Happy New Year from Loop!
We love the optimism of the beginning of the year. It’s the perfect time to start a new project or make a new plan, to review the achievements of the previous 12 months and set goals for the next cycle. And in that spirit, we are so excited to be launching a gorgeous new website around 20 January!
We designed this new site with our lovely customers in mind. It is going to make it so much easier to award loyalty points, download patterns online, and send gift cards to your favourite knitters. For customers in the EU, the new site will allow us to add VAT to orders under €150, meaning you should not have to pay any VAT or other duties when your order arrives.
We have some fun treats to celebrate this launch, like a 10% discount code for your first purchase on the new website and a bonus 50 LoopLove Points for signing up to our online rewards scheme. Existing customers will need to re-activate their online accounts with us—look out for an email with instructions to do so!
Our current online shop will close on 16 January and the new site will launch around 20 January, so be sure to get any urgent orders in now. If for any reason you would like to keep a record of your order history with Loop, be sure to access your account before 16 January to screenshot or copy your past orders, as these will not transfer to the new website. We will have much more detail about the new site next week, so fear not. You can also always contact us with any questions. We can’t wait to share our new site with you! Meanwhile, we have a very exciting array of new classes, books, and other treasures as usual.
Florence Shawl Class with Florence Spurling
Fans of the stunning Florence Shawl by Florence Spurling, which we launched last year, will be over the moon to hear that Florence herself will be joining us in the London shop on 16 April to hold a Florence Shawl Class on the her pattern! Students will learn the techniques used to create the gorgeous knit flowers that are the star of this shawl during a three-hour class. The skills that will be taught include working modularly, two methods of making bobble stitches, picking up live and edge stitches, and more! In-shop attendance will be limited to six people, but we are also hosting a Zoom Florence Shawl Class on Sunday 20 February. See you there!
LYKKE Cypra Interchangeable Copper Needle Set
These new needles from LYKKE are such a dream! The natural antibacterial and health qualities of copper as well as the beautiful patina the metal acquires with age lend utility and charm to this gorgeous set. Copper is an essential mineral for humans, and its healing qualities are well documented. Slow copper absorption through handling copper (like these needles!) or wearing copper jewellery has been used to treat headaches, arthritis, and joint pain. With nine interchangeable tips marked in metric and US sizes plus three different length cables, two connectors, four keys, and eight stoppers – all beautifully arrayed in a vegan suede pouch – there’s little else any knitter could ask for!
We have some delightful new sculptures by Julie Arkell in her signature mixed media of papier mache, knitting, and embroidery. Two of these are Puff Puff…i won’t blow away and Little Bird Cure, both sweet examples of Julie’s whimsical contemporary folk art that will delight and inspire in any home.
New Sophie Digard Shawls and Necklaces
More beautiful delights have arrived from Parisian designer Sophie Digard. Her gorgeous Hydrangea Shawl, a long-time Loop favourite, is now available in three rich colourways. This lightweight embroidered merino shawl is so soft it feels like cashmere and beautifully shows off Sophie’s craftsmanship. In addition, we have three new handmade necklaces from Sophie. Using crochet and stitching, the Flower Linen Necklace, Zinnia Necklace, and Flowers and Hearts Necklace bring life to exquisite hand-dyed fibres that beg to be touched.
The latest issue of Selvedge pays homage to the fibres and handcraft techniques that have kept our ancestors warm for millennia. Unlike the ubiquitous sweatshirt, handknit sweaters come in an infinite variety of textures, colours, and patterns. They employ waste-free construction techniques and put the structure of their fibres to good use. Exploring the Irish Aran, the Scottish Fair Isle, and the Norwegian Lusekofta as well as Icelandic socks and the iconic knits of Ýr Jóhannsdóttir, this issue is sure to keep you cosy this winter.
We are so excited to have Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s award-winning book Extra Yarn in the shop. This gorgeous book for young people tells the story of little Annabelle, who discovers a box of brightly coloured yarn on a cold, dark day in a dull, grey town. She starts knitting and soon she has blanketed the entire town in a rainbow of colour! This is truly a touching story with beautiful illustrations for children of all ages.
Yoko Hatta’s book Small Knits takes a contemporary approach to traditional knitting patterns and textures, bringing to life a lovely collection of 19 stylish knits (plus variations). The mittens, hats, neckwarmers, and socks here will easily fit in with any wardrobe. Plus, a section on technique provides detailed instructions on the stitches used in the book’s patterns. This book is perfect for anyone wanting to give Japanese-style knitting a try!
With the Omicron variant of COVID continuing to spread through London, and with our staff and customers’ health in mind, we have decided to remain closed through early February. Although the shop is closed to customers, we are busy picking online orders, so please do consider shopping online for click and collect or delivery by mail! We hope to open our doors again on 2 February.
Happy new year – and new knits – to all!
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