Three things that we did this weekend:
1. Explored another town nearby, checking out their antique stores and lunch places. It was a nice cool, cloudy day, perfect for walking into creepy antique stores like this one. Really, doesn’t this look like someone’s abandoned garage?
2. Stopped in to two local yarn shops. I bought buttons and books at the first place, and books and yarn at the second place. (Yes, you’re right. There is absolutely no excuse for me buying yarn when I have a whole shop full of my own yarn. sigh. But it was fun to look at someone else’s yarn shop for a couple of hours.)
3. Frogged a couple of projects that I no longer want to knit. It freed up some good needles and freed up some space in my brain.

Three kinda creepy things that we ran into while out and about:
1. The Tractor Dude from a local pumpkin farm. His grin is a little menacing, don’t you think?
2. The Beard Guy with the spider in his beard. (Photo taken in another antique store which was actually quite interesting.)
3. The horn chair/stool that we found in another place. I know that some of you will probably like it, but I found it creepy. And dangerous looking. Not something I want in my living room.

Three Nine things that we just put up on the website for you to check out:
1. Madelinetosh Sock
2. Dragonfly Fiber Djinni
3. The YoYo Cash Fingering
4. Fleece Artist Nyoni yarn at a super special price
5. New colors from Alchemy
6. Stitchmarkers and Spinning Keyrings from Dyelectable Yarns
7. Dream in Color Smooshy re-stock
8. New color from Dream in Color – Prairie Grass in Classy, Smooshy and Baby
9. Cute Christmas Ornament Kits from Kalamazoo Knits (or you can use your own ornaments and stash leftovers and just get the pattern here.)

Sheri didyougetthreethingsdonethisweekend?
Ordidyouseethreecreepythings?
Ordidyoujustgobuythreenewthingsinthisweek’sUpdate?

See this? This is how I’m feeling this week. A little crazy.

Three things I’m working on this week:

1. Getting the Sneak Up done. (Check – it’s up! You’ll find tons of Malabrigo – Lace, Worsted, Silky, Seleccion Privada, Dragonfly Fibers, Dye Dreams Comfy Sox, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, Dream in Color Classy, Fleece Artist Merino 2/6, Hand Maiden Casbah, Lorna’s Laces Wooltop roving, and Knit Girl/Knitting Nerd card decals.)

2. Getting stuff finished up for the Sock Summit Boooth. (I love my yarn companies and indie dyers. They’re kickin’ butt booty to get things done.)

3. Overseeing Web Guy’s move to Florida. (If you have a 22 year old, you know that “over-seeing” is a misnomer. He’s taking care of everything. I’m just pretending like I’m somehow involved a bit.)

Three things I enjoyed last week:

1. Having Audrey, Gretchen and Jen down to visit from Indiana. Friends of Web Guy’s. Nice nice gals.

2. Having Jess visit from Virginia. Friend of Web Guy’s. Nice nice gal.

3. Starting a new project with Malabrigo Silky. OHmygosh is this stuff ever amazing. I’m making a scarf. I’ll show pics and share the pattern soon.

Three things I will enjoy this week:

1. The nicer weather. It’s gorgeous out today – low 80’s, low humidity, totally do-able for summertime in St. Louis. More just like this for most of the week. Good thing, as the All-Star baseball game is here tomorrow night.

2. Driving down to Florida with Web Guy. Does he need company to drive down there? No. But he lets me come along because he knows that his mom will sleep better at night if she can picture where he is, safe and sound.

3.  Knitting in the car for the 18 hour trip to south Florida.

Three more things you ought to know:

1.  We leave on Wednesday  morning, so I’ll be away from the blog and email the rest of the week. Call or email support AT theloopyewe DOT com if you need anything!

2.  Susan will also be out the rest of the week. (It’s a busy week for everyone!) But the rest of the Elves will be here, getting your orders out and answering the phone and support emails.

3. Our huge order of Alchemy Juniper is due to arrive this week, so hopefully we’ll be able to photo it all and get it up for you next week. They have been a great company to work with and I know you will love this yarn.

Sheri tellmethreereasonsonegoodreasonwhyit’sagoodidea
foryourkidsadultkids tomove1056milesaway?Whosaidthatwasok? I’mthinkingI’mnotgoingtolikethatverymuch 

Knitting Daughter and I had a fun weekend.

Three things I knit upon this weekend:
1. Challenge Socks. I know they’re supposed to be done by the end of June. (Well, at least ONE. You know me when it comes to pairs of socks.) I love the pattern (Summer Sliding) and the yarn (Numma Numma), it just takes more concentration than I usually have in the evenings when I knit.
2. So I felt that I really needed to start my second Girasole. Remember, that’s the whole reason I did the KAL – because I wanted to make another one. I’m making this one in the shawl version out of Schaefer Anne. (Black Magic colorway). Isn’t it fun how the colors are knitting up? I’m on Chart D. Part of the knitting is tucked under. I really tried to put off starting this next one, but obviously it didn’t work.
3. I also felt the need to cast on another project, because this is a new yarn that I’m trying out and I needed to get on it. So far, I love it. A little splitty, so I have to pay attention. But it’s knitting up beautifully and I will love wearing it.

Three things we did besides knitting this weekend:
1.  A little shopping.
2. A little tv watching and movies.
3. A little Brownie Batter Blizzard. (When are they going to take that extremely effective stupid Dairie Queen Brownie Batter Blizzard commercial off the air, FPS?)

Three things going on around here today:
1. Lots more KAL orders going out. It’s so fun to have so many of you joining in on this!  Remember, the discount ends at midnight tonight.
2. We have a new rug in our Sit & Knit area. This will relate to something later in the summer. For now, I just wanted to show it to you because we like it here.
3.  Lots more yarn has come in, but we haven’t had a second to unpack any of those cases all day.

Three reasons to leave a comment today:
1. Reading your comments is healthier more fun a better way to spend my time than having another Brownie Batter Blizzard. And SOMEtimes it’s more fun….
2. I like knowing that you all are out there and actually check in on the blog from time to time. It’s nice to get to know all of you “regulars”!
3. The more comments there are tomorrow morning when I come in, the longer I can sit at my computer, drinking coffee, and enjoying them. (Not that that will affect your Sneak Up orders, because the Elves will be here and they will hop right on those. But it will affect how much coffee I can get in before attacking the orders with the Elves.)

Sheri doyouhaveathingortwoorthreetosharetoday?

Three things that were waiting for me when I got to Loopy Central this morning:

Three things that are taking up too much of my time:
1.  Ravelry
2.  Facebook
3.  Laundry
(I like the first two, so they’re ok. I tend to try and ignore the third one…)

Three things that I did this past weekend:
1.  Bones, Season Two (half of it)
2.  Dinner out with my hubby
3.  Worked on my Jaywalker sock.

Three things I’m tired of:
1. Plain vanilla stitches and simple ribs.
2. People who take advantage of others and their generous hearts.
3. Moving yarn around here at Loopy, trying to make room for more.

Three people who won Loopy Gift Certificates from last quarter’s challenge:
1.  Michelle for Autumn Thriller (Knitter’s Choice Award)
2.  Kelli’s NHM #9 Mittens
3.  Barbara’s Dashing Blues
(I hope everyone is working on a Clapotis for this quarter’s challenge!)

Three things that you NEED to check out from tonight’s Sneak Up:
1.  Dye Dreams
2.  Dragonfly Fibers
3.  Fiesta Ballet
(Well, there are 18 pages you need to check out.  But start with those three.)

Three things on my To Do List this week:
1.  Make Valentine Cookies
2. Watch last week’s episode of Lost before Wednesday night brings yet another episode.
3.  Start a few new projects. (Don’t I need a Chevron Scarf out of 2 colors of Fiesta Ballet? I know. It’s a sickness…)

Sheri gotanylistsofthreethatyou’dliketosharetoday?

I can tell that Christmas is next week, because my mind has reverted to thinking in lists.

Three favorite things that I have received recently:
1. This creative “Loopy” drawing by Carlo, Elf Sue’s son (who came to work with his mom last week) I asked for more so that we can put them on the Loopy refrigerator.
2. The crocheted Loopy that the nice people at Malabrigo sent to us for fun. (No wonder they wanted to take my Little Loopy when I saw them at Stitches!)
3. New yarn from Yarn Pirate, Tuscan Grove, and Spirit Trail Fiberworks. But I know that I don’t get to keep those.

Three favorite songs for the holidays:
1.  O Holy Night
2.  Silent Night
3. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Three songs that I’m really really tired of hearing:
1.  Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
2.  I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
3.  Same Auld Lang Syne

Three things I need to finish up:
1.  Scarf (cashmere kit from Jade Sapphire)
2.  Scarf (Purple Spangle, from Jojoland)
3.  Scarf (Chevron, with Fiesta Boomerang. I will not start a new one until this one is finished. I will not start a new one until this is finished.  I will not start a new one until this is finished.)

Three more things I need to finish up:
1.  My second Transition Glove. (Apparently my second sock syndrome applies to gloves, too.)
2.  My second Malabrigo Sock
3.  All of the other second socks (approx. 35. ahem) that need to be completed.

Three things I’m anxious to knit after the gift knitting is done:
1. These fingerless mitts from a new indie dyer yarn I’m trying out.
2. Socks out of a new pattern that will go up on our Free Patterns page soon, out of Creatively Dyed Calypso.
3. Scarves (the addiction is apparently not over yet. I am waiting for it to pass.)

Three things I found this week that bring back memories:
1.  This pincushion. There was one in my grandma’s sewing basket and I always thought it was colorful and fun!
2. This slush mug.  My brother and I both had one and we kept them in the freezer at all times.
3. This video.  A favorite when the kids were young.

Three things on my schedule for today:
1.  Orders!  We’re still swamped from this week’s Sneak Up but we’re all pulling and packing as fast as we can to get them out to you.
2.  Emails. I am woefully behind. Why? See #1.
3.  Unpacking boxes of new yarn that have come in this week so that we can get it photoed and up for you.  I think the next Sneak Up will be the Friday or Saturday after Christmas. We have lots that has arrived to get up for you. (We will do a few re-stocks in the meantime. I have more Jojoland yarn and patterns that will be here in a day or so, in addition to a few other things.)

Sheri doyouhavethreethingstosharetoday?

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. We took the kids up to college at Taylor University in Indiana. (As a mom, I like checking in on the campus webcam which updates every 60 seconds from 7 am – 5 pm. It’s nice to see what the weather is doing up there each day, and usually you can see kids walking by. One time I actually convinced College Guy to stand there for a minute so that I could see him. He hasn’t agreed to that since. In fact, I think at the time, he told me he was only doing it once. Period. I’m sure College Girl will be more agreeable about such things.) Here’s an early morning photo that WH took while we were up there.
2. Had coffee at Paynes and ice cream at Ivanhoes. (You don’t visit Upland without doing both of those things. It’s just foolish to try to avoid them.)
3. Used up a box of Kleenexes on the ride home. But thanks for all of the hugs and sympathy you sent our way last week. It was much appreciated!

Three favorite ice cream dishes:

1. Trojan Two at Ivanhoes (cookie dough ice cream, chocolate covered graham cracker bites, peanut butter sauce, chocolate sauce. See why Ivanhoes is not to be missed?)
2. Cake Batter Ice Cream from Coldstone.
3. Really, there is no number 3. If I can’t have either of the two choices above, then I’m happy to pass on the ice cream.

Three things that I’m doing this week to cope with Empty Next Syndrome:

1. Reading a lot of books. (I need to take a little break from knitting. College Girl and I spent a lot of time knitting together and so this week it makes me sad. I’ll be ready to knit again next week.)
2. Going out to dinner and to movies and doing other fun things every night this week with WH. (Being home just reminds us that it’s too quiet. I know we’ll get used to it, but right now we don’t like it. We came up with a plan over the weekend to occupy our week.)
3. Packing up lots of your orders and staying busy at work. Thanks for helping with that – y’all are the best!

Three things that went on here at Loopy Central today:

1. Wollmeise Sneak Up #1 (of three this week) has been completed. Thanks for following the “limit 2 skeins of any one colorway per week, per person” rule. That did help!
2. Carpeting for the new space was delivered, and it’s the wrong one. We may not be ready to move in at the end of the week after all. Bugger. Why do rennovations always run into glitches?
3. Not enough emails and mail. (That doesn’t mean that I didn’t get enough – it means that I didn’t get enough answered today. Luckily, I’ll be back to work through more tomorrow.)

Three things I want to tell my kids:

1. We miss you! The house is quiet and Zoe, Gracie and Casey are bored with just us at home. Apparently there are just not enough laps for them to claim when it’s only the two of us. Not that Casey gets a lap anyway, but she does seem to be waiting for “the rest of the family” to get home at the end of the day.
2. Call us any time – you know we love hearing from you often. (College Girl – you get soooo much credit for calling me today – woohoo!)
3. Enjoy your last evening before classes start up in the morning. We’ll be praying for you and we love you bunches.

Sheri doyouhavethreethingsyouwanttoshareorthreethingstotellyourkidstoday?

Three things that I’m putting off this weekend in order to get more knitting time:
- laundry (having no kids in the house all week did help to reduce the laundry load)
- cleaning (ditto. The house has stayed amazingly neat and tidy.)
- cooking (good time for eating out, right?)

Three places I will visit this summer:
- Ohio (TNNA Market is next week – I’ll go find more fun stuff for us!)
- Florida (taking a family trip down to see Web Guy over the Fourth of July)
- Indiana (to get both kids off to college in August. I can’t think about it.)

Three places I will not visit this summer:
- Colorado (my favorite vacation spot in the midst of St. Louis Summer Heat)
- Germany (even though it’s my turn to visit Claudia the Wollmeise)
- Michigan (although eventually I will get there to visit Friend Meg and Cool-Yarn-Store-ThreadBear!)

Three Eight+ fun things that will go up next week:
- 8 brand new colors of Noro Sock (oh, they’re so pretty. I took the photo so it’s not WH/Web Quality, but you get the idea of the new colors, until you can see them up next week.)
- 21 brand new colors of Araucania (I love knitting this yarn)
- Woolly Boully, Sheepaints, Gale’s Art BFL Roving (see first photo for a sampling), new Shibui and Claudia HandPainted colors, The Loopy Ewe Zephyr Stitchmarker Set, etc.

Three Six+ new lines that you’ll see here soon:
- Neighborhood Fibers Yarn and Roving
- Spirit Trail Fiberworks
- Hazel Knits
- Malabrigo Worsted Weight
- Sugar Bunny Blvd
- Yarn Love Roving
- Indigo Moon Yarns
- (and a few more that are still a secret)

Three more fun things coming soon:
- our new Duets order which will contain some previous cool colorways that many of you have been asking for. Angela is the Queen of Heels and Toes Sock Yarn!
- new Knitting Bags (because we all know that I have a thing for bags. And I know you do, too. You’ll love these.)
- new non-wool sock yarn options (and some new wool sock lines, too)

Three things that made me happy this week:
- the best-ever Molasses Sugar Cookies that came in the mail from Michele in Maine
- emails from my two kids who are away
- yarn shopping spree from the new stuff that came in this week because I needed more in my stash (1 Woolly Boully, 4 Araucania, 2 Sheepaints and 4 Noro. In case you wanted to know.)

Three things I’m doing this weekend:
- eating out at Granite City because my friend Janice keeps telling me I have to go there
- picking up Knitting Daugher and Mum-in-Law from the airport (yay!)
- planting flowers in the flowerpots by my front door because it’s time, FPS.

Sheri anyonehavethreethingsthey’dliketosharetoday?

1. It was 73 degrees at noon yesterday and hailing and snowing by dinnertime. FPS. What a weird place to live.
2. The number of boxes of yarn that have arrived in the last two days, waiting to be unloaded and inventoried and put up. Poor Elf Kathy is pulling her hair out.
3. The responses from last week’s blog contest. I have loved going through them, and have read every single one. There were way too many times when I sat there reading, thinking, “Oh, me too!” And of course I was all ready to click on “reply” to tell each of you what I loved about your posts …. and then realized I cannot reply to them all and still get through all 549 of them. Just know that there were many I wanted to reply to. I’ll pick a random winner on Friday!

Three things I did with College Guy, who was home for a long weekend and went back to school yesterday:

1. Played Guitar Heroes. (He’s really good. I’m really not.)
2. Watched movies. (I knit during them. He does not.)
3. Stayed up late and got up early. (He stayed up late and got up late. Parents can’t usually do that. Someone has to go to work to pay those college bills.)

Three commonly “stashed” items from last week’s contest:

1. Tea. So many of you have a tea cabinet. I have a coffee/tea cabinet and have a habit of buying tea, even though I rarely drink it. My friend Wendy (also a Loopy Elf) has special tea cabinet knobs on her tea cabinet. I like that!
2. Black beans. This I don’t understand at all. I don’t like black beans.
3. Lotions. I totally understand this one and am guilty as well. Never mind that I usually forget to use it. At least I have a good supply on hand.

Three things I’m currently knitting:

1. A sock out of that skein of Neighborhood Fiber Co. sock yarn that I showed you on the blog awhile back. It’s going to be one of my favorite socks – I can already tell. I will have to knit the partner to it.
2. The shawl-that-I-will-never-get-through but am determined to finish for the Q1-08 Challenge.
3. This yarn from a new indie dyer. Ok, so technically I haven’t started knitting it yet, but it’s sitting here on my desk, teasing me. I refuse to wind it until project #1 is finished. I must not be distracted. But OH am I ever dying to start it. (Notice I did not commit to leaving it alone until project #2 is finished. I’m no idiot.)

Three things I just don’t understand from last week’s blog contest:

1. Mashed potato fudge. Ugh.
2. Jenn, who forgets that she has ice cream in the freezer after she has tried a bowl of it. (Are you kidding me??)
3. All of you who have an excess of chocolate and wonder if this is a problem. (Um …. no. It’s not.)

Sheri thedeliverymanjustdroppedoffmorenewyarnshelvesforus
andgrabbedahandfulofLoopykissesonhiswayout.Thatbigbowl
isjusttoodarnedtemptingsittingthere.MyUPSgaltakeshandfuls,too.

Three things you asked about or commented on in your blog comments on Monday:

1. “Are you and the Loopy Elves getting time off over the holidays?” Definitely! Pretty much everyone is working a half day or two so that we can get orders out, but no one is on a regular schedule or working normal hours. (And we know you’ll all completely understand if order shipping is a teeny bit slower than normal during this time. We do reserve the right to close shop during Spring Break, however, as it seems like most of us are going away that last week of March……..) And working here this week has been SO fun because you all keep sending us things! Today we had Venti Starbucks coffee all around, because some sweet St. Louis Loopy Friend anonymously send us a group Starbucks gift certificate (thank you!!), and we have been enjoying fudge, hand-dipped chocolates, cookies, Sees Lollipops and toffee, and chocolates from Switzerland. Does it get any better than this? You all are so wonderful. No wonder we love you so.

2. “My RAK this week was just a little thing.” There’s no such thing as a little RAK. Everything you do means something special to someone, and they all add up! Don’t ever feel “bad” of “guilty” posting a RAK. Everything is meaningful to the recipient. (Are you all reading some of these entries? Really, it’s just amazing.)  Winner of this week’s Loopy Loot Gift Package for the RAK contest is Kristi in OH!

3. “Are you doing a lot of holiday knitting?” Um, no. Although I had great plans up until a month or so ago.

Three things I don’t want for Christmas:

1. A Chia Pet.
2. Any appliances (unless they’re red).
3. A full time housekeeper. (Oh, ok. That’s a lie. I’d take one.)

Three things about Loopy’s Spring Fling:

1. Signups definitely close on Friday morning, as we had more people than spots by Monday evening already. Maybe we need to do a Fall Fling, too. We’ll see how the Spring one goes, first. We’ll email everyone Friday afternoon after the Lottery. (I know, I know. Lottery. Bummer. We really will think about doing a Fall Fling for another group of you.)

2. It has been so fun seeing so many Loopy Regulars sign up, and now we just wish ALL of you could come. We’re really looking forward to meeting you!

3. No, Zoe and Gracie won’t be visiting Loopy Central when you’re here to shop, but they do appreciate the fact that so many of you would like to meet them in person. This notoriety is kind of going to their heads.

Three things I’m tired of this holiday season:

1. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.
2. People trying to be politically correct with “Happy Holidays”. Can we just say “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Hannukkah”?
3. Seeing “Write Christmas Letter” on my to-do list. FPS. I’m running out of time.

Three Six things that have arrived this week and will be up in our next Sneak Up (first week or so in January):

1. Roving by Sakina Needles
2. Casbah Sock yarn from Hand Maiden
3. Perchance to Knit Sock Yarn
4. Yarn Nerd Sock Yarn
5. Oceanwind Knits Sock Yarn
6. Hams Jams Bags

(and of course lots on order that will probably be in between now and then, too!)

Three fun things to end the post with:

1. Baby Monkey Socks and Monica’s Child-Sized Fingerless Mitts are finally up on the Free Patterns page.
2. Mountain Colors Bearfoot will be arriving here any day. I love this yarn! This is the one I hinted at a couple of weeks ago, where I said it was the yarn I used in my second ever pair of socks.
3. We have two cool new Loopy Ewe items for you in the next Sneak Up.

Anyone have three things to tell me?

Sheri goingtoknittonight.AfterIwriteourChristmasletterofcourse.