Cast Away Yarn Shop in Santa Rosa turns 10 this Thanksgiving weekend. Now, if that wasn’t enough of a good excuse to get both crafty people and non-knitters excited, the textile-based craft shop will also put on a 10,000 New Knitters Event on November 10.
The event, part of a nationwide project to create 10,000 new knitters in one day, will include a knitting kit giveaway for 100 people and complimentary knitting instructions throughout the weekend of November 10-11.
But, why does the world need 10,000 new knitters, you may ask, if you haven’t yet discovered the benefits of handicraft.
“Knitting is kind of wonderful,” says Cast Away co-owner Cleo Malone, adding that it gives her a sense of purpose: a knitting project makes her feel “productive, but relaxed and calm at the same time.” (In case you’re still in doubt, the health benefits of knitting – like dexterity, memory and stress relief -are even backed by science.)
The 24-year-old shop owner recalls that during last year’s fires, customers came in saying, “I wouldn’t know what to do if my hands weren’t knitting right now.
Cleo, a recent art school graduate, joined her mother Justine Malone as co-owner of the Santa Rosa shop a year ago. Both learned to knit when Cleo was just seven years old and attending a Waldorf school that taught knitting. When Cleo was thirteen, the two decided to further their skills and enrolled in a class. Only a short time later, Justine said they needed to open a knitting store.
Located in a brick warehouse in the historic Railroad Square, Cast Away Yarn shop now carries a wide range of premium knitting, crocheting and embroidery supplies, including lots of stunningly-dyed, sustainable wools, many of which can be spun on site. Samples of every new pattern are displayed in store, and events are happening seemingly all the time from Help Nights and classes to Sip & Stitch Thursdays.
10,000 New Knitters, Saturday, November 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cast Away Yarn Shop, 100 4th St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-9276, castawayyarnshop.com