I recently came upon an adorable beer-cozy knitting pattern that I had to try. Unfortunately, it calls for double-pointed needles, with which I'm completely unfamiliar. I found myself casting on stitches and squinting, and rewinding a YouTube tutorial. As I dusted off my rusty knitting needles, I realized that I'm in dire need of some hand-holding. I was pleasantly surprised to find free knitting classes right here in the metro area. A Knitted Peace offers a variety of paid classes, but they also hold semi-regular free classes---as long as you purchase your materials at the shop. This Saturday there is a tutorial on how to knit a comfy-looking circular shrug (which I've already earmarked as a Christmas gift) from 2 to 3 p.m. A couple of their other free classes are equally appealing. There's a slouchy purse perfect for taking to the farmers' market and a drop stitch scarf that takes the beginner scarf patterns to a new level. Bonus: A Knitted Peace also offers free patterns on its Web site, including one for wrist warmers, which will come in handy soon. 5654C S. Prince St., Littleton, 303-730-0366.