Weekend Ravelry Roundup!




Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone!

Time for our Weekend Ravelry Roundup...Today we have two shawls (Cold Mountain from Knitty and Lavalette from Kirsten Kapur) in Silky Alpaca Lace, a child's Owl Sweater from a classic knitting book in our season-appropriate Portland Tweed, the Middlefield Pullover from New England Knits in Kumara, an aran-designated yarn whose light feel belies its weighty gauge, and a Feather and Fan Cardigan from Make it Modern in Wool Bam Boo that was originally designed in Soft Linen.




WIP it! Project Bags from Classic Elite!

These awesome Blossom Project Bags are now available from Classic Elite!

They are made right here in Lowell, Massachusetts and come in a selection of bright coordinating prints. Lucky Heather, our sales manager, had boxes filled with bolts of colorful fabrics in her office all last month. There's only so much fabric we can fit in there, so the prints and patterns are subject to change, but they're all fun and super-colorful!

The round bottom means they stand straight up without flopping over. Perfectly portable, these are just the right size for projects on circular needles or small double-points. A pair of socks perhaps? Maybe a hat or a pair of fingerless gloves?

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!


Download Now


Now get shopping!

Vogue Knitting Holiday 2010

Classic Elite has three projects in Vogue Knitting Holiday 2010, on sale today! All photos are by Rose Callahan and appear here courtesy of Vogue Knitting.

First is a gorgeous cowl by by Vladimir Teriokhin (remember the stunning red sweater coat modeled by Paulina Porizkova on the cover of Holiday 2007? That's him too!) knitted in Woodland from our Verde Collection.


Next is a convertible top also designed by Vladimir Teriokhin and knit in our ever-popular Giselle. View the Vogue360 video for all the different ways you can wear it!

Weekend Ravelry Roundup


Happy Saturday! In this weekend's Ravelry Roundup, we have an Intarsia pullover in Princess, a beautiful cardigan also in Princess from my friend Cheryl, the prolific knitter and steward of Hub Mills Store in Lowell, some super-soft fingerless mitts in Fresco, a delicate pointed shawl in Silky Alpaca Lace, and a dense cabled hooded capelet in Twinkle Soft Chunky.

I am thrilled by the design and workmanship of this Intarsia Pullover from LesTricotsdeMarie, knit in Princess.

Snuzy's Keelin, knit in Princess. I have felt and seen this sweater in person and it truly is gorgeous...and soft!

Swatching Magnolia

Magnolia, a new Fall yarn in 70% merino wool and 30% silk, has been calling my name since I first felt its soft, shiny goodness at our Webs trunk show. Its versatile DK gauge and palette of delicate feminine hues suggest dressier garments and accessories, and its excellent stitch definition begs for lacework.

Since seeing a friend's Rambling Rose cardigan, an unusual fitted cardi with a large-scale lace motif from Interweave Knits Winter 2006 by Laura Zukaite, I've been fiddling with the idea of making one. I had a ball of Magnolia at home and thought, "Why not?"

Tell me what you think...

Interweave Knits Holiday 2010

I love holiday gift issues...Could it be because, like a true process knitter, I love knitting things for other people? This year's Interweave Holiday Gifts special issue did not disappoint, and we have some great projects in it!

This hat and mitten set made the cover! The Paprika Hat and Mitten set is designed in Montera Heathers by Michelle Heaney and shown in #3808, peat and #3847, copper. Hat requires one skein of each color; mittens require one skein of each color (you'll need two skeins of each color to make both hat and mittens.)

Mousie Katousie is designed by Jil Eaton and knit in Jil Eaton MinnowMerino, one skein each of #4758 rouge (MC) and #4735 chartreuse (CC).