It’s time to welcome new Loopy Groupies again. (I’m trying to do this more often so that the list isn’t quite so long and intimidating!) You become an official “Loopy Groupie” when you get your sixth package from us. When I first came up with this idea, waaaay back in the beginning when we first opened our shop, I remember wondering if it was a good idea. Would people think it was silly? Would anyone want to be a Loopy Groupie? I’m so glad that the answer was yes! (And people started reaching that magic number of packages so much quicker than I anticipated. Now that I know you all a lot better, it doesn’t surprise me a bit, but back then it did.) We’re glad to have you all with us, and a big, warm welcome to those who have recently joined in:
Catherine in WI, Dana in MO, Diana in FL, Anne in TN, Susie in CA, Dani in NC, Brianne in MO, Ann in CO, Lois in FL, Laura in NC, Tamara in CO, Cecilia in CA, Liesl in MI, Courtney in OK, Carolyn in CA, Jami in NC, Hallie in Ireland, Jane in TX, Regina in NM, Margaret in NV, Catherine in CO, Tiffany in VA, Susan in IL, Michelle in MO, Nancy in NY, Laura in MD, Jean in WA, Patricia in CA, Allison in Canada, Jody in MI, Judith in MI, Edna in KY, Susan in OH, Irene in Norway, Lisa in IL, June in NY, Grace in NJ, Gail in NH, Robin in KY, Stasia in WI, Denise in MA, William in OH, Jennifer in TX, Sally in VA, Matt in NE, Lauren in TX, Randi in GA, Amanda in MD, Irene in MA, Jocelyn in NY, Beth in MD, Lizzie in GA, Carol in NJ, Desiree in PA, Olivia in FL, April in MA, Karen in MN, Barbara in ME, Jean in OH, Samantha in NY, Helen in Sweden, Linda in GA, Jessi in VA, Denise in TX, Karen in DE, Emily in WA, Sandra in CA, Rhonda in NY, Melanie in Canada, Sarah in CA, Angela in CA, Marybeth in NC, Lisa in NC, Cherie in IA, Chana in CA, Kaisa in The Philippines, Vivian in VA, Mary in NY, Leonard in D.C., Theresa in CO, Jen in CA, Sharon in Canada, Suzette in OR, Leanne in The UK, Cheryl in Canada, Kristina in IL, Tasina in IL, Conchita in CA, Leslie in AZ, Sheryl in WI, Judith in PA, Cammie in WV, Beverly in CA, Laura in PA, Katy in AZ, Hazel in The UK, Nancy in TX, Holly in MA, Janie in IL, Barbara in D.C., Dorothy in FL, Michelle in MA, Jennifer in NJ, Rani in MN, Symbra in NC, Jennifer in the Armed Forces, Amy in MN, Arlene in NY, Julie in MI, Denise in IN, Antonia in NJ, Thersa in AZ, Terri in OR, Erin in CA, Kyoko in Japan, Kate in Australia, Georgiana in NY, Whitney in KS, Sue in WA, Toria in MI, Rosemary in VA, Trish in MD, Diane in Canada, Joanne in TX, Diane in CA, Jennie in PA, Mara in Spain, Wendy in MA, Elaine in CA, Soraya in South Korea, Alison in VT, Donna in IL, Kathleen in MN, Erica in OH, Elpida in KS, Julianne in MN, Josette in ME, Amy in WA, Gita in D.C., Laura in KS, Sarah in NE, Carol in NH, Susan in NY, Siw in Norway, Lisa in WA, Mary in VA, Jennifer in CA, Deborah in CT, and Marlon in The Netherlands.
We send packages all over the world, and there are so many times that we’re wrapping something up and someone says, “You know, I would be happy to deliver this one in person!” We do the next best thing – we send Loopy out to spend the summer with you, wherever you are. I hope you’re showing him a good time and taking pictures! But if we WERE going to deliver an order to you in person, what would you want us to see in your home town while we were there? That’s the Blog Contest question this month. What would you want to show us in your hometown before we headed back home? What is on your “must do and see here” list when you have visitors in town? Leave a comment and tell us one thing (or several things) and you’ll be entered to win a special Loopy Care Package. We’ll do the lottery drawings a week from today.
I’ll be out of town on Friday, so I’ll be back to the blog next week – Monday or Wednesday. Don’t forget, Monday is a holiday here in the U.S. – no mail going out. (We’ll make up for it on Tuesday, I promise.) This weekend is graduation for College Guy up in Indiana. I can hardly believe it. After he graduates, he’s heading off on a 2 1/2 week backpacking trip in Europe with some friends (you know, the kind of thing you do before you have job or family responsibilities.) He’ll get home and have a little time off for the summer and then will head to FL to work for the company he interned with last summer. College Girl will come home with us this weekend and she’s going to be a Loopy Elf this summer. It will be fun to have her here!
Since we’ll be gone for the weekend and since Monday is a holiday, I’m not sure when/if we’ll do a Sneak Up. We’ll continue adding in things as they come in, though. For those of you wanting the Lorna’s Laces Wendy Knits color, we sold out of the Shepherd Sock, but we expect more in today or tomorrow. (Edit – It’s here! The gals at Lorna’s Laces are awesome.) As we were packing all of those skeins up yesterday, one of the Elves said, “I can’t believe we went through that many bags of this colorway and it all sold out. What’s the deal?” and another Elf answered, “Everyone loves Wendy!” Yes, yes we do. 🙂 We still have the colorway available in the Shepherd Sport and in the Roving.
Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to leave us the “must-sees” for your home town!
Sheri readytogetridofthisconstantheadachebroughtonbyallergies,FPS
As Linda said, you can’t come to Des Moines and not stop by the living history farms and the Iowa State fair is august. Another fun place is the Blank Park Zoo or Adventure Land in Altoona (a suburb). Then we’d stop by my kitchen for my home cooked lasagne or my drool-worthy hamburgers.
We’d definitely take you to Kennywood to ride the rides here in Pittsburgh!
I live on Long Island, NY and you have to go see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, then stop at a hotdog stand and grab a hotdog, OR we could go the opposite way and go way down to Montauk Lighthouse at the very end of Long Island 🙂
I live in the Atlanta area. There are so many things, great live theatre at the Tony award winning Alliance Theatre, the Georgia Aquarium, High Museum of Art, so many wonderful restaurants it could take a month to hit the highlights, baseball at Turner Field, my favorite LYS- Knitch,…..
Here in Zachary, LA I’d want to show you the peaceful lake in my back yard. I have become such a bird watcher since we bought this house, enjoying the Canadian Geese that visit, and the mallards, egret, and blue heron that live here.
Much to my amazement, the barn swallows actually belly-flop into the lake to get a drink, then fly off. These little birds have kept us mosquito-free, too.
Although I live in St. Louis now, I was born and raised in upstate New York. If you would come to my hometown of Fairport, I would take you for a walk along the canal. You could explore the shops, have an ice cream and then take a ride on the canal boat. We would visit Webster Park to have a look at Lake Ontario and we would finish it up with a tour of Wegman’s which is our local supermarket. It is almost always named as the best supermarket in the country and once you visit, you will understand why. They have artisan breads, terrific local produce and everything is clean and beautifully presented. The stores are beautiful. The supermarket in Pittsford has a restaurant attached which is just great. Everyone takes their out of town guests to Wegmans!
I currently live in Suffield, CT and plan to live here for a long, long time… the one thing you must do is sit on top of Bell Hill, watching the sun set and eating ice cream from Scoop du Jour. If there’s a lacrosse or softball game going on at the base of the hill, even better!
In my hometown, my personal favorite thing to do is the Texas State Aquarium. I used to dream about being a marine biologist, or the scuba diver who fed the sharks, lol. Now, I’m an English major! And of course, trying out some awesome Mexican food is practically a requirement for visiting anywhere south of the Nueces River.
My new hometown is Eugene, Oregon. I would love for you to visit and I would make sure you had the chance to go to some of our world-famous wineries, eat some awesome chocolate from nearby, enjoy our fresh seafood, and of course visit some lovely yarn stores. The weather here in the summer is quite lovely too. We are so close to the mountains, high-desert, and the coast. Oh, please visit! I would love to show off Oregon!
Let’s see…in good ol’ Newington, CT?? first…my garden! A walk around our beautiful park to see the Heron. We’re close enough to the beach to take a ride…..
Hmm… There isn’t really anything in my “hometown” that I can think of (it’s basically a residential area for a local base and a bedroom community for Washington, DC. But if you did come out here, there’s the National Colonial Farm, to the northeast, and their Hog Island sheep. Then an hour to the south, there’s the Calvert Marine Museum; Historic St. Mary’s City; St. Clement’s Island and a ton of other historical sites just outside of DC.
Well, I suppose I’d have to take Loopy to Davey Jones’ home here in our little humble abode. He has a residence here in this obscure little town in PA!
I’m a nature, fiber and coffee lover, so in Seattle, my “must sees” are any one of about 5 indie coffee shops and a fab ferry ride over to Bainbridge Island where you can walk around and of course visit the LYS.
My hometown is Oswego NY. We are famous for our beautiful sunsets. We are ranked nationally for them. It would be a must see if you are visiting. In the warmer months you can get ice cream on the lake shore and see a sunset. It is truly spectacular. If you visit in the winter, be sure to come during a huge snowstorm to get the true lake effect snow experience. It amazes me even after all of the years I’ve lived here.
My *current* hometown is Flagstaff, Arizona. Here, visitors like to see the Grand Canyon, the train stations and other historic buildings downtown, the National Forests, and the Navajo and Hopi Reservations.
My new hometown is Woodland, CA, historic Yolo County seat. Back in the late 1800s, the wealthy built their homes here and at one time we were the richest city per capita in the country (back in the days of the railroad tycoons: Huntington, Crocker, Stanford and Hopkins). Taking the historic stroll through Woodland in September is lovely…the old houses still stand. There are plenty of taquerias here now, and pupuserias where you can get my new favorite Salvadoran food, pupusa.
We’re an hour from Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, and a little over an hour to the Bay Area…Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco. Lots to do!
I live in Lake Bluff, a suburb of Chicago and I probably wouldn’t plan a visit to our little town. However…. you’d have to come back a few times to know why we love the place so much. Here’s the itinerary.
Summer: Visit over the 4th so you’ll be in town for our parade. It’s a real old-fashioned parade. You’d be able to watch the kids bike parade at the beginning, the lawnmower brigade in the middle (their political satire is bi-partisan and I’m sure Rod Blagoyovich will be quite funny this year), and fire trucks at the end. After, we’ll head to a barbecue and the kids can head to the carnival down the street. If you feel like it, we can head to the park in the next town south of us for a 4th of July concert and fireworks or head to the beach and watch the fireworks going on up and down the Chicago Lakefront.
If you can stay a few days, we’ll take an express train to Ravinia for a concert and picnic on the lawn. We can pick up dinner at the Village Market if I don’t feel like cooking.
In the fall you have to come back for the Lake Bluff Ghost Walk. In an hour, you’ll get all the juiciest stories from the town’s history – Al Capone’s speakeasy to the mysterious death of a beautiful young woman in the early 1900s. Makes me glad I live in the new part of town. Lake Bluff isn’t known for its restaurants but Highwood is nearby and there are some great places there. My favorites (for special occasions and a Loopy visit would be a special occasion) are Carlos’ and Gabriel’s. We can lunch at Bluffington’s if you just want to grab a sandwich.
In winter, come to town for the holiday tree lighting is the next town south of us (Lake Forest, but LB is better). We can stop at Peg Ann’s for some holiday shopping. Peg was secretary at the elementary school before opening her shop and is one of the friendliest people I know. On Sunday we’ll head to the high school for the Holiday concerts and spaghetti dinner. Small student ensembles play during dinner and the choral concert mixes a singalong with student groups. You’ll definitely leave town in the holiday spirit.
In spring, come in May and see the beautiful trees blooming on along almost all the streets in town. It’s a canopy of green out today and I’ll cut some lilac from our back yard.
If that’s not enough to entice you, there is this city about 40 minutes away – Chicago or something. I hear they have some fabulous museums and restaurants too. Harry Potter is at the Museum of Science and Industry. I used to live about 2 blocks from there…I’ll tell you about that later.
Thanks Sheri and all the elves. And super congrats to web guy. I love college commencements with all that pomp and circumstance. Safe travels and best wishes!
I am in southern California. North Orange County. If you came here I would show you our wonderful nature walks at Bolsa Chica and ElDorado park in Long Beach. Also the aquarium in Long Beach is a must see. I have been to many and this one has the best tropical fish that I have ever seen as well as sharks. For shopping you need to go to South Coast Plaza- they bring tour buses there and of course Disneyland. There is something for everyone here
I live in the heart of Amish country in PA. I always show visitors what the tourists don’t get to see; a local tour of Amish farms and stores. The countryside is beautiful in the summer with the mowed fields, the stalks of corn, flower gardens, and farm animals (which includes frolicking sheep, of course!).
The classic bumper sticker in this area is “Ithaca is gorges!”, and it’s true. There are many wonderful hikes and parks with gorges in the area.
I live on beautiful Vancouver Island British Columbia, one o the most beautiful places in the world. We’re right on the Pacific Ocean, and all that holds with it. If you were to come visit, I think I’d take you out whale watching, something I have always wanted to do but never gotten around to in the 18 years I’ve lived here. How does that sound?
I grew up in Central Ohio, but was transplanted in Toledo when I came here for college. This is my hometown now. What would I show you? First up, The Toledo Zoo! It’s small but world class! The next stop is Fifth Third Field to see The Toledo Mudhens play in their beautiful stadium. Who knows? Jamie Farr (remember Klinger from M*A*S*H?) might be there. Next on the list is Tony Packo’s for some famous dogs and pickles & peppers! mmmmm yummy After that we’ll have a leisurely stroll through The Toledo Art Museum and its world class collections.
We have a heckuva town, right on the shores of Lake Erie.
Yay! I’m a Groupie! Though I won’t get to see all my goodies until mid-June, when I can swing by Minnesota for a short visit.
Right now, I am living in Quito, Ecuador. I would start out the sightseeing by bringing you about 20 minutes north of the city to Mitad del Mundo . . .a monument/park built on the equator, so you can have your picture taken with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and one foot in the Southern Hemisphere. Except that the measurements weren’t accurate . . .. so next, I’ll take you to “the real” equator site . . .seems the Incans were more accurate than the Europeans.
Next, you’d need to visit El Centro, the “old town,” home of amazing churches and museums. You’d also need to see the artisians’ market, then on to the Teleferico, a gondola up the Pinchincha Volcano. You’ll need to take it easy, though . . at over 13,000 feet altitude, it makes Denver feel like sea level! Finally, dinner at one of the lovely restaurants here. If you’re adventurous, you might like to try a local delicacy: cuy. Roasted guinea pig 🙂
My hometown is very small and actually has a yarn store now and a few great places to eat, but the one place you have to stop is Evans Variety Store. It used to be the 5 & 10 store and if you ever need anything – you will find it there if it is anywhere! They have tons of stuff crammed in too small of a space, but it’s so much fun to go through.
Hi, I live in Hurst Texas, it is sort of between Fort Worth and Dallas. It is a great place to live and knit! I guess a cool place to see would be the new Dallas Cowboy football
stadium, I have not actually seen the inside but it is pretty impressive from the outside. I would think football fans would love it, I don’t have a clue about football. =)
I come from a relatively small quiet town. Chillicothe, Mo is located NE of Kansas City, MO at the junction of Highways 36 and 65. We don’t have a lot as far as sites to see but we do have beautiful murals throughout the town. We also have a lovely sprawling park on the north end of town.
There’s a lot to do in Kansas City. If the weather is nice I like to take people down to the Plaza to see the fountains. The Nelson-Atkins museum is also a great place to go. Of course I’d have to take them for some BBQ!
We like to take visitors who come from other parts of the country to see the Pacific Ocean. I’m cheating a little because it’s not in our hometown, but it’s pretty close. We also like to show off the Stanford campus (we both work up there) and the mall, because it’s beautiful to walk around (seriously). Dinner after at one of the funky places on University Ave in Palo Alto…
Happy Graduation to College Guy!
My hometown has a beautiful beach called Jones Beach. For Memorial Day weekend the Air Force has an air show which is very exciting to watch. During the summer the waves at the beach are terrific to ride.
Happy Memorial Day!!
I live in Fresno, California. We are dead center in the middle of the state, which puts us equal distance from the mountains and the ocean.
This time of year, the waterfalls up in Yosemite National Park are flowing heavily with the snow melt. After a drive up through the park to the world-famous, Ahwahnee Hotel, where we would have lunch in the Ahwahnee Dining Room, overlooking the meadows outside. The glass windows act as prisms, refracting the sun light into lovely colors across the walls. Or, we could dine al fresco at the Ahwahnee Bar with spectacular views of Half Dome and Glacier Point. Later, we could hike up to Yosemite Falls or Vernal Falls and stand near the bottom of the falls and feel the mist kiss our faces.
Back in Fresno, we would take a tour of the incredible Forestiere Gardens, an underground garden built by Artist-Builder Baldassare Forestiere. Baldassare hand carved over 10 acres of connecting tunnels, rooms, patios, and grottos, as well as a simple earthen home. Fruit trees and grape vines grow from the underground caverans through skylights to reach the sunlight over head. You will be amazed by Baldassare’s labor of love.
If the weather in Fresno is too warm, we can drive over to the Central Coast and the Pacific Ocean. The beach towns of Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and Morro Bay all offer relief from Fresno’s warm summer weather. In Pismo Beach, we can taste Splash Cafe’s award winning clam chowder. In Avila Beach, we can drive out on the pier and buy fresh fish to cook over the BBQ. In Morro Bay, we can rent kayaks and paddle out to the sand dunes and watch the herons, egrets and pelicans soar over head.
In October, we can drive up to Dixon for the Lambtown fiber festival. Here we can watch the judging of the AOBA sanctioned alpaca fleeces (also for sale). We can take a spinning class or watch the National Spinning Competition. We can join in the lamb rib eating contest or watch the Sheep to Shawl competition. If we are feeling a little lazy, we can sit under a tree, listen to live music and knit.
Come out to Fresno and I’ll show you around. We might even visit a local alpaca farm or fleece processor.
We’ve got a little of everything here. A great river, the tallest mountain east of the Rockies. Lots of crafts and a cool yarn shop. Come Visit!
Hmmm. I would maybe hope that the visit was during the Fluff Festival so you can get lots of fluffy goodness. Why is there a Fluff festival here? Fluff was invented here in Somerville.
I live in Southern Vermont and would love to you to see my town….Although Brattleboro is a small town, we have two local yarn shops. Nine miles down the road is Putney – home of the Green Mountain Spinnery – a very cool place to visit! I think I’d end the tour up the road from Putney at the old farm where there is an enormous cow – who most afternoons sits on her rear end in the field like a dog!
Happy Graduation to your College Guy! Our college guy just graduated last weekend…..more $$$ for sock yarn now!!!!
The name of my hometown means “Clear Water” in French. We could tour the Leinenkugel Lodge and sample beer, bike the many bicycle trails along the Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers, go canoeing or kayaking on any of the rivers or lakes, or sit down at the bandshell on the riverfront listening to a concert and knit!
My hometown holds dual history….the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. We have the so many historical sites. One of my favorite places is Kenmore, George Washington’s sister home. It is so peaceful and very interesting. Right around the corner is his mother’s house, Mary Washington. Lunch just down the street at the cutest tea room at Smyths cottage. It is pink and frilley and the food is wonderful. Lots of Antique shops and other great shops to browse. And a must see is the LYS which is in a great little cottage on the edge of town hear the University of Mary Washington College. You can do all of this with a great pair of walking shoes and walk the town. A stop at the Hyperian coffee shop is a must. Great local hangout and great coffee! Dinner at Riverview on the river is the ending of a perfect day. There is so much to do it’s hard to put it into a few paragraphs. Come and visit us!
whoops…forgot to say the Town…It’s Fredericksburg VA….50 miles south of Washington DC and 50 miles north of Richmond VA.
I would encourage you to come here in October for the Balloon Fiesta. If you like hot air balloons, you would LOVE to be here for that, but if you came at another time of year, I would take you for a ride up the tram to the top of Sandia Peak and a great view of the city. There’s also hiking, bicycle trails, the aquarium and botanical park. . .
My home town is Melbourne, Australia so I would take you to Healsville Sancutary to see Australian wildlife up close and then it would be off to the Botanical Gardens cafe for some refreshments and a meet up with a group of knitters that meet there regularly.
Nothing like sharing the joy of the fibre with those who care!
I live outside a small rural town. We do have a Cyber Cafe and a lovely Quit Shop. (can you tell where I go?) We have our Country Fair Days in July that is fun when lots of people come back home for the festivities. We are a farming community so lots of farms. Our farm is one that people like to visit as we have 43 alpacas. We have 10 babies coming this spring, summer and fall. We are have our shearing day next week. Lors of fleece will come off our alpacas!!! A fiberlovers dream!!!!
I’m sure many people who are lucky enough to live in Chicago would list any of the major sightseeing sites… downtown, the lakefront and Wrigley Field come to mind. But for me, I would love to take an out-of-towner to my little neighborhood cafe, Lovely Bakeshop. My knitting group meets there and I have become such a devotee of their baked and other edible goodies! Their homemade soups and jams are really special. A cozy little spot just perfect for sharing with a beloved guest. 🙂
If you came to my town of Raleigh/Durham you would have to take time to visit the Duke Gardens and spend some time on Falls Lake.
I don’t really live in a “town” – Afton is pretty rural – so if you come to visit, we’d do some lots of outdoor stuff all around the county. First, I’d take you hiking at Crabtree Falls in Montebello. We’d pack a yummy picnic lunch to eat when we reached the top. Then we’d drive up the road a bit and feed the fish at the fish hatchery. Then I’d drive you along the Blue Ridge Parkway that runs along the Northwestern boundary of our county. On the way back home, we’d stop at one of our local brew pubs or wineries to sample some of Nelson County’s finest! Shall I pencil you in?
Wow, there’s so much to do in this neck of the woods. Must sees: the Blue Ridge Parkway; Monticello; Ash Lawn; the University of VA; any number of wineries; the Appalachian Trail; the American Shakespeare Theatre. And don’t forget to eat at the Blue Ridge Pig and have a beer at the Blue Mountain Brewing Company. Oh, and visit me!
When you come to Bexley we will see the governor’s mansion and the very cute main street where we will have a choice of Graeter’s Ice Cream or Jeni’s Splendid Ice cream – both regional favorites but I prefer Graeters- so does Oprah. Then we’ll drive into columbus for the 25cent tour of the OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. Then a quick ride thru German Village and a meal at Barrio or Katzingers. Oh we could hit one of the many yarn stores in the area – Yarnmarket is the biggest.
No question about this one! I’d take you to Bubble Pond, the prettiest place in Acadia National Park. And if you’re lucky, I’ll take you to the Jordan Pond House for tea and popovers afterward. 🙂
I can’t say much about my home town, but how about my home country? ^_~ For me, the thing I want to show everyone is our diving. It’s different depending on the season, but in February, the Butanding (whale sharks) migrate into Donsol, and you can actually swim and dive with them! It’s quite possible the most amazing, humbling experience that most people have ever had.
In the Summer in Eugene, Oregon, I’d say you couldn’t go home until you visit the Saturday Market. There are all sorts of wonderful handcrafted goods, plants and flowers, and farm-fresh veggies, not to mention music and a food court. It’s worth the trip every time (even if just to wander by and ogle the tie-dyed underwear!).
I live near Stone Mountain, Georgia. I would take you for a hike up our granite mountain. We have large pine trees up there growing in only 7 inches of soil and in the depressions of the rock you can find a rare shrimp. That’s right shrimp. You have to see it to believe it. The view from the top is beautiful! The foundation of my house was some of the last granite taken from the back side of Stone Mountain. We have lightening rods on our house because of so much metal in the rock. I would also take you my local yarn shop in “downtown Lawrenceville” (don’t blink) to show you where I go when I need my soul soothed. Then I will share my “big chair” and my cat patches (who loves to watch knitting) while we have coffee and sourcream pound cake. All of this…. southern style… of course.
Hmmmm…in OKC the Bombing Memorial would be the place I’d want you to see.
Since I live in a major “tourist” town, it’s hard to narrow it down to just 1 location. In my town you can visit Old England, Paris, Rome, Egypt, and Venice among other things. You guessed it!! I live in Las Vegas, NV. I think it would be best to make this a more broad spectrum choice and just say the Las Vegas Strip, since most visitors aren’t willing to settle for just 1 Casino. We also have many wonderful outdoor venues such as Lake Mead, Boulder Dam, Mt. Charleston and Red Rock.