An almost-edible shawl debut 😋😍

With a background in painting, knitwear designer Ambah O'Brien (shown above, left) has a passion for color and interesting design. Her designs are straightforward to make, size inclusive and oh-so-wearable! When not designing, Ambah can be found wandering about her vegetable garden, sewing, thrifting or going for a beach ramble on the coast in Southern Victoria, Australia.

This week, Ambah's just released her latest creation and we jumped at the chance to bring you the *exact colors* in her new design.

Yes! We have kits! The Celina Shawl is a collaboration between Ambah and Rachelle of Moondrake & Co. (shown above, right), one of our favorite dyers who's just down the road from Loops in Oklahoma City.

Ambah's Celina Shawl uses three skeins of Moondrake Merino Linen in the almost-edible colorways Mauve, Rose Quartz, and Chocolate. And our kits have a perfect serving of Merino Linen - a unique single ply that has a gently tweedy halo and drape for days.

Find this very manageable Ambah pattern of stripes, angles, and lace on Raverly. She's even got a group going, where you can get support as you make your shawl.

Shop Celina Kits here.

Now's the perfect time to cast on a transitional pullover that can take you easily into fall. Especially since the luxurious yarn is 20% off this week! 

The Meryton pullover by Amy Christoffers features an elegant lace yoke that shows off the depth of color in Berroco Skye. Knit in the round from the top down, this sweater begins with the charted lace yoke before transitioning into the stockinette stitch body. This blend of wool, yak, viscose, and nylon makes a lightweight fabric with a luscious sheen that you can wear in any season.

Loops Trooper Loretta said about her Meryton: "The pattern was well written and the yarn was great to knit with. The blocked fabric is wonderfully soft but retains stitch definition. This sweater will be really comfortable to wear."

Ravelry user Seamstresstoo said, "This was the first time I’ve done short rows. I as a little intimidated at first but it wasn’t bad at all!"

Knit your Meryton with 4 -7 balls of Skye, depending on size - you'll find Amy's pattern on Ravelry or Berroco-dot-com.

And by the way, all nine colors of Berroco Skye are 20% off on LoopsLove.com this week!

Pick your favorite color here.

AMORES Bosque is an enchanting blend of merino, yak, and silk. This unique combination of fibers results in dye shading that is subtle and breathtaking.

We chose this timeless classic grey, "Lean on Me," for an exciting new kit. It's a glowing choice for a piece full of texture and movement - a knit where the yarn drapes perfectly and lets the pattern shine.

Melanie Berg's Kleine Schwester shawl is just the pattern, and we now have Bosque kits with the perfect amount for your next favorite knit!

Kleine Schwester is the German term for “Little Sister”, and that’s just what this design is: the little sister of Melanie's Rheinlust shawl. With twisted, textured, and slipped stitches, you can enjoy this relaxing knit and watch the gentle waves grow from your needles.

Ravelry user Cmkujak said, "This was such a joy to knit. Not too complex, but I never got bored with the pattern (which is rare)."

Find Melanie Berg's Kleine Schwester on Ravelry and knit it up on Size 4 and 7 needles.

Find your Kleine Schwester kit in colorway "Lean on Me" here or choose 4 skeins from our other Amores Bosque colorways here.

How do you get a cute summer tank from cast-on to wear-it-out in just a couple weeks?

Just choose the right yarn and pattern! 😜

Shelley made her "Ellis" Tank by the Quince & Co. design team using "Kestrel" yarn. The aran weight means it whips up lickety-split, while the 100% linen keeps it light and drapey.

This makes a great first garment, especially if you've already learned how to pick up stitches and work short rows. Even if you haven't done short rows, the yarnover-style method is simple and easy to follow, and just appears at the beginning of the pattern to achieve the cute high-low hemline.

Find the pattern on Ravelry.
Find Kestrel yarn and project quantities here. 

Bacon, eggs, and potatoes. Sounds like breakfast, right?

With a little tweak and a new perspective, this is your new comfort food "salad!"

We love this recipe for Potatoes With Soft Eggs & Bacon Viniagrette from smittenkitchen-dot-com. Check out the recipe page for links to more "potato" salads and directions on how to get that soft boiled egg just right!

This serves 2 to 3 as a meal, or 4 when served with a side (maybe an actual green salad?) ;-)

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds fingerlings, or small red or yukon gold potatoes
4 large eggs
1/4 pound frisee (French curly endive) or another sturdy lettuce
6 ounces slab bacon or thick-cut bacon slices
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese, or more to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Cook potatoes: In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water, set a timer for 25 minutes (for small red or gold potatoes), and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender but not falling apart, which for small red potatoes usually takes me 25 minutes (fingerlings, because they’re thinner, might be worth checking at 20). Drain and when cool enough to touch, but still hot, halve lengthwise and arrange cut side up on a platter.

Meanwhile, cook eggs: Bring medium saucepan of water to a boil. Lower eggs into it and boil for five (for a runnier egg) to six (for a less-runny but still loose egg) minutes. Drain and rinse egg briefly under cool water until cool enough to handle and carefully peel — because the egg inside is so soft, I recommend chipping off smaller pieces at a time and running it under water as needed so you don’t accidentally rip it open. Set aside.

Prep salad: Tear frisee into bite-size pieces and put in a large bowl.

Right before you’re ready to serve everything, make vinaigrette: If using slab bacon, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices, then 1/4-inch thick sticks (lardons); if using bacon slices, just cut them crosswise into 1/4-inch lardons. Cook bacon in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, until bacon is 3/4 as crisp as you’d like it to get. Add shallots, and cook for 1 minute more. Whisk in red wine vinegar and Dijon and let simmer for 10 seconds. Immediately pour 3/4 hot dressing over potatoes and last 1/4 over frisee in bowl, tossing the lettuce to combine evenly. Season both with salt and pepper.

To finish: Top dressed potatoes with peeled eggs and use a knife to cut them into quarters, so they break open over the potatoes. Season cut eggs with salt and pepper again, sprinkle potato dish with blue cheese. Serve with frisee on the side or on top.

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

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