KAL News Archives - The Loopy Ewe Blog

Fling Goodie Bag Winners and Hitofude/Boxy KAL’s

by Sheri BergerSeptember 24, 201425 Comments

Thanks to all of you for participating in our Fall Fling Goodie Bag contest! We look forward to being able to meet so many of you at future Flings here in Colorado. I’m glad so many of you have it on your Bucket List and plan to attend one day. We’d love to have you here. We used the random number generator to pick winners for the three Goodie Bags that we saved for you. We’ll be shipping those off to: Liz T in CA, Nicola H in CT, and Amy R in IA. Congratulations to all of the winners!

I shared many of the patterns that caught our eyes during the Fling in this blog post, and a few of you have since emailed to say you’d like to join me in a Hitofude or a Boxy KAL. Let’s do it! This is going to be a very laid back KAL, since I have other projects I need to be working on in between (like the Loopy Academy projects. Cowl is done. Now on to the hat and mittens). There will be no deadlines or anything. Just jump in and join us if you’d like to make one. The fun thing about both of these sweaters is that they are styles that look good on every single person who puts them on.

So if you’d like to join in with us on a no-pressure, no-deadlines Hitofude or Boxy adventure:

1. Purchase the Hitofude pattern. (The price translates to about $1.89). Or the Boxy pattern.

2. Purchase the yarn. (Some yarn suggestions and links below. Of course you can also use stash yarn. If you’re submitting a photo to our Hitofude/Boxy KAL photo gallery, it does need to be yarn that we sell here at The Loopy Ewe).

3. Join in on the Hitofude/Boxy KAL thread on the Loopy Groupie board, if you’d like to share what you’re using for yours, and talk about the progress or get support as you knit along!

Yarn Suggestions – both patterns call for fingering weight yarn (which makes the resulting sweater light and drapey). Of course some of you might want to use laceweight or sport/dk for either of these. Just watch your gauge. Here are some ideas for fingering weight: Shalimar Breathless, Baah! LaJolla, Mrs. Crosby Satchel, Three Irish Girls Adorn, Huckleberry Knits Willow, Hand Maiden Mini Maiden, Fable Fibers Novel or Story, Fiberstory Fave, Cascade Heritage Silk or Heritage Solids, The Loopy Ewe Solids Series or Celebrations, and Blue Moon Fiber Arts Worthy or Socks that Rock Lightweight. (Note – you can also make the Boxy in a worsted weight or a cape in aran weight for this KAL.)

Now I’m thinking I will make my Boxy out of Glamping on Loopy Lake. I love that color. Hitofude out of a skein of Wollmeise Lace, I think. Who is joining in and what are you going to use?

I’ll do a blog photo collage of everyone wearing their finished sweaters next spring sometime! (Not finished by spring? No worries. No deadlines. I’ll just show you the ones that have been added in to our Hitofude/Boxy KAL photo gallery, which we’ll put up in a few weeks.)

Sheri soreadytocastonbutneedtofinishFunkyGrandpasleevesfirst.Don’tI?Or not??

New 4th Quarter Challenge and Loopy’s Summer

by Sheri BergerOctober 7, 200939 Comments

It’s time for a new challenge! We do two different things around here, and we take turns from quarter to quarter. KAL’s (Knit A Longs) are where I specify a certain pattern or a certain yarn. This year we did a Clapotis KAL the first quarter and a Girasole KAL the 3rd quarter. During the 2nd quarter, we did a Challenge where I encouraged you to make a pair of socks that were a masterpiece to you. You picked the pattern and the yarn. Now it’s time for a Challenge again! This time, the Challenge is to knit a shawl, where you pick the pattern and you pick the yarn. (In order to be eligible for prizes in the Challenge, the yarn needs to be a line that we sell here at Loopy.) If you’re new to shawl knitting, you might pick a pattern with more garter stitching and use a fingering weight or heavier yarn. If you’re a shawl/lace pro, you might pick something that teaches you a new pattern, construction or technique. All projects must started 10/1 or later, and must be completed by 1/1/10 and a photo submitted to our photo gallery by 1/7. (This gives you time to wash and block.) There is a thread on the Loopy Groupie board entitled “Shawls”, if you want to talk about what you’re doing, or have questions that you need answered from your pattern. I finished my first Multnomah (now blocking, photo on Friday) and am starting a second one today. Yeah, the Multnomah was kind of addictive.

Another fun thing that we do here is to send Loopy on vacation with all of you in the summertime. He first went on the road in 2007 and had an awesome time. So much so, that he wanted to go again in 2008. (This was the year that many of you took your stuffed Loopy’s, in addition to the postcards.) We sent him out again this past summer to see what trouble he could stir up, and you all rose to the challenge. For example, Loopy:

– went to China:

– and the Taj Mahal:

– tried to read the signs near the Dead Sea in Israel:

– topped a wedding cake:

– took a plane ride with some friends:

– got revenge on that crab from two years ago:

– went canoeing:

– and even hung out at the office:

Now it’s your turn to vote on Loopy’s summer! Please take a look at all of the photos in his photo gallery – there are lots more – and send us an email (support @ theloopyewe . com), telling us:

Which photo was most creative?

What was the best “farthest place” that he traveled?

Which photo made you wish you were there?

We’ll award prizes next week!

Sheri whatwouldLoopybedoingTODAYifhewerehangingoutwithyou?
He’dbestartinganewshawlifhewerewithme.

Challenges and KAL’s

by Sheri BergerJuly 8, 200928 Comments

Sometimes we have a little overlap on these things! The Second Quarter Challenge was to knit yourself some “masterpiece” socks – ones that really challenged you. You can see the results so far, right here. For those of you who are participating in this challenge, please make sure that your photos are entered into our photo gallery by 7/17. We’ll get them approved and up so that we can do voting the week after that. I don’t know about you, but I have learned several things in knitting the pattern that I chose. I’ll show you the results, soon!

There are a whole lot of you participating in our Girasole KAL, which started last month and continues through October 1st. I’m glad to see so many of you already planning a second one, because you’re enjoying it so much. (See? Didn’t I tell you it was an addictive pattern?) Loopy is working on his own version of the Girasole. I’m not sure what yarn he chose, but he sits and knits all day long and it never seems to change in size. I haven’t done any more on mine since I last showed it to you. I dragged it all the way to Colorado, but spent my time knitting socks out there instead of working on that. It’s scary how much I hop around to different projects. But back to the Girasole – it’s never too late to join us in this KAL. It’s not a project that takes months to complete, and you have until October 1st. Jump in!

We’ve been busy checking in yarn all week long. Much of it is for Loopy Central, but some of it is for our Sock Summit booth. We’re getting excited about that event, which is coming up soon! We have some cool things planned, including some special guests in our booth – you’ll want to meet them! I hope you’re going to be there. (If not, of course we’ll be taking photos to share with you.) Of course there’s still too much to get done before we go. Story of my life.

Sheri guesswhoiscomingtoteachclassesatnextyear’sSpringFling?
Today’sblogpostshouldgiveyouahint.

Three Things on Monday

by Sheri BergerJune 15, 2009June 15, 200997 Comments

Knitting Daughter and I had a fun weekend. Web Guy is still traipsing around the country and Wonder Husband drove up to Iowa to see his mum and sister, so we stayed home to tend the fires. Or the knitting and the cats, as the case may be. I hope you had a fun weekend, too!

Three things I knit upon this weekend:
1. Challenge Socks. I know they’re supposed to be done by the end of June. (Well, at least ONE. You know me when it comes to pairs of socks.) I love the pattern (Summer Sliding) and the yarn (Numma Numma), it just takes more concentration than I usually have in the evenings when I knit.
2. So I felt that I really needed to start my second Girasole. Remember, that’s the whole reason I did the KAL – because I wanted to make another one. I’m making this one in the shawl version out of Schaefer Anne. (Black Magic colorway). Isn’t it fun how the colors are knitting up? I’m on Chart D. Part of the knitting is tucked under. I really tried to put off starting this next one, but obviously it didn’t work.
3. I also felt the need to cast on another project, because this is a new yarn that I’m trying out and I needed to get on it. So far, I love it. A little splitty, so I have to pay attention. But it’s knitting up beautifully and I will love wearing it.

Three things we did besides knitting this weekend:
1. A little shopping.
2. A little tv watching and movies.
3. A little Brownie Batter Blizzard. (When are they going to take that extremely effective stupid Dairie Queen Brownie Batter Blizzard commercial off the air, FPS?)

Three things going on around here today:
1. Lots more KAL orders going out. It’s so fun to have so many of you joining in on this! Remember, the discount ends at midnight tonight.
2. We have a new rug in our Sit & Knit area. This will relate to something later in the summer. For now, I just wanted to show it to you because we like it here.
3. Lots more yarn has come in, but we haven’t had a second to unpack any of those cases all day.

Three reasons to leave a comment today:
1. Reading your comments is healthier more fun a better way to spend my time than having another Brownie Batter Blizzard. And SOMEtimes it’s more fun….
2. I like knowing that you all are out there and actually check in on the blog from time to time. It’s nice to get to know all of you “regulars”!
3. The more comments there are tomorrow morning when I come in, the longer I can sit at my computer, drinking coffee, and enjoying them. (Not that that will affect your Sneak Up orders, because the Elves will be here and they will hop right on those. But it will affect how much coffee I can get in before attacking the orders with the Elves.)

Sheri doyouhaveathingortwoorthreetosharetoday?