Angel BAG.

I'm going to tell this story on our own Billie Anne G. (a.k.a. "BAG") because I know she would never tell it on herself...

Yesterday, a customer named Stacy walked into the shop with an envelope for Billie Anne. Ever the curious one, I asked what was inside? Seems that Stacy was in town from Bartlesville last week visiting relatives in an assisted living center. When she got back in her car and started to head out of town back to Bartlesville (which is about an hour from Tulsa), she realized she was completely out of gas AND had left her purse back in B'ville.

What to do? What to do??!! Panic set in, and then she remembered Loops. She came into the store, told Billie Anne her story and that she was a Loops customer (though she and Billie Anne had never met before this day). BAG gave her $10 out of her own pocket for gas without batting an eye. "I told her she must be my guardian angel," Stacy said. She was so grateful, she even let me take her picture:

Big kudos to BAG for helping remind us all that a yarn store is so much more than a store.

And while we're on the subject of Bags, we now have the Walker mesh nylon bags and accessories cases available online. I mentioned them in our e-newsletter and everyone wanted to know how the heck to buy them.


I adore these bags because they let you see all your stuff but they are oh-so-much-more-elegant than see-through plastic. Plus the pockets and grommets on the tote really rock. There are lots more colors in stock. Click here to shop the bags.

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Freebie Fiesta patterns!

Ask and you shall receive.

I emailed Jeannie from Fiesta yarns to see if she had any free patterns to support all of that awesome yarn they sent to us in a special shipment. She came through - in a big way! Any of these patterns is yours free with your Fiesta purchase (along with two free skeins of Plymouth Margarita or Pina Colada - woohoo!). Here's the Zia rib top:

Zia summer top:

Tenero scarf (84% cashmere!):

Tenero hat & scarf set:

Zia fun vest:

Zia sweater:

Zia basketweave vest:

Zuni jacket:

Zuni seed stitch:


Remember, all the Fiesta yarn goes back to New Mexico next Monday, August 3!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

A Fiesta with free Margaritas and Pina Coladas!

This past weekend, we had our first-ever booth at a local fiber festival called Fiber Christmas. By random luck, I happened to be meeting with our Fiesta Yarns rep a few weeks ago...I mentioned Fiber Christmas...and Brad (our rep, who also happens to be a native of Tulsa) generously offered to send us some hand-dyed yarn from Fiesta's outlet in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

We received two huge boxes of the most gorgeous yarns...far too much to sell at Fiber Christmas. So we decided to hang onto the yarn another week, to give all of you a chance at it before it makes its way back into the mountains of New Mexico. The yarns were offered to us at 25-50% off and we are passing all of the savings on to you!

(Hint: This would make a great gift for any knitter that you know, 'cause you know she doesn't already have it.)

Some of these yarns have been discontinued and even I have never seen them before. There are Zuni and Zia, each 100% cotton - one smooth, one bouclé (there are lots more colors you can't see around the back):


Here is Tenero, a 100% cashmere hand-dyed bouclé - so unusual, so soft and half-price!


Here is Starburst Rayon Bouclé, which was really catching everyone's eye when I was putting it out yesterday. Would be so pretty for a summer shawl or stole, either by itself or mixed with other yarns:


And we even got some La Boheme, Fiesta's #1-selling yarn, in colors either discontinued or slightly off from their normal dyes:


We would really like to sell all of this yarn this week, so we don't have to re-pack it and send it back (we're lazy like that ;-). So we are offering this added incentive. With any Fiesta purchase now through Sunday 8/2, we'll give you two skeins of your choice from the new shipment of Plymouth Margarita and Pina Colada that we just received.


Two skeins of either "libation" yarn will make a quick, pretty scarf on a #11 needle - either knit all rows, or do a drop-stitch (we can show you how). Fun and easy poolside knitting!

Come have a Fiesta with us this week, before the party's over Sunday!

- Shelley

P.S. Out of town? Call us and we'll help you have your own Fiesta over the phone.
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Barbara's been busy.

One of our managers, Barbara, always does the most sophisticated, beautiful projects. For herself, she knits pretty exclusively in black and white (and gracefully endures our teasing about it ;-) But she came in the other day having finished this darling vest for a lucky little girl in her life:

Barbara used Sublime DK merino/cashmere/silk blend (Sublime DK and Sublime Baby DK are the same yarn, interchangeable) and a free Ravelry download pattern, Top Down Garter Stitch Yoke Vest by Naganasu (you need to be registered on Ravelry to access this, but hopefully you are all on Ravelry by now, and hopefully you have joined our Ravelry group, "loopalicious"!).

Since Barbara finished the vest, she has cast on for a scarf in the new Knit Simple magazine using Debbie Bliss Prima (bamboo and merino):


New stuff alert:
This week we have received a new shipment of Plymouth Fantasy cotton, a huge box of hand-dyed cashmere-blend sock yarn from Pagewood Farm, and some awesome new multi-color mesh totes from Walker Bags. The bags are 16x13x6, have tons of pockets and even grommets for your working yarn! Come check out all the different colors (we have a couple of these in the picture plus lots more, including all-black):

And here are some photos of the Pagewood yarn, called Alyeska:




Loretta already has the Alyeska online - click here to shop. For the bags, just call the store and we'll help you over the phone!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com or call toll-free 1-877-LOOPSOK

Summer knights.

First it was cheese wax. Now look what happens when my Alarmingly Creative Child gets bored on a summer afternoon and gets her hands on a box of Reynolds Wrap.


And every good knight needs a shield:


So here's a heads up to all you moms out there: For the price of a box of foil, you could buy yourself several hours of peaceful knitting time.

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Necking for two hours.

Took a little break from my Spud and Chloe Camp Hoodie to indulge in some Tanglewood Fiber Creations yarn. Sorry, but when Trish is here and all her lovely cashmere is laying around, you just can't resist.

I was frugal in a way though...for the first project, I frogged a dropstitch scarf from back in January, and made Trish's Neck Candy pattern (actually written by her friend Shelli from Knitterly). This pattern is genius. Looks like feather-and-fan but even easier. On 10.5 needles using the cashmere/silk in a DK-to-worsted handspun weight, it looks like this (here, it's partially buttoned, but you can button it all the way for a slouchy cowl):


In Trish's laceweight on 15 needles, the same pattern looks like this:

Gina calls it her "Shoulder Candy" and you can't really see it with the backlighting, but her yarn is loaded with tiny beads. Sooooo pretty. The pattern is free with any Tanglewood purchase.

It only took me an hour and half to whip up the Neck Candy (plus a few extra minutes to sew on the dyed abalone buttons). And then I couldn't stop...I decided to make up a cowl with the giant fluffy handspun cashmere that Trish calls "Snow":

This only took me half an hour, start to finish. You should feel it - it's on display in the store - it's the ultimate wubbie.

Two "neck" projects done in two hours total. Talk about Instant Knitting! For the Snow Cowl, I cast on 48 stitches using a #15, 16-inch circular, joined in the round and did *K4, P4* until I ran out and bound off. I cut it a little close (trying to use up every millimeter of the Precious yarn) and we all held our breath as I bound off the last few stitches. This nice customer suggested I K2tog on the last stitch - and it barely made it! Barely!

BTW this customer recently moved here, works for the FBI and has lived all over the country. Can't tell you her name or she'd have to shoot me. She came in at 3pm on a Friday because it had "been such a week, I needed a break" - then she was headed back to the office to Fight Crime and Save the World. We had so much fun and she said no other yarn shop in the U.S. compares to Loops. So it was a "feel good Friday" all around - fun, compliments, cashmere. What could be better?

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Scrumptious stash hat.

In previous posts, I have been waxing poetic about the joys of the free Blooming Cotton Scarf pattern. I finished it - it's on display at the store - and it was kinda like finishing a great book. I didn't want it to end!

Well, in a way, it didn't...because when I was all done, I had TONS of Louisa Harding Albero left over. I barely went into the 3rd ball of the main color and at least half a ball each of 6 contrast colors. What to do with all that leftover yarn?

Annie made the same scarf out of Rowan Calmer. She also had leftovers - and a brilliant idea. She noticed that most of the hats in Debby Ware's latest book, "Scrumptious Toppers," use DK-weight or light worsted yarn. (Debby Ware is the one who makes those incredibly cute hat kits we stock in our baby area.)

Check out Annie's work in progress:



"I probably never would have used luxe Calmer to make a baby hat - but my leftovers were perfect!" Annie says. "This is a great way to make room in the stash for upcoming fall yarns. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway."

So gather up those leftovers...and start filling up that hope chest!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Ribbit and Cupcake.

I was trying to think up a good title for this post. Then I realized you don't often see the words "ribbit" and "cupcake" in the same sentence, so that should be intriguing enough.

Or I could have just said "free patterns." Which is kinda like saying "free beer" in the knitting world, right?

Last post, I introduced you to Spud & Chloe. And amidst all of the fabulous things I love about this line, I left out something really crucial: Susan B. Anderson.

The author of the beloved book, "Itty Bitty Hats," is the genius behind the Spud & Chloe patterns like "Hoot." She also curates the Spud & Chloe blog, and she recently shared these two adorable free patterns.

"Cupcake Pincushion" uses one skein each of "Sweater" yarn in Ice Cream and Strawberry, plus a little dollop of Popsicle for the cherry.


"Ribbit" uses just one skein of Outer yarn.

And the tennis player (as well as mom) in me loves that Ribbit is stuffed with a tennis ball - so he literally "hops" when bounced!

Thanks, Susan...and happy knitting everyone!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

One hot potato: The new Spud & Chloe line.

If you look closely at the adorable logo for the new Spud & Chloe line, you will see that Chloe has a tiny leash around her pet sheep, Spud.

But they are going to have a tough time reining this puppy in.

This new line of yarns and patterns from the makers of Blue Sky Alpacas debuted to a big, buzzing crowd at the TNNA market in Columbus - and the buzz is sure to build to a frenzy. Everything about it feels fresh. From the old-school pencil box that my yarn samples came in, to the modern palette of saturated colors, to the patterns which are styled after old-fashioned sewing patterns - the outside is printed with a big color photo of the model, and the pattern itself slides out, folds out and contains lots of room for note-taking and scribbles.

The yarns themselves are classic plies with straightforward, self-descriptive names - "Fine," "Sweater," and "Outer." The line is tagged "Sweet yarns for real life" and therein lies the secret - all the yarns are natural fibers (wool & silk for the Fine, wool & organic cotton for Sweater and Outer), and all are superwash. That's right, even the bulky can be tossed in the washer and dryer.

Then, there are the patterns. Oh. My. Gosh. Here is just a little taste:
"Hoot Hat"

"Sidecar Jacket"

"Flap Happy Hat"

"Boy Meets Hats"

"Uptown Downtown Jacket"


We have every pattern, and every yarn, online at loopsknitting.com. Remember, you can order online and then make a note that you will pick up in-store to save on shipping. And if you're not near Tulsa, also remember that our shipping is always just $6 - no matter how much Spud & Chloe you buy!

P.S. Also just in...the coveted Mini Mochi from Crystal Palace (big shipment, new colors, so soft!)...plus Tanglewood Trish sent a big box of crack - um, I mean yarn - ahead of her arrival. Come get the first crack - um, I mean look - at the yarn and pick out your own special skein.

- Shelley

Dimples.

And the winner of our "red eye" contest is...Queen Frysia! Her winning caption, chosen for both humor and accuracy:
"This is what mom looks like if I interrupt her in the middle of a row."

Queen Frysia, please email me at shelley@loopsknitting.com and let us know if you are local and can pick up your winnings at the shop, or send us your address if you'd like us to mail it to you. You will receive a full bag of Louisa Harding Kashmir DK! Let us know if you need some ideas on what to do with it. We got a million of 'em...

Oh, and honorable mention goes to Billie Anne for the two best non-eligible comments. I smiled, kinda like this:


P.S. The only thing worse than red eye is blue eye: