Little Miss Oni Blanket.

Many of you are aware of our long-standing obsession with a certain iconic Italian designer. You know, the one that's famous for chevron patterns, and was recently featured at Target, thereby crashing target.com in a matter of hours?  Yeah, that one. Well, never one to settle for a boring afghan, our own Mr. Gene has designed an homage to said Italian designer, in baby blanket form. And thus, we present to you...the Little Miss Oni Blanket.

What's more, Gene has generously agreed to share said pattern on our humble little blog. And here it is now!

Little Miss Oni Blanket

Materials: Size 10.5 32" circular needles

Berroco Comfort Chunky or Vintage Chunky, 1 skein black plus 1 skein each of 6 different colors

Directions: Cast on 125 sts with black yarn. Work 6 rows garter stitch (knit every row). Begin Chevron Pattern using the color sequence below.

Chevron Pattern

Row 1: knit 4, *kfb, k4, sl1 knitwise, k2tog, psso, k4, kfb* repeat from * to * to last 4 sts, k4

Row 2: knit 4, purl to last 4 sts, k4

Color sequence:

10 rows color A

10 rows color B

2 rows black

6 rows color C

6 rows color D

Repeat C/D section 2 more times (24 rows)

2 rows black

4 rows color E

4 rows color F

Repeat E/F section 4 more times (32 rows)

2 rows black

10 rows color A

10 rows color B

Finish with 6 rows garter stitch in black.  Weave in ends.  Single crochet a border up the sides of the blanket in black.  Weave in tails and you're done!

Now, don't be misled by the title...one of the many beauties of this blanket is that it is equally suitable for a Little Mister Oni. And it's so much fun to pick your colors! Don't stress about it...just choose what strikes you. The nice thing about this color sequence is that it makes almost any colors look like they were meant to be together. Here are a couple different combos, side by side:

And here is Jennifer, creator of the blue version:

Loops has an ever-expanding array of soft, washable, dryable Comfort Chunky and Vintage Chunky to choose from. Shop our online store or pop into either of our locations and we'll help you play with different combinations. We love doing that! And the best thing about this pattern? It's chunky yarn, so before you know it, you'll be Little Miss Finished!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Just another day in paradise.

A lot of my time is spent away from the stores, working on marketing, budgeting and buying. So I get really excited when I can hang out in the store and just help people find that perfect project, like this new Olga's Vest in Malabrigo Finito.


It can be hard to wait for the door to open.


It's always fun to see what our co-workers will be wearing. Like this Azzu's Shawl that Gina just finished in Lontue, Firefly and Euroflax Sport.



And this Age of Brass and Steam kerchief that Cassidy made with 2 skeins of Berroco Linsey.


Finished projects make us so happy. It means we get to start a new one. What a treat!


Pat and Christie just finished Weekend Wraps in Habu Silk (a kit available at both stores). It earned its name because you can finish it in a weekend!



Other times, we get to peek in on interesting interpersonal exchanges.


Like when twin knitters, Dana and Debra, had a debate over which color is better, blue or red. It's cool to see that two people so similar can have such unique tastes from one another!


Love this Sexy Little Linen Shawl Euroflax Sport! Looks great in that red ;-)


As fun as it is, a full day of project-hunting with customers can be exhausting. Sometimes we just need to take a load off.


Lucy had fun being shop dog for the day. Look for her to make a return appearance soon!

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com

Who says knitters can't party?

Lately, I've noticed a positive trend, coupled with a disturbing one.

It seems every TV show, especially those on the channels my kids watch, features knitting in one way or another. Why, just on Spongebob alone, I've heard knitting mentioned in at least 3 episodes. (Did you know Mr. Krabs can knit? Yesiree!)

The disturbing part is, when knitting is mentioned or portrayed, it's usually sort of the opposite of fun and excitement. With Mr. Krabs, it's to show he's thrifty. And the truth is, too often the token knitter is the boring one, the type least likely to jump up and dance on a table.

So in this blog post, I'd like to present some evidence to the contrary: Knitters who know how to party.

Of course, it helps to have some buildup - a line forming outside the "club."


Add in a red carpet, a karaoke amp, and the songs "I'm Too Sexy..." and "I'm Sexy and I Know It." Then supply Loops Troops models with confidence boost in the form of mango margaritas:


And kick off the party with some serious yarn swagger.







Up the ante with 16 hot new projects, including 5 new Loops Original patterns, all displayed with fresh new photography.


And yes my friends, you've got a knitting party.






This legendary Hot Loops Party (our 14th!) sold out, as always. But naturally, we want everyone to join in the fun. This is why we've created a "mini Hot Loops Wall" at Loops South, and also why we are debuting one Hot Loops Project per day on loopsknitting.com. We've already debuted three.




Keep your eye on the Loops Facebook Page for more projects in the days to come. Then just mix up a mango margarita (or a nice big iced tea), and it's a spring knitting party in your very own house!

So there, Spongebob...and all the other naysayers. Knitters can party. I rest my case.

- Shelley
shop online at loopsknitting.com
P.S. Big thanks to Sherri T. and Judy L. for the photos!