Are you ready for Camp Loopy? This is our fourth year hosting you all for (virtual) Camp, and we anticipate a great summer of knitting and fun. This summer, we’re glamping, not camping! What is glamping? It’s “a form of camping involving accomodations and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping.” No tents and rocks under your sleeping bags. We’re putting you all up in those adorable vintage campers that people buy to re-do on the inside. Each one is different than the other. Isn’t that fun?
How does it work? First of all, there is no travel involved. This is Virtual Camp! That means no bugs, no campfire smoke in your eyes, and (unfortunately) no real vintage glampers to sleep in. We’ll have to pretend. It does involve lots of knitting, meeting new friends, contests, challenges, and fun!
We will be knitting a different challenge project each month, for the next 3 months. You can choose to knit for one month, two months, or all three months. There are prizes for completing your projects on time and an extra bonus for doing all three. I know quite a few of you have mentioned that your Camp Loopy knitting will be used for holiday gifts, which is a great way to get a jump-start on those projects.
Here is our schedule:
Project One: needs to be knit or crocheted between 6/1 and 6/30 (with a photo of the completed project uploaded to our Project One Photo Gallery by 7/1).
The Challenge for Project One – Find a project that reminds you of one of your favorite books, TV Shows, or movies. It can be based on a character, or a scene, or colors, or names, or however you’d like to interpret your love of that book/show/movie. We look forward to hearing you share your stories about what you picked and why! This first project must have a minimum of 400 yards, used in one project. (Not sets of things, like matching hats or shawls. However, a pair of socks or a pair of mittens DOES count!)
Project Two: will need to be knit or crocheted between 7/1 and 7/31 (photo uploaded by 8/1).
Challenge Two details coming in June.
Project Three: will need to be knit or crocheted between 8/1 and 8/31 (photo uploaded by 9/1).
Challenge Three details coming in July.
The benefits:
1. If you need to purchase yarn for your project, we are offering a 20% Camp Loopy discount for the yarn during a designated “Camp Loopy Store Week” each month.The first discount, for Project One, is valid during Camp Store Week One (May 7-13).To get the discount, you will need to leave us an order note on the order, telling us which yarn will be used for your Camp Project. We’ll apply the discount when your order comes through to us. If you’re going for free shipping in the U.S., please make sure that your discount won’t take you below the $75 level, or the website will add the shipping charge back in after we do the discount.
2. If you have your photo uploaded to the Camp Loopy 2014 Project One Photo Gallery by the deadline, you’ll be eligible to win one of our Loopy Gift Certificates for that month. We’ll be having the blog readers vote for the Reader’s Choice Award each month, and we’ll also be using the random generator to pick a couple more winners for Loopy Gift Certificates as well from each month’s gallery.
3. If you choose to do all three projects with us (photos uploaded by the deadlines and yarn for each project purchased during Camp Store Week for that project) we will also be awarding you a special skein of fingering weight yarn, in an exclusive Camp Loopy Colorway. (We will have 3 different exclusive Camp colors for you to choose from, so that you can pick your favorite.) This luscious skein will be perfect for socks, shawls, scarves, cowls, or mitts. We love this yarn base, and I know you will love it, too.
So if you participate in all three months of Camp and follow the guidelines, you’ll get 3 projects done at a discount, you may earn one or more Frequent Shopper Bonuses and maybe some extra things through our Loopy Rewards Program, and you’ll get a special skein of exclusively dyed fingering weight yarn for yet another project. Cool!
Now – here are the answers to your Frequently Asked Questions about Camp Loopy:
Q. Can we participate with weaving instead of knitting or crochet?
A. For Camp Loopy, we’re sticking with knitting or crochet.
Q. I didn’t get to order during Camp Store Week, but if I order my project yarn later in that same month and complete the project by the deadline, does that still count, even though I know I don’t get the Camp Loopy discount?
A. Yes. Make sure that you add a “Camp Loopy” note to your order, so that we know you’re participating. You’ll still be eligible for the project drawings and prizes for that month, and if you finish all three projects by the deadlines, you’ll still get the bonus – a free skein of that luscious yarn, exclusively dyed.
Q. I want to participate using yarn from my stash. Does that still count?
A. You are welcome to participate and knit from stash and upload it to the gallery, as long as it’s yarn that we currently carry at The Loopy Ewe. You will still be eligible for drawings and prizes for the month, but you won’t be eligible for the free yarn at the end.
Q. When you say to knit the project between 6/1 and 6/30, when EXACTLY does the timing start?
A. You can start at 12:01 am your time on 6/1 if you’d like, although a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast might be a better idea. The project needs to be done by 11:59 pm on 6/30, your time. The photos need to be uploaded by 11:59 pm OUR time (Mountain Time) on 7/1.
Q. Should we be starting a new Camp Loopy Group on Ravelry?
A. No. Since it’s an activity through The Loopy Ewe, we keep it as a part of our regular Loopy Groupies group. However, you’ll see Camp Loopy threads popping up on the Loopy Groupie board, based on different activities each month. The groups are totally for fun, and for those of you who want to chat in Camp Groups on the Loopy Groupie board. If that’s not your thing, you can stay out of the Camp groups and just knit. But … I’ll bet you will meet a new friend or two if you participate in the chats!
Q. When you specify yardage in a project, can I use up the yardage by knitting double stranded? So if you say we must use 400 yards, can I do a 200 yard project, holding the yarn double? That would use 400 yards.
A. No. No doubling the yarn to get the yardage. If you’d like to knit something double stranded, you’ll need to use 800 yards so that you end up with a 400 yard project when it’s done.
Q. How do I know if I’m on track for the free yarn bonus, and when will I get it?
A. If you purchased your project yarn during Camp Store Week (or later that same project month) and uploaded your photo by the deadline, then you are on track. Once Camp is over and the yarn is ready, we’ll send you a notice to let you choose your camp colorway. You will have the option of having your bonus yarn added in the box with your next order from us, or you can choose to have it sent to you right away on its own and we’ll just add a shipping charge to that.
Q. Why do we have to purchase the yarn during Camp Store Week each month, if we want the bonus?
A. Two reasons. One – it costs us money to fund this (the contests, the extras, the free yarn at the end) and your purchases help us to be able to afford to do this. Two – it helps us to guarantee that everyone is knitting for the project during the designated time and not simply pulling a finished (or half finished) project out of their pile and saying they did it “for camp”. It keeps an even playing field for all of the people earning the bonuses.
In addition to getting projects done along with discounts and free yarn rewards, another part of the fun is talking to fellow campers on the Loopy Groupie Board on Ravelry. We will set up chat groups each month during Camp, based on a different criteria each time. For this first month, we’re dividing you into Glamping Groups, based on which Glamper number you will be staying in. Look for the starred Glamper on your order printout that will come with your Camp project order. If you’re knitting your camp project from stash, feel free to choose one of the groups on your own. Jump into the discussion and share which project you’re going to make and what yarn you’re using, then report on your progress during the month. You’ll make new friends each month, because we’ll have another way to group you for the next month! (Not on Ravelry? No worries. Participating in the groups is not required. We just add those in for extra fun.)
We’re so looking forward to camping glamping with you this summer, and we have lots of fun things planned. Grab your fancy shoes (glamping, remember? You won’t need hiking boots), and your project bag, and get ready to roll!
Want some fun Camp Loopy extras? We have t-shirts and water bottles, as well as “Camp Loopy’s a Hoot!” project bags for you. Once we run out, that’s all we have. Get them while you can! Or maybe you’d like one of the Calico Bush project bags (my favorite) to celebrate your trip to Camp this summer? They’re cotton and your Camp Loopy pin will pin right on the front! (Camp Loopy pins sent free with your Project One Camp Order, while supplies last.)
Now – share with us one of your favorite books, TV Shows, or movies. What will inspire your Challenge One project?
Sheri whowouldliketheinsideofhervintageGlampertobetealandred.
Howaboutyou?
P.S. The Fabric Version of Camp Loopy will be announced next week. You can do the yarn projects or the fabric projects, or both!
What a fun challenge! One of my favorite books is Jane Eyre. I know when the movie came out a few years ago there were several shawls designed based on the one the character in the movie wore. I’m off to see if I can find one to knit. And of course there is always Little Women! Decisions, decisions…
That sounds like a fun book to celebrate with a project, Ellen!
This is a double for me! I’m using one of my hard won skeins of Wollmeise–Baba Jaga– to knit a Miss Winkle. As Martina Behm says.. you can knit until you’ve used up your yarn and her original was 400 yds. The double up is that Miss Winkle was a scientist and I started out wanting to be a microbiologist… Time passes, I return to receive degrees in Art History and Museum Science, and organize exhibits on artists who were also natural scientists. Baba Jaga is a multiple tie to my great love of fairy tales as a child and trips to Russia from the 70s and my daughter doing graduate work in Russian Language and Lit. We both have been readers of Russian lit for decades. I am absolutely going to LOVE doing this project!
Sounds like a perfect project for you, Martina!
I am leaning toward The Quiet Man, Mary Kate always had a warm shawl around her shoulders. Thinking of something in the colors of Ireland & a grand excuse to watch the show again so I can even design one that will highlight one that she wears. Won’t be exact; but rather a compliment. Maybe greens with auburn highlights (for her hair).
Great idea – to watch the show while you knit something celebrating the show. I like that!
Oh my! What fun! I love so many books, tv shows and movies…narrowing it down to one will also be a challenge!!!
Great theme Sheri. 🙂
Glad you’re up for the challenge, Mary Kay!
My favorite movie has always been The Sound of Music. I just ordered some beautiful blue yarn to match the beautiful blue sky in the mountains of Austria. I plan to make some socks. Not sure which pattern yet. I also got my camp travel cup and t-shirt.
Always so much fun. Thanks, Sheri!
I love that movie, too. Still haven’t decided on my final project. Now I’m giving The Sound of Music some thought!
Okay, random question. Can the project be based off of a play, opera, or musical? I’ve got my eye on a skein that reminds me of a production of Cosi Fan Tutte that I just saw.
That goes along with the “show” theme well enough, I think!
There is a doughnut shop in Albuquerque that has antes king bad doughnut. It has blue rock candy on top. Canmy first project be inspired by the shade of the rock candy on the doughnut?
Hi Andrea – although those donuts sound good, the project should be based on one of your favorite books, TV shows, or movies!
Good grief, my phone managed to make a mess of my reply.
What I wanted to say is that the doughnut is a Breaking Bad doughnut. The blue rock candy suppose to be crystal meth.
I love my Doctor Who. I ordered a colorway that is just perfect for the 11th Doctor. Can’t wait for Camp Loopy!
I suspect we’ll see a few different Dr. Who projects this month!
Be sure to check out the Weeping Angel sock pattern; it’s a very fun and interesting knit.
Hurrah for Camp Loopy 2014!
My mind immediately went to my favorite children’s books…I thought of Sugarplum (a wonderful picture book about a doll that I loved). There are a lot of patterns on Rav called Sugarplum but none that thrilled me.
Then I thought of Tom’s Midnight Garden, another wonderful book I loved as a kid. And there was a pretty cowl called Midnight Garden and even a String Theory colorway called Midnight Garden. But the yarn was sold out and the cowl would have had to be doubled to meet the length requirements.
And then I thought of the Moomintroll books. I loved ’em as a kid and I love ’em now. Moominmama is frequently seen in a bold red and white striped apron. I’m not going to waste yarn on an apron, but I thought a red and white shawl might be fun. I’ve ordered a wodge of Madelinetosh in Farmhouse White and Byzantine, and I’ll be knitting Coilis, which is simple but has a little laciness to keep my knitting interest.
I love that you can search on Ravelry by different words. That brings a whole lot of options to all of us for these different books and shows!
OK – I bought a skein of Fable Fibers Story. I LOVE The Wizard of Oz and since Dorothy has ruby slippers, I chose the yarn in the color Ruby to make her a matching shawl/shawlette called Pimpelliese.
That will look pretty in that Ruby color!
I’m doing Wizard of Oz too! I am actually reading the Wicked Series now and will be re-reading the Wizard of Oz next month. 🙂
I chose SweetGeorgia CashSilk Lace in English Ivy to represent my favorite witch.
Oh! How fun! So many ideas to choose from! I’ m thinking of knitting something relating to Little House on the Prairie or from one of my fave movies, “Fried Green Tomatoes”. :). Yahoo!
I liked Little House, too. So many great options to pick from.
Opera? 😀 We can use Opera? 😀
Well, then, hands down, Wagner’s Ring Cycle (which is 4 operas, really). If I have to pick one, it’ll have to be Das Rhinegold. I shall have to find something worthy of that… **ponders**
Well, it IS a show …. 🙂
Oh my. What fun. Gosh. I have so many favorites. This requires some thought.
I know. I’ve been looking at patterns all afternoon. Still can’t decide for sure!
I thought about The Sound of Music, my favorite movie, but I’ve been wanting to knit Miss Winkle because I love the pattern and I love The Big Bang Theory! I confess to being a bit like Sheldon – if I’m not in my spot on the couch, I can’t get settled!
I have a chair that’s “my spot”. I can relate.
I’m really interested and curious about the fabric version. I’ve been working with fabrics more the past 2 months lately.
Coming up next week!
This will be hard , more to narrow it down than to think of one , my favourite books growing up can fill a wall , I am leaning towards finding something for Charlottes Web or My Side of the mountain so something based on spiders or trees . Lol my favourite movies are all children’s movies wonder if I can find something to immortalise Dory in knitting …. Something bright blue ? See I will have a time narrowing it down
I’m having the same problem!
Went with dory , pacific wool from fable yarns and sea lettuce scarf from Lucy Neatby. All my friends had agreed I needed to do Dory
Hmm…how geeky do I get? I could do something based on Doctor Who; I’ve already made Bigger on the Inside and “the scarf”, but I’ve got other patterns. Or I could base it on the book _Rosalind Franklin, Dark Lady of DNA_ and do the Rosalind pattern. Decisions, decisions…
Get geeky.
YEAH for Camp Loopy 2014 !!! I wasn’t expecting info and ordering this soon. Some great suggestions being thrown out already but I am going in a completely different direction. One of my fave shows on TV is America Unearthed – LOVE IT !!!! So I am thinking of doing the Artifact Shawl in honor of Scott Wolter. I am also considering that new version of Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp – but no pattern inspiration has hit me yet.
Love the Artifact Shawl!
I Love the Australian movie “Red Dog”! I don’t know if it is available in the USA, but it is a fun, happy, whimsical, sad, lovely, True Story, about an incredible dog. I am going to use an Alan Dart pattern to knit a Red Dog! The patterns call for DK yarn, but I will be using Cascade 220 Superwash to make the dog bigger and meet the yarn requirements!
Anxious to see your little Red Dog, Christine!
I’ve been hemming and hawing all afternoon. The quiet man…gone with the wind…steel magnolias…moulin rouge. I settled on the Moulin Rouge shawl(ette) by Kristen Kapur….but will make it much longer…probably 84″ instead of 60″ as I will plan to wear it scarf-like. And slightly deeper/wider by adding another pattern repeat.
We may have to do another challenge like this sometime. There are too many good choices for just one time!
This sounds like so much fun! I just have to think of what to do!
It IS fun – come join in!
What fun! As soon as reading about project 1, I immediately knew it had to be Scarlett O’Hara’s green and white dress in the opening scenes of Gone With the Wind – and I found the perfect yarn! I am going to make Lintilla using Desert Vista Dyeworks – Voir Crème de Menthe B.
Oh, I’m glad to know what you’re making with that, Evelyn. I saw your order come through and loved the yarn you picked!
Sorry for being dense, but when do we buy the yarn? I saw something about “camp store week” but I can’t seem to figure out when that week is exactly. Help! I’ve never done this before, but as a teacher, I think I can actually accomplish a project a month in the summer.
Drat. Just after posting that, I saw the date above. Ignore me, I’m just tired…
Glad you found it!
Ooooh! I’m excited there will be a fabric Camp, too! Can we do a yarn project one month and a fabric project the next? I have crafting ADD…. 🙂
p.s.- My trailer would be light blue & red. An Airstream, of course! 🙂
Hi Stephanie! In order to qualify for the yarn bonus, you’d need to do all three yarn challenges. In order to qualify for the fabric bonus, you’d need to do all three fabric challenges. Of course you can do all 6 and get both bonuses as well!
So I’ve been reading a series of books by Claude Izner that are set in late 19th century Paris. It’s a mystery series with a bookseller amateur detective named Victor Legris. They are written by two French bookseller sisters under the Claude Izner pseudonym. They are fun reads and provide an interesting look at Paris in that era.
In honor of those books, I think I’m going to knit French Cancan by Mademoiselle C using Wollmeise DK that I got from Loopy Ewe awhile ago. It’s a violet color, and just enough for the pattern. This is going to be fun.
The books sound great – I will have to check those out!
This is a super fun challenge! One of my favorite books is a children’s book called Pickle Chiffon Pie by Jolly Roger Bradfield. In the book the beautiful princess and the king love to eat Pickle Chiffon pie. I am going to knit a lace shawl–which I think looks like something the princess would wear–will use green yarn. I found and ordered yarn today–color named Pickle–perfect!!
Ok, I just had to look up that book on Amazon, because the name is so cute!
I love the Harry Potter series, both the books and the movies so I chose a the Pink Topaz Shawl from Verybusymonkey. Hogwarts and Hogsmeade strike me as the kind of places where one would naturally wear a shawl. I will knit my shawl up in a cornflower blue color.
Yes, on the shawls. It has to be drafty at Hogwarts.
Thinking about using Zauberball in pink, white and green to represent the Ladyslippers so prominent in Deborah Smith’s book “Charming Grace”.
That colorway of Zauberball always knits up so pretty. I think you’ll love it!
I’ve been wanting to knit Margaret Dashwood, from Jane Austen Knits, forever and what could be better than a yarn color called “English rose?!” 🙂
Perfect!
My favorite movie to watch with my granddaughters is Brave. My oldest granddaughter loves Merida, so I am thinking of a dark teal sweater for my granddaughter. Cables may be a must.
I saw your order note, Jackie. I thought that was a cute idea!
I do have a question I did not find the answer to. Is the 400 an exact amount or can we go over a little?
You can go over, Dorothy. 400 is the minimum! (So far all the patterns I’m considering are 700-800. I’m trying to not do one of those!)
This is so fun! My favorite movie, ever, was The Wizard of oz. I’m going to knit red socks in a pattern I found of ravelry titled “Surrender Dorothy”. It has a tornado pattern:)
Cute pattern. I like how the front looks like a bulls-eye and you get that pretty arch on the back.
I really will be “glamping” during much of Camp Loopy 2014. My DH and I take off in our motor home for much of the summer each year. We have a comfy bed that NEVER lies on top of a rock, an inside bathroom that’s easy to find at 2 AM, shelter that NEVER blows away in the wind and two furry dogs to curl up with. We stay dry when it rains, cool when it’s hot (or warm when it’s cold!) and can escape from the bugs. This is the only way to camp in my book.
How much room do you have to pack yarn in there? That would be an important consideration when buying a motor home! 😉
Fun theme 🙂 Jane Austen, Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, Kris Radish, Agatha Christie, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Adrianna Triagani, Charles Dickens, …OMG …. I’m not sure how to decide; fortunately it is only day one 🙂
Thank you for the ‘glamping’, I knew I wasn’t up for hiking the mountains again, although I did love those beach tents!!!
Too many blisters with the hiking. This is more my speed, too.
I agree Peg, but the treehouses were kind of fun to stay in 🙂
Glamping, can’t wait! Sounds like a good time to jump on the bandwagon and finally knit a Hitchhiker scarf while listening to the book on audible! Any favorite yarn suggestions for this project?
Hitchhiker really plays up multi-colored yarns so well. I’d look at Lorna’s Laces, Colinette Jitterbug, Hedgehog, Fleece Artist, Mountain Colors or Sweet Georgia.
Thank you! Lots of shopping inspiration:)
Would a hat for a child and matching hat for a doll count? There is a book I love to read to my daughter and also loved reading to my son that has a hat pattern at the back. My daughter loves to have matching clothes for her dolls so I’m wondering if I could count the yardage of both as one project?
Hi Julie! For the challenge, it has to be one single project with 400 yards, so sets of hats wouldn’t count.
this is my first time and I am very excited!
So happy to have you joining us, Holli!
My favorite book is: Stranger in the Woods and I have just
ordered Swan’s Island – Natural Colors Fingering in Logwood
and Natural to knit Foolproof. The colors remind me of the
trees and snow.
I love Swan’s Island. I hope you enjoy working with it!
Would the purchase of the upcoming May giftable yarn count as a purchase for Campy Loopy? Thanks.
Sure – anything purchased during Camp Store Week or later for that project. (Of course no discount, but the yarn still counts!)
I have been wanting to make the Miss Elliot shawl by Pauline Popiolek (and the Miss Dashwood shawl….) so this is the perfect opportunity to splurge on some yummy yarn and get it done! Yay!
Paulina has such beautiful designs, doesn’t she?
Camp Loopy sounds like fun, I’m going to give it a try. I’m just beginning so maybe I’ll learn lots and get some ideas for a next step up pattern. A shawl sound like fun and maybe within my ability but I think I’ll start with Mary Poppins and make a BIG felt bag. Not big enough to pull a lamp out of though. I’m looking at some Cascade wool.
She did keep a lot in that bag of hers, didn’t she?
I wanted to say that I really love my Calico Bush project bag. It is perfect for my travel project, whatever that might be at a given time. The straps fit comfortably over my arm so I never worry about losing my bag on busy commuter trains. The bag is easy to open and close. It easily fits a 2 skein project in any yarn weight up to worsted, which is the most I can manage on a train.
I’m so glad you like those bags, Nicola! I love them to. I like being able to securely cinch them up and loop them over my wrist, too.
I’ve always wanted to knit the Doctor Who scarf! Here’s my excuse to knit that 17 ft scarf!!
Those scarves are awesome. Lots of warmth in there!
My all time favourite show is the cartoon version of The Grinch. My grandma still laughs each time I watch it because I know the entire cartoon from memory. In fact, several years ago a close friend nicknamed my Lindy-loo Who and it’s stuck. So, I think its only fitting that I commemorate the show with Grinchy socks with Biscotte & Cie’s Grincheaux.
Really looking forward to my second year of camping with TLE ! I LOVE those trailers!!!!!!
I love that colorway. I made socks for myself out of it!
I am so ready! I love “Call the Midwife” and will be knitting a baby sweater – I so need to knit as my work as been awful so I need a stress reducer fast!
Knitting is always a good stress reducer. I’m glad you’re joining us for Camp, Dee!