The Loopy Ewe Blog

Keeping up With the Loopy Life…

Category: Pattern Links

I thought I was done with scarves.

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DSC01020.JPGBeen there, done that, loving socks. Or so I thought. Well, the “loving socks” part is still true. But after wrapping up yet another gorgeous Fiesta Boomerang color combination for Shannon, who is turning them into Chevron scarves, I googled and learned. After seeing just a few samples, I went straight to the bookstore to get Last Minute Knitted Gifts and the pattern. DSC01021.JPGI picked two colors of Boomerang (Madrid and Plum Pudding), wound them up, and off I went. I am having such a fun time knitting this scarf and I love how it’s turning out. In fact, I have several more color combinations in mind, so I may be doing more than this one. Knitting Daughter started her own Chevron Scarf with two of the new colors of All Things Heather that will be up in next week’s Sneak Up. She’s having fun with it, too! Is anyone else out there working on one of these scarves? My Interlacement Tiny Toes socks have been set aside temporarily.

It looks like the final list for this week’s Sneak Up will include: Skinny Duets, Woolly Boully Softie (including a new custom color for us!), Fleece Artist Somoko, Lime & Violet Sasquatch Sock, and our J.Knits Anniversary yarn, plus the Ham’s Jams knitting bags. As always, more currently in-house and waiting to be photo-ed for the Sneak Up after this one……

We have another free pattern for you! Wonderfully Generous Wendy has given us another one of her patterns to share as a free download over in the “Free Patterns” section on the right side of this blog. (She is having way too much fun designing socks this summer.) This one is called “Cabletini Toe Up Socks” and it’s a very pretty pattern, knit with 2 skeins of Nature’s Palette. I love cables, and this new pattern is going directly into my “knit soon” pile.

DSC01019.JPGSusan-the-awesome-assistant is back from her second vacation in three weeks. I might have to forgive her for doing that to me because she brought me this cute little sheep decoration. 🙂 Speaking of vacations, Loopy has had some fun ones. Have you checked into his photo gallery lately? There are over 100 photos in there. And did you know that we currently have 284 sock photos in our Socks on Trees photo gallery? If you want to know how a particular yarn line knits up, check out the photo gallery. Chances are we have it somewhere in there to inspire you!

Sheri offtogetaBlueberryWhiteIcedTeaatStarbucks.Onemustmakeconcessionsforhotweather.

Loopy Q2 Quarterly Challenge

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We have some fun Frank and Martha socks up in The Loopy Ewe Quarterly Challenge Photo Gallery that need voting on! (There are two pages, so be sure to view them both.) Remember, I’m drawing one name from all participants for a Loopy Ewe $25 Gift Certificate, and YOU are voting on the Knitter’s Choice Award for the second $25 Gift Certificate. Email me your vote for your favorite socks from that gallery (sheriATtheloopyeweDOTcom) and I will announce the winners of the Loopy Q1 Challenge next week. If you did not get your sock picture posted on that gallery, you’re always welcome to still submit them. Remember that you can do this by going to your Loopy Ewe account and clicking on Photos.

We’re mixing things up a bit for the Loopy Q2 Quarterly Challenge. For the months of April/May/June, the challenge is to knit from your stash – something for charity. Actually, something in particular for two worthy causes that I have in mind. Two Loopy Friends are involved with things that I would love for us to contribute to. Meg and her husband will be adopting a baby from China and she would like to take a lot of baby hats with her to donate to the orphanage. She mentioned that she was trying to get a few of her friends to knit hats and I thought, “Well shoot – WE can do that!” The thought of each of those sweet babies getting a hat knit with love is enough to motivate me. Meg thinks that baby hats through age 1 would be good. I know we all probably have books with baby hat patterns, but just in case you need one, here are a few free baby hat patterns that you can just print out. There is no rule on what pattern or what yarn – but I would say make the yarn soft and scratch-free. 🙂

Free Baby Hat Patterns:
http://www.knitlist.com/97gift/babyhat.htm
http://www.knitty.com/issuefall06/PATTsnow.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/baby-child/bamboozle-babyset-hat.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/baby-child/2needle-baby-hat.html
http://www.minidata.co.nz/major/freepatt/patt07.htm
http://www.soxie.com/babycap.html (but without the buttons on it!)

LubaThe second charity knitting idea is for Loopy Friend Janice. Janice makes wonderful felted bags. She sells them and then takes all of her profits and donates them to Luba. Here is what Janice said about her in one of her blog posts: “Let me introduce Luba. Luba is a woman living in Russia who works with young women ages 14-25 who have found themselves alone and/or orphaned and in difficult living situations. She helps teach them basic living skills as well as helping them obtain good nutrition during the long cold winters. When the young women are starting out on their own, Luba helps purchase clothes and other essential items they will need.” You may wonder why they are all bundled up in their classroom. There is very little heat in there. Fingerless gloves would be perfect for them, as it will keep their hands warm but still allow them to do their school work. So the second charity knitting choice is to take some of the yarn you have in your stash and turn it into fingerless gloves for these girls. (I also included some mitten patterns, if any of you would rather knit mittens. They’ll use those outside, too.)

Free Mittens & Fingerless Mitts Patterns:

http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTvoodoo.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/fjord-kidm-fingerless.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/merino-stripes-gauntlets.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/iceland-nubbles-hat-mittens.html
http://www.p2designs.com/images/patterns/MittCuff.html
http://www.freevintageknitting.com/mittens/615-mittens-pattern.html
http://scarlettknits.livejournal.com/1315.html
http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/PATTknucks.html
http://wendyknits.net/knit/mitts.htm

If you do not have yarn in your stash to use, just add a note to your next order that you’d like a skein of yarn for the Q2 charity knitting and I’ll donate yarn for you to use. I know how very much all of your beautiful work will be appreciated. When you’re done, please email me and I’ll send you my address so that you can tuck them into a padded envelope and send them to me. I’ll wait until the end of the quarter and will then ship boxes off to Meg and Janice. Like this quarter’s challenge, I’ll be drawing a name for a $25 Loopy Credit, as well as having everyone vote on the Knitter’s Choice award for the second $25 credit. You can upload your photos through your account into the Q2 gallery, which will be up next week.

Thanks for participating in this challenge to knit for others! Next quarter – we’re back to knitting socks for yourself, with a challenge that is guaranteed to teach you something. Details in July!

Sheri totallyenjoyingWeekTwoofSpringBreak

Spring Break Week

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DSC00609.JPGSpring Break Week – and it looks like spring outside. Aren’t these blooming Bradford Pear Trees pretty? Thanks to all of you who have given such great movie recommendations. You ought to see my long list! I started it on a post-it. I should’ve known better. We will be watching movies for a LONG time, thanks to your great suggestions! It has been fun and productive. I’m almost done with one Louet Gems Sport sock – called Meida’s Socks from Favorite Socks. I like it a lot. It’s an interesting “sport” weight. (Is it just me, or do those terms get thrown around willy-nilly with very little meaning any more? I have Sport Weight that seems like Fingering Weight, and DK Weight that seems like Sport Weight, and I’m giving up on all of the labels.) I just have to decrease down the toe and then I’ll put up a picture of it on Friday. Very easy pattern. Next, I’m starting a sock in yarn from one of our new indie-dyers and the colorway has such pretty spring colors in it. I can’t wait for her line to come in so that I can share it with you!

Speaking of knitting – remember how much I love the Panda Cotton from Crystal Palace? Dr. Jackie (frequent blog commenter, frequent in-person Loopy Room visitor) sent me these great links for patterns with Crystal Palace. Since I’m knitting more of this great yarn up, I printed these out. I like them. Thanks, Jackie!

http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns2/socks/panda-cott-earlyspring-sock.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns2/socks/panda-cotton-hedera-sock.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns2/socks/Sock_Index.html

I’ve been wanting to knit the Strawberry Lime for the socks, and the solid Lime for the toes, heel and cuff. Wouldn’t that be a fun sock? That’s on my list. Also on my list – Scarlet Fleece socks. Loopy friend Bev came to shop in person yesterday and brought her Scarlet Fleece in progress. Now I know why all of you keep telling me you LOVE this yarn. It knits up beautifully. So – that’s on my list, too. I need more knitting time.

DSC00597.JPGKnitting Daughter and Susan and I have all of the orders out for today, so now we’re taking off for lunch and a little credit card exercising. Zoe is holding down the fort for us at The Loopy Ewe. She does a very thorough job of it. Tonight ….. well. Tonight you might want to check the website. There might be Yarn Pirate, Scarlet Fleece, new Interlacement colors, and new Schaefer Anne and Lola colors going up. There just might be. This is just about 1/3 of our Yarn Pirate order, so more will arrive in the next two weeks as well. Actually – there is always yarn arriving from all of our great indie-dyers. You can just count on constant orders being in with all of them. We love them here.

Don’t forget to post your Frank/Martha sock pictures! Our Loopy Q1 Challenge ends this week and I’ll announce the Loopy Q2 Challenge next week.

Sheri stoppingbythevideostorewhilewe’reouttogetsomeofyourgreatmoviesuggestions