So when I saw Spud & Chloe’s Playground Hoodie pattern, I thought of Caleb. It’s a jacket that zips for easily getting on and off, it has a hood for extra warmth, and it’s colorful without being cutesy.

The Playground Hoodie is knit with Spud & Chloe Outer yarn. It was an absolute joy to knit with. Outer’s light, soft, and just feels good in your hands. The colors, I chose sequoia and flannel, are rich and a little heathery – beautiful to look at as you knit.

As soon as the Playground Hoodie was finished, I threw it in the washer, on gentle cycle using cold water. Then I put it in the dryer on low heat for a few minutes and with no heat for a few minutes more, before laying it on a towel to dry. It came out looking great.

Caleb won’t be needing his new hoodie just yet, so it will be in the shop if you want to take a look. I still need to install the zipper, which I’ll do before he gets it. The pattern includes sizing up to age 6, so maybe Asher will get one too!

However, Bley made some clever modifications to suit her needs and style. First, she seamed the neck opening, instead of using hooks and eyes, for a notched-neck look.

Then she added a crewel-work bee to really make it her own. Bley’s Bee Sweater is a great example of how you can make changes to the designs you knit; you don’t have to just follow the pattern word for word.

Thanks for sharing your project with us, Bley! It looks great!

I hope you’re Independence Day celebrations include time with family and friends, good food and drink, dazzling fireworks – and, of course, a little time to knit or crochet.

Loop is closed today, but we’re open tomorrow, Sunday, July 5, from 11 am to 4 pm. Have a fun, safe holiday!

Spud & Chloe knitting patterns have an easy, care-free spirit that’s a little mod, like the undulating stripes of The Wave, a little whimsical, like the Hoot Hat and always stylish. Stripes, fair isle motifs, two-color stitch patterns and touches of embroidery add punch and energy to the collection.

There are 19 patterns in all – 6 patterns for Fine yarn, 7 patterns for Sweater yarn, and 6 patterns for Outer yarn – with something for everyone in the family.

Track Jacket and Dial Up Gloves (with Two-for-One Socks on the line)

Spud & Chloe patterns are packaged like sewing patterns. Each one comes in a sealed envelope with a full color photograph of the design on the front and the materials list on the back. Inside, the patterns are printed on easy-to-read black type on white paper.

The Spud & Chloe Pattern Box

To keep your knitting and crochet patterns neat and organized, there’s the Spud & Chloe Pattern Box. The flip-top box comes with 9 dividers and 20 labels. Arrange your patterns by yarn, size, style – there’s even blank labels so you can create your own categories. The outside of the Pattern Box has a fun, vintage-inspired design that will look great in your craft room.

So that you’re sure to pick the projects that are right for you, Spud & Chloe has given us multiple views of each design on their website. For the Trifecta Scarf, for example, you’ll see close-ups of the scarf’s wonderful details, and two different color combinations.

Right now, we have a trunk show in the shop with 6 Spud & Chloe designs: Uptown Downtown, Sidecar Jacket, Hoot Hat, The Wave, Baby Bartlett Set, and Flap Happy Hat. If you’re in town, stop in and take a look – it’s really fun to see them in person. The trunk show will be here through July 19.

If you’ve already started knitting a Spud & Chloe pattern, please bring it in or send us a photograph when you done. We’d love to see it! I’ll be posting about my first project next week.

Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise Jacket is a tiny knitted wonder. You decrease, you increase, you knit a little more here, you pick up a few stitches there, you bind off, you fold and – surprise! – this strange little piece of knitting become a jacket.

Knit with finer yarn and get a smaller jacket or use thicker yarn for a larger one. Knit in one solid color or use several colors to make stripes; see what happens with patterned sock yarn or try using only leftovers from finished socks. There are so many ways to approach this little jacket that you can – and many do – knit it again and again each time a new baby arrives.

Unfortunately, some people are confused by Elizabeth Zimmerman’s pattern writing style. It’s not unusual for knitters to start a Baby Surprise Jacket, and then stop out of frustration. So if that’s you, or if you read the pattern and didn’t even attempt it, our Baby Surprise Jacket class might be the solution. We’re starting this Sunday, July 5 and will meet a total of 3 times, taking you from the first row to the shoulder seams. The cost of the class is $54 and includes the pattern.

Join us and make the Baby Surprise Jacket a part of your knitting repertoire!

Textured Lacy Pullover in Cotton Classic yarn

Two great things about summer knitting are the wonderful light fibers and the easy-to-knit and fun-to-wear tanks, tops, and tees. Designers from Sublime, Tahki, and Loop-d-Loop have given us lots of beautiful warm weather garments to choose from.

Handkerchief Top in Quartz yarn

The sale includes old favorites like Mission Falls 1824 Cotton and Tahki Cotton Classic, both regularly $6, now $4.50 a ball and hot new yarns like Loop-d-Loop Quartz, a linen and viscose blend, regularly $9, now $6.75.

Hurry, the sale ends Sunday, July 5! (We’ll be closed on Saturday, July 4, and open on Sunday, July 5.)

The pattern is from Wendy D. Johnson’s new book, Socks from the Toe Up. I really like knitting the gusset heel. And it fits perfectly.

The toe was done with Judy’s Magic Cast On. It’s so satisfying to do and I love the way it looks.

When Wendy is here next month, she’ll teach these and other toe and heel techniques in her classes. I hope you’ll join us!

Spud & Chloë is a new line of luxe yarns from the makers of Blue Sky Alpacas. I’ve been excited about Spud & Chloë since I first heard about it in January at the winter yarn market. Actually, all the folks at Blue Sky Alpacas would tell me was that there was something new; they wouldn’t tell me anything about it, not even the name, no matter how many times I asked. I knew it was going to be good, though, from the smiles on their faces and because everything Blue Sky Alpacas does is wonderful.

I learned more about Spud & Chloë little by little over the last 6 months. I’ve felt like a kid waiting for summer vacation to begin. And last week it arrived! Three yarns, 19 patterns, and lots of inspiration.

Spud & Chloë Fine is the first yarn in the collection. A fingering weight blend of superwash wool and silk, Fine comes in 68 gram hanks with 248 yards each. There are six designs for Fine including a scarf, gloves, socks, and a pullover.

Spud & Chloë Sweater is the worsted weight yarn of the collection. Sweater is a blend of superwash wool and organic cotton available in 13 colors. Each 100 gram hank contains 160 yards of yarn.

The Spud & Chloë collection is completed with Outer, a bulky blend of superwash wool and organic cotton. Available in five colors, Outer is packaged in 100 gram hanks with 60 yards of yarn.

The 19 patterns in the Spud & Chloë collection give us something for everyone. There are hats and sweaters for babies and children, scarves, hats, sweaters and coats for women, and a great zippered cardigan for men. Check them out and see which one calls to you!

Wendy will join us at Stitch Party on Friday, July 24 from 5 to 8 pm. She’ll be happy to sign your copy of her book (bring it if you already own it, or purchase one here) and to discuss her designs.

On Saturday, Wendy will teach 2 classes –

Toe Techniques for Toe-up Socks
$45, Saturday, July 25 from 10 am to 12 noon

This workshop is geared towards knitters who have perhaps made top-down socks (but experience with top-down socks is not required) and are interested in learning how to turn their sock knitting upside-down and go toe-up! Several different cast-ons will be covered for creating toe-up socks: Turkish cast-on, Judy’s Magic cast-on, short-row toe and others as time allows. The only skills required are the ability to knit and purl.

Prerequisite:
You should be comfortable knitting in the round (either on two circular needles, using the magic loop technique, or on dpns). No homework before class is required.

Materials:
Smooth, light-colored yarn in sport or worsted weight (100 or 200 yards)
2 circular needles 16″ or 24″ long in the same needle size (the size should be appropriate for your yarn.) You need circulars to do a couple of the cast-ons, but if you are more comfortable knitting in the round on dpns, bring them along as well. Crochet hook in the appropriate size for your yarn.

Heel Techniques for Toe-up Socks
$45, Saturday, July 25 from 1 to 3 pm

Different heels for toe-up socks will be covered: Wendy’s slip-stitch heel, gusset heel, and short-row heel. The only skills required are the ability to knit and purl.

Prerequisite:
Students should be comfortable knitting in the round (either on two circular needles, using the magic loop technique, or on dpns). No homework before class is required.

Materials:
Smooth, light-colored yarn in sport or worsted weight (100 or 200 yards)
2 circular needles 16″ or 24″ long (or 1 long circular if you are a magic looper) in the same needle size (the size should be appropriate for your yarn.)

Registration is now open, so call (215 893 9939) or stop in to get your space today! Full payment is required to reserve your space. We will be unable to issue refunds for these workshops unless they are canceled.

This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from one of knitting’s best! I hope you’ll join us!

They are in need of knitted and crocheted items such as fun hats, scarves, and lap blankets. Lap blankets are especially needed for the children in the cool hallways as they are transported in their wagons or wheelchairs, or even just to be out of bed. The children range in age from newborn infants to teenagers. This is a great way to use yarn you have left over from other projects or yarn you’ve bought but haven’t used.

All of us at Loop will be making items for the Family Rooms from now through the end of the year. We invite you to join us in our effort. Come knit and crochet with us on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 pm or drop off your contributions and we’ll get them to the Ronald McDonald House.