Close-Knit Yarn Cooperative January Newsletter

Boy do we have treats for you in January! CKYC is happy to bring Cestari Sheep and Wool yarns back to Los Alamos, beginning with Mt. Vernon 3-ply. This 100% merino yarn is a squishy, bulky 3-ply, perfect for cold-weather knitting. The price is great ($16.00 for 100g), and it's machine-washable! (No really! Cestari says that machine-washing cold on the gentle cycle won't felt their yarns, and Mary has seen the proof with her own eyes.) Cestari is a family company that sources its wool and produces its yarns in the US, and we couldn't be happier to work with them.

Our other new offering for you in January comes from local fiber artist Stephanie Hagelberg. Stephanie has been a friend of the Co-op since its inception, and we're so pleased to be carrying her hand-dyed yarns. Stephanie achieves her bold, beautiful colors through overdyeing and the magic of chemistry.

Finally, we've restocked Cascade Heritage and Heritage Wave. Heritage Wave is one of our most popular yarns, and we had almost completely sold out in December. Now we're fully stocked with twelve colorways, including the new "Woodsy" (perfect for "guy socks"). We've also stocked up on Heritage in many favorite colors and a few new ones besides. Either of these yarns would be great for knitting two-at-a-time toe-up!

UPCOMING CLASSES!

Reminder: classes with no enrollees 48 hours prior to class start will be CANCELED. Please respect the time of our instructors and employees.

We have some great new classes coming up in January for you. To kick off the month, Doris will be demonstrating how to knit her Mini Mitered Poncho on January 4, from 10 AM to noon. This two-hour, single-session class is FREE with purchase of materials (four skeins Classic Shades).

Are you ready to take your sock knitting to the next level? Why not try knitting two at the same time . . . toe-up? Join us on Friday, January 10, from 4-6 PM and let expert instructor Wendy show you how! This two-hour, single-session class costs $10. Participants must be comfortable with basic sock knitting and construction. Required materials: yarn suitable for socks and appropriate needles.

Interested in learning to spin yarn? Join us on Sunday, January 26, from 2-5 PM, and come try spinning on both a drop spindle and wheel. Everything is provided: wool, spindles, wheels. (Not recommended for people allergic to wool.) This class is ONLY about spinning - it's not about preparing raw wool for use, although that process will be outlined briefly. CKYC has spindles and fiber for sale if participants are interested in continuing. If participants already own a spindle or wheel, they are welcome to bring theirs to class.
This three-hour, single-session class costs $20, and all materials are provided.

Do you long to knit (or crochet) a sweater but don't know where to start? Did you try to knit a sweater and give up halfway through? Have you knit a dozen sweaters that wouldn't fit anybody? If so, this is the class for you. Join us on Friday, January 31, from 4-6 PM. Mary (pictured above in her favorite handknit sweater) will help you choose the perfect yarn and pattern, guide you in the swatching process, and show you how to use that information to make a sweater that fits like a dream.

This two-hour, single-session class costs $40 or is FREE with purchase of materials.

FEATURED FINISHED OBJECTS!

We're perpetually amazed by the beautiful things you make out of CKYC yarn. Here, Haley shows off her spiral socks knit in Deluxe Worsted Honeysuckle. (Spiral socks, thumbless mittens, what's the difference?) Did you know that we can order individual skeins of Deluxe Worsted, so that you have that perfect color for your project?

Cathleen crocheted this gorgeous scarf out of three different colors of Cherub Chunky and Perfection. These bulky yarns work up quickly and are budget-friendly for gifts.

Kimberli learned to knit this two-color brioche hat in Wendy's class, and now Wendy is the model! The variegated yarn is Classic Shades Frenzy (and I believe the yellow is silk dyed by Valentina Devine, whose yarns we carry in the store). The recipient will surely be pleased.

Here's what's coming up in January and February. Our class schedule changes often in response to real life, and we add new classes all the time. Make sure you're up-to-date by checking the website: https://closeknityarncoop.com/ or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CloseKnitYarn/. To sign up for a class, call the store during business hours, send an email, reach out via Facebook message, or come on by. Remember that CKYC subscribers get a 20% discount on all class fees and that classes with no enrollees 48 hours before class start will be canceled.

January 4 (Saturday): Class: Mini Mitered Poncho (FREE with purchase of materials)
10:00 am - noon
January 10 (Friday): Class: 2-at-a-Time Toe-Up Socks ($10, materials not included)
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
January 19 (Sunday): Class: Learn to Knit ($40, materials included)
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
January 26 (Sunday): Class: Give Spinning a Whorl ($20, materials included)
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
January 31 (Friday): Class: My First Sweater ($40 or FREE with purchase of materials)
February 7, 14, 21 (Friday): Class: Knit an Icelandic Sweater ($40 or FREE with purchase of materials; three sessions)
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

HAPPY NEW YEAR!