We love each and every Looper out there…💙💙💙

Knitters that knit everyday.

Knitters that knit when they can.

Crocheters that always have a project on hand.

And especially those of you that are dreaming of taking the next step.

This Scoop’s for you! And because you deserve a treat, ALL of the patterns we’re sharing with you today are *free.* 😄

We want to pay it forward to you – and we hope you’ll pass it on. Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite designer today. Go support them! Share your beautiful work (and theirs!) in your knitting community. Feel that spark of creativity ignite – a spark that connects us all.

Without further ado, a fresh scoop of freebies for you! 💙

Loops will never let you down when it comes to pairing a fantastic yarn with a satisfying project.

Shelley designed this Ivy Shawlette herself, and it shows off her top knitting priorities: make an on-trend accessible design with a unique and quality fiber.

Knit your ever-so-drape-able Ivy Shawlette with two skeins of Emma’s Yarn Comfy Cotton DK…perhaps in our exclusive colorway, Spring Ahead. And we love Denim – it goes with everything! – and Lady Lavender is just a subtle shade of happiness. Emma’s Comfy Cotton DK is a tonal and gentle speckle-y sensation. And it’s a brand new base from Emma’s Yarn!

The cotton keeps your finished piece cool with fabulous drape and merino gives that block-able structure that will have you swinging this around your shoulders for years to come.

Knit this up with two skeins on Size 11 needles and grab a crochet hook for the quick and easy fringe!

Get the Ivy Shawlette by Shelley Brander (for free!) here.

Shop Emma’s Comfy Cotton DK here.

Yarntelier is the exquisite luxury yarn brand by Louisa Harding, and Yarntelier Cashmere Gilli is the most striking marled cashmere we’ve ever seen. With all of the luxury and softness that 100% cashmere has to offer, this dk-weight yarn stands out with its gorgeous colorways. Once you see these marls worked up, we know you’ll agree that this is one…special…yarn.

Zephilli is a terrific little scarf that can be buttoned up and worn as a poncho or cowl. Don’t you just love a flexible project? Just 2 skeins of Cashmere Gilli and size 10 needles are all you need for this heirloom piece.

Find Louisa’s free pattern on Ravelry.

Shop Cashmere Gilli here.

We want to keep talking about this dreamy cashmere just a *little* bit more…is that ok? 😉

We just have another freebie pattern that pairs with it perfectly!

Martina Behm is a designer that has influenced thousands of patterns in the last decade with her genius innovations (asymmetrical shawls, anyone?) and her simple yet effective designs.

She’s been generous enough to share her Wolkig Cowl for *free* and we think it could be a fabulous spring accessory.

The Wolkig cowl is twisted and has extra volume due to strategically worked decreases and increases, so it can be stretched a little to fit comfortably over your head when putting it on. Watch these fascinating spirals grow under your hands.

The best thing is this: Wolkig (named after the German word for “cloudy”) has only one line of pattern. With no need to be following your pattern, you can even try Facetiming family, watching a fun flick, or relaxing by the pool while you knit!

In the interest of making this a spring-y spectacular freebie, we’re pairing this pattern with two skeins of Louisa Harding’s Yarntelier Cashmere Gilli. These fluffy clouds of loose gauge *100% cashmere* are sure to make your needles smile.

Easy pattern with a stunning yarn- just knit till you’re out of yarn, and bask in this cashmere joy!

Find Wolkig on Ravelry and browse our Gilli colorways here.

Francoise Danoy – aka Aroha Knits – fills her designs with a balance of texture and graphic color that is so satisfying. When you look at her designs, you see polish and artistry, with room left in for your own creativity.

Francoise has a beautiful mission statement:

“At Aroha Knits, as a knitwear designer and coach, I inspire and empower fiber artists to transform their yarn so they can manifest Aroha, one stitch at a time. I’m passionate about creating meaningful and fulfilling work, shaking up the industry and fibre community, and serving as a catalyst for transformative impact.”

“I’m on a mission to start a movement. I believe that our art and work as knitters can make a difference. More than ever, this craft, which forces us to slow down and breathe for just a moment, is needed in our society of instant gratification and go-go-go.”

“Knitting is not just a hobby, but a medium for us to carry out our life’s purpose. It is a powerful medium of bringing more joy, healing, creativity, and connection into our lives… one stitch at a time.”

We want to share some of that creativity and joy in Francoise’s generous freebie pattern – the Tokerau Shawl.

Tokerau, the Maori word for Autumn, features a textured stitch and a lace stitch to resemble saplings and leaves.

Alternating between a subtle, textured stitch on the stockinette body and an intricate lace pattern, this shawl hits the sweet spot between a project you can carry around with you and pick up as you like and one that requires some focus and attention at times.

Knit top-down, the shawl grows every row, resulting in a magnificent wingspan that you can wrap around yourself a couple times.

Picking colorways for this pattern is fun! Choose a fun, variegated, stippled, or eccentric yarn for the body, then a nice solid color to really let the lace shine.

We are pairing up Woolen Boon Skinny – a single-ply fingering merino that is dyed into glorious saturated and dappled colorways by the artisans at Woolen Boon – with Manos Alegria, our staple for any pattern that needs a vibrant fingering merino.

Choose one skein each of these pairs, or make your own…

Boon Skinny “Sister Sister” + Alegria “Spirulina” = vivid color pop!
Boon Skinny “Busy” + Alegria “Peachblossom” = peachy keen texture
Alegria “Blueberry” + Alegria “Nickel” = classic denim shawl

Find Tokerau on Ravelry and knit it up on Size 5 needles.

Shop Woolen Boon Skinny here.

Shop Manos Alegria here.

Most of us have been cooking at home a lot more than we usually do. Loops Trooper Rachel has been home with her husband and two children fixing lunch every day, when 6 months ago lunch happened at home only once or twice a week!

Here’s Rachel’s quesadilla experience:

“We can only handle so many sandwiches a week…and for some reason my kids think quesadillas are so fun! I love this recipe with veggies and spinach – and the sweet potato hides the black beans from my kids.

Our house has all sorts of eating “restrictions” – I’m vegetarian, my son loves meat, the kids and I are gluten free, and my husband is on a high protein weightlifter’s diet. It can be tricky to find something that we can all eat together.

Corn or flour tortillas work for quesadillas – and we love making our own tortillas on the weekend! Meat-lover Lucas gets a slice of sandwich meat in his, and my husband dips his in fat free refried beans for extra protein.”

Here’s the colorful and healthy recipe from acouplecooks.com and check out their recipes for spinach or corn tortillas, too!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium)
4 cups spinach
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup black beans
4 8-inch flour or corn tortillas
4 slices American-Style Colby Cheese (or grated cheese)
Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Cook the sweet potato: Cook it in an Instant Pot. Or, you can bake it in the oven, or prick holes in it and microwave it on high for 8-10 minutes until tender, turning halfway through. (Hint: do this step in advance and refrigerate the sweet potatoes before cooking the quesadilla to save time.)

Cook the spinach: Roughly chop the spinach. Warm the olive oil in a skillet and add the spinach, garlic powder, cumin, and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until spinach is wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes, then remove it to a bowl.

Assemble the tortilla: Cut the sweet potato in half and slide off the skin: place the flesh into a bowl and mash it with a fork. Spread 1/4 cup of the mashed sweet potato onto one tortilla. Drain and rinse the beans, then top the sweet potato with 1/4 cup of the black beans. Sprinkle sweet potatoes and black beans with a pinch of kosher salt. Then top with sprinkles of the cooked spinach (use your hands and leave any liquid at the bottom of the bowl). Top with 2 slices of cheese, tearing it as necessary to fit onto the tortilla. Cover with the second tortilla. Then repeat these instructions for the second quesadilla.

Lightly coat a skillet with olive oil and heat it to medium heat. Place one quesadilla in the pan, cheese side down. Cook for 2 minutes per side until lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve. (Note: For lunch boxes, you can keep the quesadilla wedges refrigerated for a few days and place them into lunch boxes each morning.)

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

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