Friday 25 June 2010

loop grows up

Last weekend loop finally made the much anticipated move into its new premises on Camden Passage, Islington. I went along to the grand opening to see how the beautiful yarn shop has matured.
When the first shop in Cross Street opened five years ago I was working in the shop and I thought that launch was packed and busy. However, the opening of the new, bigger store saw queues out the door and the ground floor heaving, which just goes to show how the little yarn boutique has grown to become one of the best-loved stores in London.
Loop now has four floors; one for storage, two for the loverly yarn and a basement for all sorts of exciting classes and events. There is even a small courtyard out the back! I cannot wait to attend all the wonderful happenings which Susan has planned for the shop.

She has, yet again, decorated the store beautifully, with surprising yet sophisticated colour choices for the features and fittings, a shed load of stunning reconditioned secondhand furniture and samples and products placed as if they were works of art.


I personally loved the weird yellow-y woodwork and picture rails and the striped carpet on the stairs - I cannot resist a stripe, especially a rainbow coloured one!
There are now lots of comfy chairs to recline in downstairs while you peruse the yarns, and a table upstairs for congregating round and knitting while meeting yarny friends; the only things that Loop Mark I was really missing.

After a few pieces of yummy cake and a glass of refreshing Pimms, I decided to not to brave the queue, but returned later in the week
to purchase some scrummy yarn for a few new projects - any excuse to make a repeat trip!
I love the new loop and am excited to see what new yarns Susan is sure to start stocking to fill up all the available space!
If you want to make a trip to the new loop, be sure to check out my earlier post about all the wonderful independent shops in the area so you can make a day of it.

Monday 21 June 2010

i knit london

I am very ashamed to say that until last week I had not made a visit to the infamous I Knit London store in Waterloo. I should hang my head in shame as a London based knitter, but I finally made it on Friday, after an epic bus journey across town through multiple roadworks (next time I shall get the tube!)
It is a small yet packed to brimming store, full of fun, bright, colourful and interesting yarns, products, samples, books and much more. I loved seeing George the sheep in person, clothed in what seemed like hundreds of skeins of Colinette Point Five in rainbow hues and placed in the prime spot in the window.
As per usual, I cannot leave a yarn store without a purchase, and seeing as I have finally succeeded in reducing my stash after an epic move, I settled on these wonderfully sweet Lego stitch markers by Bothered Owl.
I think I saw them first on the Stitch London newsletter and have been meaning to buy some for ages. They take me right back to my childhood, recalling hours spent following instructions for making houses, cars and spaceships. I also end up loosing so many stitch markers when I am knitting in the round - they pop off at the end of the round and disappear down the side of the sofa - I am hoping these will be big enough to spot! Ah well, if I lose any of these, it shall just be an excuse to pop back to I knit!

Thursday 17 June 2010

spinning a yarn!


When I was asked to become a regular columnist in the UK magazine Yarn Forward I was unbelievably excited! While it may not bring in enough of an income to buy myself a wardrobe full of expensive shoes, like a certain infamous fictional columnist, it will keep the old stash ticking along nicely and it gives me even more of an excuse to witter on about knitting! (like I needed one)
Next month I shall be talking about the stresses of moving for a knitter with as much stash as myself - don't miss it!!