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Koreans go loopy for DIY knit hat

Koreans go loopy for DIY knit hat

Playwool, the country's first offline store selling Loopy Mango yarn, DIY kits and completed products from several brands hold knitting classes for people who purchase the DIY kits. Provided by Playwool

The oversized Helsinki hat from Loopy Mango has taken the country by storm, motivating numerous women to take up knitting this winter.

Loopy Mango is a knitwear and DIY brand founded in New York City in 2004. Its signature 100 percent Merino wool hand-knit Helsinki hat has brought in a knitting craze mostly focused on using "big loop yarn". At 2 centimeters in diameter it is thicker diameter than most common yarn.

"Koreans like to do things fast. Since this hat only takes about an hour for even beginners to knit, it's appealing for busy Korean women of today as well", said Kim Hyun-ok, who operates a private knitting club in Naesu-dong, central Seoul.

Kim teaches members how to knit and also sells her homemade goods online. She said that several knitting clubs have popped up providing lessons on how to knit the chunky Loopy Mango hat.

Koreans go loopy for DIY knit hat

Loopy Mango's big loop Merino wool yarn.

"It's quite expensive to purchase the finished goods [from Loopy Mango], so many decide to just purchase the yarn and do it themselves, or even use cheaper yarn that looks similar, depending on their budget", said Kim.

The original Loopy Mango big loop yarn is priced at 299,000 won ($276), which can produce one hat for an adult and a small one for a child. Finished hats cost between 100,000 won to 200,000 won and can also be purchased online and offline. Needles for the hat have to be purchased separately at a cost of around 90,000 won.

Playwool, the country's first offline store selling Loopy Mango yarn, DIY kits and completed products from several brands opened in September as a pop up at Galleria Department Store in southern Seoul. Thanks to its popularity, the shop, which was scheduled to pull out at the end of last year, is still swarming with customers. It will remain open until the end of January. Upon purchasing the DIY kit, consumers can learn how to knit their own hat at the store.

"We have seats for eight people, and anyone who has purchased the kit can make their own here within an hour", said a store representative.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [sharon@joongang.co.kr]

Source from :Hancinema