Loops Yarn Blog

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2010-04-08T10:20:00.001-07:00

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Two Friday funnies, a freebie and a phenom.

2010-03-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

Monday was my birthday (39, again!) and I got some great cards, but this was the hands-down winner. Warning: If you have a Wii and love to knit, you might "wii yourself" over this one:

That's your visual funny for the day, and now here comes your audio funny, courtesy of Alana over at Never Not Knitting. Here's your link to the hilarious NNK Theme Song.

In the mood for a Freebie? (Who isn't?!) We have a great Facebook Friday Freebie, today only. Go to the Loops facebook page to read all about it.

Lastly, check out this phenom. Lauren H. is almost 13 and an expert beader. She brought me the most beautiful stitch marker sets to see, displayed in a professional case. We made a few tweaks (like adding a larger Beginning of Row marker, and specifying clip-style tips so they can be added to your knitting after the fact). I suggested she develop some unique packaging and "name" her company. Love the "Loops blue" cards and the name she chose - "Possibilities."

These are a Loops exclusive! Get 'em while they last and support one of Tulsa's youngest entrepreneurs.

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Chowder, Citron and serious swag.

2010-03-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was just that I was so ecstatic to be on terra firma after our thrilling plane adventures, but I had an amazing time in Seattle at the Yarn Market News conference. The weather was actually better than what we left behind in Tulsa, and there were breathtaking views of Puget Sound:

We worked our way down the seafront, sampling the amazing coffee and the best salmon chowder I have ever tasted (sorry, no photo of that - I was too busy slurping it down to grab my camera).

There were even more lovely views to be had inside the W Hotel, where our conference took place. When you get 100 yarn retailers together in a room, you can only imagine the knitwear on display! We were like a bunch of chimpanzees, picking at each other's garments - "What yarn is this?" "What's that pattern - it's amazing!" My favorite was this "Citron" - can't remember the name of the model but doesn't she look cute?! Citron would be gorgeous in the new Madeline Tosh sock yarn that arrived while we were away (only takes 1-2 skeins!)

Also amazing was this tunic from the cover of Vogue Knitting Winter '09, as worn by Jessica, the adorable organizer from Yarn Market News (on her, it is more of a dress):

The speakers at the seminar were warned not to be discouraged if the audience didn't make eye contact - because of course we would be knitting :)

Everything about the W is uber-cool. Even the coasters:

After 2 days of classes, we got the ultimate treat - a yarn shop crawl of 5 Seattle-area yarn stores! They had a hard time narrowing it down, since there are more than 20 yarn stores in the area! First was Tricoter, where we met the lovely Beryl and Lindy, and spotted this beautiful Alchemy shawl from the Shibori Knits book, I think.

From there, it was on to Fiber Gallery, where we spotted - yes - another Citron! This one was in a Pagewood Farm yarn.

The last shop on the tour was Earth Hues, an amazing place that hand-dyes their own yarns (and other things) from all-natural materials. The color closest to you in the photo is actually made from insects. Neato.

But the best part of the whole trip (besides arriving home after a lovely non-eventful flight)? The swag, baby, the swag! Look at all of this loot! Some of this will probably become door prizes for our Hot Loops party this Saturday night. Except those Addi Lace clicks - they are all mine!!! (And yes, Virginia, we put a bunch of sets on order - expected later this Spring. Call to get on the special order list.)

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Not to worry, it's just a little fire in the engine.

2010-03-16T05:44:00.001-07:00

Gina, Billie Anne and I left home at the absolutely inhumane hour of 3:30am Sunday to begin our journey to Seattle for the Yarn Market News Smart Business Conference. I am quite sure that whoever planned this conference either (a) didn't notice that it was Daylight Savings Time "spring forward" day, or (b) lives in Seattle so that (a) did not apply to her.

We groggily boarded the first plane for the quick flight to Dallas. The plane goes up, the plane goes down, we're there. No need for a glass of wine or any type of pharmaceuticals for me. I even managed to get a decent start on my new lace project along the way! I silently patted myself on the back as we headed for the next flight.

Note to self: Patting self on the back is often a precursor to disaster.

Twenty minutes into our Seattle flight, we were happily knitting along, blissfully ignorant...

...when the captain came over the p.a. system and said something unintelligible. The p.a. did not appear to be functioning properly. Then suddenly we began a sharp bank to the left. The sharp bank turned into a u-turn, which is always disconcerting to us Oklahomans since they're illegal in our state. Plus, you know, we're 20,000 feet up.

Several of us (self included) nearly tackled a poor flight attendant and asked what was going on. She said a "fire warning light" in the engine had come on, and the captain had decided to return to Dallas. She said they didn't expect anything exciting to happen. Well, I can assure you that the next 20 minutes were the most "exciting" that I've had in some time.

As we landed on the tarmac, we spotted a fire engine speeding toward us. They had to inspect the plane before we could pull all the way to the gate (better for the plane to explode far away from all those people, I guess). Once they announced that we could de-plane, it was the fastest and most orderly de-planing you have ever seen. Back in the airport, when they finally announced that we would not be taking the same plane on to Seattle, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd.

After strongly considering the possibility of just staying in Dallas a few days, doing a little shopping and driving back to Tulsa, I was gently prodded by Gina onto plane #2. After some knitting and some free wine from our male flight attendant, it was all friendly skies again.

We knitters are a resilient bunch. Especially when there's free wine.

Never have I been so happy to land in a new city (this was even better than arriving after the "Code 3" airplane incident of '08, and the "large bird in the engine" incident of '06).

We practically sprinted from our plane to the hotel, and skipped down to the famous Public Market, near the original Starbuck's, where they throw the fish. I captured this fish-throwing shot, but the fish is just a blur. They really fling them fast.

Then we explored the market, which brought to mind a scene from "Pirates of the Carribean." There was a store just for BAG (as we affectionately refer to our dear Billie Anne Grigg):

And there was an entire store devoted to maps - my son Sam loves maps and will be so excited!

There are all sorts of interesting things to see in this city:

So, whatever happened to the plane? I don't know, nor do I care. After something like that, you just want to say a prayer of thanks and high-tail it out of dodge. Later, after things settle down, you may feel a little crabby.

But we're in a beautiful city, learning so much, surrounded by the leading thinkers in our industry and other relevant fields. Plus, there were giant swag bags, which I'll blog on tomorrow.

Onward and upward!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Just when you thought yarn couldn't get any cooler...

2010-03-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

...the nice, brilliant people at Pagewood Farm have figured out how to weave felted flowers into yarn. "Bouquet" is available in cream, black or brown:

Here's Harriet, whipping up a quick scarf on #19 needles. She only cast on 6 stitches! The flowers just sort of pop up at random. Suddenly, thick-and-thin wool is Spring-y!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com (or to order "Bouquet," call 1-877-LOOPSOK.

My Ravelympics injury: Back Man to the rescue.

2010-03-08T15:06:00.000-08:00

Apparently, Olympians aren't the only ones who suffer from injuries. It seems that the "Ravelympics" competition on ravelry.com, and my mad dash to the knitting finish line, has brought on that most dreaded of knitting injuries.

Hello, Knitter's Neck.

I woke up a couple days after finishing my Gypsy cardigan with a crick. This was not just your usual stiff neck. I couldn't turn to check my blind spot in traffic. Every turn of the head was excruciating. And without realizing it, I was holding my whole torso funny. Remember Joan Cusack with the back brace in "Sixteen Candles"?

And okay, several days in a row of kamikazi "cardio tennis" probably didn't help either.

So I called up Dr. Tyler Bachman, who has treated me for a couple of minor tennis-related snafus in the past. Dr. Bachman is a chiropractor who specializes in sports-related injuries. (Isn't it funny his name is like "Back Man?" What a coincidence, kind of like those Brander people who specialize in branding!)

He was quite embarrassed when I made him pose for this picture, and also a picture of an article he just had published:

Unlike other chiropractors I've encountered, there is not an ounce of sleaze to be found in Dr. Bachman. There's no long, drawn-out drama. He finds the problem, he fixes the problem. Plus, he's a super nice guy with an equally super nice wife and new baby (the baby may be modeling for our next Hot Loops wall, if I can talk them into it!)

Anyhow, Dr. Bachman took x-rays and pictures don't lie. Here is the curvature of a normal neck:

And here's me:

Clearly, all of those late nights spent hunching over picot edging have taken their toll.

If this seems familiar, you may want to give this treatment a try. It's really not as scary as it sounds. First, you go into a little room where this nice person hooks pads to your affected area, and you get to lie on the "roll-y table" that gives your back a wonderful kneading.

Then, you head to Dr. Bachman's office, where he very gently adjusts you, then takes the extra step of working your muscles in unique ways to loosen them up. I was a little sore the first day, but the next day - voila! - the Sixteen Candles effect was gone.

Dr. Bachman even sent me a text the next day to make sure I was doing ok. He did the same for my husband (rotator cuff), my sister (sciatica) and a colleague (getting fixed up before a skiing trip). Everybody is on the mend! Life is good!

Time to start training for Ravelympics 2014 :)

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

The Ravelympics finish line.

2010-03-07T05:01:00.000-08:00

If this were the real Olympics, I might have been disqualified in the photo finish. But this is the Ravelympics, where anything goes! So you'll just have to take my word for it that I started this Gypsy Cardigan the 2nd day of the Olympics, and finished it on the last day, before the end of the closing ceremonies. Now I've finally gotten around to having Brent take a photo:

"Gypsy" is from Louisa Harding's book, "Cardigans," in black Kashmir Aran and Glisten. I just love the way the Glisten creates a beaded look when you use it for an edging. IMO the best part of the piece is the picot edging. You do this at the beginning of each section and then change to the Kashmir. Look ma, no crochet!

This is already becoming a staple in my wardrobe, a great alternative to a shawl, when I want to add a handknit touch to my outfit, without having to fuss with keeping it on my shoulders.

Also this week, we got a new batch of our award-winning t-shirts, this time in a flattering coral-pink for Spring:

The Stab shirt (also in black) won a Judge's Choice Awards last week at the Tulsa "Addy" Awards for excellence in advertising. The award was for "best unifying message to a large group." LOL! Shop all of our Loops Wear here.

The Spring yarns have continued to pour in this week. My favorite new arrival is the Giotto yarn from Colinette, one of our most popular yarns, in a new rainbow of "Dali" semi-solids. Impossible to get a photo that does these justice, but here goes:

I'm working on three different Hot Loops projects, but having a hard time keeping my hands off that Gold Giotto. A long Spring cowl is calling to me!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Q: What do you do when you're 9 years old with two ADD parents?

2010-03-02T04:47:00.000-08:00

A: Make checklists for them.

Q: What do you do when you're 9 years old, you're bored, and your parents' phones are boring, basic black?

A: This.

And this.

-Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Louisa strikes again.

2010-02-25T05:38:00.000-08:00

She's done it yet again. One of our favorite British designers, the lovely Louisa Harding, has just released three new, amazing books. (Her spring yarns are due to debut later next month, but these books all feature her existing yarn lines - yay!).

There are two key elements that make Louisa's books stand out far above the crowd. One, the amazing photography by her husband, Stephen. These are not crank-out-a-pattern-in-the-studio shots. These are an act of love - for photography, styling, lighting, and mood.

And the second key element is Louisa's design aesthetic. Like a Project Runway star in the making, Louisa brings us fresh takes on each season, while staying true to her personal aesthetic of femininity and the perfect blending of classic and modern.

"Belle," the first new book, is dedicated to Louisa's Mulberry Silk. As a silk yarn aficionado, I think Louisa's Mulberry is one of the best deals on the market. Spun from the finest Mulberry silk, it has a tight twist that resists slubs and pillings. And the saturated colors are to die for! Here are three of my favorite designs from Belle...The cover design, "Dove":

"Jay":

And "Osprey":

The second new book is "Bijoux," which features designs in Jasmine, one of my favorite Louisa yarns. Jasmine is a bamboo blend with a teensy bit of sparkle. It is also very well priced for the quality. Here is the cover:

"Opal" takes 8 skeins of Jasmine:

"Coral" takes 7:

And "Amber" takes only two skeins:

Last but not least, we have the "Beresford Beach" book, which features children's designs in Nautical Cotton and Albero yarns. I love that each design is made up two ways, one with each kind of yarn. Here is "Winchelsea" in Albero (just 5 skeins!), and then in Nautical Cotton:

And check out Rye in Nautical Cotton and then Albero. I may have to make this for Mallory:

We have a great selection of all of these yarns in the Louisa Harding section of the Loops Online Store. Choose your favorite colors today and you'll have something beautiful to wear when Spring finally arrives!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Happy First, then make it last.

2010-02-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

One recent wintery day, this very bubbly customer approached me at Loops. I'd noticed her before, because she just sort of emits this fearless aura that's, well, happy. She was wearing a super-cute hoodie with an illustrated egg on the front.

She introduced herself as Debbie Vineyard, owner of Happy First and a Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor. Long before it was a company, "Happy First" was a simple greeting that Debbie used as a way of celebrating: the first day of every month, the first big milestones in life, the first moments of living each day.

Debbie wanted to do more than just wish people well. She dreamed of creating something that could motivate others to actively identify and pursue personal happiness. And Happy First was born.

I was so taken with Debbie, and her cute designs (I learned the egg appears in some form on almost every shirt she designs - it is a sign of new beginnings), that I purchased a "Tennis Chick" hoodie right out of the back of her car. I've already worn it 5 or 6 times - like her other shirts, it is soooo soft and made from organic fibers. Plus the design is really eye-catching.

Then Debbie showed me her latest design, "Survivor Chick," printed on a hemp-blend t-shirt that is very "un-hemplike" in that is is incredibly soft and drapey. I love the "dirty purple" color. We decided to carry some at Loops, because we have so many customers who are courageous survivors:

Then Debbie agreed to design a special "Knitting Chick" t-shirt for us. Check it out!

I even decided to carry some "Tennis Chick" bamboo t-shirts, because I am not only a yarn addict, but a tennis addict as well:

We have the shirts in a wide range of sizes, from XXS to XXL. We have just one or two of each size, but we can get more quickly as they sell out. We've just added them to our online store, here. And a portion of every sale goes to leukemia and lymphoma research.

How will you put your "happy" first today? Buying yourself a new T and some new yarn would be a great start!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Bombs away.

2010-02-22T05:25:00.000-08:00

I was having lunch at Felini's on Saturday (love that spicy tuna salad!) and the owner was telling me that her daughter has gotten really involved in Yarn Bombing. She recently yarn bombed the Woodward Park Native American sculpture.

Yarn Bombing, led by "craftivists" Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain, is the art of crochet and knit graffiti, or "covert textile street art."

It might be a subtle little fiber addition to a public statue or fixture:

Or a very big statement of fibery love:

One of my favorites appeared on this public arbor, "raining cats and dogs":

What a great way to use up old stash, especially the yucky acrylic stuff, and spread your love of fiber in a very public way. I think it's such a cool way to bring a smile to people's faces. And I would especially love to see our tree outside of Loops dressed in its own "tree sweater." But alas, Mr. Helmerich adores his trees and would probably not take kindly to his tenant "dressing" one in its own knitted outfit. But if some of our customers had the idea and took it upon themselves...well...who could blame them...?

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Buttoned up.

2010-02-21T06:25:00.000-08:00

The spring yarns are pouring in as steadily as the rain outside as I write this. Leading the way is a new shipment of Nature Cotton and Patagonia from Araucania Yarns, one of my favorite lines. The beautiful hand-dyed colors and soft texture of this thick-and-thin cotton are just unlike anything else on the market.

The two yarns are interchangeable, mix-and-matchable. Nature Cotton is the semi-solid version, and Patagonia is the variegated. Here are a few new colors we just received. Nature Cotton "Gold" - a golden taupe:

Nature Cotton Dark Teal:

Nature Cotton Earthy Pink:

Patagonia #250:

And Gina's favorite, Patagonia #249:

I think I saw her sneaking out with the Patagonia 249 and this new book from Jenny Watson, Araucania #5 - she's going to make the jacket on the cover I believe:

I went looking around on Ravelry and found this Buttony Sweater in Nature Cotton made by Sam:

...proving that bulky cotton can by very flattering when you use a great pattern with a fitted silhouette.

The new Nature Cotton and Patagonia colors should be online soon, but meanwhile you can shop our great range of existing colors here and here. Get ready for your own personal Spring Fling :)

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Neato.

2010-02-15T04:04:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, has it really been 14 days since my last blog? Bad Shelley! Bad, bad Shelley! So sorry everyone, it has just been so busy...and maybe the weird weather has me in some kind of time warp. The Olympics adds to the warp - it is so mesmerizing, makes me want to stay glued to the TV (and my knitting) 24/7!

I have been wanting to share a couple of things with you guys. First, Andrea sent us this photo of a simple skinny scarf in 3x1 rib using the amazing A.L. de Sauveterre "Mont Blanc" cashmere. I'm telling you, you just can't go wrong with this stuff.

She wrote about it on here blog, here.

And here is something new and Neato. Let's say you want to make this scarf (hey, it only took one skein, and why not spoil yourself, right?). You head over to loopsknitting.com to find it. Before, you could find it by clicking Shop by Brand and then A.L. de Sauveterre. But now, there are two more ways to find this yarn (or any yarn on our site).

Right now, you kinda have to know the secret passage to this feature. Soon, it will be obvious and available to all. But meanwhile, here's the trick: From any page inside our online store, you will see a little "Our Products" link up toward the top left of the page. Click it, and you'll get to this magical new page that lets you Shop by Brand, By Weight or By Fiber.

So for instance, if you were looking for this luscious yarn, you could search by Brand (A.L. de Sauveterre), by Weight (it is a DK weight), or by Fiber (cashmere). Very handy for those of us who can't always remember names (yours truly included).

It's really fun to play around with this and discover new yarns. For instance, did you know Loops currently has 16 kinds of cashmere and cashmere-blend yarns? And 33 cottons?

As our friend Tanglewood Trish would say, Whoa-whoa-whoa!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Ribbon to the rescue.

2010-02-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

I finished my Baby Back Ribs Skirt in Alchemy Temple, and I was so excited to wear it to work at Loops, along with my brown tights, rockin' boots that Brent got me for Christmas, and the perfect suede jacket which just happened to be hiding at the back of my closet.

This was such a fun, easy knit. The Temple yarn is heaven to work with - all the joys of a squooshy, spring-y merino with the surprise flecks of a true hand-paint. The vertical ribs really do great things for the female form!

I jetted around in this all day at Loops without a hitch. Then as I was leaving Utica Square, I decided to dash into Bruce G. Weber to have some earrings adjusted. They were some of their inexpensive promotional hoop earrings, so I was a little embarrassed to ask them to fix them, but I "manned" up and headed across the parking lot, summoning my confident look. Just as a car came up behind me, I detected a little too much breeze across my bum.

Sure enough, my skirt had gone low-rise. Reeeally low rise. Thank goodness for the brown tights! I hiked it back up, got my earrings fixed and headed straight to JoAnn's for some thin ribbon to thread through my skirt's waist - a little Ribbon Insurance for next time ;-)

Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com
P.S. I used just over 5 skeins of Alchemy Temple in colorway "Two Rock" for my skirt, and made it an inch longer than the pattern calls for.

The Happy Ending.

2010-01-28T03:36:00.000-08:00

I feel like the Prince must have felt when he finally slipped the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot.

After posting on the blog and in various Ravelry groups (including the Fayetteville, North Carolina group - you never know!), our friends in the Arkansas Ravelry Peeps group recognized the heroine of our Cinderella story. Her name is Taylor and her Ravelry photo even shows her wearing the magical hat:

It seems she is living a fairytale life in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with her own outdoorsy Prince Charming and her own little Princess, Stella:

What a cutie, right?!

But last weekend was decidedly not a happy one for Taylor. After she drove all the way to Tulsa and found that Loops was closed for inventory day, her day went from bad to worse. She emailed us the details:

"I have told so many people about you guys, but have never actually made it in to the store. My sister and I decided to drive to Tulsa and visit this very fashionable yarn shop. I planned to start a project for my little girl, Stella, and wanted to get yarn and a new pattern. Needless to say, I was so devastated when you were closed for inventory... I got in my car and cried!! So silly, I know. So we decided to go to the mall (yuck!) for some shopping therapy. On the way to the mall, my car started making a crazy sound. We pulled off the highway and realized, to my DISMAY, that I had ran over a bolt with a giant washer attached. ACk! So, my tire was ruined, and we didn't get any yarn. After the tire was fixed, we headed home. The GPS got us lost and we finally made it back to fayetteville at 10 pm (we had to drive about 50 mph on the donut) It was a crazy day, and I was pretty sure I would never go to Tulsa again!"

But wait...the story does have a happy ending. Taylor added:

"When I saw your blog post, it made me so happy, and touched that you remembered me. Thank you so much for being so nice about it when we were there! I just started a local Stitch & Bitch group and some of the girls have started projects from your store. Thank you for being a yarn shop with stylish and fabulous yarns and patterns. I will definitely have to try again sometime! I will double check to see if you are open first :)"

We are sending Taylor a Loops gift card and a Quiktrip gas card, so that she and her sister can come visit us again very soon! Thank you so much to SarahJoKnits on Ravelry for helping us find her. And, in case you would like to make our own "Cinderella Hat," here is the link to the free pattern. Taylor made it in Manos (just one skein of Malabrigo Worsted would do it) or to make it look like the pattern photo, try 2 skeins of Louisa Harding Grace Hand-Dyed.

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

A Cinderella story.

2010-01-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a yarn store in Tulsa called Loops. One day every year, Loops had to close to do annual inventory. Unfortunately, on this very day, two very beautiful and sweet young maidens drove all the way from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to visit the store for the very first time! They were heartbroken to discover that the store was closed for the day.

Loops did not catch their names before they departed. But one of the girls (let’s call her Cinderella) was wearing a very cute hand-knit hat. We are searching far and wide for this Cinderella because we have a surprise for her. If you know her, or if you are her, please email shelley@loopsknitting.com. If possible, we ask that Cinderella include a photo of herself wearing the glass slipper - er, I mean, hand-knit hat.

Hopefully not The End :)

P.S. The kingdom of Loops never looks so amazing as it does the day after inventory! All 17 Loops Troops worked hard to move everything around and organize it perfectly. Come and visit our kingdom soon - you are sure to discover many new yarns and potential project adventures. Here is a sneak preview:

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Colorful class.

2010-01-21T05:22:00.000-08:00

If you know our Ellen, you know she is undoubtedly one of our most colorful "Loops Troops." So I knew it was a perfect fit when she offered to teach a class on this tri-color Baby Jacket.

This little jacket such a great way to show off the new Multi Cotton we recently received from the geniuses at Blue Sky Alpacas. Ellen had lots of fun choosing color combinations for this. She couldn't stop combining colors! "How about this one, Shelley?" "Ooh, but this yellow is great..." "Oh, we have to use this one..."

Ellen's class was inspired by f. pea's Super Natural Stripes Baby Jacket. It's a great way to jump into top-down sweaters for the first time. Baby sweaters are terrific first sweater projects - minimal shaping, since babies don't require busts, waists and hips (ok, maybe a little diaper room!). Plus the yarn investment is minimal, so you don't have to worry so much about messing up. The class will be Saturday, Feb. 13 and 27 (two sessions), from 2:30-4:00. Ellen will even help you mix-and-match your own color combo.

To sign up, call 742-9276, email shelley@loopsknitting.com or just drop by. To access the complete February class list, click here.

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Rawr.

2010-01-19T17:10:00.001-08:00

You probably saw in our last Loops Scoop that we're now carrying Lexie Barnes bags and accessories. Today, we received some "Lady B" bags to go with our matching circular cases in a very hip leopard print. So I asked the very hip Miss Terrie to model. She was such a good sport; she even gave me a little leopard-esque growl-and-paw:

The Lady B features 15 glorious interior pockets with an exterior pocket, too. It's their #1 selling bag. But I'm especially in love with the circular case. These little babies pack 20 clear interior pockets for your circ's, plus tool pockets and a great accessory pocket.

We also have Lexie bags in a black-and-white print and a red print. All are super-stylish and made from water-resistant waxed canvas, so you'll be carrying around your projects in these for many years to come.

All together now: Rawwwwrrrr!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Ferocity.

2010-01-11T05:30:00.000-08:00

For the past many months, we've been calling Noro's Furoside "fuhr-i-sode" (rhymes with episode). So imagine my embarrassment to discover that the name of this wonderful, chunky yarn from Noro is actually pronounced like "ferocity" with a "d" in place of the "t."

Ah well...no matter...it doesn't change how awesome the yarn is! The silk/cotton blend has just a touch of wool for resiliency, making it a great alternative to Iro, Noro's other chunky-but-extra-wooly self-striping yarn. There are great patterns for Furisode in Jenny Watson's "Noro Flowers" book, like this:

Or you could use any number of great Noro patterns for Iro jackets and sweaters, like this Shawl Collar Jacket by Knitomatic on ravelry, from this downloadable pattern at vogueknitting.com:

Furisode knits up so deliciously, it makes you want to sink your ferocious teeth into it:

No, wait! Those aren't teeth...they're macadamia nuts. This is the kind of thing that happens when you combine a creative child with too many snow days. I really should get her knitting more.

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Baby Back Ribs Skirt.

2010-01-09T12:49:00.001-08:00

That Terrie, she's done it again. She walked in wearing this rockin' skirt, completely color-coordinated with her tights, jacket and boots (who else has chartreuse tights in her wardrobe?) and I just had to have that skirt. As luck would have it, I can have it - because it is Terrie's own design!

The unique rib pattern so perfectly slimmed and shaped her, you know, back. So I decided the perfect name would be...Baby Back Ribs Skirt.

I was so excited! And my excitement practically turned to palpitations when I realized the yarn she had used was one of my very faves - Alchemy Temple. This merino superwash is hand-painted the way no one but Alchemy can. We have a full rainbow of colors. And it's one of Alchemy's most affordable yarns. I immediately ran to the cubbies to pick out my own yarn. I was tempted by the turquoises and oranges but when I found Two Rock, I knew it was the one.

It seems rather "safe" but it has really cool veins of light green and golden brown running through the rich chocolatly color. The piece de resistence: It goes with my new boots that Hubs got me for Christmas:

The pattern is available at Loops and in our new Ravelry pattern store. Now through January 31, if you purchase the Temple for your skirt online and mention the blog, we will include a copy of the pattern with your yarn for free.

I can't wait to cast on. The timing is perfect - just finished my Featherweight Cardigan in Alchemy Juniper and am so thrilled with how it turned out. I've worn it 3 times this week!

This longer version took me just over 5 skeins of Juniper. If you are next one to order 5 skeins of Juniper in Desert Song, I will give you the rest of my 6th skein free!

Meanwhile, when we're not knitting, we've been busy unpacking boxes of new stuff. A big order of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande arrived, as well as Malabrigo, and Blue Sky Bulky in scrumptious new colors:

We also got re-stocked in Blue Sky Brushed Suri, including a lovely new soft grey:

The good people at Offhand Bags sent a new batch of vintage-fabric knitting totes to tempt us. Cassidy and I are both lusting for this one:

We got several colors in two different bag styles, plus circular needle cases:

...hey lookie there, that's the perfect size bag for your Baby Back Ribs Skirt project!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

P.S. Betcha thought I forgot! The winner of the Opal Antonia caption contest is....Julie! For this comment: "This woman learned her lesson about buying enough yarn for the entire project." Congrats! You win a skein of Antonia yarn and a $25 gift card! Thanks so much to everyone who entered - every response was hilarious!

Yarn gone wild (a caption contest).

2010-01-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

Though I don't knit a lot of socks, I love Opal sock yarn. The colors are amazingly artistic, season after season. They wear like iron. Plus I like the guy that owns Tutto, a yarn store in Sante Fe that is also the distributorship for Opal yarns. So when he told me that the hot line for fall would be Opal's "Antonia" line, named for a cute Tyrolean pop star, I didn't think much about it.

Then the yarn arrived. Beautiful colors, as always. But what really caught our attention was the labeling:

You should see the firestorm that erupted over this on the Ravely yarn store owners' group! Some were "deeply offended." Others found it refreshing and empowering to women (she may be scantily clad on the labels, but with her warm socks at least she's toastier than Britney Spears). Either way, it's, um...definitely a unique approach to yarn marketing.

Meanwhile, we have the yarn available in store and online, here. And the following photo of Antonia prompted me to kick off the New Year with one of Loops' Famous Caption Contests:

Aah, so many opportunities for captions here. Just post a comment with your suggested caption by January 9th. Remember that some kids read this blog, so keep your captions PG-13 or better, please. The winner will receive a free skein of Opal Antonia yarn plus a $25 Loops gift card. Happy captioning and Happy New Year to all!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

"Me" time.

2009-12-30T03:34:00.000-08:00

You've been madly knitting and crocheting gifts for weeks. Dreaming of finally, finally casting on a little something for yourself. So I have just the thing for you:

Mont Blanc from A.L. de Sauveterre is hand-painted cashmere that is quite rare. I personally have never seen anything like it. The softness, the richness of the colors...pure heaven.

Even the tags are gorgeous:

I've cast on a simple scarf in 3x1 rib and I'm going to see how far a skein will go. The stated gauge is 6 to 7.5. I'm working it up on a #7 needle to make it feel even softer and the halo is filling in nicely. This will also make the yarn "go farther"! I'll keep you posted. Also check out the scarf that Gina Marie wears so often, made from a bunch of Sauveterre Colors. Thanks to Gina for discovering this yarn for us!

Now for a sneak preview of some other new arrivals that just went out on the shelves yesterday.

This new Multi Cotton from Blue Sky Alpacas is sure to be a hit this spring. Blue Sky's organic-based Cottons are already one of our best sellers. The versatile worsted weight, incomparable softness and now, vivid multicolors - who can resist? Two of our employees have already offered to make a model in this! Watch for new patterns from Blue Sky coming out this spring.

We also received some beautiful new colors in La Boheme, Fiesta Yarn's best-selling yarn. This combination of a rayon bouclé and soft mohair in lovely colors makes beautiful drop-stitch scarves and easy wraps.

None of these new arrivals are online yet but soon will be. If you're outside of Tulsa, and want to get them before they are featured in the next e-blast, call us (1-877-LOOPSOK)and we'll help you choose over the phone.

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Whadja get?

2009-12-29T05:08:00.000-08:00

As a little girl, I remember this ritual of sorts. On Christmas morning, after Santa had come and gone and all of the presents had been ripped open, I would call up my best friends (Sarah and Kristy) and ask, "So...whadja get?"

We would run down the list of gifts, all the way to the bottom of the stocking. Big Wheel? Check. Simon? Check. Merlin? Check. (Remember those hot toys? I was more into electronics than Barbie or Cabbage Patch Kids.) And later...Guess Jeans? Check. Polo button down? Check. Marge McNearney handbag with removeable covers? Check.

Now, I don't know when the magical line was crossed. Perhaps when I got married. Perhaps when I had children. Or perhaps when I started knitting gifts in earnest. But somewhere along the way, the joy of Christmas began to come not from "Whadja get" to "What did you give?"

Here are some of my best Christmas memories of '09. Dad and Sam in their Turn a Square hats:

The girls in their fingerless mitts (Fetching in Alchemy Temple, and Cabled Mitts in Misti Chunky):

"Wrap Me Up Puppy" from the Itty Bitty Toys book (also made a chocolate lab):

This incredible portrait that Brent created of his wonderful dad, Stan, who passed away earlier this year. Wish I had a better photo, but if you look closely you will see that the photo is made up of words, memories and people who were important in Stan's life. Brent framed one for his mom and each of his 3 siblings.

Some of the other great memories that are sure to endure for me...Sam playing Joseph in the church pageant (notice that "Mary" was played by the cutest girl ever - they were quite the handsome holy couple):

Here's a pic from rehearsals:

There was comic relief when an ear fell off the donkey as they wheeled it down the aisle:

Cecily played the Emperor (um, I mean Empress) with a very convincing ferocity. (Mal was also convincing in her role/s of Townsperson #6 and #8).

And who will soon forget the epic Tulsa Blizzard of '09? We emerged from the pageant to a whiteout and the bone-chilling drive back to south Tulsa. After the shaking wore off, I got some pics of our Christmas lights in the snow:

The dogs were eager to frolic in the snow, even though it was above Lucy's head! Here, she's catching a snowflake on her tongue.

And the frolicking continued into Christmas Day:

So...what did I get for Christmas? As corny as it may sound, I got the joy of giving. Of keeping my family warm and loved. Of sharing my passion with thousands of stitchers around the world.

And those of you who know the story of Sandy dog, who still barks and scares the pants off every delivery man who dares to approach our house, you will appreciate my very favorite gift to receive this year. It was given to us by Billie Anne, who Sandy still terrorizes on a weekly basis:

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

LMKG #24 and #25: Mitts and SALE!

2009-12-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

My biggest and best Christmas gift was arriving home safely last night, after leaving our church Christmas pageant and heading out into the Tulsa whiteout blizzard of '09. Faithful blog readers will remember that last year I had another exciting Christmas Eve adventure involving the pageant, a gas can and a nice policeman.

It took us an hour and a half to make the harrowing drive home from downtown to 91st street. Cars were stalling out and sliding all around us, and on the radio were people calling in, stranded on the interstates which were shut down. Our windshield wipers weren't working so we had to stop at the red lights, hop out and scrape off the windshild. Harriet was with us and kept offering up her gloves to help wipe off the window!

You know things are bad when all of the children get very, very quiet in the backseat...

Today, we are snuggled in tight at home and the kids (and dogs) are loving the snow. I will share pics of the record-breaking snowfall, as well as photos of my knitted gifts being enjoyed by their receivers, in the next day or two. Meanwhile, I still owe you all two more Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

After all the gift knitting, baking, wrapping and shopping for everyone else, it's time to make a little something for myself. Sadly, I don't have any fingerless mitts of my own! So I'm going to make these Cafe Au Lait mitts by Paula McKeever out of the mink yarn that Ellen kindly gifted to me:

These would be equally extravagant out of Loops' Jade Sapphire Cashmere.

And that brings me to Gift #25: Loops Annual After-Christmas Sale! In case you missed our e-mail, the sale starts Saturday at 10am. All yarn in the store is 25-75% off (yes, even the Jade Sapphire Cashmere). Needles, books, notions and bags are at least 10% off. And from 10am-12noon on Saturday, there will be two doorbusters. One: All Louisa Harding yarns are on sale 40% off from 10-12. And two: Well, two is a surprise.

The sale runs through Monday at 8pm. The sale won't be advertised to the public until Sunday, so it will be worth venturing out on Saturday to see us! Also, all online orders will be discounted 25% when you use code 09SALE - this code will be good from midnight tonight (Friday) through midnight Monday.

So, we'll see you Saturday and meantime, have a wonderful, safe Christmas!

- Shelley

LMG #23: A Christmas spark.

2009-12-23T19:02:00.001-08:00

I left the "K" out of the title. This one is simply a Last Minute Gift: A gift you can give to Tulsa in general, and to one local family, specifically. And it won't cost you a penny.

Cassidy is our newest Loops employee, and her husband, Matt, has been a Tulsa firefighter for the past year and a half. They have two very young, beautiful children.

In case you haven't heard, due to our city's budget shortfalls, layoff of 60-120 Tulsa firefighters may be imminent. Merry Christmas? Not so much.

These layoffs would be drastic. At least 5 stations would close, and response time would be severely affected. I, for one, have been personally assisted by (and impressed by) our fire department. They are always the first to the scene, so professional and calm and kind. Most, including Matt, work a second job on their days off to make ends meet.

What a wonderful gift it would be if we could use the power of this blog to create a spark and make a difference for our firefighters' families. Please, take a moment to write your city councilperson. Ask them to reconsider the layoff. Tell them what our city's finest mean to you.

Here is a list of email addresses for your City Council leaders. If you're not sure which district you are in, just write one email and copy all of them!

Henderson: dist1@tulsacouncil.org
Westcott: dist2@tulsacouncil.org
Turner: dist3@tulsacouncil.org
Barnes: dist4@tulsacouncil.org
Trail: dist5@tulsacouncil.org
Mautino: dist6@tulsacouncil.org
Eagleton: dist7@tulsacouncil.org
Christiansen: dist8@tulsacouncil.org
Bynum: dist9@tulsacouncil.org

This is such a simple way to make a difference. Thank you for your efforts and for your continued support of our city and the people who make it great. When knitters unite, we can do amazing things!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com