Stout Day

I walked into the shop yesterday, and there was Stout all over the place! Sally was winding some, Emily was winding some, and it was knitted up into something lovely in the bag of a Close Knit shopper.

Once I noticed the new colorways, and knew I needed to handle some Stout, too. This stuff is rustic, folks. It has little bits of vegetative matter hiding in there, and it smells sheepy. This bulky yarn has a marled, handspun look. These two skeins of blue are from the same colorway, so you can tell that there will be some interesting variation in each skein.

I am having visions of a nice, dense vest or maybe even a cozy blanket. You could just cast on and knit, leaving the yarn to do the work of shifting colors as you work. A few Ravelers have made some epic Boneyard Shawls, including this amazing one with so much fringe!

We have a few other shades in the shop, including red, gold, and a few neutrals. I am sorely temepted by all of them.

Eye Candy Monday

Last minute (okay late) gift edition. Think I can finish these awesome Arne and Carlos socks by Wednesday night?

Classy Gifts

Did you know we can apply your gift certificates to any and all Close Knit classes?

Are you a fledgling knitter, looking to up your skills? Adrienne's Beginning and Beyond Thursday night class might be just right for you. If you are struggling with the basics or looking to try the next thing, she can get you going. Bring a project or just grab some needles and yarn. She will get you on the right track.

If you prefer hooks to needles, Melissa's Crochet Workshop on Sunday afternoons is your class. She can help you refresh your skills or start from scratch. Granny squares, cowls, hats...all the crochet.

Do you know about the 2017 Blanket? The 2016 class was such a resounding success, we are doing it again in 2017. The structure of the class is a little different from the others, so take a look at the dates and terms and decide what works for you.

Emily has a sock class planned for January, and you know that will be fun. She is ready and willing to teach you what you need to know to get those cozy socks onto your needles and then onto your chilly toes! You get to choose the method: double points, two criculars, one long circular, toe-up, top-down. So many options.

Adrienne is also working up a set of advancing skills classes to keep you learning new things. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for information about that series of classes.

If you are lucky enough to have received a Close Knit gift certificate for the holidays (we know many of you have), consider using your gift to hone your knitting or crochet skills in 2017!

Holiday Hours

We have special holiday hours coming up.

Saturday, December 24: 10-3
Sunday, December 25: Closed
Saturday, December 31: 10-5
Sunday, January 1: Closed

All the rest of the hours stay the same as usual, and we will be having our Wednesday night Open Knit Night from 6-9 as usual. Happy holidays, friends!

Needles and Bags!

Send your people into the shop this week, and we would love to help them choose a gift for you! Let's talk about a few ideas.

We chatted a bit last week about the Della Q bags in the shop. They are fun and so useful and not terribly expensive. You need another project bag, I promise.

This cool zipper pouch has a pattern printed right on it. One side has a chart, and the other side has a suggested stitch count and the abbreviations. We can help you (or your people) select some yarn and needles to tuck in there for the perfect little present.

We also have so many lovely needles sets. These interchangables from Knitter's Pride are always popular. The Dreamz are color-coded wooden needles, some of my absolute favorites.

The crazy cool Marblz plastic ones are always extremely popular, too. The colors are really pretty, and they are very smooth for plastic needles.

There are so many great gifts we can suggest for your favorite fiber enthusiast, even if that is you. Send your people in, and we will make sure you get what you need! If all else fails, a gift certificate is always perfect, right?

Eye Candy

Gry's Jacket is one of my favorite little baby knits. One ample skein of sock yarn does the trick. This is Bumblebirch Heartwood in Dandelion, the most lovely grellow and the unofficial Close Knit color. This sweet thing is in the shop!

Malabrigo Mecha

I bet you'd like a nice warm hat and mittens right about now! It is cold and snowy again here in Portland. We have a fresh batch of the silky soft and bulky Malabrigo Mecha in the shop.

The winter white and the coppery brown caught my eye this week, but there are so many gorgeous Malabrigo colors to choose from.

If I were you, I would cast on for a Cocoon hat immediately. And maybe some Pescovegetarian Mittens. You will only need one skein for each project. If you need a warm sweater, maybe an Agnes? I can promise you that Agnes is a fun, quick knit and a great sweater to own. Knit up in Mecha, it would be so cozy. If you can make it to the shop this week, we have lots of warm and wooly yarn for you!

Eye Candy

How about a free pattern in the ginormous Cascade Mondo? Happy Monday!

1966 Blanket

It's a frosty morning here in Portland! And it looks like we might see even more snow in the next ten days. Let's knit a giant, warm blanket, shall we?

The 1966 Blanket is about as easy as it gets. You need some super bulky yarn (think two stitches per inch), a US19 24" circular needle, and 66 stitches.

I used five complimentary shades of yarn for an ombre effect. I knit every row, spit splicing the ends together to avoid the bulky weaving bits. My blanket ended up being about 40" wide and 54" long using the Borgo de' Pazzi Naturalia. You could easily made it wider or longer. Or both.

This is the warmest and coziest blanket I've ever experienced. It has such a nice weight to it, perfect for wrapping up on the couch or throwing over the bed covers for an extra woolly weight on these chilly nights.

You could use almost any super bulky for this. Cascade Magnum would be amazing. A friend is using Berroco Macro, and it's turning out just right.

This is some quick gratification. You could easily have this done by the weekend if you cast on tonight. The best part is that it will even keep you warm while you're knitting. Pop in the shop today, and you will be so toasty warm when (if) the snows hit!

1966 Blanket

by Leah Bandstra

Yarn: 5 skeins Naturalia (colors 0, 2, 3, 4, and 8)
Needles: US19 24" circular

Instructions:
CO 66 stitches.  
Knit every row, spit splicing the ends together.
Cast off with about 3 yards of yarn left.

Eye Candy

Look at all the lovely bags we have in the shop. There's a Della Q bag for every project, large or small. Come find your favorite or send a loved one in for some knitter gift ideas.

Malabrigo Rasta

The Rasta basket overflow-eth! I realize that we are not yet in holiday knitting crunch-mode, but this yarn deserves some love. The colors are amazing, the texture is so soft and silky, and it knits up so quickly! Malabrigo knows what they are doing.

There is some talk of snow in the city next week, and the mountains are already white. If you grab a skein of Rasta today, you'll have a scarf or cowl by the weekend. Then you'll be already for whatever chill and frost we might see.

Eye Candy

Take a gander at this stunning Alleunmer cowl, knit up with five skein of Swans Island All American Sport. The pattern is part of Ysolda Teague's most recent ebook, Knitworthy 3, available for purchase on Ravelry. The yarn is really something. The subtle color shifts are best-appreciated in person. See you soon!

Giving Thanks!

Thank you to all of you wonderful knitters, crocheters, and fiber enthusiasts who love our little shop. We hope you can all find a little quiet knitting time this holiday season.

We will be closing up shop at 6 tonight, but Open Knit will be back next Wednesday. The shop will be closed on Thursday this week, and we will be ready to see you again at 10AM on Friday. Pop in to see us soon!