By KATE STONE
Off the Water

Quality over quantity. That’s the motto at Red Purl, a knitting shop in downtown Niles.

“You don’t need a lot to make a big statement,” said Amy Smerekanich, owner of Red Purl. “When you use beautiful yarn, it kind of speaks for itself.”

Customers at Red Purl, 207 North Second St., will find not only a wide variety of yarn, but also an opportunity to take knitting classes. Smerekanich offers classes for beginners through advanced knitters.The beginners classes lay the foundation of knitting, leaving room for the student to build on the basic skills they are taught. Once the basics are mastered, a student can develop his or her own style.

Classes meet up to three times, once a week, typically for about two hours, depending on the lesson and the teacher. Classes are set up on a monthly basis. There is limited space in each class, so call ahead to reserve a spot. Once a class is paid for, students may drop in at any time for assistance.

“If you start a project, we want to see you finish it,” Smerekanich said.

The classes carry momentum, which serves as incentive for students to complete their projects and get ideas for new projects. Smerekanich, along with guest teachers, teach all of the classes in the shop.

Customers often sit, knit and chat with Smerekanich and each other.

Smerekanich also offers a Red Purl bag customers can purchase. The bag comes with membership to a group, which receives monthly discounts. Customers must have the bag with them to receive the discounted price on knitting supplies.

Anyone who enrolls in the classes are required to purchase supplies from Red Purl; however, they will get a 10 percent discount and must be purchased before class.

Once a student masters the basics, they will be able to create a number of products including the following and more:

• socks

•sweaters

• scarves

• afghans

• bags

• hats

• mittens

According to Smerekanich, knitting with multiple colors is difficult. It requires mental focus and immense concentration. In addition to what is being knitted, the yarn itself can cause difficulties. Different types of yarn are used for certain products and some yarns are more difficult to work with than others. According to Smerekanich, experience is the best teacher for this lesson.
Red Purl is open Monday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to  2 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday and the last Sunday of every month.
To see a list of classes, visit www.redpurlknits.com or call (269) 684-0411.