You all have made it a very very (very very) busy month for us here at The Loopy Ewe. And we SO appreciate it! We’ve had fun packing up your orders. You might notice that we’ve sent out some of the sale orders sans tissue paper. It was either that, or take an extra 2 days to get all of the orders out. We figured you’d just as soon have the yarn quicker. Once these anniversary sales are over, we’ll get back to orders as usual around here. Although if you want to keep up this pace, I can always hire more Elves. We’re up for it!
Wow – 1800+ comments on last week’s contest blog. How fun is that? It was interesting to see where you heard about us. Yes, we DO love and appreciate Wendy an awful lot. And Lime & Violet. And the Yarn Harlot. And … well every single one of you who have ever passed our website on to your friends and knitting groups via podcasts, blogs, emails, Ravelry posts, and word of mouth. Our goal is to always live up to the positive things that you have said about us, and we promise to take good care of your friends, here, too. 🙂 We are sending out 8 prize packages, from randomly selected comments off of last week’s blog. The winner’s are: Janice in VA, Laura in UT, Maria in MN, Natasha in VA, Meredith in MI, Ann in OH, Melissa in UT, and Rachel in VA. (I think that Virginia and Utah were well represented this time.) I’ve sent emails to the 8 of you, so check your email in-box if you think it might be you. We’ll pick the last round of winners from this post, and we’ll announce them next week.
Today’s Anniversary Sale (our last one) includes 20% off all Fiesta Yarns, 20% off all Monica Knits Patterns, and 20% off all Loopy Ewe Accessories. (In stock items only.) We hope you have fun picking out some new things. We’ll be including a free sock pattern if you purchase 2 skeins of Baby Boom (the sock is shown here), and a free scarf pattern if you purchase a skein of Ballet. All free patterns are while supplies last.
In addition to the Sale, we’ve also added in a whole bunch of stuff for the regular weekly update. Just in, you’ll find:
Polar Knits Worsted Weight
Dream in Color Classy re-stocked (including our exclusive Don’t Be Blue colorway)
Dream in Color Smooshy re-stocked
Dream in Color Smooshy Sock Summit Exclusives
Lorna’s Laces Whidbey Island (exclusive Sock Summit Colorway)
Ella Rae Lace Merino
String Theory Caper Sock
Hand Maiden Casbah (so many great colors in stock)
Tempted Luxe Girl (new cashmere line)
Opal Rainforest Five
Addi Lace Turbo 16″ circulars
Addi Click Tips and Connectors
Fiesta Baby Boom in new colors
So hop over to shop! But before you go, answer this question in the comments for your chance to win a prize package in our last anniversary contest. (Of course we’ll be back with our September Blog Contest before you know it.) Question: Who has had the biggest influence on your knitting? It might be a pattern designer, or a blogger, or a friend, or a group on Ravelry, or a podcaster or … even yourself. Maybe you’re good at poking around and inspiring yourself to learn new things and branch out. Food for thought. And then for a blog comment. 🙂
We’re taking pre-orders on the new Namaste bag colors, which we expect in within the next week or two. If you’d like a RED Hermosa, or a BLACK Zuma, or a BLACK Laguna, simply send us an email (support AT theloopyewe DOT com) and we’ll reserve one for you. The Hermosa’s are $75 and the Zuma’s and Laguna’s are $69.
We’re heading up to Indiana to take Knitting Daughter back to college this week, so I won’t be blogging again until next Monday. Maybe I can get some of these half-finished socks done enroute so that I’ll have photos to share by then. Or maybe I’ll be too busy shedding tears. You know how that goes. I’m hopeless.
Sheri thinkingthatfallisintheair
eventhoughLaborDayisstill
twoweeksaway
I taught myself to knit almost 7 years ago, and I would have to thank two women for that. One of them is Prudence Mapstone, her freeform crochet and knitting encouraged me to try knitting and the love for the craft has kept me in it. The other woman is a lady by the name of Carol, who owns Carol’s Knitting Studio in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She has encouraged me every step of the way in my knitting journey and talked me up when I was convinced I was too dingy or addlepated to make a sock, or a shawl, or a bag. These women have had the biggest influence in my knitting and I love them both
My mom’s mother had the biggest influence on my knitting. When I was eight, she taught me to crochet. I still remember the lesson. She died when I was twelve, never having taught me to knit. My grandfather died just nine months later (he never expected to outlive her and didn’t want to). After she and her siblings cleaned out their parents’ house, my mom gave me a little boxed set of knitting books my gram had owned since the 1950s or so–four little books by a designer named Marti. That Christmas, Mom gave me two Vogel Craft cassette-tape-and-kit sets: Momma Never Taught Me to Crochet and Momma Never Taught Me to Knit. I re-learned crochet from the first and learned knitting from the second. I didn’t stick with it then, but I took it up again in college after buying some bargain-basket Rowan yarn from the knit shop inside Harrod’s.
I made Mom a scarf from some of that yarn using a pattern from one of the Marti books. Mom doesn’t knit, but she says that watching me reminds her of her mom.
My great-grandmother crocheted lots of lovely cotton doilies. Mom has a bunch in use at my parents’ house, and she has the bone crochet hooks my great-grandfather made. I never met either of them, but I feel a connection to both through the products of their labors.
This might sound a bit odd, but Ithte person who’s had the most influence on my knitting career is Cristi Brockway, AKA Turtlegirl76. I happened across her blog a little over a year ago while looking for a pattern for knee socks online. Before then, I’d never heard of knitting blogs, online yarn stores, or (gasp) Ravelry. After musing for a bit on how her name was the same as mine, with the same exact spelling, (very rare) I sarted reading her blog. I went all the way back to the begining and read every post.
I was amazed at all the things she was making and how talented she was. And it impressed me even more that she learned to knit around the same time I did, so I knew I was capable of the same level of work. Because of that, I look at each pattern with an open mind and figured out how to do it. In fact, now I’m a “the harder, the better” kind of gal. Also, I’ve now got my own kniting blog, I spend entirely too much time on Ravelry, and I read other’s blogs for added inspiration.
I can’t credit Cristi with everything, but I have to say that if I hadn’t found her blog that day, I probably wouldn’t be the knitter I am today.
If I were to be honest, I’d have to say my pal Jill who taught me how to knit and encouraged me to try all different techniques. When I developed chronic back pain about 18 months ago, she suggested I try sock knitting and knitting socks is what has kept me sane ever since. Thanks to her, I’m happy and productive (well, at least when it comes to keeping feet warm) no matter how bad things are!
It was probably a girl named Michelle at my LYS. I have always hated DPN’s. I am terrible about having stitches sliding off needles anyway and with so many points to slip off when using DPN’s, I was picking up dropped stitches as much as I was knitting. So, I tended to avoid anything that required knitting in the round. Michelle taught me magic loop and it opened up a whole new knitting world for me! I went from being an occasional (and crabby) sock knitter to a sock knitting machine. Of course, I don’t know whether I should thank her for that or not considering how much I now spend on sock yarn. 🙂
Anne Hanson and her designs have a great influence on me. Second to Anne is you at the Loopy Ewe. The yarns are irresistible and the service great. Thanks for all you do.
My friends in my knit group are, without a doubt, the biggest influencers of my knitting. We always encourage each other to try new things, and help each other when the spirit of adventure leads us down the path to unfamiliar techniques. Plus, they totally appreciate a good FO, which is highly motivating. 🙂
When I first learned to knit many years ago my influences were my Mom and Grandma. Now years later I find a ton of ideas and knowledge on the Interweb. YouTube tutorials, Ravelry, knitting blogs. I find great inspiration in my husband – Manhatter, who is also a knitter!! AND my yarney sisters (we call ourselves “The Spinsters”) Encouragement, enabeling and comradery. What more could a knittin gal ask for??
The biggest influence of my knitting comes from my knitting friends. Once I found knitting groups, I realized that there *are* other knitters out there, and all the different projects that everyone was working on introduced me to socks and all types of yarns and patterns. My knitting friends have expanded my knitting world and experience tremendously.
I don’t know that I can pick just one, or even 8! It’s all a big pile of people, yarns and patterns.
The design team at Rowan has probably been my biggest inspiration over the years – I love and look forward to their big semi annual magazine. Some years there isn’t a thing in there I would knit but the photography is always awesome and some years there are so many things I lust after and collect the yarn for – most of it is still in the archival yarn stash LOL – Thanks for entering me in the drawing – Melody
I don’t know really….I’ve just always wanted to knit. I taught myself to crochet in my early teens. Knitting just has a nicer drape and so when I was in college I taught myself to knit from a book. The internet has a lot of influence on what I have learned. My love of sock knitting comes from the way they are constructed. I think it is so cool. I usually get in on the knitting trends (clapotis, feb lady sweater, etc.) at the end of those trends, but that has never bothered me. I am a rather slow knitter and I know I will get to those things if I really want to do them. I love fibers and colors and The Loopy Ewe!
I don’t think I can name just one influence. I have three main influences. One is family: my mother and grandmothers are/were crafters if not necessarily knitters. Two is my craft group at work, watching people knit while I cross stitched made me interested to try. And third is the internet knitting community: Ravelry, Knitty, blogs, etc.
My grandmothers were the biggest influence in my knitting. Both were from Norway and couldn’t read a pattern, they just looked at the picture and made it! Beautiful sweaters and doilies. Then it was torture to spend time inside on a summer day with them knitting but I would give up al of my stash to just have an afternoon with both of them again!
My Ravelry friends are my biggest influence. Seeing all of their beautiful projects have inspired me to try new techniques I was a little unsure if I could master. They constantly inspire me.
My biggest influence on my knitting had to be my grandmother. She taught me knit when I was about 8. I only took it up again about 7 years ago…unfortunately I couldn’t have her share in my love for it because she had alzheimer’s. She passed away in June…I like to think she is a part of my life on a daily basis because she taught me to knit.
My DIL has been a huge inspiration, pushing me to new challenges; and she’s passionate about knitting … it rubs off on me!
My grandmother taught me to knit when I was quite little – 6 or 7 I think – and was always there when I needed help with understanding something, along with a variety of my mother’s friends and relatives. However, I think the most influence I ever received was when I found our LYS (Ram Wools) and discovered the joy of good wool. The time spent knitting is the same so you might as well use the best you can afford. And the knitting is so much more enjoyable with good wool!
I would have to say that my mother is my biggest knitting influence. She taught me to knit when I was young and patiently waited for the addiction to finally set in when I was around 24. She is the one I go to when I have a project idea and need to run it be someone. Our annual mother-daughter trip to MD Sheep & Wool is a highlight of the spring. When she got addicted to socks, I knew my addiction wouldn’t lag too far behind. When I have a night alone because hubby is busy, I look forward to knitting with my mom while watching a chick flick.
Thanks for the contest!
Hmm, I think the LYS that taught me to knit, and then probably all the wonderful knitters on Ravelry with great projects that are inspiring me to try new things.
Wow, tough question…probably a toss-up between Charlotte Schurch, because her two sock books opened my eyes to the endless possibilities, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, because she’s encouraged me to relax & experiment, and that even the best of us occasionally want to solve knitting issues with alcohol, and yourself, Sheri, because OMG, my stash has grown tenfold since you opened! Your selection is fantastic, and I can’t help but ponder the possibilities of each & every skein in your shop. I suppose my husband might consider you to be a *bad* influence, at least on our checkbook… 😉
The ladies at the Knitting Nook in Watauga Texas. I haven’t knit very long and they are so helpful and encouraging. I get to see so many beautiful things when they bring their projects. I want to make them too, and they always tell me, you can do it.
I have had several influences on my knitting. When I was visiting one of my best friends and her family in St. Louis for Christmas three years ago, she was knitting a present for her husband. The LYS was right on the corner and when we went there I knew I had to learn to do this. The owner, Gina, spent an afternoon teaching me to knit. I have knit every day since. The most recent influences are the other knitters at my LYS – their ability is amazing – and they are willing to share “how to” tips. And, finally a teacher/designer/writer who taught classes at the LYS 2 years ago. She is Annie Modesitt. Thank you to all .
I had a few older women influence me when I was younger – they took the time and patience to teach me crochet, knitting and needlework. I only wish I had have had someone teach me to quilt too.
Overall, I’d have to say that Ravelry has been the biggest influence on my knitting. New projects, yarns, designer, techniques, people, events. I mean, in the 15 years I have been knitting, they make it so easy to stay nearly overwhelmed with ideas. Mom tried to teach me when I was a kid, it did not stick. I taught myself later in life. Now with Rav, I find new inspiration every day.
The largest influence on my knitting is the Ravelry community. I am always inspired learn new things, be creative, think outside the box, and just try something new.
My biggest influence on my knitting is probably myself and Ravelry. I get really inspired by talking things over in the chatter threads usually in the KYS, CPaAS and C2S2 groups. I taught myself how to knit because I saw a friend doing it, and while it’s a hobby for her it has become my obsession. But as for a true influence on my projects? Ravelry. Ravelry as a whole website is inspiring, because I can see all of the wonderful color and yarn combinations that previous knitters have used before. The pattern recommendation feature is fantastic as well, because it helps me to look in directions that I would usually ignore.
It would have to be my mom. I remember her teaching me to knit at about five years of age. One of my most precious belongings is a Boye needle kit she gave me for Christmas when I was about 19. Mom has been gone for 30 years now, but every time I pull out those needles I think of her. I still miss her.
Barbara Walker. I saw a newspaper article about her in the 60’s and the knitting books she was writing and bought the books and have been knitting ever since.
Elizabeth Zimmermann, hands down!! I took a class with her in ’82 (part of the motorcycle tour with Gaffer), and though I “knew” how to knit, she steered me right in way too many ways to count.
My mom and grandmother…not knitters but they crocheted, sewed ALL my clothes, and could “fix” anything. I started knitting and crocheting for Babie after watching them.
Veronik Avery. Her patterns are alway classic and aren’t “your grandma’s knitting.”
I stumbled onto the The Yarn Harlot and the Mason Dixon Knitting blogs early in my knitting career, and they made knitting sound so fun and interesting that I keep going back for more.
I have a small group of knitting friends that I think most influence my knitting. We compare ideas, half knit WIP’s and just hang out and knit together. That means we thumb through a lot of magazines and books together and send each other lots of Rav links 🙂
My knitting has been influenced by so many people that it is hard to pick just one. Mrs Curlee taught me to knitat the request of my parents when i was in 2nd grade. I still don’t know how that happened but I’ve never regretted it. The DMC Encyclopedia of Needlework inspired me to try incredibly complicated patterns while I was too naive to realize how challenging they were. Kaffe Fasset’s books taught me not to fear colors. Elizabeth Zimmerman’s books got me to start working on lace shawls. The books and blogs of Wendy D. Johnson and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee taught me that there is no wrong way to knit if you like the product ( and that if you don’t like the result, just rip it out). Jane at my local online yarn shop taught me that not every one can imporvise and that that ability is to be valued. The many people in the knitting groups I’ve been a part of have taught me the value of the community that knitters create and that there is joy in creating dishclothes and following simple patterns. There are many other people who played a role in making me the knitter I am today and I am incredibly grateful for all of these influences. I hope that the people I touch with my knitting will be positively influenced in the same way.
I am a self-taught knitter, but I have learned so much more from my circle of knitting friends. They are my biggest influence by far, and I love them dearly.
The biggest influence on my knitting has been the many fabulous knit bloggers who knit the most fabulous garments, accessories, etc. Just seeing the pics and hearing the stories inspires me constantly!
Kate Gilbert of The Twist Collective brought me back to knitting, which I had learned as a child. A few years ago I was planning to live in Paris for a while; that’s how I found her expat blog, Needles on Fire. The knitting was a happy bonus!
My weekly Friday knitting group has got to be the most influencial on my knitting. From day one when I started there, I kept seeing knitting projects that other’s were working on and had to start making them too. That is why I have so many WIP’s. Also, they make me grow in my knitting. We share tips and push each other to try new things to knit. That is one reason why I started the Girasole.
Karin
My earlliest influence was my grandmother (Oma) who sheared, spun and knit her own yarn. I was born at a time when babies were all dressed in knits, people in our town even wore handknit undergarments and, of course, socks. My mom was a constant knitter, and knit for income after the war. I taught myself to knit (garter stitch) when I was 3 years old, by watching others knit. As a child I knit baby layettes for each of my many younger siblings, as soon as I learned that my mom was expecting. Yarn was $0.25 a ball, which I earned myself. In high School my friends were inspiring by their encouragement–they could not believe that I could copy their sweaters (didn’t mind at all). Later I designed and knit for an upscale Ladies’ shop–the trust of the owner in my word that I could knit well, and sending me out the door with $10,000 worth of fancy yarns (in the early 80’s) was inspiring. And now it’s mostly for love of the craft.
My mom and grandmother both tried to teach me to knit when I was young, but being left handed they finally gave up. I taught myself to knit in 2005 just before I learned that I was going to be a grandmother. I would say that my LYS, now closed, gave me tons of encouragement to continue. It is the most relaxing thing that I do every day.
Complicated baby blankets and socks are my favorite projects.
The beautiful yarns keep me knitting. To many yarns and not nearly enough time to knit them all.
Thank you for a great website.
I think my grandmother was my original influence. she was from Scotland and always had knitting in her hands when we were visiting. So much so that I’m not allowed to knit my dad anything to wear! He still has everything she made him…I did get him to accept a knitted barbecue hot mitt though…:) I wish she had lived long enough for us both to knit together. But I keep her in my heart!
My biggest influence on my knitting was Grete Haladyna who was my first machine knitting teacher. She was a teacher as well as a knit wear designer. She taught me how important finishes were on a knit item. I took what she taught me and applied it to my limited (at the time) hand knitting skills, proceeding to grow from there.
I learned to knit after watching my brother in the exchange family I was living with in Germany make beautiful sweaters. I could only do basic straight panels that I turned into pillows then. I picked up the needles again 25 years later – and am working my way up to sweaters, always remembering the ones he made.
I have a tremendous love for colors and designs combined with a very curious “let’s see if I can follow these directions” attitude. I’m sort of a fearless knitter and always finding new ways to feed my creative knitting soul. Recently I’ve been inspired by the scrumptious offerings of the Loopy Ewe and the KAL mystery shawls of Renee Leverington. Also the Girasole….I have two on needles, one blanket and one shawl, with yarn & plans for at least several more. : )
I have to say the biggest influence on my knitting has to be finished projects by other ravelers. I see something that someone made and think I have to knit that for myself. Also in sock knitting I have to say Cookie A and Nancy Bush.
My mother was the family knitter; taught me when I was 6 – many, many years ago! Through the years, I preferred crochet; it seemed to me that it was faster and I could see my progress quicker. But I did always knit and she was my mentor. I didn’t return to serious, fanatic knitting until late in Mom’s life, when I knew my time with her was limited. It is still soothing, peaceful for me
That’s a toughie… I learned on my own, but succeeded I believe because of the great patterns/support I got from Theresa at Little Turtle Knits. I’m still a big fan of hers. More recently, I’ve been excited to knit things I’ve never tried before, largely inspired by the colorways from Sharon at Three Irish Girls. Sharon has also been a great help when I’m trying to figure something out in a knitting project.
Please tell me about that sock! I love it! What pattern did you use? What yarn?
Thanks.
I think my biggest influence is Lorraine, the owner of my favorite LYS. She has the most kind and patient personality. She can teach anyone to knit. There are at least 2 blind people that I know of that she has taught to knit.
She started her shop with the goal of being kind and helpful to anyone who walks through the door, and also to teach, and she exceeds all her goals admirably!