Author: Susan Cropper

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Finally we are getting a bit of nice, light, summer knitting weather! Yeah! Later in this post, we have a tutorial for the figure of eight cast-on, mentioned in other tutorials (and here) and a new way of striping those toe-up afterthought heel socks. But first we wanted to show you the new knitting bags we got in at Loop. Above you can see Sophie knitting with one of the Yarn Pop Gadgety bags. These are great because they have grommets that allow yarn to be threaded through. The ball of yarn stays safely inside the bag pocket, instead of rolling out …

Figure of Eight Cast On Read more →

When the weather warms up, we love turning to smaller projects we can take on the go, like our Afterthought Heel Socks from last week. Cowls are a great accessory to work on in summer too – they usually only take one or two skeins of yarn and you can build up a collection to give away as Christmas presents come winter! This week, we’ve decided to bring you our edit of cowl patterns to keep your needles happy all summer. First up is a cowl from one of our favourite designers, Alana Dakos. Her gorgeous new book Botanical Knits …

Loop’s Favourite Cowls! Read more →

We’ve got socks-on-the-brain at Loop, this week. No, not a new illness, we’re planning our summer knitting: small, portable projects that can build our winter gift giving stash… or end up on our own feet, come autumn. I like to use my “fancy” sock yarns to knit the bodies of my socks and then slip in contrasting, afterthought heels in hardwearing Lang Jawoll Superwash sock. Not only is this great for self-striping and hand-dyed yarns, as the afterthought yarn won’t break up the colour pattern, but it extends your “fancy” sock yarn so you can get more out of it. …

Lots of Socks Read more →

Read on to find out how you can win some gorgeous BSA Metalico! (This contest has now closed, but keep an eye out for more giveaways in the future! Congrats to Lee, our winner!) The beautifully luxurious yarns from Blue Sky Alpacas have long graced the shelves of Loop and we’re still in love! They are our absolute go-to yarn for gorgeous alpaca softness and to-die-for colours. We were lucky enough to get a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at BSA – with the wildlife of rural Minnesota in the US included – and are excited to share their stunning …

Blue Sky Alpacas at Loop! Read more →

We do love a bit of crochet at Loop, particularly when the weather warms up. Crochet is perfect for when you want a a quick little project that you can whisk away on holiday, or stuff in your bag for your commute. You can make small items like toys or home accessories, or crochet little motifs that will one day be put together as a blanket or garment. We have an abundance of crochet inspiration at Loop right now that can help you get hooking! We love the crochet aesthetic of two French women – both called Cecile! – whose …

Crochet Love Read more →

We recently changed our window display – the lovely Sophie and Juju took the lead and made it a showcase of all things happy and bright at Loop! Yarns, ribbons, books, toys and even blocking kits have lit up our storefront on Camden Passage. Just in case you can’t pass by the actual shop, we thought we’d share it with you here! We were very much inspired by a lot of the neon and neutral colour combinations we’ve been seeing recently. Above is the fabulously electric ‘Edison Bulb’ colourway in Madelinetosh Sock. We think it would look great striped with …

Spring Brights at Loop! Read more →

With springtime comes wedding season, and for knitters that often means it’s time to knit something that celebrates that momentous occasion. A wedding shawl can mean many different things; you might be knitting one for yourself to wear while saying, “I do,” or you may be making a shawl as an heirloom for someone important to you. You might be knitting a shawl for the mother of the bride or groom, or you might just want something extra special to wear as a guest at a dear friend’s wedding. Whatever your role, a wedding is one of those circumstances where …

Wedding Shawl Season Read more →

Cherry blossoms are starting to appear in London, giving off a wonderfully calm and beautiful presence – could Spring finally be here?! This feeling puts us in mind of the quietly beautiful Habu yarns and Japanese knitting and crochet books we carry at Loop. Based in New York City, but with a heavy Japanese influence, Habu describe their yarns as ‘slow’ materials that give soul to the fabrics they produce.   Habu yarns open up all kinds of creative possibilities and are perfect for experimentation. They come in little bundles, or on cones, wrapped up in simple brown paper.   …

Japonisme at Loop Read more →

The vintage aesthetic has made a comeback in recent years and at Loop we can’t get enough! Our shop is nestled in beautiful Camden Passage, in amongst antiques dealers and vintage clothing boutiques, and Loop is no exception to the rows of vendors selling vintage goods. We scour flea markets around the world to find some wonderful and unique vintage items for you, your home or for a great gift! We have stunning antique buttons…   Bakelite yarn holders and knitting needles from the 1940s and 50s…   And of course, lots of vintage inspired items too – like books …

Vintage at Loop Read more →

Have you heard of Skein? We had it at Loop last year, but if you blinked, you missed it because it veritably flew off the shelves! We now have a new base yarn in – a seriously luxurious 50% merino/50% silk blend – and we are so excited to have these amazing colours back in the shop! Skein yarns are hand-dyed by Kristen all the way over on the northern coast of New South Wales in Australia. Kristen kettle dyes beautiful fibres in semi-solid and variegated colourways. We love them all, but are particularly fond of the colourways with random …

Skein Colour Love Read more →