April 1st is our birthday, but we’re no fools, we’re starting the celebration early.

• During the 2nd week of March, all books are 40% off
• During the 3rd week of March, you and St. Patrick will get 50% off all green yarn
• During the 4th week of March, we’ll have an Easter Egg discount. Bring your purchase to the front desk, open an easter egg and find discounts between 10% and 50%.
  

Throughout the month of March, you can help us celebrate by buying a chance to win Mabel Cow, Bessie Cow or a fabulous sample sweater to support the Chaffee County Mammography Fund and the Alliance to End Domestic Abuse. Tickets are $5.00 apiece. Each ticket you buy will get you one chance to win, your choice of a vintage knitting magazine, and a donation to a good cause. Drawings will be held on April 1st when we turn three!

On April 1st, to celebrate our big day, we’ll have drawings throughout the day and a big sale. Everything in the store will be at least 10% off, but some items will be up to 75% off. In the spirit of April Fool's Day we will be offering surprise prizes throughout the day - some of our vendors have jumped on board and are sending 'Serendipitous' offerings for our customers to win.

BEGINNING KNITTING
April 6 & 13, Sunday, 3:00-4:30
Mikki Martin, Instructor
Learn to knit.
Limited to 2 people
Class Fee: $45.00 + Supplies *10% discount 

BUILD A BLANKET, SQUARE BY SQUARE
Begins on March 15th, Saturday, 1:00-3:00 and continues on the second Saturday of every month. A series of seven sessions where you will learn different techniques to add to your knitting repertoire.
Robin Ziperman, Instructor
Limited to 6 people
Class Fee: $25.00 + Supplies *10% discount (If you sign up for all 7 classes, the fee is $150.00)

March 15: Variations on Knit & Purl
April 12th: Lace
May 10th: Cable Knitting
June 14th: Two-Color Knitting
July 12th: Knitting with Beads
August: Intarsia, Flowers
Sept. 13th: Sew it together. Blocking. Blanket stitch. Single crochet edging.

ALTERED TAG ART
March 22nd, 1:00-3:00
Jan DeBellis, Instructor
Limited to 6 people
Class Fee: $25.00+ supplies 10% discount

Come join local artist Jan DeBellis, whose love of working in the paper medium and creative flair will be both fun and will most likely inspire your own creativity to new heights.

BEGINNING SOCKS
March 16th & 30th, 3:00-4:30 
Mikki Martin, Instructor
Limited to 2 people
Class Fee: $45.00 + supplies 10% discount

PAPER BAG BOOK
April 13th, 1:00-3:00
Jan DeBellis, Instructor
Limited to 6 people
$25.00 + supplies 10% discount

Serendipity also offers private Knitting and Crochet lessons.

CMC NEVER STOP LEARNING CLASSES OFFERED AT SERENDIPITY.
Sherry Robinson, Instructor. Register at www.neverstoplearning.com

MAGICAL MOEBIUS, March 9th & April 6th
KNITTING CABLES-WITHOUT CABLE NEEDLES, April 6th & April 20th

Leslie Goss

I am knitting a pair of warm and cozy green legwarmers with a mixture of Cascade 220 and kid mohair yarn.  I took a picture of my 2nd legwarmer and me on the computer at Serendipity today.  They are a pattern out of my favorite book,  Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. I learned to knit from my grandmother, Mimi, when I was 15 years old.  She couldn't teach me to crochet because I was left-handed and it confused her.  So she taught me to knit! I love to knit gifts--especially hats for people!  My favorite yarn to knit with is Rowan Big Wool because it knits quickly and pretty.  And I like the colors :) As soon as I finish my legwarmers, I want to try some handwarmers that are in the same book.

Robin Ziperman

I’m getting ready to teach a techniques class that will result in squares that can be sewn together for a quilt. So far I’ve knit a couple of squares that are variations on simple knit/purl patterns, a lace square, a cable square, one with bobbles and other textures, and a multiple color square. Still to go is a square with beads and one with intarsia. I’m using all worsted weight yarn, mostly Cascade 220, but an occasional fancier yarn thrown in for variety. My cousin Diane taught me to knit when I was about 7 and she was 12. I don’t know if she still knits, but I’ve never stopped. I love to knit for friends and family and next on my list is a traditional Guernsey sweater to keep my nephew David warm as he enters life after high school.

Joan Cummins

I decided to knit a throw for my daughter Amie in Michigan. As shown in the picture, I am using Elesbeth Lavold Silky Wool along with the Serendipity Yarn (a combination of fibers: mohair, ribbon, wool, etc.). The yarn does the work so all that one needs to know is how to do the knit stitch it is pretty easy and the end result is pretty effective. As a young girl, I learned how to knit and found myself loving it. Like all knitters, I have a number of projects in the works. I am also knitting my granddaughter a sweater out of the Mission Falls cotton it is the first sweater I've knit in many years.

Mikki Martin

I'm Mikki and I work at Serendipity Yarn on Sundays where I teach beginning knitting and my favorite thing to knit, socks.  Right now I am knitting these basic black socks.  You ask, why black with all that yarn eye candy at the store?????  These are for a member or our armed forces.  I do not know this Marine but with the help of my favorite book, Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch, I can knit a simple sock that I am sure of the fit when he tries these on.   Serendipity has a selection of basic sock yarn, 2 skeins of Brown Sheep Wildfoote work well for basic black socks.   My next project will be some Rowan yarn cable socks for the Every Other Sock of the Month club.  I have designed and knitted a practice sock--be watching for those.

Tami Yinger

I just finished the Big Mohair Cardigan from Prism Yarns - this is the coldest winter of my life and it is the warmest thing of my life! I learned to love yarn in 4th grade when my aunt taught me to knit and my Granny taught me to crochet. That love of yarn has stayed with me through years of raising kids (and not doing much else), learning to spin from my sis-in-law Janet, and these days I create mostly shawls, scarves & hats. Between the store and my family that is about all I have time to knit consistently, although I do eventually finish things - I have lofty goals of finishing the little black dress in Runway Knits before this summer! When I’m choosing yarns, I pick anything that is colorful and soft.  I love Noro yarns, Louisa Harding - Grace and others - Rowan yarns and something with a touch of sparkle now and then. Next, I’d like to tackle Mikki's Sock of the Every Other Month out of the new Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn.

AnnaBeth Davidson

Here’s AnnaBeth with her ever-present smile and some bulky Noro yarn as she begins a headband using entrelac techniques.

What’s on Your Needles?

We’d like to feature you and your project in our upcoming newsletters. Stop by the store, show us the project on your needles and tell us a little about you and what you like to knit, crochet, or weave - or email a picture with the info!

Leslie…. Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson

Today's knitters are chic, smart-and busy. Although they love to knit and enjoy making gifts for family and friends, they're constantly faced with the challenge of finding enough time to actually finish what they've started. Last-Minute Knitted Gifts solves this problem. Joelle Hoverson, owner of Purl, the hip knitting supply store in downtown Manhattan, has designed more than 30 fun, fresh, beautiful patterns, most of which can be made in less than ten hours-some in as little as two! Known for her keen sense of color, Hoverson includes instructions for classic gifts like baby booties and bonnets, sweaters, and scarves, plus imaginative options like a cashmere tea cozy, a felted yoga mat bag, floor cushions, and a poncho-surely something for everyone on the gift list. And to make each present extra-special, Hoverson offers easy tips on how to incorporate knitting and other yarn embellishments into the gift wrap.

“It's my favorite because it has a lot of variety and some really fun and quick projects that you can work up for gifts.  And the pictures are really pretty.”

Robin…. Knitting Little Luxuries by Louisa Harding

Learn to pamper friends and loved ones with lavish and fun knitted gifts. Projects are broken down into four different categories by style and include hats, mittens, purses, wraps, tops, sweaters, and socks—all of which are simple to make and require minimal yarn. Tips are provided for embellishing each project with different fabrics, edgings, and stitching patterns, making personalization easy, even for novices. Beautiful photographs and color illustrations detailing how to create each piece, as well as contemporary designs and small, quick projects make this guide a must-have for the gift-giving knitter.

“I picked this book because it combines Louisa Harding’s beautiful sense of style and feminine shaping that is present in all of her sweater books along with other fun stuff to knit. Her style is hip. Maybe some her hipness will rub off on me!”

Mikki… Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch

This is the only book on sock knitting you’ll ever need! Choose virtually any yarn, gauge, stitch pattern, and size you like—with nearly 1,000 variations, the possibilities for knitting fashionable to funky socks will last a lifetime. Create one-of-a-kind socks starting with 10 basic designs plus loads of stitch patterns. Use 2, 4, or 5 needles; patterns let you choose your favorite method. Customize fit and fashion for women, men, and children—step-by-step instructions make it easy.

“I love this book because Charlene allows you maximum opportunities to customize your socks. Each sock chapter contains a stitch dictionary with alternative patterns.  You can happily knit for a long while from a single chapter--for different people, with different yarn, or in a new pattern. “

Tami… Runway Knits by Berta Karapetyan

From ruffled sweaters to fur-trimmed scarves and serious jackets, there’s something for everyone in this stunning collection of thirty designs. The book is divided into four sections: spirited, featuring bold and adventurous outfits that demand attention; playful, which includes lively and eye-catching items of all kinds; demure, designs for the modest girls or those who just like to play coy; and driven, outfits for career-minded women. Packed with plenty of lavish color photographs as well as clear techniques and construction methods for creating thirty must-have designs, Runway Knits is sure to inspire any level of knitter—novice, intermediate, or expert.

“Beautiful yarns, classic patterns, great photos, good directions and the little black dress.”

The Craft Yarn Council of America recently polled 400 knitters and crocheters to find out what they’ve created in the last year. They learned that in the past year projects included:

Afghans – 52%
Scarves – 52%
Baby Blankets – 48%
Hats & Gloves – 28%
Sweaters & Vests – 21%
Ponchos & Shawls – 20%
Baby Items – 19%
Holiday Projects – 14%
Purses & Tote Bags – 12%
Socks – 9%
Items for Pets – 6%