Busy, Busy, Busy!

So much to talk about today! (Been gone a week. A lot has happened!)

Dr. Who Kits! First of all, we have a new Dr. Who opportunity for you. Since the good old doctor is turning 50 in November, Lorna’s Laces has teamed up with Kate Atherly to do a Time & Space Socks Kit and a Time & Space Scarf Kit for you. If you’d like to pre-order it, just email by Monday (support@theloopyewe.com) and let us know Socks or Scarf (or both). Each kit is $89 and includes the pattern. Each pattern consists of 6 different colors. The socks are made with Shepherd Sock and the scarf is made with Shepherd Bulky. Aren’t these fun?

Fall Photography Blog Contest: We also have a winner to announce from our blog contest. I shared photos of my husband’s Fall in Colorado photos and offered one of you the photo of your choice. That will be going to Kitrin from MT. Congratulations, Kitrin!

Quilt Market: Last weekend was Quilt Market in Houston, and we had a great time! Since this was my third Quilt Market, it was a little less overwhelming than the first two times. It’s a great deal bigger than Yarn Market, and there is so much to see. Of course we ordered bolts and bolts and bolts of fabric. We have more shelves to fill up, and more fixtures to add when those get full! We have fabric coming in almost weekly, scheduled through next April already. At this market, we added in Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Joel Dewberry, Parson Gray, Tim Holtz, Tanya Whelan, Tula Pink, Cloud 9, Andover (including the Downton Abbey fabric, which is scheduled to ship later this month), and more fun lines from Moda, Riley Blake, Birch, Adornit, and Timeless Treasures. We also found new pattern lines, hand-dyed woolens, and variegated embroidery threads from Valdani. Watch for all of this to arrive over the next few months. (And pass this on to your quilting/sewing friends. Remember, if you refer a new customer to our website and they make their first purchase, you get a $5 Loopy credit! Tell your friend to mention your name when they order.) Here are a few pictures from Quilt Market, including Loopy Legend Karen in front of the fabric line she designs, the Costume Designer and Set Designer from Downton Abbey (who were at Market to help promote the new fabric line), and a few cute displays from different booths:

Las Vegas: After Quilt Market, I flew from Houston to Las Vegas to take part in a Strategic Planning meeting for the Yarn Group from TNNA, which is our trade organization. There were 30 of us there (a mix of wholesalers, retailers, designers, and board members) and it was interesting to talk, brainstorm, and plan for how to continue to grow and promote the yarn industry in the years to come. After the meetings each day (see the easel sheets on the wall? Lots of work), we explored the strip and good restaurants, including watching the fountains at the Bellagio, having the best sweet potato fries ever at Gordon Ramsey’s Burgr restaurant (where you’ll see Beth from Lorna’s Laces contemplating her choices), and checking out desserts (where Mary-Heather from Ravelry displays the cutest little Lemon Tart ever.)

Fabric Shop Grand Opening: It’s time to make our fabric addition official! You’re invited to the Grand Opening of our Loopy Ewe Fabric Shop, Saturday, November 9th from 10 am – 4:30 pm. We’ll have drawings and door prizes, demos (including Joallyn from Martelli in FL, here to demo their amazing tables and tools), and plenty of fun. Come along and bring a friend! (Not local to us? We’ll have a drawing just for you the week after that on the blog.)

Help Wanted: As we continue to grow, we’re finding that we need to hire more help! We’re looking for people who are customer-service oriented, great with details, and available three days a week (a mix of weekdays, Thursday evenings, and Saturdays). Email us (support@theloopyewe.com) or pop in the shop for an application. We look forward to talking with you about the opportunities here. Here are just a few of the awesome Loopy Elves you’d be joining:

That’s it for today. Quite enough, don’t you think? I hope you all have a great weekend planned. I need to get back to work on my sweater, that I’m determined to knit all the way to the end….

Sheri gladtobebackhome,butemailin-boxstilloverflowing