“Ms. Harrison, did you knit your shirt?”

“Yes! Yes, I did!”

Is there any better feeling in the world than having someone notice your knits? Especially if you’re a teacher and it’s one of your favorite students on the first day back to school? 🥰

Star Guide and high school teacher Amber, pictured above, wearing her hot-off-the-needles “Soho Top” by Caidree made with our Loops Luxe Chunky yarn in Loops Blue. (You’ll need 5-10 skeins depending on your size – note that the pattern calls for thinner yarn held double-stranded, so you can cut your yarn amount in half and just use one strand).

Amber’s post  inspired me to go looking for what other pretty projects people are making with – and saying about – our #1 selling yarn.

Y’all blew me away. I stumbled across 12 – twelve! – newsletter-worthy projects, many of them free patterns, that look beyond gorgeous in this Royal Alpaca + Silk blend that’s created just for us in the highest mountains of Peru.

So this week’s newsletter will be mostly eye candy, along with pattern and yarn details in case you want to pop one of these Loops Luxe Chunky projects (or three) into your queue.

LegalKnitter on Ravelry worked up this slinky “Felix Pullover” with 8 skeins of Loops Luxe Chunky.

“This will be a house sweater (but pretty and so soft) for those occasional days where the “wind is off the lake,” they wrote. “I was worried about pilling with this yarn, but I ordered a test skein, knit my swatch and literally sat on it for a busy few days at work to test it out. No pilling.”

Love it!

In the photo above, Nancy looks radiant in her “Bijoux Blouse” by Oat Couture. “It’s super easy to knit!” she enthused. The pattern is for sale on Ravelry.

Sara made her very first project with Loops Luxe Chunky! She used 3 skeins to make the “Debut Scarf” from our new Knit Start beginner video class. Instead of adding fringe, she seamed the ends together to form an infinity scarf.

Curious to know more about the origins of Loops Luxe Chunky yarn? Watch this little clip from our new Knit Start Beginner Course where my friend, actress Jeanne Tripplehorn, and I go into more depth about this special yarn – why we made it, and why we think it’s the perfect yarn for any knitter or crocheter, beginner to advanced!

JuliAnne made “Getting Warmer” by Espace Tricot (free pattern on Ravelry) with less than 3 skeins of Loops Luxe Chunky
in Natural. I can see myself making this in multiples for gifts this holiday season…

Another Star Guide, Loni, made this “Double Seed Cowl” with 3 skeins of Loops Luxe Chunky in Orchid, one of our rarer colors. She refers to the yarn as “dreamy!” This pattern is by me 🤗 and is free on request with the yarn purchase.

Something about this pretty, lacy cowl made by fhutch150 on Ravelry really caught my eye. It’s just one skein of Loops Luxe Chunky and the pattern, “Chunky Cowl” by Laura Farson, is free on Ravelry.

Gin made the “Half and Half Cowl” by Churchmouse with 4 skeins of Loops Luxe Chunky. We love the more-than-a-cowl-but-less-than-a-wrap look!

If you’re lucky enough to have leftover yarn, you can whip up these “Cables with a Twist” earwarmers by Knit Star Tina Tse. You can find the pattern here.

“This yarn feels like a kitten!” 🐈…that’s what Kathy posted when she shared her progress on Casapinka’s “Powder Wrap” shown above. Honestly…this is probably the most-petted project in our Knit Stars Flagship Store. You’ll need 9 skeins of Loops Luxe Chunky and US #8 needles to make this super-luxe oversized version

Elizabeth’s “Second Glass Scarf” styled with a Jul Cuff might be my favorite find of all. Janet Gillet designed this pattern years ago to be easy enough to have that second glass if ya know what I mean 😉

If you want to make one, buy 3-4 skeins of Loops Luxe Chunky and request the “Second Glass” pattern at checkout. After reading so much love for this yarn, I’m feeling extra generous this week! 😘

(Note: The original pattern calls for 4 skeins, but you can make it as big as you want – it looks to me like Elizabeth used 3).

Shop Loops Luxe Chunky in all our custom colors here.

xoxo,

P.S. Calling all dyers…did you know Loops Luxe Chunky comes in natural and it hand-dyes beautifully? Why not scoop some up and dye your very own colorway?

20 Minute Brown Butter Chunky Basil Pesto Pasta
Continuing with this week’s “Chunky” yarn theme – and knowing this is the time of year when the basil starts to run rampant in North American gardens – we present this scrumptious basil-forward recipe from Half Baked Harvest. In 20 minutes, you’ve got a full belly and you can get back to your knitting with Loops Luxe Chunky! 😜

Ingredients

• 2 cup fresh basil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts 
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4-6 tablespoons olive oil
• freshly cracked black pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes
• 1lb angel hair pasta

Instructions

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan add the butter and melt over medium heat until just browned. Butter will melt, foam, and froth, and then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the basil and add it to a medium size bowl. Chop the pine nuts and finely mince or grate the garlic, add them to the bowl with the basil. Add the parmesan, olive oil and cooled brown butter (make sure to get all the brown bits out of the pan). Using a fork mix well and then sort of mash all the ingredients together with the fork. If desired add more olive oil until your desired consistency is reached.
4. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and immediately toss the hot pasta with the pesto. Serve hot or at room temp (I am all about hot pasta though!) with fresh cracked black pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper.