Visual Soundtrack at The Loop #1

The Rolling Stones "Black and Blue"

Naturally "Aran Tweed" yarn

Connexion: Black and Blue

Visual Soundtrack at The Loop #11

Lou Reed, "The Blue Mask"

Freedom Spirit Yarn

Connexion: Blue that is really purpley.

Pinwheel Pillow

This classic crochet project is very pomo. It's also totally The Loop. Our store in Downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia sees my business partners and I, in turn, perched on quite a hard little bar chair for most of the day. It seemed silly not to try and create our own pillow, and I have always wanted to stitch one of these nostalgic pinwheels. I was surprised that I could not find a pattern, even amongst my vintage books and pamphlets, so I reverse engineered a pattern from a 1970s pinwheel pillow I had in the house. I didn't much care for what I ended up with. This new pattern is modernized with simplified shaping. It is also streamlined by omitting one feature; most of these cushions, in decades passed, were worked with a hard circular centre covering the join, much like the centre of a flower. With this new pattern it is no longer necessary to cover the centre join. I think it looks much more modern this way. It's comfier too. I have included instructions for a centre though, in case you're feeling nostalgic.
There are also optional finishing instructions for 'couching' the pillow.

This pattern was designed for The Loop and directions can be found on their Free Pattern Page, as a pdf file. Post your projects on Ravelry and see other crocheters' results.

This is the Colour Sequence I finally set upon for the store's pillow. I used my good friend Cascade 220 wool. The colours are inspired by The Loop. If you would like to use your own sequence, I suggest trying The Random Stripe Generator. Of course, you could just dive in, changing colours when you feel inspired to do so. Don't forget that you can change the number of colours used to amazing effect, and that this project is a great stash buster; just change yarns when you run out of each colour.

Biscuits & Jam's Random Stripe Generator can be found here. I use it all the time. I find it difficult to come up with colourways and sequences that look random. Mine always look laboured. What I really like about the online stripe generator is that it not only shuffles colours, it allows you to program in a range of rows over which the colours are spread. I asked for a sequence for 6 colours with rows ranging from 1 to 4 rows. The pillow could be worked with as little as 2 colours to amazing effects. Of course a hard candy inspired pinwheel would be striking as well.
Questions or Comments? PM me on Ravelry, or post a comment here (you don't need a login to do so). If you are in the Halifax area and want to try this, or any of The Loop or Pomoboho patterns drop by the store. Sundays are always good.

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.

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:

Can you see the Amigurumi eggs and bacon in the tiny pan?

Back to School Knits

McCall's Magazine, early Seventies

Retro Knit and Crochet Beach Wear

-Vogue Knitting 1967
-McCalls 1974

Halifax is in the middle of a heat wave! It is very hard to knit.

Holiday Knitting 1940's Style

Pretty, cream-coloured slub linen is the material used;

it washes splendidly.

We chose jade green striped with white for this new idea in beach suits. Close-fitting pants are worn under the wide swinging skirt which you can also wear in casual fashion as a shoulder cape.

-Stitchcraft Magazine, Holiday Issue

Woolen Bathing Suits #3

"A Welcome Gift"

-Complete Family Knitting Illustrated 1946ish

Woollen Bathing Suits #2

For sunny days by the sea or river this trim two-piece swim suit is knitted in a simple four-row pattern which produces a firm close stitch and ensures a smooth-fitting garment. The neat-looking shorts of the original set were in light green, and the brassiere in dark green with light borders.

A narrow band of ribbing at the waist of the shorts is threaded with a crochet cord which ties at the side for a comfortable fit. Elastic is threaded through a hem at the lower edge of the brassiere.

The -edit-will love to spend as much time as possible in the open air by the sea, or in the garden, if she is wearing this attractive little one-piece swim suit. The original was in pale blue and navy.

The main part of this neat little swim suit is in a six-row box pattern, and the narrow waistband, borders and shoulder straps are in rib stitch.

For hot sunny days out of doors, this delightful little swim suit, with its effective chicken motif marching gaily across the bib front, will prove an indispensable summer garment. -edit  It has a high bib back and front, and fits snugly at the waist with a band of deep ribbing.

The chicken motif is embroidered in "Swiss-darning," and a shell crochet edging adds a decorative finishing touch. The original garment was in red and white.

Trim-fitting and neat, this attractive two-piece swim suit is ideal. -edit  Knitted in two colours, the original garment looked gay and charming, the main part in bright yellow, with Fair Isle borders and edges trimmed with bright blue. A crochet cord is fitted through a hem round the top edge of the shorts to allow for a snug fit. The brassiere is tied at the back.

Small holes at centre-front of the brassiere are threaded with a crochet cord which is drawn up to fit.

Complete Family Knitting Illustrated 1946ish