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It is important that you choose a class that is right for your grade level.  Too hard and you might not want to come back, to easy and you’ll be bored.  Please check out our grade level structure and choose a class that fits.
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Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need some help deciding if a class is right for you!

KNIT CLASSES

Orientation You don’t know anything about knitting, you don’t even know if you’re gonna like it, but this is just orientation after all. .

Freshmen You know how to cast on, knit and purl and cast off but you only have a project or 2 under your belt.  You may be returning to knitting or crochet from years off. .

Sophomore You are comfortable casting on knitting and purling. You can start projects on your own and are getting more confident trying new stitches. .

Junior You are comfortable with all of above, and can increase, decrease, do basic lace stitches.

Senior You are too cool for school.  You are very comfortable with all of the above and you want to challenge yourself to learn something new. .

CROCHET CLASES

Orientation You don’t know anything about crochet, you don’t even know if you’re gonna like it, but this is just orientation after all. .

Freshman: You know how to chain stitch, and do a few basic crochet stitches, but that’s it.

Sophomore: You can do the above basics, you can crochet in the round and are comfortable trying new things

Thanks Aunt Martha

Pssst.
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Pssst.
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You…non knitter/crocheter/crafter…
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Yes, you…I know you aren’t a knitter or crocheter, but you probably know someone who is.
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I need you to read this.
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A few years ago we taught a really sweet Stillwater lady to knit.  She wanted to learn so she could make her grand kids gifts for the holidays.  She took our beginning knit class and then kept coming back every week just knitting in our lounge.  She spent a lot of time thinking about her grand kids.  What things they might want to wear, what colors they loved, what sizes they were.  She spent a lot of time telling us all about her family.  It was sweet.
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She came in a few months after the new year and just wasn’t herself.  She came to the front desk and asked me if she could get money back from a gift card.  She didn’t want to use it.  I asked her if we had done something to upset her.  She assured me that it wasn’t us, she just wasn’t going to knit anymore.
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I asked her why and she said this.  Get ready for it.
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She said that she was house sitting for her daughter and she found the scarves she knit for her grand kids for Christmas in the “going to goodwill” donation bag in the entryway.  GASP.
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Now, I know as a non knitter/crocheter  you are thinking, so what?  Maybe it was scratchy, maybe it wasn’t her color, maybe she just didn’t like it.
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Well, as a knitter/crocheter  I say WHAT?  Do you have any idea how much love and energy was put into that garment for you?  Do you have any idea how many hours your grandmother spent thinking about you, talking about you, making something she thought you would like?  I am pretty sure she didn’t know, or she wouldn’t have put that scarf in the goodwill donation box.   Actually, I am not pretty sure, I am absolutely sure.
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Over the last few months another women has been coming in to get help knitting a sweater.  She has tried a few times without success to find the perfect sweater to knit for her daughter.  She finally thought she fell into the perfect one.
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She was coming in each week with questions and was doing great on this sweater and was a third of the way done.  Well, one day she came in looking defeated.  She wanted to return the yarn.  I asked what happened?  She said that her daughter didn’t like the color.  WHAT??  If the daughter only knew.  Only knew how hard the mom was working to make something the daughter liked.  Only knew how many hours she spent picking the perfect sweater and color.  Only knew how many hours she had been knitting thinking about her.   I am pretty sure if she knew just how much time her mom has spent she wouldn’t have told her she didn’t like the color.  Actually, I am absolutely sure.
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So, my advice to non knitters/crocheters.  Be grateful.
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If you live out of town and you get something handmade for your brand new baby in the mail.  For goodness sake, put the kid in it and snap a quick cell phone pic.  Email or text it to us.  We don’t need much.  Just a little acknowledgement.  If you only knew how much time we spent thinking about your newborn baby while we planned, bought and then knit that sweet little gift.   The gift is a labor of love!
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If your mom or grandmother knit you something and you don’t really like it.  Maybe it itches or isn’t your color or just doesn’t really fit.  Fake it.  You mom or grandmother spent a lot of time thinking about you while they knit that gift.  Just wear it occasionally around them or make up a story that you left it at the office or something.  When you are done with it, put it in a plastic bin in the basement storage room.
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And by all means, and this is very important,  if you must get rid of it don’t put it in the “going to goodwill” donation bag in your front entry way.  Especially when the knitter has volunteered to house sit your home while you are in Hawaii.
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The Training Room

I’ve started working out again.  I’m 3 days into week 2.  Let me just say the first week wasn’t pretty.
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I live in Somerset, WI and I go to a great little gym in my town called The Training Room.  It’s connected to an OSI (which I went to when I had the little neck problem)  Love it there.  It is not overwhelming.  The staff is welcoming and positive and they remember my name, even after my latest 6+ month absence.   You can get such great personal attention at this gym.  So much so that my trainer (from a boot camp a while back) emailed me when he hadn’t seen me in a few months.
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“Hi Aimee…It’s Jeremy…haven’t seen you around the gym the last few months, hope to see you back soon.”

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I didn’t respond.  I was certainly impressed that I got a personal note, but felt bad that I hadn’t been there for so long.  The couple months, led to 6+ months.  I actually don’t even remember when my last workout was.
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Anyway, I decided last Monday morning that I was going to the gym.  I was going to a class.
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I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes watching other women walk in looking like they hadn’t spent the last 6 months eating Candyland Chicago Mix.  I got up the courage and headed in.
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Who is at the front desk when I walk in the door?  Jeremy.  Of course.
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“Hi Jeremy…remember me?”
“Of course I do Aimee.  Nice to see you.  Welcome back.”
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That was it.  I was back.  Well, I wasn’t exactly back in.  I had pulled the membership card thing, that was usually attached to my key ring, off a few months ago. Just looking at it hanging there unused made me feel guilty.  I thought out of site, out of mind:)  Anyway, he made me a new one and off I went.

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I introduced myself to the instructor, feeling like I was going to confession.  “It has been 6 months since my last confession…I mean workout” .  I informed her that my goal for the class was not to vomit.  She laughed, but I was totally serious!
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The class was Tabata.   Here is the description from the website.
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“A protocol of high intensity interval training to tax the systems of the body. Each segment is broken down into 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated 8 times for total of 4 minutes. If you enjoy a challenge, this is a great class! ”
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What the heck was I thinking? Really?  My first time back into the gym in half a year and this is what I think I can do.  Do I really want to tax the systems of the body on the first day?   I did succeed in holding down my breakfast.  Barely.  But my legs were shaking after segment 2:)  I did leave feeling like I had done it.  The first class back.
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I could barely get out of bed on day 2.  It felt like I had been stabbed in the thighs.  Literally.   I went back to the gym on day 2, walked the treadmill.  I spent the rest of the day grunting and groaning with every movement.  The walk down the ramps to the restroom at the shop just about sent me over the edge.
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Day 3 I decided to do the yoga class (more on that in another blog post).  I was getting the kids ready for school and I told Max I was going to the gym again.  “Do you think that’s such a good idea mom?”  Out of the mouths of babes.
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Now we are a week and 3 days into my new working out way of life.  So far, so good.
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Jeremy still seems happy (and frankly shocked) to see me each morning!
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I’m not sure why I feel the need to share this personal information except that they say telling people your goals makes you more accountable.  We’ll see:)
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One of our customers, a very experienced local knitter, walked into our shop with an amazing grab bag FULL of knitting pattern books and magazines.  She wanted us to have them.  She wanted them to go to a good home.  We assured her we would give them a very good home!
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We had such a ball looking at them.  I thought you might too.
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3 great ones

Gauge illustrations

Shoulder pads anyone

Handknits and guns...perfect pair

Hot Pants? Oh yes

There was a yarn store in Stillwater in the 70's? Who knows about this place?

Patterns from 1942...during WWII

Make and Mend for Victory

Then there was this...

We have dozens of pattern books and magazines.  If you want to come have a laugh and who knows, maybe even be inspired…stop in and take a look!