Knit it Any Colour You Like! New Hues from Malabrigo, Laines Vilaines, and Rico

The one thing we might love as much as we love fibre is colour and the subtle ways it helps tell stories through craft. This week at Loop we’ve added a load of new colours to our palette from Malabrigo Rios, Laines Vilaines, and Rico Mega Wool Tweed and we can’t wait to knit them up!

Malabrigo Rios is the definition of an all-arounder. Soft, strong, and washable, it’s the perfect fibre for high-touch home decor, baby and children’s clothes, or wear-next-to-the-skin garments for grown ups, like tops and accessories.

With a stunning array of semi-solid colours, it’s also wonderful for striping and colourwork. Whether you’re telling a tonal story or looking for something high-contrast, Rios has you covered. We’re loving the latest batch of hues that have arrived in the shop. Rich ochre, terra cotta, and indigo inspired shades have us dreaming of baking-hot countrysides and ocean plunges.

Some of our favourite patterns suited to Malabrigo Rios include the asymmetrical cabled Cocoknits Mishke Cardi, the divine Cosette Wrap, the uber cosy Drea Renee Knits Sync Cowl, and the darling Cocoknits Rose Cardi. Plus, you can make a hat from just one skein!

We also have a delightful new collection of colours of Rico Mega Wool Tweed. Mauve, Aqua, Dust, Taupe, Teal, Light Blue, and Salmon bring our collection of Mega Wool Tweed to a total of 14 gorgeous, flecked colours. This is a great chunky weight yarn that’s totally interchangeable with non-tweed Rico Mega Wool. It’s excellent for punch needle projects, bold oversized accessories, and chunky sweaters.

Finally, we have some beautiful additions to our range of Laines Vilaines Boulettes Chausettes and Boulettes Solitaires Fing. These hand-dyed lovelies are designed specifically to be fabulous sock yarn, but they are also amazing for anywhere you want a little extra fine softness balanced with durability. Both yarns are great for granny squares, colourwork in all kinds of knitting, details on yokes and cuffs, and all kinds of scrappy knitting and crochet. This wool is balanced with 25% manufactured fibres to make your knits extra hard-wearing without losing a wonderful feel.

Haberdashery Beauties from NONA, Cohana, and More!

Oh so many beautiful things from NONA and Cohana! More Temari Strawberry Thief Kits have arrived from NONA, plus super useful Temari Needle & Threader Sets (psst, you can use these needles for all kinds of sewing and mending, not just Temari!) and of course all the gorgeous threads you can dream of. From Cohana, we have more Pokeori Looms which we’re having so much fun playing with, plus Pokeori Kits and so much other loveliness like the Yuzen Leather Tape Measure, Shozaburo Thread Clips and super cute Mini Scissors. We also have two wonderful new measuring tapes in our haberdashery collection, the ChiaoGoo Tape Measure and KnitPro Beechwood Round Tape Measure. Both are retractable at the touch of a button to keep your tape tidy in your project bag, and both have a tidy and soothing design. Pocket-sized and totally portable, these are fantastic, convenient tools to keep with you when you’re on the go!

More Classes for Autumn, Winter, and Spring!

We’re thrilled to welcome back our very first Loopette Claire Montgomerie for another installment of her Granny Square Class on 15 October. First launched earlier this year, this class is intended for beginners who have a solid grasp on the basics and want to learn how to use their skills in new, fun, creative ways. The magnificent Celia Pym is also back in 2024 by extremely popular demand! The queen of the artful darn will be at Loop for three dates in winter-spring 2024 to teach her ever-popular Mending Workshop. Join us on Saturday 27 January, Saturday 24 February, or Sunday 14 April as we gather in the shop to explore the methods of mending knitted fabric and wool textiles as well as the meaning and care behind the practice. And finally Anne Kelly will teach her Folk Art Sampler Workshop on 3 February 2024, exploring folk art traditions from around the world and allowing participants to create their own. These spots are selling fast!

“Making Memories” Knits for Children on Sale

What a treasure Making Memories by Claudia Quintanilla is. It’s full of sweet, comfortable knits for babies and children from 0 to 10 and now it’s on sale at Loop! These patterns are inspired by Claudia’s time at home caring for her young daughter, and her love shines through on every page. So many of you have admired the timeless patterns in this book and we love to imagine all the ways these 25 patterns will be worn. While you’re at it, why not stock up on some of the gorgeous yarns featured in the book? Silk Mohair, Highland, and Spinni by Isager, Merino Singles and Kid Mohair Silk by Qing Fibre, Tosh DK by Madeleinetosh, Chickadee Organic Heathers by Quince & Co, BFL Light DK by The Uncommon Thread, and Merino DK by La Bien Aimée are among the Loop favourites Claudia uses in her knits.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend xx