Category: Miscellaneous

We would like to introduce the Sock Master Challenge this Spring 2023! It follows along in similar (knit&crochet) fashion as our Fall Sweater Challenge, only we will be working on sock creation. This, in part, comes from my own lack of skill with sock knitting. I just never feel as though mine finish as beautifully as those I see from other people. So, I’m on a quest to improve. Join me!

Sock Mastery will be bestowed on those of you who make a minimum of 5 pairs of socks. That said, EVERYONE can participate and still earn points for each pair of socks that uses at least 100 yards of yarn (this is outlined below). Socks under 100 yards can still qualify you for Sock Master classification (as long as you have at least 3 pairs of adult sized socks). Those that DO complete the full 5 pairs will receive a small prize and extra points at the end of the challenge.

Sock Master Criteria

For the Sock Master Challenge, the 5 pairs must meet the following criteria:

• Make at least 1 pair using the top down and 1 pair using the bottom up method (or if I’m missing a method, let me know and I’m willing to credit you for that! We just want to see 2 different techniques.)
• Use at least 2 different heel techniques. For knitters, this could include the traditional gusseted heel, the Fish Lips Kiss heel, the afterthought heel, the Strong Heel, or any other new/interesting heels you find! For Crocheters, options include the round heel, the strong heel, the band heel, the wedge heel – any 2 different heels!
• At least 1 pair must use 2 or more colors (stripes, stranded, heel/toe of a different color).
• At least 1 pair must have some sort of texture in the main body of the sock (lace work, cables, seed stitch, etc.)
• At least 3 of the pairs of socks must be adult sized.

The Points

Points for the Sock Master Challenge will be awarded as follows for each pair (up to 5 pair):

• 1-99 yards: no points, but can be used to get you to Sock Master
• 100 – 199 yards: 10 points
• 200 – 399 yards: 20 points
• 400 – 599 yards: 30 points
• Sock Master: 100 points (in addition to points based on yardage)

Be advised – it may take me up to a week to add your points to your account once the challenge is complete. ALL points for this challenge will only be added at the end.

The Details

During the Sock Master Challenge, you can pick any sock patterns you like, and any yarn weight can be used (as long as you meet the minimum requirements outlined above).

Yarn must be purchased from The Loopy Ewe on or after January 16, 2023 to qualify for points. You are welcome to use stash yarn and join in the conversation, but I can’t award points or prizes for stash yarn used. You can combine stash yarn with purchased yarn and get credit for the purchased yarn yardages as long as purchased yarn used meets the above yardage qualifications. Only the purchased yarn yardage will count.

Yarn yardages are based on yarn being held singly. If you hold 2 strands together the the yardage will be the yardage knit, not the yardage used (qualifying yardage for yarn held double would be half the yardage used).

Photos for your finished projects can be submitted via email to support@theloopyewe.com as you complete them or as a composite at the end. All photos must be submitted before midnight my time (Mountain Standard) on May 31, 2023. Along with an image of each of your finished projects please provide for each the following information:

• Yarn & yardage used
• Heel style used
• Toe Up/Top Down
• Pattern used
• One thing you loved about the sock process

Spring (?) Sweater Challenge?

Did you miss out on the Fall Sweater Challenge? I’m opening it up for you to participate in a “Spring Sweater Challenge” with the same rules only spanning January 16 – May 31! I loved seeing all the sweaters and would welcome that again this spring!

Sock Master Ideas

Worried about making socks? There are so many wonderful resources and detailed instructions out there. This includes some videos from our own Youtube Channel. You might find Kitchener Stitch useful for your top down socks!

There are also MANY options for sock patterns – it can honestly be a bit daunting. Ravelry has over 50,000 patterns for knit socks and over 1,500 patterns for crocheted socks. The nice thing on Ravelry is that you can narrow down your search to fit the criteria you want to meet! Leave a comment below to let me know what you are planning to knit – as I am hoping to get inspiration from you all in the selection process!

For those of you who are first time sock knitters, the First Socks the Circular Way by Diane Hall might be a good first sock! Does anyone have any particularly helpful sites or extra special sock patterns you’d like to share? Leave a comment – I’d love to hear!

We hope you’ll join our Sock Master Challenge!

Add an order note to let me know you are participating! I’d love to see what people are working with. Our Ravelry Group is already discussing socks – 2023 Year of Socks! You can join there to share your progress, bounce ideas off of others, and get new ideas! This group started at the beginning of the year and will to on past the end of the Sock Master Challenge, but it’s an excellent community and resource!

Kristine and the Loopy Crew

The past year brought me so many new and fun things that I wanted to share 5 of my favorite new (to me) products of 2022. You may have know about some of these for ages, but all of these came to me only this past year – and my life is so much better for each of them. I have many more things I’ve loved being introduced to over the year, but these are some of the first that come to mind.

5) Urth Yarns Uneek Fingering.

Aside from its 100% superwash extrafine merino yumminess (this yarn is so soft), Uneek Fingering brings a strong self- striping game. Urth Yarns has done an excellent job finding patterns that pair well with this to create amazing projects. Think the Papillon shawl by Marin JaKnits, Myrsine by Jennifer Dassau, or the Uneek Fingering Chevron Scarf by Urth Yarns as examples. Each an amazing work of art, with the yarn doing most of the heavy lifting! It’s satisfying to work with, and finished projects are so soft and beautiful! These are what put Urth Yarns Uneek Fingering yarn in my top 5 favorite new (to me) products of 2022.

4) Twice Sheared Sheep Tip Ties.

If I’m out of these right now, I’m sorry. It’s for a good reason. People love them. And so do I! Don’t worry, I’ll get more soon if this is the case! These are so convenient, so useful, so GENIUS, I wish I’d thought of them! Each package comes with 2 each of 3 sizes (6 total in each set). Tip Ties are super stretchy, which allowed them to really stick to your needles – both metal and wooden. They don’t just fall off on a whim. Also, rather than tracking 2 separate needle ends, these keep your circular needle ends together and prevent them from sticking out of your bag or poking through your knitting and yarn balls. It’s a huge help in keeping your project bag organized by keeping tangled messes at bay.

3) Binkwaffle Cozy Cakes.

If I’m honest, I also love their Dumpling Bags. But I digress. The Cozy Cakes were a game changer in my center pull versus pull-from-the-outside inner debate (does anyone else wonder if one way is better than the other?). The stretchy Cozy Cake can be a bit hard to get over the yarn cake to start, but it keeps your center pull ball together – not allowing it to go soft and floppy. We all prefer a firm yarn cake, am I right? As an added bonus, the covering protects your yarn from all sorts of things. Pet hair? Not a problem. Drip a little coffee? Gotcha covered (literally). Of course, they can’t protect the yarn you’ve already knit/crocheted up and they won’t keep out big spills (they are not waterproof), so I still recommend some caution 😁.

2) Baby Cat Yarns Bulky.

I’ve never been much of a bulky yarn person, but this yarn has made me see how wonderful it can be. It’s soft – 100% superwash merino deliciousness. The colors Brit creates are exceptional – great tonality – just beautiful! And this yarn knits up quickly. A hat in a day is completely possible. I know, I’ve done it (the Moonstone Beanie by Prem Knits), and with only a single skein! While we are talking hats, the McPorter Farm pompoms are also pretty special with their snap design. That, I suppose, is for a separate post – but you should definitely check them out too! As for Baby Cat Bulky, next up, a sweater. I just need to pick my pattern. Metropolis by Tanis Lavallee? Carbeth by Kate Davies Designs? Brit and her Baby Cat Yarns definitely deserve to be on my 5 Favorite New (to me) products of 2022.

1) The Knitting Barber Barber Cords.

If anyone had told me that there would be 2 items on my top 5 list that were both made from hollow tubes of silicone, I would not have believed it. But there you have it, The Barber Cords are amazing. Each set comes with 3 cords – 2 that are 30″ long and one that is 60″ long. They can be used to hold your stitches for so many things – holding sleeve stitches, trying on your sweater to make sure it’s long enough, or just putting a project aside so you can use your needles for a different project – they can handle it.

These work by inserting your needle tip into the hollow of the cord and sliding the stitches right from your needle to the cord and back again as needed. Generally, it works pretty well, with the exception (in my experience) of getting mohair ONTO the cord. BUT it was still easier than lifting each stitch onto a new cord or scrap yarn, and moving the mohair back from the cord to the needle was a snap. I love these!

So, there you have it – My 5 Favorite New (to me) Products of 2022!

There are so many great yarns and amazing notions out there, that I’m sure I’ve missed something! What are some things you’d like to see in the shop?! I’m always looking for new fun things to try out and to bring into the shop to share with you all, so please, help me out!

Kristine and the Loopy Crew

Thanksgiving is this week! I hope everyone has fantastic plans for big happy meals with family and friends. While I have been trying to eat less meat since January, I am going to go all in for turkey and gravy (and turkey pot pie leftovers of course). I love pumpkin pie, so that is also definitely on the menu. It is an addiction I should probably get some help for.

Also, with Thanksgiving upon us, I’ve been fielding questions about what The Loopy Ewe is doing for Black Friday / Small Business Saturday. Because we actually are a small business, I’m going to go ahead and call all specials we have our ‘Small Business Saturday’ deals and divert any questions about Black Friday to that category. All that to say that we will have some specials that run Friday, 25 November through Monday 28 November.

The store will be closed on Thursday, 24 November, so we can all spend time with family. We will be open as usual (10 am – 5 pm) on Friday and Saturday. As a heads up for FUTURE holidays, we will also be closed for in store shopping (always available online!) Friday, 23 December and Saturday 24 December, so plan ahead for the long weekend.

Small Business Saturday: Wollmeise Wash

We don’t often think about it, but all good yarn-y projects require quality wool washing products. To help promote that, one of our Small Business Saturday Specials will be free Wollmeise wash with purchase (while supplies last). Wollmeisenbad was created by Wollmeise, and is excellent for your woolens or any delicates you have. It can be used in your regular washing machine. As an alternative, we will also have some fun cards available with images of yarn, alpacas, or other fun photography. For in store purchases, you can choose at checkout, for online purchases, you can choose by adding an order note.

• $50-100: 30 ml/1 oz Wollmeise Wash or 1 card
• $101-200: 250 ml/8.45 oz or 4 card set
• $201-300: 425 ml/14.37 oz or 8 card set
• $301+: 900 ml (in store only) or 12 card set

Small Business Saturday: Joy Susan Bags

We will be offering 10% off Joy Susan bags during our Small Business Saturday event (while supplies last). If you aren’t familiar with these bags, they are fantastic. They are constructed from vegan leather and have beautiful colors. The main bag has a roomy interior that closes with a magnetic snap, and a handy outside front pocket. Each bag also has a bonus smaller bag that can be used on its own or as a removable insert to the main bag. Check out details here. For online orders, you will have to put the item in your cart at full price and I will apply the discount prior to finally charging your payment method. The time stamp on your order will determine eligibility for the discount – we are Mountain Time.

Small Business Saturday: Blue Sky Fibers Free Pattern Code

Blue Sky Fibers is helping out small businesses with a free pattern for anyone who purchases a Blue Sky Fibers yarn! We’ll be handing out the codes to use on the Blue Sky Fibers Website for in store purchases, and I can provide this code to those of you who order any of the fantastic Blue Sky Fibers Yarns (Woolstok Light, Woolstok, Woolstok Tweed, Sweater) that we carry. They have some pretty wonderful patterns to choose from.

Trunk Show: Brediculous

We will also be opening a trunk show featuring Brediculous Yarns (dyed by Brea) on Friday. I’m working on getting it all set up now! The trunk show will last a couple of weeks – and I’ll have some things that won’t be available on the website (those for which only one or two skeins were provided). If you are an on-line only customer, and would like to see what is available for these, we can set up a video call – just email support@theloopyewe to get that going.

Brea has BEAUTIFUL colors – we currently regularly carry her Joxer DK, but based on reactions to the trunk show, I might consider some of her other weights/fiber contents. If you feel strongly about any of them – leave us a note!

Have a GREAT Thanksgiving Week!

More important than any sales or discounts or specials is wishing you and yours a magical Thanksgiving, filled with gratitude, love and great memory making! This is one of our absolute favorite holidays because its focus is being thankful for what we have, what the year has brought, and bringing family and friends together to enjoy a meal.

My basket is full, and I hope you feel the same.

Kristine and The Loopy Crew

It is hard to wrap my head around, but it has been six months since ownership changed over and we started running The Loopy Ewe – our Six-Month-A-Versary on October 30th! A common theme along this entire journey has been how quickly time passes. This milestone just proves my point. How did six months go by so quickly? I feel as though I’m in a time warp.

Six-month-a-versary Celebration!

In honor of our six-month-a-versary, we’d like to thank all of you who have been here with us, supporting the shop through purchases, stopping in (or emailing) us to share kind and supportive words and gratitude, sharing your projects, and generally being the best group of creators I know! How do we thank you? There really is no way to express how much we have appreciated all the love folks have thrown our way, but we’d like to at least acknowledge you all in some small way.

To do that, we will host a small open house on Saturday, 29 October, 2022 at The Loopy Ewe! It won’t be some grand affaire, but we will have snacks and coffee/tea for visitors from 2 – 5 pm. There will be a general Halloween theme (how could we not, with it being Bob’s favorite holiday, and just 2 days away?). We’ll also have a fun ‘trick or treat’ bucket from which you can draw to win a fun treat (or trick – maybe. . . hehehe). There will be Loopy Swag, order discounts, and other fun things to draw! You are welcome to come in costume – or not! The Loopy Crew will be happy to see you visit!

Online Customer Trick or Treating

Because we would also like to celebrate our six-month-a-versary with our on-line support group, we’ll extend ‘trick or treat’ to you all! Because I’m technologically challenged, this will be extremely low-tech. If you’d like to participate, in your order notes mention you are trick or treating and select a number between 1 and 10. I will have trick or treat ‘groupings’ assigned to each number (each number may have more than one specific item assigned to it), and will slip your trick or treat into your order (or apply it to your order if you happen to select an order discount). It’s the same system I’ll be using in-store.

I’ll keep the online ‘trick or treating’ open from Saturday, 29 October through Monday, 31 October (midnight Mountain time). One trick or treat per customer 🎃.

Kristine and the Loopy Crew