Leaning into authenticity 💗

"Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are."
-Brene Brown

Authenticity is a characteristic that draws people in. It radiates an aura of comfort and confidence. When you find your authentic self, you have the courage to smile back at the mirror in the morning.

Knitting is an exercise in authenticity - in finding *your* joy.

You know your favorite stitches and the colors you're drawn to like a magnet. You know the type of piece you can't put down. As you knit, you follow these feelings and turn them into a visible expression of your true self.

Every stitch is a celebration of your journey to authenticity and self-expression.

Revel in the ingredient that makes your knitting exceptional - you!

All summer, we've been celebrating the authenticity and of one of this year's hottest indie dyers, Emma's Yarn.

And what better way to celebrate than a SALE!

As we make room to reveal the indie dyer featured on our new, fall Hot Loops Wall™... ALL Emma's Yarns (kits included!) are 20% off!

Here are some fresh ideas for Emma's Yarns that are giving us a serious case of cast-on-itis!

Emma's Hella Hank (her all-time best seller) is a generous 600-yard skein of a soft, fingering-weight, Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend. Hella Hank's yardage makes it a go-to for knit tops! Francoise Danoy's "Whakairo" - inspired by traditional Māori wood carving - is a fun-to-knit, strikingly textural design with minimal shaping that you can make with just 2-3 Hella Hanks!

Here are Francoise's thoughts on her design and authenticity:

"Knitting, like whakairo, requires patience and diligence. I use knitting, specifically knitwear design, to honour my heritage and carry the stories, values, and lessons of my people forward. I wanted to create a piece to pay tribute to this art form, which I was able to recreate the feel through the usage of twisted stitches and cables for a fabric rich in texture."

"Whakairo" is has 9 inclusive sizing options. You’ll need 2 Hella Hanks for finished bust sizes 32-42” or 3 hanks for sizes 44-62”… Emma’s Hella Hanks are 20% off while they last, here.

If you're looking for a one-Hella-skein knit of relaxation, try "Bear Lights" by Joanne Bint, a *free* pattern that gives you the freedom to keep knitting until you run out of yarn.

Knit this wearable and reversible crescent with one skein of Emma's Hella Hank and Size 6 needles.

Now let’s talk luxury…because Emma’s Super Silky is also 20% off!

Super Silky is a Superwash Merino/Silk blend that has that silky soft glow and is oh-so-saturated…

Tammy Gore's "Pippen" is an asymmetrical shawl with a touch of modern lace running across the center. Pair two colors of Emma's Super Silky for this relaxing knit. We’re looking at fading "I Want Candy" into "It's Sherberthday." YUM.

Can you mix-and-match Emma’s fingering weight yarns? YES, 💯!!!

Pair a skein of Emma’s Super Singles with a skein of Super Silky for Christine Parker's "Bomb Pop!"
This shawl is knit top-down starting with a body of smooth stockinette eyelets and abruptly transitions into squishy garter stitch eyelets in a contrast color.

Pair a skein of Loops blue Splendid Singles with a skein of “Cally Girl” Silky to get this look…

Or go for a softer fall effect with Splendid Singles in “Wish You Were Beer” + “Whisper.”

Find all of these patterns on Ravelry.

Shop our entire collection of Emma's Yarn skeins and kits 20% off here!

Every chance we get, we love to knit with Spincycle yarn. Watching the colors change is the just about the most fun you can have with yarn!

As a follow-up to her wildly popular "Fogline Shawl," Brienne Moody has just released her "Fogline Pullover!" Knit from the top-down with circular yoked construction, the slipped stitch lines flow down the sweater in a rhythm that lets the Spincycle colors do the heavy lifting - you'll only be knitting one yarn at a time. The cropped, modern silhouette couldn't be cuter!

We are pairing the color worlds of Spincycle Dream State with the tonal solids of Manos Alegria Grande. With its supersoft superwash base and added poly for strength and resilience, Alegria Grande will stand up to the wear of your new favorite sweater.

Brienne designed the Fogline Pullover with incredible sizing options! You'll need 5(5, 6, 6) skeins of Dream State + 3(3, 3, 4) skeins of Alegria for your Fogline.

We've curated 3 perfect color pairings for your Pullover:
Spincycle Dream State + Alegria:

> "Heart Sigh" Dream State + "Black" Alegria Grande = Sweet and Bold
> "Nostalgia" Dream State + "Foil" Alegria Grande = Silver Plums
> "Stay Ready" Dream State + "Teal" Alegria Grande = Earthy Jewels

Are you more in a shawl mood? We still have a few of our Fogline Shawl kits available!

Shop our full Fogline collection here.

Knit Stars are the designers, teachers and thought leaders that inspire us all with their authenticity.

Have you signed up to shine with the Stars yet?

We have creatively found a way to bring you the best instructors from three continents - even in the midst of the pandemic - and we can't wait to share their beautiful classes with you!

If you *have* signed up for Knit Stars Season 5, you can now log into your Student Portal and find the Supplies List from each of our 10 instructors.

Knit Stars Owners will have another chance later this fall to purchase our exclusive Knit Stars yarns, but just in case you want to be extra prepared, each Star has provided a list of the things you'll need. You can go "shop" your stash, or find some new treats at loopslove.com!

We will be opening up enrollment again for Knit Stars 5.0 (and all of our previous seasons!) on October 8. Mark your calendar, or go to www.knitstars.com and sign up for our waitlist we'll email you when enrollment opens!

Cooking, like knitting, isn't rocket science!

Take those baby steps, try something new, and before you know it, you're up and running!

Loops Trooper Rachel *loves* falafel from our local eatery, Laffa, but it never occurred to her to try her hand at it until she came across this recipe for Oven Baked Falafel from the chefsKitchn.com.

You might even have most of the ingredients in your pantry already!

Ingredients:
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas
1/2 large red onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley
1/4 to 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, optional for binding


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F: Brush or rub a baking sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, except baking powder and flour: Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1/4 cup cilantro to the bowl of a food processor. Sprinkle the olive oil, lemon juice, and spices over top.

3. Pulse until the ingredients are mixed. Taste the mixture: Taste and add more herbs, spices, olive oil, or lemon juice, if you like.

4. Add the baking powder: Sprinkle the baking powder and flour, if using, over the mixture.

5. Continue pulsing until the mixture forms a ball when you squeeze it in your hand.

6. Bake the falafel right away or refrigerate for up to 5 days: The falafel mixture can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Refrigerating also helps the mixture firm up and be less crumbly when baked.

7. Roll the falafel into large balls. The exact amount doesn't matter — just make sure that all your falafel balls are roughly the same size so they bake at the same rate.

8. Press the balls into patties: Transfer the falafel balls to the baking sheet and gently press into patties roughly 1/2-inch thick.
Brush the tops with a little more olive oil.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the falafel partway through. When finished cooking, the falafel should be golden brown on both sides and feel dry to the touch, but still give a little when you press the middle.
Eat warm or room temperature, or store for up to 5 days: Reheat cooked falafel for 30 seconds in the microwave before serving.