Love Your Shop Giveaway!

I'll never forget my first LYS experience...I wanted something to do on a weekend at the lake, and my friend Amy offered to teach me how to knit. The first thing we did was drive to the nearest LYS, it was a tiny shop in the next town with walls packed floor-to-ceiling with yarn. I was completely overwhelmed, and to be honest, didn't understand the zeal exhibited by the woman behind the counter (the owner I soon found out). After deciding to start with a scarf, she pressed a pattern book into my hands, and clutching my arm, said with a shudder, "The scarves in this book give me chills!"

I was completely intoxicated by her enthusiasm and bought not only the book, but a Learn to Knit DVD, three skeins of wool and a set of Addi's (that was three years ago and I still haven't made a thing in that book). As I was leaving, she stopped me at the door and gushed, "I'm so excited for you! Promise me you'll knit two rows a day!" I laughed. But she wouldn't let go of my arm and looked right into my eyes with a deadly serious stare. "Promise me!! People start knitting and then they put it down and forget about it. Promise you'll knit two rows!" Okay, okay, lady, geez...

Going to that shop immediately became tradition. I never once went to the lake without stopping there to talk, learn, and take a big whiff of that woman's obsessive, almost scary passion for fibers. I would love to see her today and tell her how far I've come. Sadly, that shop closed last summer.

Now that I work at an LYS myself, I try to pay her lessons forward. We educate a new generation of crafters with Kids Camps and birthday parties, we provide help and encouragement to new knitters, and we are a shoulder to lean on during knitting and non-knitting emergencies, we are a meeting place for our community. Where would any of us be without our LYS? I know I wouldn't have even known my own creativity, and I certainly wouldn't be writing this love letter today.

Classic Elite wants to give back to the men and women who risk it all to follow their dreams, open yarn shops and keep them open in these changing and challenging times. In fact, we have so much faith in those dreams that we want to give everyone a present. Between now and December 15th, spend $40 or more on yarn or books at any CEY retailer in the continental US and send us your receipts. We will send you a free recent pattern book and three mini-skeins! It's our "thank you" to all the knitters and crocheters who recognize the value of supporting our local knitting communities. Please see our website for rules and instructions on how to receive your gift.

If you think your Local Yarn Shop should be involved, click the Download button below to print your own Love Your Shop flyer for display!

Now get shopping!