I’m really not a “limelight” sort of a person. But enough of you have asked when I’d be in the Limelight (and a few of you have asked more than once!), that I’m giving up and doing it. Under duress. And since Loopy already knows all about me, we’re using the questions that you have sent in for the format today. Thanks to those of you who sent them! Next week, I’m bribing Web Guy to be in the Limelight. (Hey – it’s our anniversary month – probably appropriate to let you know more about the people here. I’ll do the Elves, too.) If you have any questions you want Web Guy to ponder, just email them to me. (Like this picture of our family? It’s a couple of years old. Apparently we need to have some more family photo shots taken, if this was the newest one I had…)
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Loopies #1: What did you do before you started The Loopy Ewe?
Sheri: I went to college to be an elementary teacher (with a remedial reading minor) and planned to teach my whole life. I taught for three years at the Middle School Level (reading) and then WH and I had our two kids and I stayed home to be with them. During that time, I started a home-based business as a Creative Memories scrapbooking consultant and did that for almost 15 years. It was more fun than going back to teaching! I was sure I’d be doing that my whole life, but then Loopy came along. I retired from the scrapbooking business about a year ago, to be able to put 100% of my time into The Loopy Ewe.
Loopies #2: Do you have a background in business?
Sheri: Not any official business courses. But I got into the leadership program with my Creative Memories business and have always been one who reads and researches a lot. I learned a lot from that process.
Loopies #3: How did you decide to do something like The Loopy Ewe?
Sheri: I thought it would be nice to have “a little something” going on as a second business, and started researching what that might be. Knitting Daughter and I were having fun knitting and since I had already worked with people who had a passion for scrapbooking, I thought that knitters would probably be just as nice. In my research into starting with an online shop, it talked about the need to have a “niche” of some kind. Since KD and I were into knitting socks, sock yarns seemed like a good idea. We put about 4 months of research into it, then took 3 months to fully set it up, then opened it on August 1st, 2006.
Loopies #4: Where did the name come from?
Sheri: It actually wasn’t our first choice! (And now I can’t imagine it being anything BUT The Loopy Ewe.) We just started playing around with different words that had to do with knitting/yarn/etc and settled on this one. It has gone through some interesting pronunciations when talking to non-knitting-companies by phone. (“Ee-we?” “Ewww?” “You?”) We’ve learned to just spell it out for them.
Loopies #5: Did you ever think that it would outgrow your basement?
Sheri: Clearly I underestimated that a little, given that I thought the corner of our basement where we first set up was going to be just “perfect” for this business. (Clearly, I had no idea what would happen to my brain whenever I came across a new yarn or accessory that I just had to bring into the shop.) I enjoyed having it at home, but by the time it had outgrown our basement, it was nice to have it OUT of our house and turn that back into just a place for our family!
Loopies #6: What’s your favorite part of the job, and your least favorite part of the job?
Sheri: Favorite part – there are lots of them! I love coming in to Loopy Central to work. It’s a bright, happy, colorful place that feels warm and welcoming and happy. I love being here. I’ve met such wonderful people (that’s all of you!) and that’s a huge benefit. It has also been so fun that our whole family is extremely involved in the business. I’m glad to have them to bounce ideas off of, and they always have great advice and insight because they know so much about everything going on here. Challenging parts: the amount of time it all takes. I was used to working hard from my experience in growing my scrapbooking business, but the amount of hours it takes to run Loopy is sometimes daunting, even with great help! And I’d say “never enough knitting and spinning time” but I know that goes for ALL of us!
Loopies #7: Where do you get all of your ideas?
Sheri: Lots of prayer, lots of keeping my eyes open in other areas and fields to see what I might tweak and do here at Loopy, and lots of good old-fashioned brainstorming.
Loopies #8: How do you pick your indie dyers?
Sheri: Oh, there are so many things that go into those decisions. Of course great quality yarn and dyeing are at the top of the list. I buy a lot of samples. Plus, I read a lot of blogs and feedback to see if it sounds like someone who is serious about their business and seems like they’d be fun to work with. I look for dyers who aren’t in a lot of other places and who can keep up with the quantities that we need here. And a few other things as well. We’re so happy with the amazing indie dyers and artisans who have allowed us to have their products here.
Loopies #9: Where do you see The Loopy Ewe five years from now
Sheri: Still going strong! I have had to re-adjust my long-term plan quite a few times now, so I won’t even begin to speculate. But I have learned a lot and I expect we’ll continue to make changes and grow. Keeping a personal touch to the business is one of our main missions, so that does temper all of our “growth” decisions. We won’t lose that aspect of it. (Or maybe Loopy and WH and I will be in a cabin in the mountains by then. Who knows?)
Loopies #10: Where did “FPS” come from? (For Pete’s Sake)
Sheri: Well one time during the beginning days of Loopy, I left a note for Susan-the-wonder-assistant about something we needed to do and it was one of those things that you never enjoy doing (I can’t even remember what it was. Probably filing or bookkeeping or some other such blah thing). And at the end of the note, I wrote FPS on it. She came to me later and said, “Ok, I’ve been thinking about this for 20 minutes and I have no idea what this means. What is FPS?” Now we all say FPS quite a bit around here. Along with “for the love of Herb” (FTLOH) and “for the love of Henry” (also FTLOH).
Now for the quick answers to several misc. questions!
Do you really read all of your blog comments? Yes – every single one. Most days it’s pretty easy to keep up with them. It’s just the monthly contest ones that take a bit longer. But we do read them all!
Do you have a favorite yarn? Yes 🙂
Do you ever drink anything but Starbucks coffee? Yes, I like Peet’s coffee an awful lot, too. And Caribou. And now I’m a bit stuck on Starbucks Vivannos. Yum.
Do you have any other hobbies? Well right now I’d rather be knitting or spinning, and that’s all I have time for! But I do love to read and needlepoint and scrapbook. I’ll get back to more of those things later.
How many skeins of sock yarn do you have in your stash? I have no idea. But I do keep adding to it.
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Sheri gladthisLimelightisdonenowandIhopeIansweredmostallofyourquestions!(Ileftoutafew…)
BIG!! congrats on making sooo fun so far and cultivating such a wonderful store. And I always love it when you include your family (it makes online shopping more personable in a way)- esp. Web Guy, he seems so patient.
Thank you for a great two years and congragulations on your success! I have to agree with Terry, you make shopping with Loopy Ewe so personable and that’s what keeps me coming back. That, and supporting a fellow middle school tacher!!
Peets, yeah!!
I am just so admiring of all you have accomplished, you and your family and all the hard-working elves. Love you. Mum B.
Nice to know more about you!!
Told you that you were outgrowing Loopy Central. But it was wonderful to meet all of you at the fling, but I felt that I already knew you!
Love the interview Sheri, you are just so gracious. Your family is so supportive, I think that is great. Continued success for many years to come. You are lucky to have WG, he certainly adds a lot to the site. KD is such an inspiration with her knitting. Glad you had fun with Janice and family over weekend. Your hubby is very creative also. Hugs
What a wonderful read. And, how nice the family is involved.
Love how the whole family is involved! What a blessing you all have been to many many people out here in cyber-ville!
Fascinating! Would never have guessed that you started business as a scrapbooker. 😀
Great interview Sheri…just one more question though…who are Herb and Henry (as in FTLOH). I mean, really? FPS!
LOVE the picture of your kids – they look like they actually like each other!
I loved your interview in the Loopy Limelight. Very interesting and I learned some things I didn’t know (i.e. scrapbooking business). And, I look forward to Web Guy’s spotlight next time. I’ll have to see if I can think of a good question, but if not, I’m sure plenty of other groupies will have some good ones!
Have a wonderful evening!! : )
Oh, FPS. DId the Elves have to tie you to a chair and MAKE youanswer questions about yourself?
PS- You are just plain cute.
Congrats- we love hearing about you- your family and the history of The Loopy Ewe:)
Creative Memories has a book- I suggest “The Loopy Ewe Way- Business + Nice CAN equal Success!”
Thanks, that was really interesting, I’ve wondered about many of those things.
Thank you for sharing a bit of you with us. I love that all of us Loopy Customers and the Elves and you have this connection and sort of makes us one big happy family 🙂
Hugs,
Karen
Thanks for another great interview! You are my favorite blog.
I do have a question for Web Guy. What is the most important thing he learned from his mother, and from his father?
Happy knitting! I am back to my first pair of socks from Dream in Color (from you of course) and i barely want to stop knitting! Great yarn.
Terrific interview, lovely story, grand family. I say for the love of Pete, a lot and LOG, land o goshen. One of my friends sent me a pic of Goshen, NY…
Thank you 🙂
It is great to know you better. You have a beautiful family and they are the best blessing of all.
I started scrapbooking in 1995 after meeting a Creative Memories consultant. I have lots of supplies and many books that need my attention. Just not enough hours in the day. I’m glad you opened TLE and have had such success. Sorry about the long hours, though.
I love that you answered “Do you have a favorite yarn?” simply as “yes”. I know it’s not just being PC but you love them all and can’t wait to cast on the next thing!
Thanks for sharing some of your self!
Thanks for sharing. I can definitely relate to other hobbies getting “set aside” in favor of knitting and spinning (much to the chagrin of my Stampin’ Up consultant). I haven’t read a book since last October and I’m supposed to make cards every other week. Only cards I’ve made since January were at monthly stamp camps.
Great interview.
One more question for you, I am in St. Louis this week for work and boy it is hot and humid…is this normal and if so how do you deal with it? Boy this is just yucky 🙂
Very nice interview, you have a wonderful family and I like it very much that your children always look so close to each other. There is no greater blessing than being all so close as a family. I imagine that you are dreading the time when your daughter goes to College, remember we will be here to help you. I would like to ask WG if he liked his internship in Florida and how he compares life here and there for somebody his age. Thank you for sharing.
thank you for sharing all that with us. I know I fell like you are a part of my life and it is nice knowing more about how you got where you are Loopy Central.
Now I want Web guy to tell us how he got so smart, so young, that he could put together your fabulous web site.
Loved learning more about you and glad you did include yourself in the LimeLight, after all we wouldn’t have Loopy Ewe without you.
Thanks so much for this wonderful community of knitters you have brought together
hey
! i didn’t know you were a scrapper, too! so cool. and tell me, what am i not getting about those vivannos. i tried one and thought it was pretty chalky.
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed learning more about you and The Loopy Ewe. The Loopy Ewe is a wonderful part of my life…Thanks! Look forward to Loopy’s interviews with WG, WH, KD and the Elves.
It’s nice to know you have a stash too. Since you have a whole shop at your disposal, I’d think it would be easy to just “shop for the project.” But that would never satisfy the hoarder in me!
thank you!!
Thank you for your wonderful website, your taste in yarns, and the way you care about your customers 🙂
I enjoyed this limelight interview! I’m so glad I’m a Loopy Groupie.
I just got my second anniversary kit today….the yarn is gorgeous (my first Hand Maiden) the tattoos are so fun and the mug….LOVE!
I love being one of your loyal customers….now if I can only get my hands on some Wollmeise! 😉
Thanks for the FPS history lesson! I had to ask ravelry what this meant as I couldn’t figure it out. LE has inspired me to create an acronym for myself in place of “Sock Yarn Doesn’t Count As Stash” — SYDCASh, pronounced Sad Cash. If only I spent as much time knitting socks as I do ogling the sock yarn.
It was so nice to finally get you to open up and share some of your life with all of us. Very interesting and I had not known that you were into scrapping for so long. No wonder you recognized my RSing.
Loved the interview and looking forward to Elf interviews as well.
I can only agree with what everyone else has already said—thank you! The Loopy Ewe is definitely a big part of my life and I love being part of this warm and wonderful “family” you’ve created! Thank you, Sheri—-you’re amazing!
I’d be curious to know how Web Guy got interested in computers in the first place. (And many thanks for his patience in dealing with all of us loopy customers!)
Looking forward to the Elf interviews, too, and do you think Loopy can persuade WH to step into the limelight?
Congrats on two years! It’s always wonderful to hear about someone who takes something they love and turns it into a successful business venture! Thanks for the wonderful interview!
Of course, as important as they were to the beginning of TLE, I’m surprised there were no pics of Zoe and Gracie in this post. 🙂 Then again, maybe I’m just enamored of pet pictures.
I’m so glad you started the loopy ewe. Love your yarns and your personal touch and your kindness.
Congradulations
Hi Sheri –
Great interview – loved learning more about you and the business.
Question – I saw you mention that you buy a lot of samples. What happens to those? Could you at some point have a “grab bag” sale & sell those to us too? 🙂
Truelove on Rav
It was a very nice interview and a big success story. You have a lovely family and
it’s nice that they all participate. I’m sure they are a big help to you in many ways.
I use to make my own cards and I took lessons from someone who had their
cards published. It’s not as easy as it looks. I can’t do that anymore, so I get
to concentrate on my knitting. I know that Creative Memories was not a snap but
it helped you with this business. It’s also easy to see that pleasing the consumer
helps keep you business going. Congratulations!!!!!! It’s also nice to have a website
that gives you so many choices. You may have to buy a whole new building one
of these days. Creativity is certainly one of your gifts.
Loved the interview!! Was hoping youd have some advice for those of us trying to break into the webstore market, OhWell HEHE 🙂 I was also surprised that Zoe and Gracie and Loopy werent pictured you post about them so frequently that we all have come to look forward to their newest antics (esp Loopies HEEHE)!
I got my 2nd Anniversary kit yesterday and am using the coffee cup this am! Everything in the package is lovely and I cant wait to make socks or a nice cozy warm and soft scarf outa the Casbah (my first taste of it!!). Hope the next 5 yrs are as fun and as happily Loopy as the pst 2 have been!!
The limelight may make you uncomfortable, but you definitely deserve to be in it, Sheri. I can’t imagine what life as a knitter would be like without you and The Loopy Ewe!
Nice to see you in the Limelight. 🙂
Congrats on your success!! Your hard work and wonderfully-spectacular customer service are very big part of why the Loopy Ewe has been so successful. Your personal comments and care given to each and every package are appreciated by your customers. Give yourself a pat on the back…you’ve earned it!
That was fun hearing about TLE. :>) I just have one more question… perhaps for another Limelight day. I always wonder what do other business people you come into contact with have to say about the amazing growth of your little ‘yarn’ business? For example bankers you may have dealt with or your office neighbors and other such muggle-based businesses. I cannot help but laugh inside when I think they must be astonished – especially in this regressing economy – that yarn and knitting could generate such a successful business. Any stories along that line?
Sheri, congratulations! You did well in the Limelight.
Now the elves?
You and your family have build a wonderful business to be proud of!
Sheri, Thanks for your blog. I learn so much from it–even a new idea for coffee.
susan93940 in Ravelry
OHHH YAY! (just got the e-newsletter;)
I met the Indigo Moon girls in Canada.. I knit my tuscany in Indigo Moon:)
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TraceyinMichigan/tuscany their colors and yarns are beautiful!
I think that the most favorite thing that I like about the Ewe is that you do add a personal touch. I’m so glad that your around!!! Congrats on your success!!
Loopy — Thanks for another great interview! I love learning about all the folks who make the Loopy Ewe such a fabulous place.
How nice to read about you today =) Thanks for all your hard work supplying us with life-sustaining yarn.
Susan
Thank you for sharing your talent with all of us and being ‘willing’ to enable us along the way.
Susan in ID