Fill Your Boots with Beautiful Socks!
How are your socks looking at the end of winter? A bit worse for wear? Well not to worry — we’ve got everything you need to restore your favourite pair or even try your hand at knitting a new pattern!
We’re super excited that Hikaru Noguchi will be visiting Loop in August to teach some fabulous classes, including two sessions dedicated to socks. Her Darning Workshops on 3 and 4 August in the afternoon will focus on the techniques for both fixing holes and reinforcing weak points she explores in her new sock darning book, which will be published in Japanese in July 2024. That’s right, she literally wrote the book on sock darning.
Hikaru’s darns are creative and beautiful, and the techniques you learn in the Darning Workshop will serve you well for socks and much more. Far from simply extending the life of an old favourite, Hikaru’s techniques will actually help you enhance the texture and beauty of your items.
While she’s in town, Hikaru will also share some of her other incredible stitching techniques at Loop in her Darning Brooch Workshop on the mornings of 3 and 4 August. Theses classes will use techniques from her recent book Beyond Darning: Creative Mending Techniques, which we also carry (right now the book is only available in Japanese with very clear photo instructions, but in July we’ll receive it in English). This class will guide participants through the process of creating a totally unique brooch or patch, giving you creative freedom to use materials from home that you find inspiring or fabrics prepared by Hikaru.
We’re sure both of these classes will be a real treat. We have always loved having Hikaru’s work at Loop, since we first opened in 2005 and it’s a real pleasure to have been able to feature her work so many times over the years. Having her in London to teach a class is just a dream!
Holger Auffenberg Sock Knitting Masterclass
If it’s a brand new pair of socks you’re after, why not join us in June to learn from a true maestro of the craft, Holger Auffenberg! Whether you want to knit your first pair of socks or you’re looking for a new sock challenge, Holger has a class to suit. The Basics of Sock Knitting runs on three consecutive Saturdays starting on 27 April. Over the course of the three weeks you’ll work through one entire sock as a group, taking notes to guide you through your second sock. By the end you’ll have all the skills and know-how you need to start making gorgeous, cosy and fun socks! If you’ve been around the sock block a few times, Holger’s Sock Knitting Masterclass is the one for you. He’ll cover a range of techniques as well as some offbeat approaches to construction that are sure to delight the intermediate sock knitter. Come with your curiosity, specific questions, or problem areas you want to troubleshoot. Holger will take your sock knitting to the next level!
Hand-dyed, self-striping, matching. What more could you ask? If you want to get from zero to fabulous sock as quickly as possible, check out Urth Yarns Sock Yarns and Kits, which we’re super happy to have back in stock. What’s really unique about Echoes Sock Yarn is that it’s designed not only to stripe itself but also to make two matching pairs of socks. Forget switching yarns and weaving in ends, just leave the colour changing to the yarn! The result is a fabulous pair of socks with four sets of coloured stripes.
We have full-size Uneek Sock Kits as well as Uneek Mini Sock Kits for kids or adults who prefer a shorter sock. Each kit comes with a free Mahalle Sock pattern (or Mini Mahalle for the mini kit), making it super easy to get stuck in straight away. The mini kits are especially great as you can make more than one pair of socks for growing feet. Each mini kit can make three pairs of baby socks for ages 0 to 2, or two pairs of socks for ages 2 to 4, or one pair of socks for ages 4 to 9. Some of the colours are the same across the mini and full-size kits as well, so you can make matching socks for the whole family! Urth yarns is also a company you can feel great about supporting. From the Turkish women whose craft they support through production to the tree they plant for each skein sold, Urth is about much more than just wool!
52 Weeks of Socks Volume II – Now in Paperback!
Laine’s magnificent volume II of 52 Weeks of Socks is now with us in paperback! This book will keep you inspired for a whole year (and maybe longer!) with fabulous and fun ideas for sock knits. 52 Weeks of Socks offers a fantastic opportunity to try your hand at different styles of socks and embellishments, and of course all of these knits are super cosy to wear. With designs by 47 designers from all over the world, Laine has done a wonderful job of curating a diverse range of sock patterns you’ll love to knit.
Whether you’re learning to take on your first pair of socks or learn another technique, our One-on-One Tuition sessions in knitting will help make your crafting dreams reality. These hour-long sessions allow us to tailor instruction to the individual, so you’ll leave with your knitting questions answered and maybe a few bonus insights, too. We’ve just added two new dates, Monday 13 May and Monday 20 May. And since the shop isn’t open to the public on Mondays, you’ll have the whole place to yourself!
If you’re feeling stuck or stumped by your latest project, we’re here to help. This Sunday 14 April is our monthly Knitting SOS session in the shop. From 10:30 to noon our Loopettes will be on hand to help you through whatever issue your knit is throwing at you. If you’ve got an advanced technique you need help with, like Baltic braid or fisherman’s rib, please drop us a line in advance so we can be sure someone is available to help. Otherwise just turn up on the day! See you then.
Happy knitting!
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