congratulations to our two in-store Grand Opening  winners – Catherine from Arvada and Debbie from Boulder.  And Congratulations to our two blog Grand Opening winners – Arlin from Indonesia and Windy from Texas. We will get these prizes in the mail to you all today. Thank you again to everyone who stopped in on our Grand Opening day and who left comments on our January Blog Contest post. I will be referring to those comments full of pattern ideas for a long time.

Sheri can’tdecidewhattostartnext.Shawlorsweater?Maybeboth.

This has to be the quickest knit scarf I’ve done. One thing I don’t like about knitting scarves is that they seem to go on and on forever and …. I get bored. But this was fun and the open lace sections made the inches just fly by. This is Wendy’s Lace Stripe Scarf from Wendy Knits Lace. My copy of this book has so many page corners turned down that it certainly qualifies as one of my top favorite knitting books, even though this is the first thing that I’ve made from it. Oh, but there will be more! This is out of 2 skeins of Madelinetosh DK in the Plaid Blanket color. I’m thinking that it would knit up even faster in worsted (although I would alter the number of cast on stitches so that it didn’t get too wide.) It’s a scarf pattern that I can see making again, maybe in Madelinetosh Vintage or Dream in Color’s Cashmere Worsted. (Neither picture captures the color just right, although the top one is closer. It’s more of a deep forest green.)

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?