Lopi Knit-a-long

Pic borrowed from Ravelry page.

Any Lopi lovers out there??? We are hosting a knit-a-long for this gorgeous Kate Davies sweater, Ásta Sóllilja. The knit-a-long starts January 10 during Open Knit Night, 6-9PM. If you want to use Lopi, come in before Christmas to order your colors. If you aren't a Lopi lover, you can make it out of any Aran weight yarn. Adrienne will be hosting the knit-a-long, and is even willing to help you steek this into a cardigan if that's more your jam. Give us a call with any questions, and come join us for the knit-a-long!

Regularly Scheduled Programming

Okay, now that we have all of the silly Portlandia eye-rubbing and doily-selling out of the way, let's get back to our regularly scheduled programming, shall we?

I wanted to share a few things that flew under the radar in the last month or so.

This is a really pretty and incredibly soft scarf that Sally has been cranking out using the new Debbie Bliss Riva.  There will be a free pattern eventually, and it's a super simple knit, I promise.  The yarn is another one of the slow-color-change beauties that have been getting so much attention lately.  The shades are subdued and flow nicely from one ball to the next.  The pattern book is cute...the little capelet piece on the cover is my favorite.

We received a fresh batch of Royal Alpaca from Aslan Trends as well as the new King Baby Lllama & Mulberry Silk (all one yarn).  You should really check out their explanation of the silk harvesting process...you will have a new appreciation for mulberry silk.  The yarn is so soft with a nice sheen and halo all at the same time.  Perfect for a luxurious scarf or shawl.

Finally, the beautiful Malabrigo Rastita, the little sister of the beloved Rasta.  This is a single ply DK (about 5.5 stitches/inch) with more than 300 yards per skein.  Rastitia is great for hats, scarves, mitts, and even sweaters.

I normally shy away from single ply yarn for sweaters because of the pilling, but this one is slightly felted, so pilling does not seem to be an issue.  The bright colors would be so nice for a kid or baby sweater, and the variegated colorways knit up so nicely without pooling or flashing.  The people at Malabrigo know what they're doing.

We return to our regular schedules this week, with Open Knit kicking back up on Wednesday night and Knitting and Cocktails at the Cruzroom on Monday night.  Shop hours are all back to normal now, too.  Have a great week, friends!

Special Treat Knits, Holiday Hours, and Classes

The holidays always make me a little edgy. I find that a nice soothing knitting project really helps take the edge off those delayed flights, long car rides, and extended family bonding experiences. A recent Yarn Harlot post really struck home with me on this subject, and I have to admit that I need all the help I can get this time of year.

While I still have holiday gifts to finish and wrap, I am itching to cast on a little special treat for myself. I have a few basic requirements for my (almost) post-holiday knitting:
1. It needs to be mindless. Stockinette or garter stitch, no fancy lace or cables, minimal counting.
2. It needs to be forgiving. If I make a mistake, I would like to be able to call it a design element and move on.
3. It needs to be a put-down-pick-up project. I have to be able to steal a few stitches here and there without taking time to figure out where I am or what I was doing when I put it down.
4. It needs to be in a fabulous yarn. It is a special treat, after all.

Last winter, I made A Little Ruffle Scarf from Sadie & Oliver for Sally. I used Plymouth Hillside Linen, and Adrienne used Cascade Eco Alpaca for a very similar effect. This scarf is great in so many different yarns, and I might have to make another to keep for myself.

But first, here's what I have planned to maintain my sanity this year:
Twister is a free pattern from Spud & Chloe. It takes two skeins of Spud & Chloe Sweater and a nice long US9 needle. It fits all of my criteria, and I think I will get a lot of use out of it.

The yarn is a machine washable wool/organic cotton blend, and it is so soft. Spud & Chloe is associated with Blue Sky Alpacas, so you know the colors and the quality are going to be top notch. They keep it simple with just three high quality yarns, and lots of pattern support. We have all three yarns and many of their patterns at Close Knit, and the Spud says! blog (curated by the great Susan B. Anderson) has a huge assortment of free patterns.

A few points of business...
We have classes ready for you! Check out the top of the right sidebar for our January and February offerings and information on how to sign up. We are trying some new things this time around, so please let us know what you think and what you'd like to see available. We appreciate your patience with all of these changes, and we look forward to getting back into the swing of things with the classes.

We'll be open until 3:00 on Friday, December 24th, closed on December 25th, and closed on January 1st. We will no longer be open on Mondays, but we are still around Wednesday nights for Open Knit Night. Otherwise, we will be available to help you choose your own sanity to cast on before the weekend hits. See you soon.

Thanks to Susan of the Spud says! blog for use of the Twister photo.

Knit Night at Cruzroom

If you are in need of a little more scheduled creative time in your busy week, stop by the Cruzroom tonight for some tacos, drinks, and some crafting camaraderie. The bar is just a few blocks from Close Knit on NE Alberta and 24th Ave. We'll get started around 8:00, and there will be drink specials just for the crafters. The owner has promised a special corner for us with good lighting.

We'll be doing this every Monday night, except for the last Monday of each month. In December, our very own Melissa will host a knit-along for one of our popular free patterns. This week, I will have a few samples from the shop to show off to get you thinking about your next project.

Any and all skill levels are welcome, and Jenni and I will be available to help with any knitting questions or emergencies. Any kind of crafting is welcome, too, although we aren't really set up for glassblowing or anything...

Snacks at Open Knit Night

Okay, so this is not yarn. It's a taco. Cruzroom, Alberta's newest eating and drinking establishment, will be providing a little sample plate at Open Knit Night on Wednesday, October 27. Open Knit Night is from 6-10 PM every Wednesday, so stop by and enjoy a little snack this week.

In other news, I've created a list of the knitting classes available at Modern Domestic. Check out the links at the top of the right sidebar here on the Close Knit blog. If there is anything in particular that you'd like to see offered, please leave us a comment or mention it to us at the shop, and we'll do our best.

I have added a few of our free patterns to Ravelry. If you're a member, check out our Close Knit design page. We will continue to add patterns as we release them here on the blog. We also have a Close Knit Flickr page, and we would love to see your work there as well. If you have knit one of our designs, please add your project so we can see all of your beautiful knitting!