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!
I remember my mom with her hands over mine, teaching me at a very young age. The first time I made something more than a mistake riddled scarf though, I was probably heading into my teens. So, chalk me up to 25 years or so.
I’ve been knitting for about 7 years.
My sister-in-law (an amazing knitter) tried to teach me ages ago, but I just wasn’t “ready”, then I finally re-taught myself about 5 years ago, and I’ve been serious about it for the last 4 years… I guess I can’t really say I was serious about it until I discovered shopping at The Loopy Ewe (online) about a year ago though! 😉
Since I was 10. I’m now 28 so about 18 years. But I’ve really picked it back up in the past 5 years or so.
Since I’m only 29, this defies the laws of physics, I’ve been knitting 56 years.
Off and on for 46 years. More seriously now for about 3-4 years.
Learned as a child but picked it back up about 12 years ago.
I learned to knit from a LYS that was on Manchester Rd in the late 80’s. I’ve been knitting on and off since then (maybe 10 years of real knitting time).
A friend brought me back to knitting (had knitted a bit in high school) in 1997 after my son had died. Kept my hands and mind busy, while my heart healed.
One and a half years.. and I finally feel ready to tackle my first sweater. Maybe!
I have known the basics since my mom taught me as a child. But only serious been knitting for about 12 to 13 years. I could have thought it was longer but really had to sit and think about it 🙂
Going on four! 🙂
I’ve been knitting for 4 years.
I have been knitting for about a year and a half. I taught myself how to knit via online videos and a couple of books so that I could knit woolies for my twin boys to wear over their cloth diapers. I have since found the sock love and recently started knitting shawls as well.
I’ve been knitting for five years now. I started while in grad school because I was stressed and needed an outlet. Well, that’s the official reason. In reality I was at my mom-in-law’s for the holidays and there was nothing to do and nowhere to go and I was climbing the walls. I thought about how I’d always wanted to knit so I went to the little yarn store near her house and they got me started on my way to nirvana. Now when ever we go to mom-in-law’s, I have somewhere to go and something to do.
Officially learned 33 (oh my!) years ago, but started again 7 years ago for reals 🙂
I’ve tried so hard to remember the start of my knitting life and I just can’t. I’m 46 years old and I’ve been knitting for ages. I remember learning to crochet as a child ( and have subsequentially forgotten practically everything) but knitting has always been a constant.
I made some fantasic rectangular garments as a teenager and I’d like to think my knitting has improved, at least shaping is an option these days!
Just about 5 years now, and I do it every day. I started because I wanted to be able to make wool pants for my baby 😀
Knitting for 23 years. I took a few off when I went back to school, but missed it too much to not come back to it!
I’ve been knitting for 5 years. It’s something I had always wanted to learn to do, but didn’t take the first step in learning until after my dad passed away. He was in his early 60’s and said that his one regret was not making time for the things he wanted to take up.
My aunt taught me to knit when I was six, and that was almost 56 years ago. There has been a LOT of knitting since.
We found a book and a bunch of notions in my husband’s grandmother’s things when we moved her to a nursing home many years ago, but knitting held no interest for me at the time. I crocheted, and that was enough. Flash forward a few years…a colleague of mine was learning to knit, and I was curious, so I got out grandma’s stuff and taught myself. That was about 13 years ago, and I’ve never looked back.
My mom taught me to knit when I was in high school. I did my senior project teaching others to knit caps for premies. That was 5 years ago.
I’e been knitting for about 7 years. My husband bought me the first stitch ‘n bitch book because he thought I might like it. Yep, he was right. 🙂
7 years last January.
It’s a source of some embarrassment, truth be told. Everyone here seems to have learned at their mother’s knee. :/
I’ve been knitting off and on for about 43 years, I learned to knit in Junior High School
Only for about a year and a half, but I absolutely love it!
I’ve been knitting seriously for about 15 years. It has been a good time!
I have been knitting for 40 years! 🙂
Holy cow! 53 years! My Grandma would visit for a week every Christmas and when I was around 7 she taught me to knit. I will be 60 this year. Grandma left when the week was over and I was still working on that garter stitch “scarf” in Red Heart Yarn. When I ran out of yarn I did not know how to bind off and really did not want to stop knitting so I begged and begged my Mom to buy me some more yarn. I did not even care what color it was. I tied it on to the dangling end and happily knitted until I ran out again…as you can see this was a repeating scene. When Grandma came for another visit I dragged out my enormous “scarf” and she showed me how to bind off, and then how to cast on…I was now set for a lifetime of bliss! Best Christmas EVER! Thanks Grandma, think of you every time I bind off!
I have been knitting for 34 years!
WOW, for me, I have been knitting probably for 50 years. My mom taught me sometime in early childhood. Being the oldest, i was blessed that way. She didn’t teach my two sisters. But then, I always was more of the “Susy Homemaker” one of the bunch. By highschool I was knitting a lot and made myself a “hippy” dress and lots of sweaters and vests. Have come back with a vengeance the last few years after giving up counted cross stitch due to my eyes. I LOVE it.
I’ve been knitting for probably 15 – 20 years altogether, though not consecutively. I learned when I was a kid (in Girl Scouts, I think) but never did anything with it. I seem to recall trying to knit a baby sweater out of red Red Heart – not pretty red either! Then I picked up knitting again when we lived in England because our neighbor was an accomplished knitter. I started a jumper for our oldest child, and if I could find it now I might be able to finish that second sleeve. Of course it would have to wait for his first grandson because even his son has outgrown it. I picked up knitting for the third time about ten years or so ago, and this time I think it’s all sticking.
Just about 5 years. My friend from highschool taught me. I absolutely love it, I have always been interested in crafts….I use to sew my own clothes, then did a little quilting, and last counted cross-stitch for many years…..I am now completely involved with knitting. I belong to a fabulous kntting group, it has enhanced my life…
My Grandmother taught me when I was eleven and I’ve never stopped! So i’ve been knitting 41 years. Yikes. That can’t be right. I can’t possibly be that old. 🙂
I learned when I was a child from my mom but was never really interested. When I was in nursing school I needed a stress relief and had her teach me again. Since I relearned about 8 years ago I haven’t stopped. I joined a fantastic knitting group about three years ago and these women have become some of my closest friends and have encouraged me to learn new techniques, try projects I wouldn’t have had the confidence to try and enable me to buy lots of yarn!
Thanks for the chance!
I learned to knit when I was in the 5th grade… 24 years ago. 🙂
It will be 3 years this summer. I wanted to learn for several years, and my mom never found the time to teach me. Eventually, a good friend of mine showed me how, and now I’ve introduced my mom to Ravelry and new, nifty things! I’ve done counted cross stitch for 27 years, and think knitting is going to stick around for just as long or longer! So many things colours, yarns and patterns to explore!
I remember the October day 6 and 1/2 years ago –
A 5 yr. old, 2 yr. old, and 5month old were driving me batty so I stuck them in the car and drove to JoAnn Fabrics.
I picked up the Boye “Learn to Knit” kit and taught myself how to loop a piece of string into itself over and over and over in the most beautifully intoxicating way.
And while not able to completely eliminate the batty-ness, kniting afforded me the pleasure of accomplishing a little something each day that didn’t (necessarily) need to be put back together, cleaned up or re-done the next day.
I love those little ones that drove me just over the edge so that I could finally see the yarn at the end of the rainbow.
I have been knitting off and on for …40 years. Actually more off than on, until recently. I have been expanding into socks, sweaters, and lace shawls the last few years and with that have recently found The Loopy Ewe to support my habit! 🙂
I have been knitting 13 years, and learned just so I could make SOCKS!!
I have have knitting and crocheting since I was 14. …. so about 40 years.
I learned to knit 7 years ago, right before my niece was born. My sister was still pregnant at the time and I wanted to make the new baby a hat. By the time she was born I had made the hat, wash cloths, and I was starting socks. I was immediately addicted. Now my niece wants me to teach her!
I taught myself to knit about 5 years ago 🙂
6 years… but it seems like just yesterday!
I learned to knit when I was three so it’s been approximately 55 years! And I’m still learning.
57 years, give or take!
I don’t need to win-had a great time at Fling! It *would* be a nice gift for one of my knitting buds…
3 years…and looking forward to many, many more!
Well, since I learned to knit when I was an 8 yr old Brownie and I’m 68 this month, I’ve been knitting for 60 years! Holy Cow! That’s a loooooong time. 🙂
I’ve been knitting again for a bit over a year now. I had a 10 year pause after breaking both wrists snowboarding. I assumed I couldn’t still knit but one day last February, I tried to knit again and found I still could! Before that I had been knitting for about 10 years.