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Chicago Yarn Crawl Week Kicks Off Friday Night

By Patty Wetli | August 1, 2014 8:16am
 Chicago's yarn shops will feature discounts, raffles and special events during the yarn crawl Aug. 2-10.
Chicago's yarn shops will feature discounts, raffles and special events during the yarn crawl Aug. 2-10.
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Facebook/Nina

NORTH CENTER — The calendar says August but it's time to start thinking sweater weather during Chicago's fifth annual Yarn Crawl from Saturday to Aug. 10.

Six yarn shops in the city are participating, along with more than 20 in the suburbs. Stores will be offering free knitting and crotchet patterns, discounts and raffles, as well as holding a number of special events.

"We see people that don't normally shop here," said Corinne Niessner of Knit 1, 3823 N. Lincoln Ave.

The crawl also serves as an unofficial kickoff to the knitting season for those who don't knit year-round.

"The 'foul weather' knitters start to come in," Niessner said.

"This is a good time to start thinking about Christmas," she said, particularly for those contemplating gifting a friend or family member with a sweater.

"A sweater is a big commitment," said Niessner.

Knit 1 is jumping the gun on the crawl with a customer appreciation party from 6-8 p.m. Friday, when the shop will debut a private-label yarn, in exclusive colors dyed by Dagmar Klos, author of "The Dyer's Companion."

"It won't be available anywhere else," Niessner said.

On Wednesday, a Mix Party will introduce knitters to Shibui yarns, with each attendee receiving mini skeins of fiber to create their own unique blend.

Throughout the crawl, everything in the store is 10 percent off.

Nina yarn shop in Wicker Park, 1655 W. Division St., is also getting a head start on the crawl with Friday's Yarn Bombing Party, 5-8 p.m.

Bring your own hook or needles and the shop will supply the yarn for folks to cover the storefront in fiber art. Margaritas will be served and yarn bombers will receive a special gift bag.

Anyone who starts the official crawl at Nina on Saturday will walk away with a free gift and be entered in a first-day prize drawing.

Lakeview's Sister Arts Studio, 721 W. Wrightwood Ave., is offering a free knitter's massage from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday and a "yarn tasting" 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, where shoppers will have the opportunity to give a variety of yarns a test run before buying.

Other shops participating in the crawl include Windy Knitty, 5653 N. Clark St., in Andersonville; Woolly Lamb Yarn Studio, 6007 N. Nina Ave., in Norwood Park; Loopy Yarns, 47 W. Polk St., in Printer's Row; and Sifu Design Studio, 6054 N. Broadway St., in Edgewater.

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