Here’s a great recipe that my dear friend Monica shared on her blog, The Yummy Life. I made this this week and it was delicious. I used it in a salad – lettuce, grilled chicken, and this salsa on top. (Trying to replicate Qdoba’s Mango Chicken Salad, which I love.) It would also be a great salsa on top of burgers, grilled fish or chicken, or as a side dish with chips.

Mango Cucumber Salsa from The Yummy Life

1  1/3 cups chopped mango (2-3 mangoes)
1/2 cup chopped cucumber (peeled for regular cucumbers, or unpeeled if using a Persian cucumber)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1-2 Tbl. diced jalapeños (for less heat, remove seeds and membrane. I did!)
1 minced garlic clove
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (mint or parsley may also be substituted. I used the cilantro.)
1 Tbl. lime juice (from approx. 1/2 lime)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix and serve. You can also chill it for several hours, but be sure to drain any accumulated liquid before serving.

In addition to this Mango Salsa recipe, check out Monica’s Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa and her Strawberry & Red Bell Pepper Salsa. (And if you wonder how in the heck to chop up a mango? She has a post for that, too!)

Have a great weekend and get some knitting done! I’m happy to say my seven day “no knitting” streak is over. I’m working with a new yarn that we hope to have soon at the shop, and it’s awesome.

Sheri ofcoursefiveotherprojectsalsomid-stream,butIHADtostartthisnewyarn,right?

Camp Loopy

Summer’s round the corner, it’s that special time of year
Groupies gather round for Camp Loopy time is here
From North and South, East and West, all around the globe
We excitedly await the news, where is our new abode?
No bears or snakes to scare us, no tiny crits to bite
No woodsmoke there to choke us, nothing to give us fright.
Fun, chat and laughter, with knitting will abound
Crochet hooks, sticks and string will be found all around.
No rain will cause a washout No sun will burn us crisp
We will not miss our families; or our beloved pets
The magic of Camp Loopy means we sleep in our own beds
We will never get seasick or have food we do not love
We will have the time of our lives, a blessing from above.

What tent will I be in this year? Who will be my mates
Which mountain trail will I be on? How many new friends will I make?
Tinknomore or Kaytwopeatwo I wonder when I’ll know?
Loopious, Knitsalot, Fibreopolis to which one will I go?
Will I complete the challenges, one, two and three?
Will I get lost along the trail and lonely will I be?
Mistakes, maybe I’ll make a few, I do hope none too many
I want this to be so much fun not see me have a benny!
Off I go to stalk the shop to see which yarn I choose
And a pattern I must find, it’s easier to buy shoes!
Then a wait till June the 1st when all the fun will start
Loopy Ewe I salute you, you have the greatest heart.

Isn’t that fun? We have such talented Loopy Groupies all over. Mary – thank you again for allowing me to share that.

We do have winners from the First Quarter Challenge! The Reader’s Choice Award goes to:

Christine from Canada, for these beautiful Ribbed Rope Socks, made out of Baah! Yarn in the Grey Onyx color way. Christine wins a $35 Loopy Ewe credit for her win!

We also ran the random generator to determine two $25 Loopy Ewe credit winners and those will be going to Laura in NY for her Nola Cloche and Mary in AL for her Swapped Stalagmites Socks. Congratulations to all of you and thanks to everyone who participated last quarter!

It’s almost time to start working on your first Camp Loopy project. Are you ready? Now that we have all of your Camp orders out, we’re gearing up for Monday night’s Update. We have so many boxes of yarn in our stock room that we had to split them up over the next few Monday Updates. We shouldn’t take a Monday off like we did this week!

I haven’t knit in seven days. I need to get cracking. I have a project or two to finish up before Camp starts. Does anyone else go seven days without knitting?  

Sheri whowouldratherknitallmorningandthenworkafternoonsandevenings.

Yep, that means this blog post is covering the blog for the next three blogging days!  Just popping in to give you a few bits of information.

1. If you haven’t put your Camp order in yet, be sure to get it in by Sunday evening to get the Camp discount.

2. Because so many of you HAVE already gotten orders in, we’re a little backed up in shipping! Your orders will take an extra day or two to ship due to the volume that we’re packing up, but rest assured that the Elves are rockin’ it. They’re awesome.

3. To add an order note requesting the Camp discount: after you put payment through, you are brought back to a page that gives you your order number and gives you a link to leave an order note. If you miss that, you can always go into your Loopy account and click on that order number to leave a note from there as well.

4. I will be away from the blog on Friday and Monday, but I will be back here to chat with you on Wednesday of next week, and will also announce our First Quarter Challenge winners on that post. Thanks for voting!

5. Just to give us an extra bit of time to get these Camp Orders shipped off, we won’t be doing a Monday Update next week. We will definitely have an Update on Monday the 27th (Memorial Day). Our back room is overflowing with cases of yarn waiting to go up on the website. We can’t take more than one week off from Updates, or Rebecca (Inventory Manager) will disappear amongst the boxes, never to be seen again. And I didn’t tell her that we have about 20-30 more cases of fun stuff due in over the next 7-10 days. No sense freaking her out …. (Hi, Rebecca!)

Sheri lovingalloftheyarnchoicesyou’remakingforCamp!

It’s that time again – time to be a camper at Camp Loopy this summer! 

How does it work?  First of all, there is no travel involved. This is Virtual Camp! That also means no bugs, no musty tents to sleep in, no campfire smoke in your eyes, and no blisters from hiking up the mountain. Just lots of knitting, meeting new friends, contests, challenges, and fun!

We will be knitting a different challenge project each month, for the next 3 months. You can choose to knit for one month, two months, or all three months. There are prizes for completing your projects on time and an extra bonus for doing all three. I know quite a few of you have mentioned that your Camp Loopy knitting will be used for holiday gifts, which is a great way to get a jump-start on those projects.

Here is our schedule:

Project One: needs to be knit or crocheted between 6/1 and 6/30 (with a photo of the completed project uploaded to our Project One Photo Gallery by 7/1).

The Challenge for Project One – We’re starting out with a one-skein project, using a yarn that you have not used before.  You can use a single skein of Lace weight or a single skein of Fingering weight yarn, and your project must use at least 375 yards of the skein, so make sure the skein you’re buying has at least 375 yards in it.

Project Two: needs to be knit or crocheted between 7/1 and 7/31 (photo uploaded by 8/1).

Challenge Two details coming in June!

Project Three: needs to be knit or crocheted between 8/1 and 8/31 (photo uploaded by 9/1).

Challenge Three details coming in July!

International knitters/crocheters: Since we started the Camp Loopy Store Week earlier this year, we don’t anticipate that you’ll need extra time on the deadlines. Hopefully your packages will get to you in plenty of time to start on the Project One dates with everyone else. But don’t delay in ordering – get it in as soon as you can.

The benefits:

1. If you need to purchase yarn for your project, we are offering a 20% Camp Loopy discount for the yarn during a designated “Camp Loopy Store Week” each month.The first discount, for Project One, is valid on one skein of fingering or lace weight yarn purchased during Camp Store Week One (May 13-19).To get the discount, you will need to leave us an order note on the order, telling us which skein of yarn will be used for your Camp Project. We’ll apply the discount when your order comes through to us. If you’re going for free shipping in the U.S., please make sure that your discount won’t take you below the $75 level, or the website will add the shipping charge back in after we do the discount.

2.  If you have your photo uploaded to the Camp Loopy 2013 Project One Photo Gallery by the deadline, you’ll be eligible to win one of our Loopy Gift Certificates for that month. We’ll be having the blog readers vote for the Reader’s Choice Award each month, and we’ll also be using the random generator to pick a few more winners for Loopy Gift Certificates as well from each month’s gallery!

3.  If you choose to do all three projects with us (photos uploaded by the deadlines and yarn for each project purchased during Camp Store Week for that project) we will also be awarding you a special skein of fingering weight yarn, in an exclusive Camp Loopy Colorway. (We will have 3 different exclusive Camp colors for you to choose from, so that you can pick your favorite.) This luscious skein will be perfect for socks, shawls, scarves, cowls, or mitts. We love this yarn base, and I know you will love it, too.

So if you participate in all three months of Camp and follow the guidelines, you’ll get 3 projects done at a discount, you’ll no doubt earn one or more Frequent Shopper Bonuses and maybe some extra things through our Loopy Rewards Program, and you’ll get a special skein of exclusively dyed fingering weight yarn for yet another project. Cool!

Now – here are the answers to your Frequently Asked Questions about Camp Loopy:

Q. You say this first project needs to be a yarn we’ve not used before. I’ve used Dream in Color Smooshy before but have never used Dream in Color’s Smooshy with Cashmere. Would that count?
A. Yes, that counts. It can be a company you’ve used before, as long as you’ll be using a base from that company that you’ve not used before.

Q. I’ve used a yarn that is 80% Merino, 10% Cashmere and 10% Nylon from Three Irish Girls before, but I haven’t used that same 80/10/10 base from Dragonfly Djinni. Can I use Djinni and have it count as “new to me”?
A. Yes, that counts. It can be a base (like 100% merino, or 80/10/10) that you’ve used before, but it needs to be a company/base combo that is new to you.

Q. I have picked out a fingering weight pattern that will take 700 yards, so I will need to purchase 2 skeins for this project. Is that ok?
A. You’ll want to pick a pattern that works with one skein of yarn, instead. Or find a laceweight project, since many of our laceweight skeins have higher yardage per skein.

Q. Can we participate with weaving instead of knitting or crochet? 
A. For Camp Loopy, we’re sticking with knitting or crochet.

Q. I didn’t get to order during Camp Store Week, but if I order my project yarn later in that same month and complete the project by the deadline, does that still count, even though I know I don’t get the Camp Loopy discount? 
A. Yes!  Make sure that you add a “Camp Loopy” note to your order, so that we know you’re participating. You’ll still be eligible for the project drawings and prizes for that month, and if you finish all three projects by the deadlines, you’ll still get the bonus – a free skein of that luscious yarn, exclusively dyed.

Q. I want to participate using yarn from my stash. Does that still count? 
A. You are welcome to participate and knit from stash and upload it to the gallery, as long as it’s yarn that we carry at The Loopy Ewe. (We always require projects in our Photo Galleries to be from yarn that we carry at TLE.) You will still be eligible for drawings and prizes for the month, but you won’t be eligible for the free yarn at the end.

Q. When you say to knit the project between 6/1 and 6/30, when EXACTLY does the timing start? 
A. You can start at 12:01 am your time on 6/1 if you’d like, although a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast might be a better idea. The project needs to be done by 11:59 pm on 6/30, your time. The photos need to be uploaded by 11:59 pm OUR time (Mountain Time) on 7/1.

Q. Should we be starting a new Camp Loopy Group on Ravelry? 
A. No. Since it’s an activity through The Loopy Ewe, I’d like to keep it as a part of our regular Loopy Groupies group. However, you’ll see Camp Loopy threads popping up on the Loopy Groupie board, based on different activities each month. For the first month, we’ll be splitting you up by Hiking Groups, and each group will be hiking a different mountain. Look for the starred mountain on the drawing on your Camp Loopy order sheet to see which group you’re in. (Note – this is totally for fun, and for those of you who want to chat in Camp Groups on the Loopy Groupie board. If that’s not your thing, you can stay out of the hiking groups and just knit! But … I’ll bet you will meet a new friend or two if you participate in the chats!)

Q. When you specify yardage in a project, can I use up the yardage by knitting double stranded? So if you say we must use 375 yards, can I do a 187.5 yard project, holding the yarn double? That would use 375 yards. 
A. No. No doubling the yarn to get the yardage. If you’d like to knit something double stranded, you’ll need to use 750 yards so that you end up with a 375 yard project when it’s done.

Q. How do I know if I’m on track for the free yarn bonus, and when will I get it? 
A. If you purchased your project yarn during Camp Store Week (or later that same project month) and uploaded your photo by the deadline, then you are on track. Once Camp is over and the yarn is ready, we’ll send you a notice to let you choose your camp colorway. You will have the option of having your bonus yarn added in the box with your next order from us, or you can choose to have it sent to you right away on its own and we’ll just add a shipping charge to that.

Q. Why do we have to purchase the yarn during Camp Store Week each month, if we want the bonus? 
A. Two reasons. One – it costs us money to fund this (the contests, the extras, the free yarn at the end) and your purchases help us to be able to afford to do this. Two – it helps us to guarantee that everyone is knitting for the project during the designated time and not simply pulling a finished (or half finished) project out of their pile and saying they did it “for camp”. It keeps an even playing field for all of the people earning the bonuses.

Q. Will we have the chance to buy t-shirts with the Camp Loopy logo, like we did last year? 
A. Yes! They’re on order and we’ll put them up on the website as soon as they arrive. And maybe a couple of other fun campy things, too. The first Camp Loopy extra is up on the website now – a drawstring project bag that’s a real hoot. 

In addition to getting projects done along with discounts and free yarn rewards, another part of the fun is talking to fellow campers on the Loopy Groupie Board on Ravelry. We will set up chat groups each month during Camp, based on a different criteria each time. For this first month, we’re dividing you into Hiking Groups, based on which mountain you will be climbing. (Mt. Loopious, Mt. Fiberopolis, Mt. Knitsalot, Mt. Tinknomore, and Mt. Kaytwopeatwo.) Look for the starred mountain on your Camp Loopy order form. If you’re knitting your camp project from stash, feel free to choose one of the groups on your own. Jump into the discussion and share which project you’re going to make and what yarn you’re using, then report on your progress during the month. You’ll make new friends each month, because we’ll have another way to group you for the next month! (Not on Ravelry? No worries. Participating in the groups is not required. We just add those in for extra fun.)

We’re so looking forward to camping with you again this summer, and we have lots of fun things planned. Grab your hiking boots and your project bag, and get ready to roll! (Need a new project bag? We had some special owl bags done up for Camp Loopy!)

Sheri goingtoneedsomeenergybarsforthehikeupthemountain

P.S. We do have new things up for you on the website today, too. Just up: Blue Q Bags, Skein Top Draw Sock, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, Lorna’s Laces Haymarket, Dragonfly Fiber Djinni Sock, and a few backordered colors of Malabrigo Sock. Check them out!

And then got to celebrate the winning ticket with a little bit of liquid refreshment.

All in all, a very good weekend for Loopy. Is anyone else taking Loopy on vacation anywhere soon? He’s ready to get on the road again and he travels light (given the fact that he wears the same t-shirt 24/7….)

Sheri thinkingLoopyhasbeenonmoreexcitingtripsthanIhave

Here are the last of the owl photos from Project Baby Owl 2013.

They are amazing animals, and so well camouflaged as their feathers go from whites to browns. Now that they have grown up and flown the nest, the trees seem very empty. But I guess that means the skies and fields are full.

Sheri whowillnowfinditsafertodrivetowork
withoutcraningmynecktoseebabyowlsasIpassby

Happy Monday to you! It finally feels like Spring here.

Now I’m just hoping my lilacs will still bloom. Of course I’ll be sharing pictures if they do. Lilacs are my very favorite flower, and our yard is full of different varieties! But enough of spring talk – let’s get on to the Monday Update talk. We just added in:

Biscotte & Cie – I absolutely love Louise’s self-striping yarn. This batch is in her fingering weight and it’s great not only for socks, but you will also enjoy using it for gloves and mitts and hats and scarves. I used it for socks and also used it for my Sockhead Hat, which is a great gift project. (And remember, we also carry her Gobelin line, which is self-striping on worsted weight yarn. I made this hat in the worsted weight.) Shown here in Arc-en-ciel, and yes, I did happen to buy a skein of this color for myself.

Three Irish Girls – Cashmerino Worsted. This is beautiful sweater yarn, but you should also try it for shawls, hats, scarves and vests. I used two different colors of the Cashmerino Worsted for my Winter’s Rhythm shawl and it feels so luxurious. It was soft and squishy to work on, and feels even better to wear. I also used it for my Camp Loopy mittens a couple of summers ago. (Off-topic – check out the Cake Batter Truffles recipe on that post. I need to make more of those. They are delicious.)

Three Irish Girls – Adorn Sock. A fingering weight yarn that you’ll love for socks, but also for shawls and lightweight sweaters. Sharon comes up with some really unique color combinations, which is always fun! I used a pretty colorway to knit up this sock. (Of course we didn’t get that color in this batch. But we did get Cottage Garden and Mairin – two of my other favorites.) Shown above in Storm Brew.

Fibernymph Dye Works – BFL Roving. Lisa’s colors are gorgeous, and this roving will spin up into a beautiful skein of yarn. BFL Roving is especially nice to spin if you’re newer to spinning, as the fibers are a little grabby, making it easier to work with. Of course experienced spinners love BLF, too, because it spins up so beautifully. Pull out your wheels and your spindles and get at it! Shown here in Candy Mountain.

Head on over to the website and check out all of these new things. And don’t forget to sign up for our Fall Giftables Club, if you’re interested. We have left signups open (and thanks to all of you who have already signed up!), but we’re about at our maximum number of spots and will be closing the signups tomorrow evening so that we can get our dyers working on the yarn.

Sheri whowouldreallyliketocastonstripeysockstonight!

For the Fall Giftables Club, we’ll be sending you a package around the third week in August, September and October. Each kit will be $40 (plus applicable tax and shipping) and we’ll send you an email letting you know when it’s time to pay your invoice each month. (No money due now.) Each kit will include a specially dyed skein of yarn, a pattern for the yarn (emailed to you), and some fun little extra. Here are photos of the kits we sent for the Spring Giftables Club, to give you an idea of what the club is all about.

February (which included a skein of Breathless from Shalimar, the Lila Blue infinity cowl pattern, and a Travel Kit of Soak Wash packets.)

March (which included a skein of Perfectly Posh fingering weight yarn from Dream in Color, the Crosscheck hat pattern, and a bar of Vanilla Mint soap from TwentySeven Soap.)

April (which included a skein of Wollmeise DK in the Elsa color way, the Allis shawl pattern, and a container of Wollmeise Wool Wash.)

If you’d like to reserve a spot, you can do so by clicking on this link. By reserving your spot, you’re committing to purchasing all three kits this fall. We look forward to having you particpate with us!

Sheri alreadyexcitedaboutournextsetofdyersandyarn

P.S. Thank you to everyone who left a comment on our Spring Fling blog, in the hopes of winning one of the four Goodie Bags we saved for you! We used the Random Generator to pick the winners, and the bags will be going out to: Tracey L. in NC, Ingrid M. in PA, Kathy P. in CO, and Leah M. in MO. Congratulations to the four of you!

Also P.S. Help us choose a Reader’s Choice Favorite from our First Quarter Challenge Photos! Take a look at the gallery and email us (support@theloopyewe.com) with your favorite.

Here are some snow shots from today. Maybe this will be it for this winter, and we’ll move into spring next!

And a few photos that WH took downtown today. Someone – or four someones – left their bike(s) out ….

Sheri wonderingwhatkindofweatheryouareexperiencingonthisMayDay?

It has been a beautiful day here in Colorado. The sun is shining and it’s 78 degrees.

Schoppel Wolle – Zauberball. This yarn has pretty color changes as you knit with it, making it great for socks and shawls and scarves without too much lace detail. So fun to knit and watch the colors emerge. (Shown above in Sock 1564, Tropical Fish.)

Trekking – XXL and Tweed. We’ve re-stocked colors and added in some new ones in both Trekking XXL and Trekking Tweed. If you’re knitting socks for people who are going to toss them in the washer and dryer, this is the perfect work-horse yarn. (Shown here in Sky Blue Tweed – look at those fun tweedy bits in there!)

Universal – Cotton Supreme and Splash. We’ve re-stocked the Cotton Supreme and added in Supreme Splash (which gives a tie-dyed sort of look – very pretty.) These cotton yarns are perfect for summer sweaters, kids clothes, toys, and scarves or hats for people who want to avoid wool. They are all machine wash and dry, making them easy-care as well.

Loopy Cakes – The Colors of Loopy.  Our newest cake set contains all of the colors that make up our shop (which just happen to be our very favorite colors at the moment!).

Knitter’s Pride – Karbonz Needles. We’ve had so many requests from all of you that we added in this line of needles. I actually tried them and liked them last year, but we didn’t have room on the needle wall to add another line at that time. We have them in DPN’s, 10″ single points, and circulars. These needles are made from high-tech carbon fiber, which gives the needles a high tensile strength, while still keeping them lightweight with a lot of flexibility. The tips are covered in a nickel-plated brass with nicely tapered points.

Three Bags Full – Project Bags. Michele has whipped up some more of her pretty  bags for us, in multiple fabrics. We usually get different fabrics each time, so if you see one you love, don’t dally on the purchase! (Shown here in Le Chat.)

While you’re perusing the new things tonight, take a few extra minutes to check out our newly re-done website. New homepage, bigger photos, and several other features that you’ve asked for. It has been a long time in the making, and we hope you like it!

Sheri sothankfultohaveWebGuyaspartoftheLoopyTeam