Midori Hirose’s Beautiful Snowy Forest

Midori Hirose’s Beautiful Snowy Forest

When Midori Hirose’s Snowy Forest sweater came out in Laine issue 10 we were instantly smitten with its gorgeous cables and cosiness, and we are so happy to now be able to bring you this lovely sweater as a kit!

This piece is so beautiful. It has incredible texture and warmth but doesn’t sacrifice any sophistication. Midori was inspired by the misty winter forests of northern Japan, where freezing fog (or ‘rime ice’) and snow cover trees in such thick layers that the hulking shapes are called ‘snow monsters’.

The Snowy Forest sweater by Midori Hirose in Black Denim as it appeared in Laine 10

The thick snow monster-inspired cables and delicate rime ice-inspired accents combine to make a beautiful sweater celebrating nature phenomena both large and small while of course helping to keep the wearer warm! This sweater has cropped or full-length options and is knitted holding together a strand of sport weight yarn and a strand of mohair. As Midori’s pattern celebrates the forests of northern Japan, there is no better wool to knit with than the gorgeous hand-dyed Mominoki Yarn made by Chihiro Mominoki. Now living in Germany, Chihiro is from Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan! In addition to including her yarns in the Snowy Forest Kit, we are very excited to be the UK stockist for Mominoki German Merino Light starting this spring!

Loop’s Snowy Forest Kit is available in four colours: Sugar Fairy, Honey Waffle, Strawberry Sorbet, and Black Denim, which was one of the colourways originally published by Laine. The Black Denim colourway uses Mominoki Merino Light and Isager Mohair Silk. The other three colourways combine two lovely Mominoki hand-dyed yarns: Merino Light and Silk Mohair.

Each Snowy Forest Kit comes in a bespoke cotton project bag inspired by the pattern. The illustration celebrates the spirit of the forest, the sheep that make our hobby so delightful and useful, and the other creatures that keep us company while we do it. Its cinched top and backpack-style construction make it easy to take on the go and just as nice to have nearby at home. The pattern is not included in the kit but is available through Midori Hirose’s Ravelry shop.

The bespoke Snowy Forest cotton project bag

Brand New Colours from Life in the Long Grass

We have a total of six new colours of three Life in the Long Grass yarns! Moonbow, Jellyfish, Thorn, Succulent, Viking, and Chroma are available in LITLG Merino Sport, Aran, and Fine Sock (though not all colours are available in all weights). These yarns are hand-dyed in County Cork in south-west Ireland and are really some of our favourites to stock. These three weights of muelsing free wools sourced from the UK and Peru take dyes beautifully and make glorious garments for kids and adults.

Big Bad Wool Baby Yeti

Baby Yeti by Big Bad Wool at Loop London

This super soft, extra squishy new yarn is the alpaca-merino blend you’ve been dreaming of. Big Bad Wool Baby Yeti is perfect for baby items like blankets and toys, or to add details like a yoke, cuffs, or lining to grown-up garments. Pam Powers uses it as a stripe accent in her Wolfie Shawl and it’s sweet as anything in Julie Weisenberger’s Little Lamb baby jacket.

Schtickle for Charity

Laines Villaines Solitaire Fingering weight skeins in our Schtickle for Charity

It’s so important to us to give back, and we’ve watched with horror as the Ukrainian people have been faced with losing everything. We’ve added some incredible skeins of Solitaire Fingering yarn from Laines Villaines to our Schtickle for Charity and we’ll be donating the proceeds to the International Rescue Committee to help Ukrainians who need urgent help.

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