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Classic Elite Yarns Closing its Doors

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classic elite yarns closingWe hear a lot these days about local yarn shops closing their doors, but less often do big players — or what we think of as big players, anyway — in the yarn industry shut down.

But that’s what’s happening soon with Classic Elite Yarns, which announced on its blog that it will be “closing its doors in the very near future.”

Their post doesn’t provide a lot of detail on the why, but one of the company’s first creative directors, Kristin Nicholas, explained on her blog that the yarn industry is a tough business to be in and no one really knows what is going on behind the scenes (which she learned when she saw what was behind all those glossy back-cover ads on the major knitting magazines).

I agree with her about many of the factors that make things hard for yarn companies these days, from the aforementioned closure of local yarn shops to the proliferation of small-scale yarn producers able to reach customers online and at shows. And there will always be people who only buy the bargain yarns from the big-box stores. And running a company with employees, production and distribution will always be hard and expensive.

I’m sad to see Classic Elite go. They have made some great yarns through the years. I’m actually working on a project with one of their yarns now. I love the sentiment from company president Betsy Perry, who said:

I am proud of what we did for all these years. Classic Elite Yarns will live on – on your needles or in your stash, as finished pieces, on Ravelry, and yes, for a while anyway, in shops. But as it fades away, be sure you do your best to enjoy the craft and do your best to support those who bring you the fibers and designs we all love.

Did you use Classic Elite Yarns? I’d love to know about your favorites.

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Comments

  1. I have to admit, this is the first I’d heard that CEY was closing. That’s actually really sad! But, they’ll live on in my stash for a while yet! I’ve loved their yarn and stashed quite a bit of it. 🙂

Have you read?

Summer Headband Knitting Patterns

Some knitters have trouble coming up with projects they can both knit and wear when it’s warm outside. Especially if you’re not ready for garments (thought tank tops and summer tops are great first garment projects!) it might seem like there’s nothing to do when it’s hot outside.

One way to remedy this situation is by knitting headbands. Headbands are great any time of year to keep hair out of your face and make you look a little more pulled together without any effort. Wider headbands double as ear warmers when it gets colder, but skinnier ones are great throughout the year.

A couple of great examples are from designer Elly Donner, who has a set of headband knitting patterns on Ravelry you can buy individually or as an ebook. Homebody, shown here, is worked in garter stitch (the ties are crocheted but you could also use I-cord), while Slipstream uses slipped stitches and garter ridges, and Sounds of Spring has little cables. The patterns use DK weight yarn and are a great way to use a little leftover yarn from another project.

I also recently came across the lovely Plush Braided Headband by Yevgeniya Li. A free pattern on Ravelry, this wider design is covered in lush cables for a sleek and fancy look. It uses worsted weight yarn and you can customize the length for a perfect fit.

Celeste Knitwear’s Spikelet is a simple twisted headband with columns of eyelet lace to keep it from being too heavy. It’s worked flat and sewn together to make the twist, and uses DK weight yarn. It has three sizes available.

This skinny lace headband from Lusi Knits is another cute choice. It calls for fine weight cotton yarn, but you could use heavier yarn if you have it on hand to make a wider headband (or use any fine yarn you have available). It uses ties to customize the fit.

And if you want to go super basic but still really cute, try the easy ring headband from Lulu Pattern. The sample is knit pretty wide, but you could make a narrower version if you want, and the little ring turns it from a plain loop into a bow with very little extra work. It calls for worsted weight yarn but you could also use whatever weight you like for this one to change up the look and size.