Remember when I took 150 people into our first ever Loopy Ewe Seasonal Sock Club? Several of you said (with affection and humor…. I think …..) that I was nuts? And I assured you that it was all well (albeit quickly) thought out and we’d be fine? Well. After putting up a few new yarn lines on Monday and then having a taste of getting soooo many orders out in a day, I think you’re right. I’m afraid that I might be a little nuts. (Never fear – I have a whole list of reasons why the Sock Club is going to be so much easier, not the least of which is that we will have plenty of time to assemble the kits. And oooooohhh – I have the first skeins of the summer colorway of yarn and I LOVE IT! But I digress.)

Today’s post will be a top ten list of proof that our whole family may be just a little nuts from the wool fumes:

1. The Head Loopy (that would be me) thinks that 150 people in a Sock Club for our first year is just a fine idea. Totally do-able.

2. Wonder Husband mentioned the other night at dinner that he likes “fingering weight” spaghetti noodles, while the rest of us like “sport weight” noodles.

3. Cute Little Zoe has resorted to sitting on the heat registers and burning her toes in a quest to get warm, because Head Loopy has not had time to order her a Cozy Cushion like her friend Lucy has. (Note – I ordered it this week when I saw her sitting there and licking one paw and then the other to cool them off as they heated up. jeez.)

4. College Boy aka Web Guy knows several Loopy customers by first name. (As in, “Did you see the fun stuff that Sharon bought today?” or “Ha – Wendy and L-B’s comments on the blog were funny!” or …. well, you get the gist.)

5. Everyone cheers when the UPS guy brings boxes of yarn to our house. (Even the dog, who always gets a dog biscuit from the UPS guy when he stops here.)

6. Casey The Dog has resorted to sitting longingly at the top of the steps and whining while we’re packing up orders in the Loopy Room. Maybe I ought to knit her a dog sweater.

7. Wonder Husband might finally be believing me when I say that knitting socks counts as WORK time, because I have to experience all of this wonderful yarn and show it on the blog. He no longer thinks that I’m just sitting there “relaxing” and watching a movie with Knitting Daughter. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

8. Knitting Daughter comes home from her shift as a Starbucks Barista and then puts in a shift of packing Loopy orders (which she claims is fun, so I’m going to believe her on that one.)

9. Everyone has strong opinions on which yarn line they like the best. Knitting Daughter likes Yarn Pirate, Wonder Husband likes anything with beautiful, muted colors that are easier to color correct on the computer photos, and College Boy … well, ok. He doesn’t have a favorite yarn. But I bet he will by the end of the summer when he has lived with it for several months!

10. We all have fun making The Loopy Ewe a place that you can come visit and enjoy often, and there’s nothing nuts about that!

Sheri makingValentinecookiestodaysothatIcansharetherecipewithyouonFriday!

Top Ten Reasons to Sign Up for The Loopy Ewe Seasonal Sock Club

1. You will be getting exclusive colors of yarn that are tied into the season. Everyone ought to have specific socks that “go” with the season. Sure, you could pick your own colors out, but what is the fun of that? Why pick what anyone else in the world could pick? Let us surprise you with the perfect colorway for the season!

2. You will get your kit in time to make the socks for the next season. We’re starting with the first shipment in May, so you will get your summer sock ingredients in May, just in time to knit them right up. (Which of course you will do.) You’ll get another shipment in August (fall socks) and then in November (winter socks) and then it will wrap up next February (spring socks).

3. You will be getting a sock pattern designed just for that seasonal colorway, by the talented Lisa at Wildhorse Farm Designs. Enough said about that. Because we all know how wonderful her sock patterns are.

4. You will be treated to exclusive colorways by All Things Heather, Yarn Pirate, Claudia Hand Painted, and one other dyer. Watch for some fun yarns in the mix.

5. Of course you will be getting some great, extra surprises in your box. Mostly because it’s me putting the packages together, and you know how I love to throw extra things in there. I have had fun rounding up some cool surprises for you.

6. Yes, these will all count towards your Frequent Shopper Benefits! (Don’t you love that?)

7. No, it doesn’t count as stash. It doesn’t even really need to come out of the yarn budget. I’d say take it out of the “entertainment” budget. Or “seasonal decorations”. Or “gift buying”.

8. You just need to sign up once and it guarantees you shipments for the whole year. (Well – you DO have to pay for them. Have I mentioned that? Just $33 – plus shipping – each quarter, billed a week before the shipment goes out.)

9. You’ll be a charter member of our Sock Club, since this is the first ever Loopy Ewe Seasonal Sock Club. Spots are limited, and it’s already about 3/4 full from our monthly newsletter email which went out tonight …. but there are still some spots left.

10. Because it’s The Loopy Ewe, and you know we’ll do it up right!

Want to be a part of it? Quick – send me an email (sheri [at] theloopyewe.com) and put “Loopy Sock Club” in the subject line. I’ll email you back and let you know either way. I’m hoping that YOU will join us!

(Morning Addition: OH MY. I “upped” the Sock Club numbers once, and then I “upped” them again, and I’m afraid that I am at the very top limit that we can possibly take. The Sock Club is now closed. Thank you SO much for the terrific response! I can’t wait to start sending you seasonal packages! And next year – because of course there will be another sock club for next year – I will announce the sign-up date a week ahead, just so you can plan on it. I promise.) 

Sheri lookingforwardtomakingeachseasonfunforyoursockknitting

You’ll be glad to know that some of your family members have already been shopping for you at The Loopy Ewe! Some of you will be very, very happy knitters. Others of you may have family members who have not gotten the hint, yet. I thought maybe a top ten list would get them thinking in the right direction. We knitters have to look out for one another. So here are some suggestions that you can make to your loved ones:

1. A housecleaner. Seriously. Think of the time you can save by getting a housecleaner to take care of your house. Personally, I want an Alice at my house. I’m wondering what Mrs. Brady did with her time? Alice took care of the cleaning, the laundry, the cooking, the grocery shopping, the meat ordering from Sam the Butcher, and much much more. I think Mrs. Brady spent her time knitting for all of those kids. A housecleaner would save you hours per week to dedicate to your knitting.

2. A Zelda bag. I’m completely hooked on my Zelda – and so are those of you who have ordered them. (In fact, some of you have been back to order more already!) I keep calling Offhand Designs to order more and the lovely gals over there are happy to send them. The latest batch included this Posey, which got me to thinking that I NEED seasonal Zeldas. This Posey would be great for summer around here. It’s on my list.

3. A full-time cook. Ok, if we can’t have Alice, how about that guy who ambushes people in the grocery store and then comes home and makes dinner for them? (What is his name?) I’d like one of those. I’ll be in my knitting spot, enjoying the wonderful smells coming from my kitchen.

4. Special knitting needles. Isn’t it fun to have really special knitting needles in the sizes you use most? These Colonial Rosewoods are beautiful and so wonderful to knit with. We have them in sizes 0 – 3 in the 5.5 ” length. We also have Ebony and Rosewood Lantern Moon needles arriving any day, for those of you who like the 7″ length. I seem to lose needles all the time – but I never lose the expensive ones. (Which leads one to deduce that I’m careless with the lesser-expensive ones, but I’m sure that’s not it.)

5. Starbucks gift cards. Is it just me, or is it especially great to be sitting and knitting with a Peppermint Mocha right next to you? My friend Cindy gave me these last night and it is my favorite gift of the season, so far. In fact, I went and ordered a VENTI Peppermint Mocha this morning instead of a Grande. Living big, here.

6. Sock Yarn Buffet. (You know how I dislike the term “stash” and much prefer Personal Sock Yarn Buffet.) You need lots of choices when it is time to pick yarn for the next sock project. Why not make a list of all the wonderful yarns we have at The Loopy Ewe that you have not yet tried? I decided the other night (as I was winding up yet more sock yarn for my own stash) that I’m just going to add to that stash buffet whenever I find something I like. a) I may never find it again, and b) it’s my hobby. And my hobby is a lot less expensive than the golfing, fishing, hunting, woodworking, boating hobbies that my husband spends money on. (Ok – that’s not true. Wonder Husband doesn’t do ALL of those things. But I bet some of your own wonder husbands do!) So ordering up a Sock Yarn Buffet for your holiday gift seems like a sensible thing to do.

7. Knitting books. Ohhh, so many great choices there. See my “Great Knitting Books” section on the right side of this blog.

8. The Zelda Traveler’s Clutch. Of course I think you need the bag AND the clutch. But if you’re looking for a nice gift for around $50 ($52, exactly) then this one is just great. I couldn’t even fill up all the pockets. There are pockets for short and long DPN’s, for your circulars, and for all of your accessories. Plus, it looks so classy, doesn’t it? We all ought to be carrying around and using classy knitting bags and accessories like these.

9. A knitting retreat. Doesn’t it sound fun to take a whole weekend away just to knit? If you can’t find an official knitting retreat, make your own. Call your best knitting friend and hightail it to a nice B&B for a weekend of movies, eating out, and knitting. (Well, yes. That does sound like it might get pricey. But really fun, right?)

10. A Loopy Ewe Gift Certificate. This fits all tastes and budgets and makes everyone happy, happy, happy. We have more fun stuff arriving in January – just in time to cash in your gift certificate.

Favorite snowman of the day. I found this at Gordmans last year and now I wish I had bought more. I leave it out all year long, because it’s always time for snowmen who knit.

Sheri wishingthatallofthepeople Iwasbuyingforthisseasonwereknitters asit’dbesomucheasier

We had a great weekend with College Boy in Indiana! It meant a lot of eating out (a perk when parents come up – you can get away from the DC – aka, the Dining Commons) and plenty of walking around in the wind. I did discover a few things while we were up there that I thought I ought to share with you. If you have college kids, maybe you have learned similar lessons? Do share with me…..

1. College kids are always up for silliness. This is College Boy (on the left) with his two great roommates. Ohio Boy is in the middle and Indiana Boy is on the right. Indiana Boy’s mom knitted (!) all three boys hats in the college colors, and then brought them fake teeth for this photo op. They were great sports, even when it was mentioned that this photo would go up on the blog for all to see. (Note that I have protected their identity by naming them after their states. If I really wanted to have fun, I’d post this photo on their Facebook sites…..)

2. College dorms frequently smell like a) burnt popcorn or b) pepperoni pizza. I guess it could be worse.

3. There is always someone yelling, somewhere in the dorm. The mothers present will always wonder if someone is hurt or just fell out of bed. The college students in the dorm ignore it. Makes one wonder what would happen if someone really did need help.

4. Cookies are always accepted, anywhere, any time, for any reason or no reason at all.

5. When you ask how classes/grades/tests/projects/papers are coming along, the answer is always, “Fine.” That’s it. Just one word. Always “fine”.

6. I am drawn to buying a sweatshirt every time I walk into a college bookstore. I’m wondering if this transfers to colleges that I don’t particularly care about? I have not walked into a college bookstore that I’m not somehow “related” to. I ought to test that out sometime. This time, it was a navy hooded pullover sweatshirt with TAYLOR in pink and white letters. How could I resist? I’m wearing it today, even though it is supposed to be 75 degrees this afternoon.

7. Sometimes when your college student picks wonderful rommates, they come with wonderful moms that you can become friends with. Besides knitting our boys wonderful hats, Jari (Indiana Boy’s mom) brought me a very fun care package! In there, I found this sheep that I am totally in love with. You’ve seen these sheep tape measures, right? But have you ever seen one with Loopy’s red socks on them? I’m throwing all my other tape measures away. None of them measure up (ha!) to this one. And then she made me this wonderful felted little bag! (It came with gum and a pack of Kleenex. Both of us get just a bit teary when telling our boys good-bye and she was planning ahead for me. It came in handy.) I found that this is perfect for hanging on the car door lock and keeping your tape measure, your scissors, and your needles in when knitting in the car. I have other uses in mind for it, too, but I really liked it in the car.

8. I always over-estimate what I will get done on car trips. I won’t tell you how many skeins of yarn I took with me, but I will say that I was nuts they didn’t all get knit up. I have been wanting to knit one of the Sock Blocker Keychains, and that was very fun to do. I used Claudia Hand Painted yarn in the Blue Fields colorway. One gal told me that she knits a mini sock with each pair of socks she gives for gifts. I thought it’d be fun to knit up a keychain like this to give with your hand-knitted socks. You could use it as the package tie-on! (These are great as keychains, or to hook onto your purse or knitting bag, or to attach to your scissors so that you don’t lose them so easily. Although we just got in more cute Zecca scissors fobs, which are fun as well.) Now that I have made one, I want to make more. I did get my Posh Cashemere/Wool sock done and have included the second sock that I’m in the middle of, lest you think I knitted one and moved on to something else as I seem to have a bad habit of doing. These are a Christmas gift, so I had to do the twin right away. I like how it went together and I also like knitting for someone who’s feet are not as long as mine. It makes a difference. (Posh mailed out our order – from the UK – last week, so I’m hoping it will arrive at The Loopy Ewe sometime this week.)

9. If there are knitting shops within shouting distance of the campus, it is your duty to check them out. We detoured slightly to go to Mass Avenue Knit Shop in downtown Indianapolis and I’m glad we did. Husband was glad that we arrived a half hour before closing time, as that limited the damage that I could do. It’s huge and packed with all kinds of yarn, patterns, accessories and books. (But not much sock yarn.) I bought a book, a magazine, and a couple of accessories. There just wasn’t enough time to buy yarn. I did tell them that I wished they were my LYS, as I was checking out. If you’re in the area, it’s worth making the detour to visit. They all seemed very friendly and helpful there.

10. No matter how often I see him (or not), I still really miss having College Boy at home. But I’m glad that he’s where he’s supposed to be, and that he’s happy.

Sheri gladtobeoutofcollegebutit’salwaysfuntovisit

Well first of all, you guys are all so wonderful! Your comments on my Customer Service blog just couldn’t be nicer and they just made my day! I appreciate you all so much. We base our customer service on how picky I am how much I appreciate good customer service from others (like that Starbucks story). If I were shopping somewhere, I’d like the kinds of things that we do at The Loopy Ewe. And as for the fast shipping? Don’t you feel like once you’ve made a decision to buy something and you’ve gone ahead and ordered it, you want it …. yesterday? Me, too. That’s why we do fast shipping. (Well, it’s either that, or the fact that I’m just afraid if I don’t get this yarn out of here it’s going to end up in my own stash. I like all of our yarns a bit too much.) So we’ll keep it up on our end, and please let us know if you ever have suggestions, comments or ideas on how to improve things around here. We want to keep you as customers forever! (For those of you who have written customer testimonials for our webpage, I have all the recent ones in a folder, waiting to be put up with our next update. They’re coming! You all are truly just the best. The BEST!)

The topic of today’s top ten list came from hearing people talk about how they really need to decorate with their yarns, as they have so many in their stash. (Specifically, L-B and Michelle – thank you for getting me thinking along these lines and for sharing some of these ideas.) Boy, can I relate. Something must be done about my yarn, and it’s all just so beautiful that displaying it somehow seems smart. Here are some ideas. Please share your ideas in the comments section, because I know this is just the tip of the iceberg…….

1. Big glass jars. Depending on how large the jars are, you can throw skeins, balls, or leftover snippets of yarn in there. Wouldn’t it be cool to change the colors with the season? Heaven knows, I’d have enough yarn colors to do that. Cool glass jars here and here.

2. Big wooden bowls. Who needs bowls of fruit when you can showcase bowls of yarn? I do think balls would look better in here than skeins – what do you think? Cool wooden bowls here and here.

3. Pegboards. If you have long, lovely hanks, then hanging them on their own pegs would make you feel like you were in a yarn store. (A yarn store in your own house. How inspiring would that be?) Here are directions to make your own.

4. Or hooks. My favorite hooks come from places like Restoration Hardware. Old-fashioned looking hooks with character. In fact, I’m liking this idea so much that I might need to go buy some long colorful hanks just for the hooks that I haven’t bought yet. (Oh, I really should not have just wandered over to Restoration Hardware’s website to look at hooks. Jeez.)

5. Tree stands/coat racks. This would make a nice combo – you could use some hooks for the long stands, and you could hang baskets of yarn balls off of some of the others. Nice in a corner somewhere. (Did you know that when you Google Tree Stands they think you’re talking about hunting? I guess you can call them Hall Stands or Coat Trees or Coat Racks, but not Tree stands. Ok. Coat racks.)

6. Cubbies. I love these wire cubbies because you can put them together in any way that works best for your space. And you can fit a lot in each cubbies. Again, it would make you feel like you were in a yarn store. Or a yarn corner. Here are cubbies that you can use those 20% off coupons for that we get every single week in the mail.

7. Magazine holders on your bookshelves. Don’t you need yarn mixed in with all of your yarn books? I like it. When you mix two different things like that, it goes from being books on a shelf to being a “display”. I like the clear magazine holders that show off all the yarn. (Apparently I have purchased all of the clear magazine files like this for the Loopy Room, because I can’t find them anywhere online. I got mine at Office Depot. If you find them, put it in the comments section so we all know where to find them because I need more!)

8. Baskets. I have more baskets than I know what to do with. Those “what were you thinking??” expensive ones. (They’re better quality. They really are. I keep telling my husband that.) A basket of yarn can tuck in anywhere. I also think World Market and Pier One have nice baskets.

9. Basket stands. I really like these basket stands from Lantern Moon. If they weren’t such a pain to ship, I’d be stocking them at The Loopy Ewe! Tucked into a corner with bright yarns overflowing? I’d want to knit all the time. (Wait – I already want to knit all the time.)

10. The freezer. If you have recently had a Freezer Intervention like I had, then you have lots of room in there for showing off your yarns. (And someone did tell me that it helps calm down mohair.) You just have to make sure you send dinner guests to get their own ice cubes so that they can appreciate your freezer decorating. My freezer? Full again. No room for yarn. I guess I will have to go shopping for all of this other stuff.

You know the best place to buy any of this is garage sales and flea markets. That leaves more money to spend on the yarn to fill them all up.

Sheri wholoveshavingamissionlike”buymoreyarnfordecorating”

It’s September. Do you know what gifts you have to have knitted by December? It’s only three months away – time to get crackin’. I have been pondering which of my own projects are going to turn into gifts for friends and family. Here is my list:

1. The Cherry Tree Hill Java socks. I have one done, and just need to knit the twin. This is the colorway that reminds me of fudge and coffee. I love the Wildhorse Farm pattern that I’m using on these. Never mind. Those need to stay with me.

2. The Yarn Pirate Viola socks. I have one done, and just need to knit the twin. I don’t have any other purple socks and I’m trying to make a collection of every color under the rainbow. Plus, I also love the Wildhorse Farm pattern that I’m using on those. So, never mind. Those need to stay with me.

3. The Socks That Rock socks in the no-longer-available colorway. I have one done, and just need to knit the twin. Never mind. Until Tina-The-Wonder-Dyer decides to let us carry Socks That Rock, my STR sock-knitting is few and far between. (Well, because I have so many wonderful sock yarns to choose from here. How can I justify buying more sock yarn when The Loopy Room is overflowing with sock yarn wonders?) While my STR knitting is limited, those need to stay with me.

4. The Fleece Artist Jester Fall Socks. I have one done, and just need to knit the twin. But these are MY fall socks. I’m working on socks for each season. Never mind. They definitely need to stay with me.

5. The blue/purple color-stacking bag that is half completed. I ought to be able to finish it in just a few hours. But it’s such a pretty little bag. It would be perfect for winter. Never mind. I can use that bag myself. That needs to stay with me.

6. The lime/green sweater. It would be great to have a deadline for that sweater, and three months is definitely do-able. However, I did pick the lime/teal colors out just for me. And it will make a great spring/summer sweater. Never mind. That needs to stay with me.

7. The Log Cabin Quilt. It’s turning out so pretty and would make a wonderful gift. No doubt I’ll be able to finish it up in a month or two. However, it does remind me of Vera Bradley Java Blue, and I’m the one that is into blue/brown. Never mind. That needs to stay with me.

8. The blue/turquoise scarf. I just have a few inches done, but you know scarves – they are quick to finish. I guess I did pick this out to go with one of my sweaters. And I do still love the color/yarn. Never mind. That needs to stay with me.

9. The brown/green felted bag that I have not yet started, but bought the yarn and pattern for. It’s going to be beautiful and I can’t wait to knit it. Or use it. Ok. Never mind. That one needs to stay with me.

10. The cashmere fingerless gloves that I have not yet started, but bought the yarn and pattern for. They are to-die-for. Can you imagine wearing cashmere on your hands in the cold winter air? Are these not going to be great? Might have to make a scarf to match. I will love these. Never mind. They need to stay with me.

“Houston – we have a problem.”

Apparently “someone” is too attached to her knitting projects. How did that happen? I guess everyone on my list is getting Barnes & Noble Gift Certificates instead. (Quick and easy to buy, insures more knitting time for me. Isn’t that what the holidays are all about?)

Please inspire me with your knitting gift lists and encourage me not to be so selfish with my knitting to go out and buy more yarn to make wonderful things for others this season……

Sheri nextyearI’mstartingholidayknittingearly,likeinJanuary.right.