If you’ve had your head down knitting this week, and have missed the crucial conversation around George Floyd in your fiber community, please tune in, take it in, learn, and find a way to support. 

If you’re not sure where or how to begin, here are some suggestions:

• This very simple but powerful infographic series is a great starting point
• Our friends from MDK offer some thoughtful suggestions here
• For everyone, especially fellow business owners, I highly recommend joining Tina Tse’s Patreon account here 

We in the United States are at a tipping point. We are all stitched together. It will take each of us learning and growing together, to create a new and stronger fabric.

Thank you for taking the time. Nothing is more important.🙏

And now on to this week’s fiber inspiration…

As we round the corner into summer, we heartily suggest getting some Quince & Co. linen onto your needles, so it can grace your summer outfits ASAP.

Shelley’s Ellis tank is flying along in “Kestrel” aran weight.

Looper Sharon knit this “Long Sands” top with Quince Sparrow and she looks fabulous. 

This dropped stitch shale motif makes a pretty hem all around the bottom edge of this roomy, wide-necked dolman tee. Work it up in Sparrow for a lightweight piece of effortless warm-weather wearing. Here’s another look at the beauty of Long Sands…

And check out “Donner,” another winner from Elizabeth Doherty. There are so many pictures of satisfied knitters in the Donner Ravelry page. We even found this beautiful picture of Local Looper, Denise. She’s even matched her lipstick to her linen. 😀

Knit in cool and drape-y Sparrow, and designed to fit with a bit of positive ease, this modern drop-shoulder pullover is the perfect warm-weather garment.

Ravelry knitter JnAknit captured that perfect Quince Sparrow stitch definition in this pic of her “Donner.”

And just for good measure, here’s one more look at some linen knittables we’ve shared this month…

Shelley’s all-time favorite sweater from her personal wardrobe: Lizzie, by Georgie Nicolson, a light and lacy cardigan in Sparrow…

Easyline, by Judith Brien, a casual pullover in Sparrow…

Flex, by Heidi Kirrmaier, quick and stunning stitches on a short-sleeve tee in Kestrel…

Westbourne, by Isabell Kraemer, graphic stripes on a perfect fit in Sparrow…

Find the patterns for all of our favorite linen tops on Ravelry.

And shop our Quince linen collection here.

P.S. Don’t miss the newer, gently melanged Sparrow colors.

When our new shipment of Hedgehog Sock arrived, Loops Trooper, Sherri, crocheted this Falling Blossoms Shawl faster than we could even get the yarn onto our shelves! She was sending us progress pics like a proud mama.

(And speaking of proud mama, that’s Sherri’s daughter, Miranda, modeling her shawl below. 💙)

Here’s what Sherri had to say about her project:

“Falling Blossoms is a simple pattern that is basic enough for beginners, yet its simple elegance is a great showcase for the beautiful hand-dyed Hedgehog yarn. The pattern repeats are broken down into three sections, solid, eyelets, and lace blossoms, with allowances to make a smaller or larger version. You can make it all one color, or get creative and mix colors for your own personal style!”

This stunning shawl is getting all the love on Ravelry, too. 

“Love this pattern so much. It is so easy to follow the instructions are wonderful.”
-Mereknits via Ravelry

“A fun project. Repeats enough to make it something you can do without full attention, but interesting enough to not be boring.”
-BugzNBean via Ravelry

Looking for Hedgehog Fibers knit-spiration instead of crochet?

The Nordic Sunrise Shawl by Margaret Stauffacher is a top-down crescent-shaped shawl featuring relaxing garter rows broken up by fun nupps and engaging two-color brioche. Pick three colors of Hedgehog Sock and use one skein of each. Here are a few pairing inspirations:

Zephyr + Highlighter + Orion = bold pop
Budgie + Purr + Insomnia = perfect cool color swirls
Deja Vu + Clay + Method = desert blues and tans

If you’d like a new spring and summer cardigan, Maema is the one. It’s a lightweight cardigan knit top down in one piece. It features Honeycomb Brioche on the fronts and back to provide some squishy texture on this simple raglan shape. Hedgehog Sock colors will look amazing in these textured stitches.

You’ll find all the patterns on Ravelry.

Shop our new Hedgehog Sock here.

Bonus: We’ve got Le Pouf kits, too! Find them here.

Tincanknits is a duo of designers that have done so much for knitters everywhere! Their patterns are packed with tips and they love helping knitters take their next step in technique. So we love their Little Tern, a versatile blanket that’s sized from baby to big, featuring textured and lace chevrons shaped like a little tern’s tail.

This little blanket is comfort in stitch form.

We love the look of these textured chevrons in Emma’s yarn Simply Spectacular DK, a gorgeous 4-ply DK blend of superwash merino and nylon that is soft enough to snuggle and tough enough to wash.

We made this small size of Little Tern with 3 skeins of Emma’s Simply Spectacular DK in Colorway Tin Can and size 7 needles. You can make a M-L blanket with 4 skeins, and an XL with 5 skeins.

Pick out your perfect color for your own Little Tern here.

“The Hug Shot” Kit is Casapinka’s way of supporting all the knitters and local yarn stores with an amazing design. Relax into this project with bright colors and rhythmic stitches.

We have teamed up with Emma’s yarn again to provide ideal color combos for these kits. You’ll receive one skein each of 2 colors Splendid Singles. This single ply fingering weight base shows Emma’s colors beautifully and feels incredibly soft. Colors appear even more tonal than normal and the effect is *gorgeous.* We have peppy pink and a new, exclusive blue kit for you to choose from.

Pre-order your Hug Shot kits here.

Who wants ice cream for breakfast? 😀

This 3-Ingredient Ice Cream French Toast recipe is a great way to celebrate a birthday at home, or just to brighten up the beginning of any spring day.😊

Find all the details and a video tutorial from Epicurious here.

INGREDIENTS
1 pint vanilla ice cream (not gelato), melted
4 (1–1 1/2″-thick) slices challah or brioche
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 250°F. Pour ice cream into a large baking dish. Add bread, turn to coat, then let sit 3 minutes. Flip bread and continue to soak until saturated but not soggy, about 3 minutes more.

Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium. Using tongs, carefully lift 2 bread slices from custard, letting excess drip back into dish. Transfer to skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown and the center of toast springs back when pressed, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet; keep warm in oven until ready to serve. Repeat with 2 Tbsp. butter and remaining bread. Top toasts with remaining 1 Tbsp. butter and serve.

Let’s keep knitting the world together 🌎💙
– Shelley and the Loops Troops

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