Inspired by the botanical richness of Japan, the ancient art of temari and our favourite neighbourhoods in London, Rika Stein has created three beautiful sets of naturally dyed cotton threads for Loop through her new venture, NONA. We’ve been in love with Rika’s work since her days at Temaricious and we’re over the moon to have these unique threads in the shop.
Hello Iroiro! The newest little balls of yarn from Daruma in Japan, iroiro means variety, many ways or different kinds in Japanese. You can use these little balls in all sorts of ways, and we are pretty excited about all the crafting possibilities!
Molly Martin first learned to mend when an old favourite pair of socks needed darning. Her mother taught her the technique to repair holes in the sewing room at the back of their farmhouse, where there was always a treasure trove of needles, wool, threads and fabric to play with.
What is Sashiko? Sashiko means “little stabs” referring to the distinctive running stitch that defines this technique of Japanese needlework. Traditional Sashiko was used to reinforce or repair old clothing with simple stitches to strengthen and mend. Today, the traditional art of Sashiko has become an art form in itself and is used for primarily decorative purposes like visible mending, quilting and embroidery. Sashiko designs consist of geometric patterns and tesselating shapes. Common motifs include designs inspired by nature like clouds, bamboo, rippling water and waves and persimmon flower. Traditionally Sashiko was known for its graphic style and light colour …
Sashiko; the beautiful art of Japanese embroidery Read more →
We are passionate about textiles at Loop and are very excited to bring you two new workshops this spring with textile artists Anne Kelly and Ekta Kaul. Anne Kelly is an award-winning textile artist, author and tutor based in the UK, exhibiting and teaching internationally. She has authored several beautiful books, about her collaborative works, dealing with nature, folk art, travel and migration.
Let’s talk about mending this week. We so often focus on the making of fabrics whether it’s knitting or crocheting but what do we do with all of the wonderful knitwear once it has been created and starting to wear out from years of wear and love?
For a real treat in this new year, we have organised a workshop with the very talented textile artist and author Mandy Patullo!Mandy’s book Textiles Transformed has been especially popular with all of you this past year. It’s no wonder as it such a fantastic resource of information and inspiration for re-purposing our cherished fabrics into beautiful works of art. Currently on pre-order at Loop, we are expecting more copies in the next week!
Gift, wrapping and decorating ideas for Christmas. Including presents under £25 and how-to make a parcel pocket trimmed with beautiful ribbon.
With the release of Norah Gaughan’s stunning new book Knitted Cable Sourcebook, we thought we’d give the stage to an all time favourite technique, so bust out your cable needles!
Embroidery is a wonderful way to add detail and adorn your knits with something extra special. For this post on the blog we’re taking you through the process of adding the flower motif to the Rosemaling Mitts from Loop’s 10. Make sure you read to the end of the post to find out how you can win an embroidery book!