Nuvem Archives - The Loopy Ewe Blog

Nuvem and a CONTEST!

by Sheri BergerSeptember 20, 2013July 8, 2015439 Comments

If you read last week’s blog post, you know I’m in Germany this week, visiting Claudia (the Wollmeise). Last fall, Claudia and her friend Maria came to visit me, and we had a great time knitting, shopping, and hanging out. Usually, Claudia comes for the Spring Fling each year and we are so busy that we don’t get enough time to just sit and knit and chat. So it was fun to have her here during a non-Spring Fling time. (And it’s fun being with her here in Germany this week!) One thing that happened last fall when Claudia and Maria were here? I was bitten by the Nuvem bug. They both got off the plane wearing these beautiful scarf/wrap creations and I was immediately interested. Even MORE so when I tried it on. The Nuvem is knit with about 1700 yards of lace, making it really lightweight, but at the same time, really warm. I wanted to start one immediately.

So, I jumped right in using a skein of Spice Market. (It had been caked up to be a sweater, but you know my history with sweaters, up to this point.) The Nuvem pattern requires a lot (a LOT) of knitting around and around. But I really don’t mind that kind of knitting. You don’t have to think about it. One row is knit around. The second row is knit around, plus making about 12 increases along the way. That’s it! See how the ends flare out a little? That’s where you do the increases. (The true color is shown in the second photo.) And I liked working on it so much, that I started a second one while the first one was soaking in the wash, getting ready for a blocking. I thought it would be great knitting on the plane and in Germany. I did make some changes when I knit it. I made it longer (I cast on 230 stitches to begin with), I made it a little narrower (I think about 22 inches across), and I did 9 rows on the ruffle instead of 6.

So here’s the thing. I had caked up two skeins of Spice Market Lace when I thought I was making a sweater out of them (knitting it holding two strands together.) Since I changed my mind, I used one cake for my Nuvem and I have another Spice Market all caked up, ready to give to someone else. Would you like it? Leave a comment below telling me about your adventures in knitting lace (Have you knit a lace scarf or wrap before? Would you do it again? Have you made a Nuvem? Or would this be your first time on a lace project?). I’ll draw a number next week and will let you know who wins the big, beautiful cake of Spice Market Lace.

Sheri wholikesthisNuvembetterthanasweateranyway

Connections of All Kinds

by Sheri BergerMarch 27, 2013March 27, 20139 Comments

I like having friends who knit. Knitters are fun friends to be connected to. It’s always fun to see what they’re working on, and sometimes they even let me borrow their beautiful work to show to you (and display in the shop). For example, this gorgeous shawl that my friend Sheryl made. (Sheryl’s hubby Michael is a Loopy Elf.) This is the Dandelion on the Meadow, done in Madelinetosh Prairie in the Violin color. Isn’t it pretty? I wish you could feel it. It’s almost weightless. The nice thing about making a shawl out of lace is that it’s very lightweight, but very warm (if you’re knitting with wool or silk).

And a closeup:

I’m working on a Nuvem (“working” meaning I started it last Thanksgiving and haven’t worked on it since that week. But hey, it’s in my knitting bag, ready any time I want to get back at it!). It’s another shawl that calls for lace weight yarn and is going to be very warm to wrap up in. Viajante is another new pattern done in lace that you might like.

Speaking of connections, are you connected to us in all the ways you can be connected to us? (Because we love connecting with you! And also, I’m trying to see how many times I can use connected/connections/connecting in one paragraph….)

You can find us on:

Facebook We post on there about what has gone up in the Monday Update, what I’ve blogged about, what might be happening in-store on a certain day, questions I’d like your input on, and then yesterday we posted a fun video taken around the shop – go check it out!

Pinterest I have boards on there for Project & Pattern Inspiration, Colorwork, Crochet, Yarn Bombing, Tips, Ambitious Projects and Unusual Projects. There are so many fun things to find and share on Pinterest. I’m going in and adding to the boards every couple of days and there’s always something new!

Instagram This is our newest project, so watch for that to grow in the days to come. We’ll be adding photos from around the shop, photos of incoming shipments, photos of the Elves being silly, photos of Loopy being silly, and anything else that will give you the flavor of things around here.

Ravelry The Loopy Groupie board is the best. Seriously. If you have any knitting question, you can pop it up there and have an answer almost immediately. It’s awesome. You’ll also find pattern ideas from other Groupies, product sharing, finished-project photo sharing, and Loopy Swaps going on from time to time.

Twitter We mostly use Twitter for announcing Monday Updates and Wollmeise Updates. If you don’t have Twitter, you can still get a text to your phone when we post to Twitter. Just text “follow theloopyewe” to 40404 and you’ll get our texts on Mondays and Wollmeise days.

Come connect. We like having you around!

Sheri whocan’tbelieveit’stimetogohomealready.
Wheredidthisdaygo?

Weaving Through My Gift List

by Sheri BergerNovember 21, 2012March 5, 201313 Comments

Ok, not really. I’ve only made these two for Christmas gifts. But maybe I’ll have time to make more before the 25th of December rolls around. I’m still enjoying the process of weaving. Here’s one I made in Wollmeise Wasseratz.

And another one in Wollmeise Zenzi.

It’s really a fun way to use up multi-colored sock yarn that you might not feel like knitting into socks. Did I mention that I went through my stash last week? I have a lot of sock yarn that is going to be something other than socks. I used to buy so many single skeins.

Since tomorrow is our Thanksgiving Holiday, I have my knitting projects all planned out for this week and weekend. I’m finishing my second Derecho (finally, FPS. Tell me again why I decided to knit this a second time? And to make this second one the never-ending-big-size?), hoping to finish my Cabled Rib Wrap (although it’s so luscious to knit that I don’t mind it taking a long time), and hoping to start a Nuvem (with Wollmeise Lace, or Lorna’s Laces Helen’s Lace, which would be gorgeous). All of those things are pretty mindless knits, which makes them perfect for working on when you have family and friends around for the holiday weekend. What is your favorite mindless knit for times such as these?

Sheri maybeIoughttohaveonechallengingprojectready,justincase