Last night was our late-night shopping hours evening. We’re open later the first Thursday of each month. Some Thursday nights are crazy busy, and other nights are calm and laid back. Last night, we had a great group of knitters pop over from Illinois to hang out, shop, and knit. In that group there were experienced knitters and brand new knitters, which is always fun. Some of them were just learning to knit socks and were being encouraged and instructed by the more experienced knitters in their group.
But the unique thing about this group? Some of them were the very first in-person shoppers to visit The Loopy Ewe. Here’s a photo of their first trip, back when Loopy was just a teeny tiny corner of shelves in my basement. They could stand in the middle of it and reach any shelf and any skein of yarn. (I’m not exaggerating.) The thing is, I think they had just as much fun on that first visit as they did on this visit (and all of their visits in between). It doesn’t matter how many shelves of yarn you have – just getting knitting friends and yarn together pretty much guarantees that fun will follow.
I made up a couple of extra Spring Fling Goodie Bags, just so I could share them with you in a blog contest! This year’s bag was a clear vinyl tote with shoulder straps, that came with a yellow-checked Loopy Ewe Mug, a sample of hand lotion, a Loopy sticky note set, and a skein of Wollmeise in a variety of colorways. Would you like to win one? Just leave us a comment below and answer this question: How many years have you been knitting? We’ll draw for the Goodie Bag winners next week.
Sheri hopingyourweekendbringsyourelaxationandsometimetoknit!
Almost 12 years!
Self-taught knitter here! Been knitting for 7 years. OMGosh has it really been that long?
I’m a newbie – I’ve only been knitting for about 10 months. I had been thinking about learning for a long time, but just never got around to it. Then I quit smoking and needed something to keep my hands busy, so I found a LYS that would teach you the very basics for free if you bought needles and some yarn there. I’ve been hooked ever since!
Technically, it’s been about 30 years, realistically though I’ve been knitting for the past 9 years, when a certain sweet 7 or 8 year old asked me to teach her to knit. We both took off knitting then and haven’t looked back. She’s 17 now and making her own designs up.
I have been knitting for almost 25 years!
Almost 25 years for me.
Wow, I hope you add all these years together as I’m sure we’d all be surprised. When I was in third grade we knit squares for the Red Cross, and that was a bazillion years ago., My mom taught me when I was 7, and I’ve been knitting off and on since then…um 62 years, I guess. These days I’ve often several things on the needles………and enjoy teaching women in the antepartum unit at a local hospital.
I have been knitting for just over a year. I started out crocheting, got involved with a local knit and crochet group I met through Ravelry, and picked up knitting from there! The only problem was, I knit lefty, through the back loop. I had to learn the lean of decreases to do lace, so my ssk’s have to be done as k2tog, and visa-versa. I watch how-to videos with my back turned to the monitor and I hold a mirror up and watch over my shoulder. It’s been worth every second of frustration learning how to make such beautiful things for my family and myself. The funniest thing is, I crochet righty. Go figure! lol
I wish you were closer to me. You have fab stuff, and your shop seems like such a warm and inviting place to sit and knit!
I have been knitting for a little over 5 yrs I picked it up when I was dealing with a back injury.
I learned to knit (no purling involved!) when I was about 6. My mom didn’t like to knit although she knew how, so she quickly taught me after I asked her to make me a doll blanket. But I didn’t knit steadily. I took it up again (including purling this time) when I was in my late 20s; then my work got too demanding and I stopped for many years. I took it up again a couple of years ago; I’m amazed that it came back to me!
I have been knitting for about 30 years, since before it was popular!
I have been knitting for 24 years now. (I learned when I was 6)
I am a brand new baby knitter! Just started in January and I am seriously in love!
It seems likeI’ve knitted forever. I started as a teenager (that was in another era – really about 45 years ago). Made my then fiance a black mohair sweater. That should discouraged me as it was so very hard to see those stitches. I knitted until we had kids and I knitted for them. Then I gave up and did ccs but later returned to my first love – knitting. Don’t get me wrong, I still love doing ccs but I’ve run out of wall space. Never run out of “need” for socks, scarves, sweaters, etc. And the yarns keep getting better and better.
I’ve been knitting around 37 years. When I was in the 7th or 8th grade, my mom was making me an awesome sweater from the cover of Good Housekeeping, or something like it, and I kept picking it up and knitting a few rows here and there. She finally told me that if I could do that, I could also learn to read the pattern and help her get it finished. I still have that old sweater! It’s made of Red Heart (probably the only yarn available out in our rural neighborhood back then), has lots of cables & honey comb, a front pouch pocket and a hood. I thought I was really stylin’ when I wore it. I love that old sweater and the memories that are knit into it.
Now, I hate to admit it but I’m a yarn snob. Red Heart is a yarn of the past for me.
Well, I have learned to knit 43 years ago & knit sporadically I then became a fanatic about 6 years ago with resurgence of indie yarns. I just can’t get enough!
I’ve been knitting on and off for about 15 years. My grandmother and mother taught me the basics when I was 8-10ish, and then I didn’t pick it up again until my freshman year of college when my best friend taught me how to knit socks. She started me off with a skein of LL Black Purl from… where else? TLE!
52 years since a long trip from Illinois to Pennsylvania in an unconditioned car – can you believe my mom was knitting argyle socks on DpnS and used them to teach an 8-year old!!!
I’ve been knitting for about as long as I’ve been married – 5 years. We moved to a town with a small knitting shop and one day I walked in and asked the saleswoman to teach me to knit/purl. I’ve been knitting ever since. 🙂
I have been knitting for 7 years or so.
Knitting 8 years now. I can’t wait to get to go to TLE in person!
I learned to knit when I was about 8. So off and on for about 39 years, hardcore addiction for about 25. Amazing how much easier it is to get addicted when you actually have a job and can supply your habit. lol
This will be my 5th year! I LOVE LOVE LOVE knitting-wish I could make it a full time job.
I learned how to knit as a small child, but only learned how to purl 2.5 years ago, so I count from then 🙂 I’ve had the blessing of being “adopted” by one of your loyal groupies who sends me goodies from time to time. SO jealous of all of you who got to go to Spring Fling! One of these days I’ll make it out there!!!
I’ve been knitting for two and a half years and loving every moment of it. I regret I didn’t find the joy and serenity of knitting decades ago…..but I’m so thankful I found it eventually. Knitting and I are now partners for life.
Learned it in 2005, picked it up in earnest in 2008… so I guess 3 years?
The goodie bag looks awesome!!
I’ve been knitting for about 7 years!
About twelve years!
6 years!
I have been knitting for 6 years and have found out that a good size stash costs almost as much as the therapy knitting replaced!!!
I’ve been knitting for 2.5 years, and I absolutely love it. I have dreams of winning to lottery so that I can knit full time 🙂
I think I probably learnt to knit around 30/31 years ago and I knitted on and off until my late teens. Then I had a break to play guitar. I took it up again last year – it keeps me sane during difficult times!!
6 years now!
I have been knitting 45 years. It is amazing how things have changed, yet stayed the same.
I learned to knit 45 years ago on 2 “pick-up sticks”.
After making a garter stitch scarf I made garter stitch pin cushions for my Grandma’s for Christmas. Now…the sky is the limit but I especially enjoy knitting socks.
Hi!! I’ve been knitting for about 12 years! lovely ones!
i have been knitting since i was 12. seriously got into it in ’83. if i don’t knit everyday, i get CRANKY and the family knows something is WRONG!!!!!
2 years and still in love 🙂
A friend showed me a bit in Germany 25 years ago, but I taught myself the rest about eight years now. LOVE it!
I tried to teach myself to knit back in ’67. My first project was a cheap purple acrylic yarn cape, it was going to be full-length. I dropped some stitches here and there and couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. The bag of yarn and the project followed me around for about 20 years and finally, mercifully, disappeared into another dimension.
I re-learned to knit 6 years ago. I still drop stitches occasionally, but thanks to Ravelry and lots of knitting angels, now I now how to fix them. And thanks to Loopy (and other wonderful sources of yarn) I don’t have to knit with cheap purple acrylic.
Seven years since I started knitting seriously. I learned long ago when I was a little kid but never went anywhere with it.
I’ve been knitting since I was about 6 or 7. My mom taught me one night instead of reading me a bed time story and I knit up all her scraps into one long narrow strip; then began knitting Barbie Doll clothes. So it’s over 50 years for me. 😉
Been knitting about 2 years – I have been an “off and on” crocheter for about 30 years but wanted to learn to knit socks! Your website has been such fun and full of information for me while I taught myself to knit socks. Now I am “hooked” on kitting socks!!! 🙂 Thank you!
I’ve been knitting for about 3.5 years and LOVE it. Still have alot to learn and so many things to try 🙂
Learned at 5 from my nana, knit sporadically until about ten, picked it up for a year or so at 21, then restarted with a vengeance in 2005. I figure maybe 15 years total. Love it!
I have been knitting for 5.5 years and love it!
I learned to knit when I was very young, then did needlepoint for awhile, and then picked it up again about eight years ago. I progressed from scarves to afghans to sweaters to socks to shawls.
15 years this Thanksgiving. Wow!
I have been knitting for nearly six years and it has been the best years. I love it. It is sanity in an insane world.
And I love the Loopy Ewe shop, both in person and online. Spring Fling will be marked on my calendar next year.
Rav: MzCruse
7 years this August!