about the kits
before loop
Before starting loop we were in the habit of visiting every needlepoint shop we encountered. We were amazed by the artistry and craftsmanship of the hand-painted needlepoint canvases that are available. We have spent years on needlepoint projects like these, and have the Christmas stockings, belts, and pillows to show for it. We also found ourselves a bit overwhelmed by the price and complexity of these works of art. A traditional needlepoint can be hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours of work. With loop we wanted to create modern needlepoint projects with top quality materials and a simple aesthetic at a lower price point that allows for each individual project to be satisfyingly doable, more affordable, and something we’d want to display in our homes when finished.
In rooms piled high with yarn and canvas we have spent an extraordinary amount of time testing out materials for our needlepoint kits:
canvas
We first wanted to nail down the canvas. The German company, Zweigart, has been making the best quality needlework canvas in the world for 140 years. They provided us a canvas with the perfect mesh size for a fun relaxing needlepoint experience that allows us to finish in a reasonable amount of time. Sometimes needlepoint projects can take months to complete, or even years, and we just didn't want that to be the case with our kits.
images
We chose simple and fun images that work well with the mesh size and fit an aesthetic that we are excited about displaying in our homes. We then took these images and tested various ways of putting them on our canvas. It’s tricky to print on needlepoint canvas because the mesh is not an ideal media for most printing techniques—this is why most needlepoint canvases are hand painted. We discovered a printing technique that is both durable and cost effective.
yarn
We tried dozens of yarns from across the globe and finally landed on our favorite. Dollfus-Mieg & Compagnie (DMC), has been making incredible yarn since 1746 in the small town in Mulhouse, France. We found that the yarn we get from them is the only one that has the feel and coverage we like with our canvas. Unbeknownst to us at the time, we chose a yarn that is incredibly hard to come by, especially during the launch of Loop amidst the global Covid 19 pandemic.
