March 2015 Newsletter

Capture Your Color
March 2015
Project of the Month... Color Affection
Color. It's usually the first aspect we consider when choosing a yarn for a pattern. Do you choose colors based by seasons? Perhaps your wardrobe is filled with a specific hue theme. Or maybe you simply have favorite colors you gravitate towards for each project. Whichever the case, this month's featured project, the Color Affection by Veera Välimäki, is sure to inspire! With its garter stitch and short-rows, this enjoyable pattern will keep you captivated from choosing colors to binding-off. Knit out of three different colors of a fingering-weight yarn, the finished result is light weight and easy to wear. We've started this year full of color, so let's keep it going! Join us as we cast-on this fun shawl.

With so many color options, it'll be difficult to knit just one Color Affection shawl.
Let us help you capture your color!
Classes and Events...
Color Affection Class... Featuring Short Rows
Saturday, March 7, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
$30.00 (does not include class materials)
There is a reason over 10,000 people have knit this shawl, it is addictive!  This class is  great for beginners who can cast on and knit.  You will be able to perfect your knit stitches as this beautiful shawl is worked in garter stitch.  Join us to cast on the project, learn to use short rows, and create stripes with color work.  We will talk about carrying colors in your knitting, take the mystery out of "wrap and turns", and give you a couple of pattern modifications to make the shawl a perfect piece for you to wear. Before the class please come into the store to purchase the pattern and three skeins of fingering weight yarn in lovely, complimentary colors.
Brioche, Anyone?
Saturday, March 21, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
$30.00 (does not include class materials)
Learn to knit the beautiful, bouncy, warm brioche stitch.  Some are intimidated by this versatile stitch, but once you learn the technique you will see how simple it really is.  In this Brioche class, you will learn how to knit a 2 color brioche stitch, how to correct your mistakes (tinking back takes a little practice), and how to decrease and increase.  You can knit either a hat or a cowl, so please come into Monarch prior to the class to pick your project and the appropriate yarn.  Brioche? Mais oui!
Anzula Trunk Show

Thursday March 26, 2015 2:00pm to 5:00pm
Anzula is packing up their vintage suitcases, brimming with yarn, for a visit to Monarch Knitting.  Come join us to see what surprises are in store.  They will feature new yarns and colors, some bases and colors we do not currently carry at Monarch, as well as some of our favorites.  For those of you who love to spin, Anzula will be bringing an array of spinning fiber!  If you see a yarn or fiber you love, you can purchase it right there on the spot. They will also have their knit samples there for inspiration and patterns available for purchase.  Make your wish list and join us.
New Arrivals...

By popular request, we now have ChiaoGoo needles! We've recently received their lovely RED Lace circular needles and sets. Made from high quality stainless steel, and featuring a flexible, memory-free, nylon-coated steel cable with superior joins, your yarn will easily glide from end to end without snagging. There is no bend at the needle, and the tips are sharper making it perfect to pick up stitches as you knit.


We've just stocked our shelves with Classic Elite Yarns Provence, a beautiful 100% mercerized Egyptian cotton yarn. Three strands of chainette are plied together to make this smooth, versatile DK weight yarn. Provence is a favorite for light, soft garments and accessories. It comes in a wide range of colors too. Just in time for Spring!
During our visit to TNNA, this beautiful yarn caught our attention! Introducing Yellowstone - a hardworking and stunning yarn, with a blend of wool and a touch of silk for strength and luster. Each skein contains 285 yards of 3-ply luxury. It’s the perfect yarn for texture, lace, colorwork, and cables. We have all of their nine gorgeous colors, each inspired by the beauty of the American wilderness.

Quince & Co.'s Owl is now in the shop! This squishy, lofty, plump, yarn is made from a blend of American alpaca and wool. Each skein has a of yardage 120.  It's spun and dyed in New England, knitting up between 4½ to 5 stitches per inch, and is the perfect weight for just about everything.

Soft and cozy, Malabrigo Mecha is 100% superwash wool. Mecha means "single ply" in Uruguayan Spanish and this bulky weight yarn is one strand of gently twisted wool with a light halo and oodles of color. Mecha is saturated in Malabrigo's signature deep, rich tones. Imagine this sumptuous, squishy wool worked up into a favorite sweater or stunning accessories, all so easy to care for!
We are excited to introduce two lovely new lace weights from Kelbourne Woolens - the Fibre Company's Road to China Lace and Meadow. Road to China Lace is a luxurious blend of baby alpaca, cashmere, and silk. The colors are so vibrantly rich and with each squishy, soft skein you get over 650 yards...so much to play with! Then we have Meadow, a rustic, but luxurious lace, that has a bit of a tweedy like texture. Its got a little bit of everything lovely - merino wool, baby llama, silk, and linen. Meadow has a generous amount of yardage as well at 575 yards.
Quick Tips...
Make 2015 the year you expand your knitting knowledge.  

Come in any time between 3:00pm and 4:00pm on Wednesdays, or 10:30am to 11:00am on Saturdays, to get a free 10-15 minute demonstration on a knitting technique. This month's tips are:
Week 1 - Tight Shawl Edges?... Use this Yarn Over Technique
Week 2 - Short Rows
Week 3 - Japanese Short Rows
Week 4 - Garter Tab Cast On
Pinterest...
Did you know we're on Pinterest? It's true! We love sharing happenings, new items and your happy projects on our Facebook page and Instagram account, but we're now excited to begin gathering our favorite patterns, accessories, and yarn from all over the Internet on our Pinerest Boards! Join us by following along. We'd love to interact with you!
A Friendly Reminder...
Pacific Grove Bag Ordinance - On March 1, 2105 the city of Pacific Grove will implement a “Carry Out Bag Ordinance” that requires all retailers to charge 10 cents for carry out bags. We thank those of you who have already begun to bring in their own bags. If you're in need of one, we have quite the selection of totes in the shop! The one pictured is our custom Monarch Knitting canvas tote bag. Wouldn't it be so lovely filled with every color?
Classes and Events...
Beginning Knitting Classes
Saturdays: March 14, March 28, April 4, May 2, May 23
11:00am to 12:00pm

or just call the shop to schedule a time!
$20.00
Have you always wanted to learn to knit? If so, this is just what you need! In this 1-hour lesson you will learn to cast-on, knit and cast-off.


Beginning Crochet Classes

Saturdays: March 7, April 18, May 16
11:00am to 12:00pm

or just call the shop to schedule a time!
$20.00
For a change of pace, learn how to crochet. In this 1-hour lesson you will learn to chain stitch, single crochet and double crochet.

Color Affection Class... Featuring Short Rows
Saturday, March 7, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
$30.00 (does not include class materials)
There is a reason over 10,000 people have knit this shawl, it is addicting!  This class is a great for beginners who can cast on and knit.  You will be able to perfect your knit stitches as this beautiful shawl is worked in garter stitch.  Join us to cast on the project, learn to use short rows, and create stripes with color work.  We will talk about carrying colors in your knitting, take the mystery out of "wrap and turns", and give you a couple of pattern modifications to make the shawl a perfect piece for you to wear.    Before the class please come into the store to purchase the pattern and three skeins of fingering weight yarn in lovely, complimentary colors.



Brioche, Anyone?
Saturday, March 21, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
$30.00 (does not include class materials)
Learn to knit the beautiful, bouncy, warm brioche stitch.  Some are intimidated by this versatile stitch, but once you learn the technique you will see how simple it really is.  In this Brioche class, you will learn how to knit a 2 color brioche stitch, how to correct your mistakes (tinking back takes a little practice), and how to decrease and increase.  You can knit either a hat or a cowl, so please come into Monarch prior to the class to pick your project and the appropriate yarn.  Brioche? Mais oui!



Anzula Trunk Show

Thursday March 26, 2015 2:00pm to 5:00pm
Anzula is packing up their vintage suitcases, brimming with yarn, for a visit to Monarch Knitting.  Come join us to see what surprises are in store.  They will feature new yarns and colors, some bases and colors we do not currently carry at Monarch, as well as some of our favorites.  For those of you who love to spin, Anzula will be bringing an array of spinning fiber!  If you see a yarn or fiber you love, you can purchase it right there on the spot. They will also have their knit samples there for inspiration and patterns available for purchase.  Make your wish list and join us.



Take the Mystery out of Fair Isle Knitting
Saturday, April 11, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
$30.00 (does not include class materials)
Have you ever admired a beautiful color-work garment and believed it to be too difficult to attempt?  Fear no more... we have the perfect class for you!  Pick one of two projects, Color-Work Fingerless Mitts or the Vogue Knitting Koigu Cowl (if you are feeling a bit more ambitious), and we will have you fair isle knitting in no time.  In the class we will show you how to work with two colors simultaneously, strand and weave yarn, read a color-work chart, and how to correct a mistake with the duplicate stitch.  Before taking the class, we ask that you come into the store to select your project and cast on and knit to the first row of fair isle.


Mastering Cables
Part 1 - Saturday, April 25, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Part 2 - Saturday, May 9, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
$70.00 ($30.00 for class materials, excluding needles,
and $40.00 for two class sessions)

Join us for this 2-part class and learn to master the knitted cable.  In Part 1 of the cable class we will review the different type of cable needles and teach you how to cable with ease.  We will also teach you how to "read" your cabled knitting and demystify charts.  Part 2 is filled with invaluable lessons as we will teach you how to cable without a cable needle, making cables a breeze.  We will also help you find and fix your mistakes by dropping down and knitting a fake cable.  Once you have completed this class, you will never be afraid to tackle a cabled project again!


A Visit from the Yarnover Truck

Thursday, April 30th
The Yarnover Truck will be visiting us from LA in this "two knitting stores in you neighborhood" event.  This local yarn store on wheels is going on a road trip up the coast of California and Monarch is one of its many stops.  Put a visit to Monarch Knitting and the Yarnover Truck on your calendar!



Gatsby Necklace
Saturday, May 16, 2:00pm-4:00pm
$30.00

This 1920's inspired necklace will captivate you, with its sparkling beads and smooth silk knitted and clasped together with a delicate button. In this class, you'll learn a type of beaded cast-on, how to thread/add beads, as well as finishing with a crochet chain for the button loop. You will be able to make a stunning necklace from start to finish, and you'll walk out wearing your newly created piece.  This is sure to be a fun workshop!



"My First Lace Shawl" Class

Part 1 - Saturday, May 16, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Part 2 - Saturday, May 30, 2:00pm to 4:00pm

$70.00 ($30.00 for class materials, excluding needles,
and $40.00 for two class sessions)
Learn the beauty of lace shawl knitting! Have you ever wanted to try lace knitting but thought it to be too complex? This class is the perfect introduction to lace and shawl knitting. In this two part class, you will learn how to work a variety of lace stitches, how to read a lace chart, and to finish your project by blocking. You will receive a kit that includes the lace shawl pattern with chart, and one skein of Stitch Sprouts' Yellowstone yarn. All you will need are size US 7 needles, stitch markers, blocking pins and your happy self!




CustomFit Workshop: Gauge Swatches and Measurements

Call the store for an appointment!
$10.00
In this hour-long workshop we will cover how to knit and measure a gauge swatch for the CustomFit program.  While you will knit your swatch just as you do for a conventional pattern, there are a few differences in its size and in how the swatch is measured.  Knitting this swatch is about the fabric you want to knit your sweater in, not how a standardized pattern tells you how it should be knit.  We will also take your CustomFit measurements and enter them into the computer to be stored for you.


Finishing

$30/Session
Bring your project and together we will make sure it is beautifully seamed.


Private Lessons

Call to set up an appointment
$15.00 for 30 minutes, $30.00 for 1 hour
Do you prefer to learn on your own, or do you have a new skill you would like to tackle? Come in and work one-on-one with us.

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