My Amphetamines & My Purls: September 2010

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Featured Product at The Loop

This fall we're showing two new Bulky yarns. Unfortunately, both 'Bulky' and 'Chunky' can seem like subjective terms. I thought I would write a little about our new yarns, Burley Spun, and Grande to explain how chunky chunky is.

The Craft Yarn Council tops out their Weight System with their 5th and 6th categories; Bulky and Super Bulky.

The Bulky category comes after Medium (worsted and aran yarns) and includes Chunky, Craft, and Rug Yarns. Their gauges over 4" of stockinette stitch should work out to 12-15 stitches. For most knitters these yarns require needles from 5.5mm to 8mm. Crocheters are advised to use a 6.5mm to a 9mm hook.

Super Bulky is the heaviest category and comes after Bulky. This whimsical title is applied to Roving, but also to Bulky yarn. ?!?!?! Confusing or what? Best to focus on gauges. The CYC describes Super Bulky as having a gauge of 6-11 stitches (in 4" worked in stockinette stitch). These yarns should be worked with needles larger than 8mm (15mm is the biggest needle in most shops. The Loop carries these sizes and does get in circular Addi needles in sizes over 15mm. We can always special order these for you!) Crocheters should use a hook size greater than a 9mm. I would advise using the biggest hook you feel comfortable with.

Our first new Bulky yarn comes from Schulana. Grande comes in brightly coloured 50g balls. It provides 9 stitches over 4 inches, using 12.75mm needles. Bouncy, soft, and fun to work with, Grande looks great in textured stitches and cables. It's 2 plies also make it look accomplished in plain knitting.

The Loop is thrilled to provide free patterns with the purchase of 50g. Thrilled, because Schulana has put together a free booklet of four smashing hat patterns. Just take a look! You can find a growing gallery of these projects at Ravelry.

Visit the Grande Hat Gallery Here:

Brown Sheep yarns are a firm favourite with knitters, and a new addition to The Loop. Our first yarn from this company is their heaviest offering, Burley Spun. In skeins of 226g, Burley Spun's single ply looks a bit wild and untamed. It also looks like good fun, and I can't wait to make an oversized winter cowl in one of the super saturated colours. We will also be receiving Burley Spun in Handpainted colourways which will look stunning in plain knitting; perfect for beginners and for Holiday knitting.

This yarn is also considered Super Bulky, its gauge at 10 stitches over 4". The good people at Brown Sheep would like knitters to try a 9mm needle, but in my books bigger is better.

Learn more about Burley Spun at Ravelry

PS Can you guess what our inventory code for "Brown Seep Burley Spun" is? Yeah, it's double BS. Totally.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Shop Windows

In the past I've shied away from posting about The Loop, if only because I didn't feel that this was the place (or really, 'that it was my place') to do so.

Now that I'm an owner though, I have no hesitation in posting pictures and talking about what's new at the store. I will be blogging with Cathy and Mimi at The Loop's blog and contributing to our main website at www.theloophalifax.com

There may be some overlap, and at times double posting, but something that will only be here at the pomoboho blog is an ongoing record of our Store Window Displays.

We've had some doozies over the years, and while I have been really quite proud of some of them I cannot take credit for them all. Indeed, many of our windows have been collaborative efforts, open to the public.
Right now our Barrington Street-facing window has a camping theme, flanked as we now are by two excellent outdoorsy shops, TAO and MEC.

I have a tendency to lose sight of the bigger picture when constructing a window display, so I was less than dismayed when my business partner de-naughtified what I had done. I can show you though, gentle readers: