2. You can make them out of the finest cobweb lace or the heaviest bulky yarn.

3. Once you add one to your wardrobe, you see a need for many more in multiple colors and styles to go with everything else.

4. People always comment on them when you wear them. (This does not always happen when you wear handknit sweaters or socks.)

5. You can try a lot of different techniques with shawl knitting.

6. There are easy-peasy patterns to start with, so you can ease into it slowly. And there are amazingly complicated patterns, for those of you who need a good challenge.

7. Mini shawls often take 1-2 skeins, so there is a not a big investment in yarn.

8. Mini shawls also quicker to knit up. I might be a little addicted to them. Mini shawls like Multnomah (I made 2 of them), Traveling Woman (I made 1, so far), Mara (just finished one of these – love it), Damson (still need to try this one), etc.

9. They’re a great way to use up sock yarn in your stash. They’re also a great project for trying out new lines of yarn (whether it’s laceweight, fingering weight, worsted weight, or something in between.)

10. Knitting a shawl is our Fourth Quarter Challenge, so come participate with us!

Details on the shawl shown here:
Pattern: Traveling Woman
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Pearl (I had to order more Pearl for the shop last Friday, when I finished this shawl. It’s so warm and luscious and lovely to knit.) The pattern calls for fingering weight, although I used the heavier Pearl. I think it would also be pretty done up in Dye Dreams semi-solids, or The YoYo String and Fluff semi-solids.
Modifications: None

Details on today’s Monday Update: It’s Re-stock Week! We have re-stocked our Knitspot patterns (ok, and added a few new ones), Heartstrings patterns, more Lorna’s Laces, and some fun Monkeypal colorways. (Note – both Knitspot and Heartstrings have wonderful shawl patterns, if you’re feeling the desire to make one. Just sayin’.)

Sheri knitaMaraovertheweekend.NowpickingoutmoreMadtoshWorsted
tomakeanother.Ilovethatpleatedruffle.

I was just getting ready to head home and realized …. it’s Friday. I didn’t blog!  And would you like to know why the blog was an afterthought today?

1. I was too busy enjoying the spring flowers. (Ok, this isn’t true. I haven’t been outside all day. But I wanted an excuse to put one or two of WH’s flower photos on here.)

2. We haven’t had a second to sit and breath all day, because we were working on getting all of your orders and Sock Club Consolation Kits out the door. (This IS true. Whew! Our mailman is also glad that this week is done.)

3.  I’ve been engrossed in Wendy’s new book and couldn’t put it down for blogging time. (True and false. The new book is wonderful! I’m can’t remember the last time I bought a book where there were SO many patterns that I could see myself making. I anticipate knitting up several of these designs, which makes the book a steal. And the photos are great. But of course I wasn’t reading it today. I finished it last night.)

4.  We were too stuffed from the Spinach Quiche lunch that 3 AM Keri dropped by for us today. (Well, true. Except it was more likely the M&M’s for dessert that caused the ultimate “stuffing”….)

5.  My mind was overly full of the last minute things that need to be done before the Spring Flingers arrive next Thursday. (And Claudia and her husband and two friends arrive from Germany on Tuesday – whee!)

6.  We spent the last two hours of the afternoon (after the mailman had left) re-arranging yarn and making spaces for the new stuff. (Time to expand the space again??)

7.  I was having too much fun reading about all of your wonderful dreams from this month’s blog contest. (Not true. Although it WILL be fun, and your dreams ARE wonderful, I haven’t been reading them today. I have been saving them to read this weekend, with a big cup of coffee by my side!)

8.  We had too much fun watching the daycare kids across the parking lot, playing “throw the stones at the cars”. (And we were thankful that we hadn’t parked on that side of the parking lot today. Fortunately, the daycare teachers put an end to that game pretty quickly. But it was fun while it lasted.)

9.  I was trying to figure out how James could purchase an intricate  shawl pattern and yarn 3 weeks ago and then show up with it over halfway done today. (Of course he reminded us that we had made bets that it wouldn’t be done until Christmas of this year. Maybe that’s why he made so much progress on it.)

10. We had lots of in-store shoppers today and were having a good time chatting with all of them. (Although one of these busy days, we’re going to nab them and make them wrap some orders before we let them out the door again. Think we could get away with that?)

Sheri didyougeteverythingdoneonyourtodolisttoday?

We put up more great things for you today, too. Under What’s New you’ll find more of our exclusive Don’t Be Blue in Dream in Color Classy, 3 new colors of Team Spirit (burgundy and gold, orange and black, and yellow and black), The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga, new Knitspot patterns, more Zecca (look at all of the fun colors in these Snip Tipz – this is one of my favorite Zecca items), Namaste Buddy cases, Fleece Artist 2/6, Black Funny Fibers, Scarlet Fleece, Pattern Tamers, Sock Sacks and Fiesta Boomerang (which has me itching to start a few new color combos of Chevron Scarves.) We also re-stocked several popular items last week – did you catch them? We have more Bee Bars in stock, as well as Marie Mayhew patterns, HiyaHiya needles, Designs by Romi pins, and GoKnit pouches. Sometime in the next week or so, we’ll be putting up the new Lorna’s Laces  Commentary Colorway (named after Annie Modesitt), a new Alpaca yarn blend from Yarn Pirate, more Hand Maiden Casbah, the new semi-solid colors in Dream in Color Classy, and a few other things that will be in this week.

Thank you for posting all of your RAKs last Friday. Once again, I’m just so inspired by all of the creative and wonderful things that you think of to do for others during this time. We’ve all had fun reading through your comments.  The Random Number Generator picked Jennifer from California as the winner from last week.  I’ve sent you an email, Jennifer! If you missed the chance to get in on the RAK contest last week, we’re in the middle of another one.  Do a RAK for someone this week and post your comment on this Friday’s blog post for a chance to win the next drawing.

The other thing I know you’ve been waiting for this week is Spring Fling signups. I’m happy to announce that we’re ready! You can go here to signup.  We’ll close signups on Friday of this week and will then email everyone to confirm their spots after the weekend.  We’ve added in some extra spots this year, but if we do get more signups than spots, we’ll fill by lottery. (This is once again a full weekend package. Unfortunately we aren’t able to offer single day passes or a classes-only option.) We are looking forward to having all of you Loopy friends in for the weekend so that we can share Loopy Central and knitting time with you!

Sheri finishedmyspiraluciouscowlthisweekend,photossoon

1. You think that a little stuffed sheep with a tan bellybutton needs to wear a red t-shirt that says “A Little Loopy”.

2. You do a Sneak Up on a week that Susan-the-awesome-assistant is on vacation and not around to help at Loopy Central.

3. You decide that a Dream in Color Knit-A-Long would be fun, and hey, why not offer a discount on the yarn, too?

4. You have no time to knit all of the socks that you want to knit, much less a whole sweater and a lace project that you have committed to doing, but you go ahead with the KAL anyway.

5. You have no idea what’s for dinner any night this week, but you’re convinced that it will all work out just fine.

6. You can’t keep up with the yarn and accessories that keep arriving, but you continue to order more anyway.

7. You always always stay away from the chocolate that is provided here for the enjoyment of anyone who pops into Loopy Central, and you’ve already partaken of it today. Twice.

8. You have people stopping by your house for a visit after dinner tonight and it completely slipped your mind until your on-top-of-it spouse reminded you about it 10 minutes ago.

9. You think that it’s perfectly ok to have a cup of Peet’s Coffee at 9 pm at night because you’ll be up working late anyway. And then you wonder why your spouse is looking at you funny when you start talking a mile a minute, nonstop.

10. You think that your Loopy Friends will totally understand being “a little loopy” and will probably have a few “you know you’re a little loopy when” comments to add to the list.

Sheri whatacrazycrazycrazyloopyweekithasbeensofarandit’sonlyWednesday

2. A big bowl of chocolate by your side throughout the next few weeks will do much for your disposition. You don’t even have to eat any of it. Just having it there will make you feel cheerful. Trust me – this bowl sits out at Loopy Central and we like it here. (Most of these kisses make their way to you, but not all of them. ahem.)

3. You can take off any day or evening for knitting and no one can question you. You’re going to be “working on holiday gifts that need to get done on time” – even if some of those “gifts” are for you. (You get gifts, too.)

4. Calories don’t count on Sundays. Yes, it’s important to watch what you eat during the holidays, so that you don’t gain weight like some people are apt to do. But calories don’t count on Sundays, so make that your day to indulge.

5. Yarn purchases between Thanksgiving and the first week in January all fall under the “holiday budget”. Because you never know when you might need another skein or two of something, or when you might need another knitted gift. So stock up.

6. There’s nothing wrong with “wrapping” gifts in cute gift bags. (aka – “pop them in the bag with some tissue and call it good”). There is knitting to be done and you know darned well that wrapping all of those gifts with paper that needs to be cut and messing with tape and ribbons and such will take away from good knitting time.

7. You can send holiday letters pre-printed from your computer, or you can send cards with just your signature, or you can forgo the cards altogether. And no one is allowed to make you feel guilty about that.

8. At least two nights a week need to be set aside for “Family Movie Night” during the holiday season. (aka – “I need to knit tonight – you know, to get the holiday knitting done – come watch a movie with me.”).

9. Stores and malls are dangerous places (filled with crazy people in the parking lots, and flu germs at this time of year – think about it). You might want to do your shopping online and save the stress and your health. (Etsy is one of the best places to find wonderful gifts for everyone on your list. Or at least the ones you’re not already knitting for.)

10. If you don’t want appliances or kitchen utensils, or another jar of bath gel, or a store-bought sweater that really isn’t your style, then fill out your wishlist at The Loopy Ewe and let people know what would REALLY make you happy this year.

Sheri didIforgetanyimportantrules?Becauseweneedtohavethemallwrittendown.

*FPS (for pete’s sake)

1. College kids can put up with parents hanging out in their dorm room, as long as it’s for a relatively short period of time. Like an afternoon.

2. Guitar Heroes is fun. (I’m expanding my skills. This summer they made me do DDR – and do you know what that is? I didn’t. This weekend I learned how to do Guitar Heroes and I’m thinking we might have to get that. I’m sure it’s good brain exercise, somehow.)

3. It doesn’t matter how good the food is in the Dining Commons during Parents Weekend – all of the college kids still want to go out to eat with you.

4. Roommates can be a good source of information. We all went out for lunch on Saturday (parents + siblings + kids – 12 of us) and roommates like to tease each other. If you’re a parent and if you’re smart, you’ll smile and nod a lot, and this usually keeps them joking and talking, and sharing important info.

5. Most dorm room couches are old and ugly. But very very comfortable. (They’ve been flopped on so many times, that they’re very accepting of any and all body types that want a place to sit.) I have yet to see a nice dorm couch.

6. Cookies are still required upon entrance. Extra credit is given if you happen to also bring PopTarts or something else equally healthy.

7. I miss hearing college chimes. Did you go to a school that had chimes? Walking around campus and hearing them play still takes me right back to my college days.

8. College kids go jogging at midnight and think nothing of it. What’s up with that?

9. Ivanhoes is still the best place for ice cream sundaes and malts. I wish I would’ve taken a picture of what I got. Trojan Two – cookie dough ice cream, chocolate covered graham crackers, and peanut butter sauce. There may have been something else in there, too, but who pays attention after the first delicious spoonful?

10. College visitation weekends are no time to diet.

Today, I’m back in the swing of things here at The Loopy Ewe! In fact, we have exciting things going on around here. More on that later, as things progress. I will tell you that there is a Sneak Up going on right now! Head on over and you’ll find Classic Elite Alpaca Sox, Wendy’s Patterns, Yarntini and Yarn Pirate, a great deal on a few Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids, and more. (Note – of course some of those might be sold out again by the time you read this – but just remember, we ALWAYS have more on order!)

Lastly – the winner of our September Blog contest from last week is Emily. She wins a fall skein of Wollmeise and Yarntini this month! I have loved reading every one of your fall comments. I’m glad I have so many fellow-Fall-fans!

Sheri makingsocksoutofthatnewAlpacaSoxyarnandboyaretheygoingtobetoastyandwarm!

2. “Isn’t my scarf great? I want to knit another.”

3. “Purling? Oh, no. I just do the regular knit stitch. I don’t want to try purling or anything complicated.”

4. Sigh. “I have 25 scarves and now I’m bored. How many scarves does one person need?”

4a. “I need to find another hobby.” Some people – the people-who-tried-knitting-briefly – choose to exit here.

or

4b. “Maybe I ought to learn to purl.” (The True Knitters continue on.)

5. “Socks? On those little toothpick needles? Are you kidding me? Absolutely not.”

6. “Socks! I love knitting socks. And aren’t they wonderful to wear? I need a bunch.”

7. “Stash? Oh, I just buy one project ahead, so that I know I’m going to use it. I don’t believe in the stash concept.”

8. “Stash! Everyone has stash. You never know what you’ll want to knit next. Of course I have a container full of stash.”

9. “I have more yarn than I can ever knit in a lifetime. Maybe I better stop finding more.”

10. “Yes, I have a lot of yarn and it’s always fun finding more. I’m a Yarn Collector and Knitter!”

Sheri I’mtotallya#10howaboutyou?

1. Sock balls. Every time I finish a pair of socks, I roll the extra yarn up into a ball and plunk it in this glass jar. Obviously I need a larger glass jar. I also think this is handy because if I ever need to mend a pair of socks (and you know, I’d ONLY ever mend hand-knit socks), then I just come to this jar and find the right yarn. I like it.

2. Toe rings. It’s summertime and we’re all walking around in sandals …. and not wearing our wonderfully handknit socks. Why not match yarn to your outfit for the day, and tie on a toe ring? It’s the next best thing to wearing a handknit sock, I’m sure.

3. Blankets. True, it would take close to forever to knit a whole blanket out of your leftover sock yarn, but if you do a bit every time you finish your socks, one day you’ll be done. Won’t the end result be beautiful?

4. Cat toys. While Zoe is wonderful about leaving skeined and balled yarn completely alone, heaven forbid that a tail of yarn might dangle out to catch her attention. She’d love her own yarn-ball cat toys. Of course she’d eat the yarn and then there would be trouble. But maybe your cats are better behaved.

5. Face cloths. If the thought of a whole sock yarn blanket is intimidating, why not make up some face cloths with it? They’d be soft, machine washable, and beautiful.

6. Tying the stash cupboard shut. Of course I’m speaking of the cupboard where your yarn stash lives. No one needs to go in there except for you, right? (No one SHOULD go in there except for you, right?) Tie it shut and tell everyone that you’re working on things for Christmas and it’s not to be opened or disturbed.

7. Baby socks. One can never have too many pairs of socks for babies. Baby socks make nice gifts (they are great to keep on hand) and they take little yarn, depending on the size of those cute tiny feet. Maybe your next baby gift ought to be a “sock wardrobe” – different colors for the multiple wardrobe changes that babies seem to go through.

8. Reminders. Maybe you’re like me. Maybe not. But oftentimes I’d rather be knitting than … doing household chores, for example. And have you ever forgotten to do something because you became so involved in what you were knitting? Leftover sock yarn is great for tying a string around your finger so you don’t forget. Or tying several strings around several fingers, if there are many things you are putting off while knitting. This might apply to me.

9. Chevron scarf. You all know that I’m having fun with my Chevron scarf. Why not make a “scarf of many colors” and make it in all different sock yarns? The dip-and-weave pattern in the Chevron scarf mixes it all up very colorfully.

10. Save your seat. Have you ever wandered into the tv room to knit, only to find “your knitting seat” occupied? Annoying, isn’t it? Now you can use your leftover sock yarn to tie up an effective road block. Just loop a long tail of yarn across it to keep people out. Depending on your family and how likely they are to obey that, you might also need to add a sign to further dissuade them. Mine would not be dissuaded by yarn. Come to think of it, they probably wouldn’t be fooled by the note either. Maybe I need to resort to just leaving a bunch of yarn balls in the chair.

Those are a few ideas, but I’m sure you have more. What have you done with your leftover sock yarn?

Sheri no,I’mnotseriousaboutallofthese,butI’llleaveittoyoutofigureoutwhicharemeantinjest!

Behind your frames	In your Crocs
In the cookie jar	In your coat sleeves
With your cookbooks	In the plants
In your baskets	Under the piano cover
In the harp	In your ceiling lights

Sheri Iknowyouhavefoundotherplacestohidestorestash.Telluswhere!

Wallet	Flower Pot
Bunny bed	Candle holder
Water bottle holder	Golf club cover
Needle case	Envelope
Shampoo dispenser	Remote holder

Pretty good use of twinless socks, wouldn’t you say? So I’m using them creatively. OR – I’m going to embark upon an adventure called “Summer of the Second Sock” – SOTSS – and finish up a match to these about every 2-3 weeks throughout the summer. Actually, at that rate, it will turn into FOTSS as well, but that’s ok. At least I have a plan. Maybe before winter hits, I’ll have 20 new PAIRS of socks …. and will have made more twinless ones in the meantime. So, did I miss any good uses of twinless socks? And did you miss the Sneak Up today?

Sheri whoreallyISdeterminedtomakematchestoallofthesesocks