Joyful Stitches! Classes, Kits & Creative Fun
With the new year on the horizon, we’ve started planning a fantastic lineup of classes for 2026, with some of our very favourite stitchers joining us in the shop. We can’t wait for another year of creative crafting!
We’re thrilled to welcome Celia Pym back to loop on January 31st to talk about her new book SOCKS! This book tells the really heart-warming story of Celia teaching an entire primary school how to mend a sock, from nursery through year 6. In words and pictures, Celia shows the impact of the project. We’re so pleased she’ll join us to talk about this lovely work and sign your books. We’ll also have a free Sock Mending Salon to give all of you a chance to try your own hand at mending! Our middle floor will be stocked with mending material and instructions, though it’s not a taught class. Bring your favourite socks to darn, or play around with some of the practice socks we’ll have available! Celia will also be teaching her popular Mending Workshop on May 9th.
On April 25th, Anne Kelly will come to the shop to teach a one-day workhshop on Birds, exploring their use in textile art and inviting you to design and create one of your own! Using treasured pieces from your own collection, Anne will guide you through the techniques to bring your textile art to life. We’ll also welcome back Jessie Chorley for five sessions of her Hand Embroidered Illustration Masterclass next year. The first, in February, is already sold out, but the remaining four sessions are available to book! The first of these is on May 30th. Join Jessie to learn to tell a story in stitch using a variety of appliqué and embroidery techniques that create beautiful textiles with texture and depth.
Julie Arkell will host her iconic Creature Workshop in February, April, and June (but hurry, the session on February 1st is nearly sold out!) Starting with a papier-mache doll made by Julie, you’ll use sewn and knit pieces based on Julie’s patterns as well as beloved pieces of your own to embellish your doll, making your very own Julie Arkell-style creation! A day with any of these masters is a fabulous treat for you or a loved one — and giving a class as a gift is a wonderful way to keep the holiday spirit alive throughout the year! We’ll of course continue to add more classes to our roster throughout the year, including a phenomenal collaboration between Tomomi Mimura of Mimstermade and Aitor Saraiba! We’ll have more information on that soon.
Hikaru Noguchi Darning Mushrooms
As the keen menders among you will know, there’s nothing quite as covetable as a Hikaru Noguchi Darning Mushroom. These handmade beauties are a cut above other options when it comes to mending tools. Plain, Ring, and Toadstool mushrooms are all in stock now, so if you need some gorgeous tools to get you started on your darning journey, this is the perfect time!
Nami Horikawa Dot to Dot Kits
We adore Nami Horikawa’s Dot to Dot Sashiko Kits! They are such an easy way for new and experienced stitchers alike to gain experience in this really wonderful Japanese stitching tradition. Her “Found Bird” Mini Charm Bag Sashiko Kit and Drawstring Bag Sashiko Kit provide easy-to-follow instructions to make beautiful and functional pieces. We especially love the guide lines on the linen fabric that show you where to stitch and then disappear once you wash your finished piece! Each kit comes with all you’ll need to make the bag of your dreams — even the needle!
Cohana + Aitor Saraiba Pokeori Tins
If you’re anything like us, you haven’t stopped thinking about Cohana’s Pokeori Loom since it first landed at Loop in 2023. Well, we have great news: The Pokeori Loom is back in a limited edition Cohana x Aitor Saraiba collaboration. Aitor’s hand-spun, hand-dyed wool is the perfect match for Cohana’s Pokeori Loom, and everything you need to get started making beautiful creations comes in a sweet tin featuring an illustration by Aitor. This is a preorder and unfortunately we can’t guarantee these will arrive by Christmas, but you can give your giftee a preview in the form of Aitor’s Loop Project Bag!
Lumos Knitting Lights
No matter what you’re planning to stitch, we can all agree the most important part of crafting is being able to see what you’re doing. Lumos Knitting Lights take away any illumination-related hurdles to keeping your needles clicking or dipping without disturbing anyone around you. The clever design rests around your neck, with adjustable arms so you can point your light right at your work, and there are thoughtful featurs like three brightness settings and a blue-light filter so the light doesn’t affect your sleep after late-night knitting sessions. This would be perfect for festive family movie sessions or holiday travel!
Christmas Hours and Last Shipping Dates
The holidays are closer than they seem, and as unbelieveable as it sounds, for some parts of the world our cutoff day for pre-Christmas delivery has already passed! For all countries outside the UK, your orders will need to be in before next Friday for Christmas delivery. Here’s when you’ll need to order by based on where you live:
- Today! 5 December – Australia & New Zealand, Caribbean, Middle East & Asia
- Monday 8 December – Europe, USA, Canada
- Thursday 11 December – Africa
- Friday 19 December – UK (Royal Mail Tracked 48)
For any countries not listed above, the deadline has already passed. Sorry! For those who can make it to London, we’re pleased to say we’ll have extended hours during the week before Christmas! From the 17th to the 20th of December (Wednesday through Saturday) we’ll extend our opening times from 10:30am to 6pm. Sunday the 21st of December will be our last open day before Christmas, and we’ll observe normal opening hours of 11am to 5:30pm. We’ll close for Christmas from the 22nd to the 27th of December and for New Year from the 29th of December until the 2nd of January — however, we’ll be open as usual on the weekend of the 27th and 28th of December. Our normal schedule will resume from Saturday the 3rd of January.
Stitch happy!
Leave a Reply