By Karen Parr-Moody
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Soft, colorful skeins of yarn line the walls of Yarn Asylum, a quaint shop in Sango where crafters come to find inspiration, fellowship and education.
Every Thursday night, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., crafters gather at the store’s tables for Group Therapy. During this free-form event they bring whatever they are crocheting or knitting and work on it while chatting amongst themselves.
The store – which is located at 2535 Madison Street, Suite A – also hosts classes each month. The first Knitting 101 class of 2015 will occur from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10. The second session will be on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the same time.
The fee for this class is $25, which includes both sessions; students need to purchase their materials for the class at Yarn Asylum.
Penny McEntee, the store’s owner, says the demand for such classes increases with the cold weather.
“We’re going to try to get as many (students) in one class as we can,” she says of the upcoming Knitting 101 classes.
These two classes are aimed at first-time knitters or at those knitters who seek to refresh their skills. McEntee says students will learn to cast on, the knit stitch, the purl stitch and how to bind off while completing a bulky weight scarf.
The class will be offered to the first 10 people who register. McEntee says there will be three instructors available for the duration of the class so that no question will go unanswered. Students should call Yarn Asylum at 931-919-5171 to confirm registration and reserve a spot.
McEntee, who knits, says that knitting and crocheting are growing hobbies for the younger generation.
She says, “Based on our Facebook page, I would say that the demographic, the median age, is probably late twenties, early thirties.”
McEntee opened the store in October 2013.
“In my previous life I was an accountant,” she says.
For more information on Yarn Asylum visit the store’s website at www.yarnasylum.com.