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At some point during their first knitting lesson, every single person I’ve ever taught to knit has asked the same question:

“But what happens if I make a mistake once I get home? Can you teach me how to fix it myself?”

And always, I would smile reassuringly and say that learning to fix your mistakes can take awhile, because first you have to understand how stitches work.

“So if you drop a stitch, just bring it back in and I’ll help you,” I’d say.

Well now, dear friend, I’m so happy to report that someone has written a book that truly puts the “fixing power” into your hands from the very start. It’s a book that belongs on every knitter’s bookshelf (even if you’ve been knitting for decades, like me.)

Patty Lyons’ latest book, “Knitting ER: A Step-by-Step guide to Fixing Your Knits, Before and After Bind-Off” is, quite simply, a revelation.

Now I know you might be thinking, I don’t need a book…if I run into a problem I don’t know how to fix, I’ll just YouTube it.

But here’s the thing…if you spend some time with this little charmer of a book now, you’ll feel more empowered to take on the projects that have been intimidating you just a bit.

Patty’s lighthearted writing style is logical and easy to follow. She starts by helping you understand the anatomy of your stitches and outlining the top 10 most common mistakes. From there, she dives deeper into more complicated fixes for things like lace, colorwork and brioche.

Then she goes even deeper, demonstrating repairs for rowing out, stabilizing floppy necklines, and loosening too-tight bind-offs and cast-ons.

And finally she arrives at the “surgery” chapter, where yes, the scissors come out! This is the chapter you are going to want to have for when you spill that glass of red wine on your favorite pullover or (horror of horrors) you find mothholes in your colorwork cardigan.

The icings on the cake are a link to an accompanying Knitting ER Video Class with Patty, and adorable illustrations by Season 10 Knit Star Franklin Habit.

Plus Patty shares tips from three of her fellow Knit Stars: Mary Martin (Season 4), Lucy Neatby (Season 4) and Nancy Marchant (Season 2).

To pre-order Knitting ER, go here. (Not an affiliate link - I’m simply a fan. 😊)

You can either order just the autographed book, or follow the instructions to order on Amazon, upload your receipt and get some extra goodies.

xoxo,

Shelley

Last year when I was in Santiago, Chile, filming with Pope Vergara in her living room, two very notable things happened.

First, I was struck by a lightning bolt when I realized, “I’m sitting here in the presence of genius.”

That single moment prompted the theme for this year’s Knit Stars Premiere: Your Season of Genius. 💡

The second notable thing was when I asked Pope what her biggest unspoken dream was, and she paused a second and smiled shyly before letting it slip out…

“My biggest dream is to publish a book. And an even bigger dream would be if Laine would publish it.”

And now, just over a year later, Pope’s dream has come true.

I was so thrilled to learn that “Shine: Knitting With Beads” was coming, that I ordered an entire box of 10!

To order your copy of “Shine,” click here (again, not an affiliate link).

And just for fun…I think I’ll give away a few of my extra copies! 🎉🎉🎉

For your chance at one, please reply to this email and answer either one of the following questions:

1. How have Knit Stars masterclasses impacted your creative life? Or…
2. (If you don’t yet own a Knit Stars class) What do you like most about reading these Sunday newsletters?

I’ll pick three winners next Sunday.

Korean Beef Bowl

I recently discovered Well Plated by Erin Clarke, and my maiden voyage with her recipes was this quick and healthy beef bowl, ready in 20 minutes! It tasted like a restaurant meal and held up really well for leftover lunches. Definitely don’t skip the quick-pickling of the carrots and cucumbers. Next time, I’ll double the amounts on those veggies because they were my favorite part!

Ingredients

For the beef:

• 1 pound lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)

• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce plus additional to taste, divided

• 1 ¼ cups minced scallions both green and white parts (from about 1 small bundle), divided

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 3 cloves

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons minced or finely grated fresh ginger

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes plus additional to taste

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil plus additional to tase

For serving:

• Cooked brown rice

• 1 ½ cups shredded carrots

• Thinly sliced seedless cucumbers

• Toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. First, pickle the carrots and/or cucumbers: Place the vegetables in a medium bowl. Top with 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to coat the strands. Let marinate/gently pickle while you prepare the rest of the recipe. Drain, then use to top the bowls.

2. In a large skillet, brown the beef over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces, until it is browned and cooked through, about 5 or so minutes. When the beef is about halfway finished cooking, add 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 2/3 of the scallions. Once the beef is completely browned, stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds.

3. While the beef cooks, in a small bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, honey, ginger, red pepper flakes, and remaining soy sauce.

4. Pour over the browned beef. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in the sesame oil. Sprinkle the remaining green onion over the top. Taste and add extra soy sauce or red pepper flakes as desired (I added a bit more of each)

5. Serve the beef hot, over rice, topped generously with the carrots, cucumber, and sesame seeds.

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How much do you know about dragonflies?

The way I look at dragonflies has changed a lot over the years. When I was a kid, I remember being at the lake and seeing them mating. There always seemed to be two stuck together (ewwww gross🤣).

Then when I moved to the beach, I noticed there would be a week or so every year where they seemed to swarm. I’d walk out on the boardwalk at dusk and they were everywhere, filling the sky. It was so magical.

But then a few days later, one by one I would start to find them on my balcony, dying or already gone. They were beautiful and almost prehistoric looking, with their gossamer wings.

And then a few weeks ago, my friend and yoga teacher Shannon shared what she had recently learned about dragonflies.

Did you know the dragonfly lives underwater for most of its life?

As an aquatic nymph, it breathes through gills and waits, molting up to 17 times for up to five years. Five years.

When it finally climbs out of the water onto a stick or rock, it splits its skeleton, pumps fluid into its wings, and finally flies off - to hunt, mate, and live its best life. Often, it’s only for a few short weeks. But oh, what a glorious time!

So what does all of this have to do with you and your creativity?

Sometimes, it can feel like we are underwater, often for what seems like ages. It can feel like there is no way out.

But if you keep trusting…and if, when the moment comes, you take that chance and climb out of the water…a truly magical world can be waiting on the other side. An existence you didn’t even know was possible.

So whatever you may be wrestling with, keep breathing. Keep making time for your creativity. Keep trying new things. And know that, no matter how long you’ve been underwater, there could be a glorious new life right around the corner.

xoxo,

Shelley

“Jolt” by Åsa Söderman

One Knit Star who really embodies the spirit of the dragonfly to me is Season 5 Star Åsa Söderman.

She’s constantly challenging and reinventing herself. After creating her signature Ziggurat method for seamless sweaters, she wrote a book about it - and then another. Her second book was just released (you can find it here).

Åsa recently welcomed 20 American knitters to Sorø on the Yarn Culture Denmark Tour. “We had a blast while knitting Ziggurats,” she wrote to me. “We also learned to embroider on knitting under the guidance of couture sewist and embroiderer Patricia Burgaya. Fun! And dangerous. Definitely a rabbit hole…”

“Another addiction has entered my life: winter bathing,” Åsa continued. “It’s the closest I’ll ever come to Zen. It’s a bit magic.”

“I know you have a feature called ‘less cooking more knitting,” she said. “My motto is more more. I mean, more knitting, more cooking, more gardening - less fretting.”

“And I didn’t even get into other mores…such as the New York Times challenge to memorise a poem over five days. Also: I started sketching 10 minutes a day for a month or two. Now only intermittently, but very pleasing.”

Åsa’s Knit Stars Single is on sale this week for just $67. It’s perfect for you if you want to make better-fitting sweaters you’ll reach for often, and if you dislike weaving in ends. You can purchase it here (along with more than a dozen Singles on sale this week!).

And to read Åsa’s full update (along with tons of fun pictures) check out my Substack here.

In case you’re feeling as inspired by the dragonfly as I am, here are two recently-published patterns that might be calling your name.

“Magical Dragonflies Sock Set” by StoneKnits includes two colorwork patterns - Magic Lake Socks and Dancing Dragonflies.

And “Dragonfly Sweater” by Elenor Mortensen is a top-down masterpiece made with fingering-weight yarn.

Both are available on Ravelry. If you decide to cast one on, please let me know!

Recipe from awkwardolive.com

“I develop mini cooking addictions,” Åsa writes. “That is, some dishes appear daily on the table for a long stretch of time. Recent ones have been quick-pickled red onions, Ottolenghi smushed cucumber salad (YUM!), peach and watermelon salad with feta and olives. And not least: Rhubarb Rosemary Gin & Tonics!

Rhubarb Rosemary Gin and tonic:

• 2 oz gin (I use Ransom gin, my absolute favorite)

• 1 oz rhubarb rosemary simple syrup

• tonic water to taste

• garnish with lime wedge & sprig of rosemary.

Rhubarb Rosemary Simple Syrup:

• Equal parts sugar and water (I used 2 cups of each)

• roughly two cups of diced rhubarb

• juice from 1/2 a lemon

• 4-5 small sprigs of rosemary.

Combine water, sugar, rosemary, rhubarb and lemon juice in a sauce pan. Slowly bring to a boil, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain out solids and save for some delicious snack.

These Little Yarns is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

And heck yes, she did!

I soon received a very full report - far more than I could fit into a newsletter - and yet, it was so inspiring (and so very Åsa) that I asked her permission to share it here, in full, with our Substack subscribers.

So here it is in its entirety. Enjoy!

***

REPORT OF SORTS

My recovery ;)

When we last chatted, I had just rather frantically put the final touches on my (beautiful! It is!) second Ziggurat book.

https://asatricosa.com/products/ziggurats-new-book

I’m still sort of in recovery.

A restoration much helped by the (re)union at Munich Knits 2025 with friends and very frequent test knitters & Tech editor Jo – their sweaters and photos are featured in the book (and also in the first book come to think of it!).

I could NOT have done it without them. It was a TREAT for us to be able to meet up – from England, Scotland, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Germany – and Denmark.

Since we last chatted, I have also welcomed 20 American knitters to Sorø on the Yarn Culture Denmark Tour. We had a blast while knitting Ziggurats – we also learned to embroider on knitting under the guidance of couture sewist and embroiderer Patricia Burgaya (https://burgaya.dk/en/om/, https://www.instagram.com/burgaya/). Fun! And dangerous. Definitely a rabbit hole... I have been known to wistfully leaf through the fantastic Embroidery on Knits by Judit Gummlich. (Buy it! Be tempted.)

https://www.instagram.com/ku.ni.ber.ta/

We snuck in a photo of New Book sweaters against my favourite Sorø wall before we hopped on the bus to explore Denmark:

I feel lighter. And I still want to knit all the sweaters, which both surprises me and doesn’t. One knit begets another. It’s always been that way. You know, what about trying this yarn and this striping sequence with the same neck shaping but not and what about these fabulous colours... and off we go!

Not least it’s a joy to see what knitters make with yarns and colours I had not thought of.

https://www.ravelry.com/projects/AnetqCPH/jatoba-jakke-2

Annette’s Jatoba is knitted with an unspun yarn (Istex Plötulopi) – and yes, of course I’ve had to buy a sweater quantity of this yarn in this particular blue..

Birthe’s colourful Mayhem (from the first book:

(https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mayhem-cardigan-dk), a cardigan in the first Ziggurat book.

Linda’s Bobadille is another one of my favourites:

Since the book release I have knitted more freely. I mean without a set purpose. That said... this particular sweater is becoming a pattern. Knitters spotted it and seemed to like it as much as I do. It’s not even a Ziggurat, but a raglan (!) with a peculiar sleeve. I love it.

H calls it my premier league sweater...

Pajazzo. Coming soon!

The yarn, Snefnug (snowflake), is unusual.

It’s by CaMaRose, a Danish yarn company with a focus on ethical sourcing and sustainability – and run by a woman.

Snefnug is something I wouldn’t normally reach for – at first glance it looks like a novelty yarn. It is but isn’t. The incredibly soft blend of baby alpaca, merino and organic cotton is all natural fibres, spun in a tube. Its construction allows for a range of gauges.

If I hadn’t seen one of my sweaters knit in Snefnug by my very local and rather tiny yarn shop (Masker Med Mere), I wouldn’t have tried it. I’m glad I did!

I’ve also been on a Jolt roll. That is, I have been knitting versions of Jolt of Blue (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jolt-of-blue) from the first Ziggurat book, including one in a different gauge, Jolt of Gold (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jolt-of-gold) – that I decided to add as a surprise additional bonus to that book. Surprises are fun! I am sure there will be one or two also for the new book...

But maybe I need to stop knitting Jolts now? It’s just such a comfortable sweater.

More…

As in more cooking. I know you have a feature called less cooking more knitting.

My motto is more more.

I mean, more knitting, more cooking, more gardening – less fretting.

Getting the book out of my hair has meant more time for more things, not only knitting.

But in short: knit more! scroll less! – I have an ongoing difficult relationship with social media, that preys on our time. Knitters who follow me may have noticed that I only intermittently appear on Instagram or send newsletters. I do prefer the latter as it seems a more direct contact. Ravelry is a different story. I don’t really see Ravelry as social media but more like an actual and real and welcoming community with real friendships and conversations. Lately, I have been annoyed by the alarmist alert:

’Just letting you know: the post that you are replying to was written 9 days ago.’

Yes! And what of it? This is the whole point of Ravelry or any real relationship. It can and should last more than 9 days. Indeed more than 9 years as have many of my Ravelry friendships.

Back to cooking.

I develop mini addictions. That is, some dishes appear daily on the table for a long stretch of time.

Recent ones haven been quick-pickled red onions, Ottolenghi smushed cucumber salad (YUM!), peach and watermelon salad with feta and olives.

I found an adaptation of the Ottolenghi cucumber salad here: https://putneyfarm.com/2013/06/28/cucumber-salad-with-smashed-garlic-and-ginger/)

And not least: Rhubarb Rosemary Gin & Tonics!

https://awkwardolive.com/2013/05/22/rhubarb-rosemary-gin-and-tonics/

Oh, one more addiction has entered my life: winter bathing. It’s the closest I’ll ever come to Zen. It’s a bit magic. Thank you to Birthe and Elise, who introduced me to this practice at an October retreat

Hanging out with Annabel on her Norwegian island (you may recognize her from both books) and her charming dogs completed the restoration. After this visit the dog discussion at home has intensified. What kind of dog. Do we need to build a fence (yes). For surely, the time has come for a dog. Maybe one each?

Finally, some reads I’ve liked this year:

Åsa Larsson, Fädernas Missgärningar (The Sins of our Fathers) – a crime novel yes, but with a very good eye for the souls of both dogs and humans, not least the rather diminutive author’s understanding of what it might be like to move about in a very tall and strong woman’s body – as well as inhabiting the mind of an ex-boxer.

Hans Fallada, Kleiner Mann – was nun? (Little Man, What Now?). A classic. Hope in hopeless times (between the wars), faith in humanity also in dark times. A little hope, even if eerily faint.

Charity Knitting: Mother Hood in support of Mødrehjælpen’s (Mothers’ Aid) Fra Garn til Barn (from yarn to child) – the charity project chosen by Wool Days Thy (formerly Fanø Knitting Festival).

https://wooldays.dk

(the Ziggurat workshops are sold out but there are lots of other fun classes)

The project: https://wooldays.dk/om_wooldaysthy/#striktilengodsag (pattern is available also in English – link on that page).

If you want to learn to Ziggurat your next chance is the WollCraft Festival in Germany – and next year’s Yarn Culture Denmark & Sweden Tour – keep your eyes peeled!

https://wollcraft-festival.de/en/wollcraft-festival-english/

https://yarnculture.com

P.S. And I didn’t even get into other mores…

Such as on the New York Times challenge to memorise a poem over five days. Months later it’s still in my head. I’ve always been envious of people who carry around entire libraries, lines, quotes in their minds. Happy to just have the one! But I am open to suggestions for additional poems.

Also: I started sketching 10 minutes a day. For a month or two. Now only intermittently, but very pleasing. It’s difficult to do this freely and without judgement. I like to be good at what I undertake…

Cheerio!

Åsa

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Last week, Hot Luke and I drove the seven hours from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, to Augusta, Georgia, to film with Adella Colvin, founder of LolaBean Yarn Co., for Knit Stars Season 11.

Charles Barkley was so excited that he got to join in the fun. And for once, I didn’t have to sneak out to the garage the night before to stuff my suitcase in the car, so Charles wouldn’t panic that I might be heading to the airport and leaving him forevvvvverrrrr.

(Yep…that’s Charles being very excited! 🤣)

I had never been to Augusta before. Of course, it’s well known as the host town for the Masters golf tournament, but I was more interested in getting to know Adella’s Augusta.

So we met up with Adella, her husband Jimmy and daughter Lola for a curated tour of downtown. Starting, naturally, with the yarn store - Three Crows Fiber.

We walked in to find several spinners spinning away at the front of the store. The atmosphere was so warm, inviting, and of course colorful…thanks in part to the healthy display of LolaBean options on the wall!

From there it was on to Adella’s favorite bookstore, The Book Tavern.

I am not exaggerating when I say I’ve never seen a more beautiful bookstore. Filled to the sky-high ceilings with new, used and rare books, all so thoughtfully chosen and displayed.

(That’s Knit Stars cinematographer Brad at the counter, adding to his book collection!)

Next, we crossed the street to Grantski Records, to thumb through some vintage vinyl. And we finished off with one of the top 3 burgers of my life at Farmhaus restaurant. (No pics - I was too busy licking my fingers!)

Every stop on Adella’s Augusta tour had some notable things in common: Each store’s clientele was deeply diverse. Each owner and employee had a kind smile and a twinkle in their eye. Overall, there was a profound sense of community and safety that I’ve never really experienced in any other city’s downtown. The rest of the night, as we checked into our hotel and I went through my filming checklist for the next day, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

And I realized, there was a reason for that feeling I felt…

The connecting thread was Adella herself.

In this life, if we’re lucky, we get to meet a handful of people who affect us as deeply as Adella Colvin has affected me.

She has taught me to speak up for what is right.

She has taught me to fiercely stand up for the people I love, and even more fiercely for my own damn self.

She has taught me not to wait to use “the good stuff” because life is short.

And she’s taught me all of this, not by preaching at me, but by modeling it, day in and day out.

People who don’t know her may first see a tough exterior.

I see a woman who wears her heart on her handknit sleeve. Who spends much of each day working behind the scenes to mentor others, to raise funds for causes, to send a “how are you doing” text, to connect makers with one another with no intention other than to simply help.

That helping spirit shines through in Adella’s masterclass for our upcoming Season. Her topic is “Color with Purpose,” and in it she will show you how to form your own “Authenticity Filter” so that the time you spend making is filled with alignment, intention and joy.

It’s a master’s masterclass, and I’m so honored to have a part in bringing in to you this fall as part of the Season 11 Premiere.

Adella understands that, like a candle lighting another candle, we never risk dimming our own light by shining a light on others. We simply all burn brighter, together.🕯️

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. Do you have a specific technique you’ve been wanting to learn, and have been waiting for just the right time? For the month of August, we’re highlighting our top-selling Masterclass Singles by offering them at the sale price of $67 (regularly $97). Shop the sale here.

✨Chunky Art Yarns • Amy Small
✨Color Confidence + Fades • Andrea Mowry
✨Tiny Toys • Anna Hrachovec
✨Seamless Sweater System • Åsa Söderman
✨Reversible Celtic Cables • Carol Feller
✨Knitting Ergonomics • Carson Demers
✨Designing Garments 101 • Chantal Miyagishima
✨Knit Your Perfect Hat • Louis Boria
✨One Cowl: 16 Decorative Techniques • Nina Machlin Dayton
✨Circular Knitting Hacks • Patty Lyons
✨Fast, Fun Socks • Summer Lee
✨Seamless Toy Knitting • Susan B. Anderson
✨Working with Plant Based Fibers • Yumiko Alexander
✨Knit Start • Shelley Brander, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Lisa Borgnes Giramonti

Following Adella’s advice, “don’t wait to use the good stuff,” I finally cast on something using the $4,000 worth of vicuna yarn I’ve been collecting (and avoiding) for years.

I first purchased two skeins of this rare fiber after my trip to Peru to film for Knit Stars Season 4. Then when we closed our yarn shop down, I discovered a bunch of skeins from damaged kits, and decided to save them all for a rainy day.

But they’re so precious, they’ve been sitting in a plastic bag.

And now, thanks to Adella, they’re becoming a Bella Blocking by Anne Ventzel.

And I didn’t stop there…I fell in love with Adella’s latest colorway, Yacht Rock, and purchased 3 skeins each of “Bean Soup” (a ridiculously soft and fluffy suri/silk blend) and “Canary Bean” sportweight.

It’s going to be a Sunday Morning Wrap by Espace Tricot.

I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a new project so much! It’s simple, alternating sections of twisted rib and nice long stockinette sections. I love watching the speckles come to life as I knit, and the haze of the suri/silk gives them a soft elegance. The pattern has a cool trapezoid shape which is a nice break from triangles. And it’s free!

While we were filming, I also tried on this adorable “Sockhead Slouch Hat” Adella made with one skein of her “Wax Bean” merino/silk fingering base.

Adella had just closed pre-orders for “Yacht Rock” when I texted her I was going to be featuring it in this newsletter…so she agreed to re-open pre-orders for just a few more days.

Pre-order LolaBean’s Yacht Rock hand-dyed, limited edition “Black Label” colorway in a variety of bases here.

Recipe from Golf.com and photo from spicedblog.com

I’m not a big golf girl, but I’d love to go to the Masters in Augusta for one reason: the famous $1.50 pimiento cheese sandwiches.

I know not everyone likes this Southern specialty, but I adore it. So I went searching for the most authentic Masters-like recipe. This recipe has a storied past, having reportedly changed a bit when the tournament acquired the recipe a few years back. The recipe I decided to share is from golf.com and reportedly comes from an Augusta Junior League cookbook. The addition of blue cheese intrigues me. If you try it, let me know what you think!

Augusta National-style Pimento Cheese

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

• 2 cups shredded yellow sharp cheddar cheese

• 4 oz crumbled blue cheese

• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 1 (4-oz) jar sliced pimentos, drained

• 1 cup light mayo

• 2 tbs Dijon mustard

• 1 loaf of white bread

Method:

Combine cheeses, pimentos, mayo and mustard in a food processor and process until smooth. Cover and chill. Spread on bread slices. Makes four sandwiches.

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This past week, I posted a reel on Instagram that seemed to really resonate, with thousands of comments and shares.

It’s also an idea that I believe is super important, so I wanted to share it with you here, too.

It’s about Tall Poppy Syndrome.

I just learned about this concept from my friend Michael who’s Australian, where the phrase is believed to have originated. But it’s a universal issue, and for some reason, it’s especially prevalent in the yarn space.

Tall Poppy Syndrome is the social phenomenon where high achievers, or those who stand out, are criticized, resented or undermined by their peers.

In the reel I posted, I mention a specific example of this happening right now in the yarn space…but the example isn’t really the point.

From the conversations I’ve had around countless kitchen tables with different Stars over the years, I can promise you Tall Poppy Syndrome is very real and affects designers and dyers at every level - often to the point that they decide it isn’t worth it any more, and they walk away.

(And yes, it’s happened to me, too - I’ve been the target of many an unkind, untrue comment in the darkest corners of the web, but I’ve learned to focus instead on all of the people we are reaching, inspiring and helping to grow ♥️).

Here is the great news: You can help end Tall Poppy Syndrome in the yarn world, for good.

Here are some ways to help - and they are all free!

🌺When you see a design you love, share about it - in personal and online. Tag the designer. Do this whether the designer is an up-and-comer or a “household name.” Know that even the designers whose names seem to be everywhere, are likely still struggling to make a living as a creative. Those pattern sales may add up, but so do the expenses of running a business.

(And even if they’re not struggling financially, I promise that everyone is struggling with personal issues you will probably never know about. The very day that you share about their design may be the day they needed that kindness boost the most.)

🌺Same goes for yarn dyers. Consider casting on something hand-dyed from your stash (or even just caking it up) and posting about it. Tag the dyer. They may thank you and even if they don’t, others will see and maybe support them.

🌺Consider casting on something hand-dyed from your stash (or even just caking it up) and posting about it. Tag the dyer. They may thank you and even if they don’t, others will see and maybe support them.

🌺My last idea is the simplest but arguably most powerful: When you see or hear people engaging in tall-poppy-chopping (cutting down others online), say something nice. And that includes when others try to cut you down to size. Be the Tall Poppy that you are!

As Yarnies, we are living in such an amazing era, with literally millions of choices of patterns and yarns, and an unprecedented amount of community, curation and support.

Let’s all do our part to raise the tide and lift all the boats.

With so much love,

Shelley

Do any of these apply to you?

a) allergic to wool

b) live in a warm climate and/or

c) just love plant fibers?

Then this week’s sale is for you!

We’ve put Yumiko Alexander’s Single Masterclass on sale for just $67 this week. In it, this very talented Arizona resident deep-dives into all things plant fiber - how to swatch, knit, block and wear them!

Yumi’s class also includes “Horizon,” the superchic pattern she created especially for her Knit Stars class. It’s sure to be one you grab for again and again. It looks cute with everything!

To stay in the loop with Yumi and all of her latest offerings, including new patterns, make-alongs and retreats, join her newsletter list at DanDoh.com.

And while we’re on the subject of summery tops, I just bought the latest pattern from my friend and Season 10 Star, Cecilia Losada.

The “Lovely Top” is a seamless, top-down knitted top with an elegant circular yoke and delicate lace pattern. I’m excited to make it and wear it with my summer skirts and linen pants.

Ceci has generously offered our readers a coupon code for her Lovely Top. Use code TOGETHER to save 20% when you purchase the pattern here on Ravelry. (The code is good through July 31).

And if you’d like to make it in the linen/cotton blend shown, you can use Ceci’s affiliate link to purchase “Nepal” by Pascuali.

(I’m doing mine in the cobalt blue).

One last fun project idea to go with today’s poppies theme… “Field of Poppies Sock Set” by Charlotte Stone of Stone Knits.

Aren’t they adorable?

Recipe and photo: NY Times Cooking

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

After all this poppy talk, I’m craving some Lemon Poppyseed Cake! This one from Melissa Clark at New York Times Cooking should fit the bill, with a 5-star rating and more than 5,000 reviews!

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing pan

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, more for pan

• Zest of 2 lemons

• 1 cup sugar

• ½ cup buttermilk

• 3 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons lemon juice

• 3 large eggs

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

• ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch loaf pan.

2. In a bowl, combine lemon zest and sugar and rub with your fingers until it looks like wet sand. Whisk in buttermilk, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk dry ingredients into the batter, then whisk in oil and poppy seeds.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan until warm to the touch, then turn out onto a baking rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Turn cake right side up.

4. Whisk together remaining 4 teaspoons lemon juice and the confectioners’ sugar. Use a pastry brush to spread glaze evenly over top and sides of cake. Cool completely before slicing.

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Before I fill you in on this week’s filming adventures, I need to let you know that Louis Boria’s Knit Stars Single is on sale this week.

If you, like me, have a drawer full of handmade hats you never wear, or an even bigger Ravelry queue of hats you’ve admired but haven’t made, then Louis’ masterclass is the one you need right now.

I don’t often talk about it, but I’ve had more hat knitting disasters than any other kind. Firstly because, while I’m good about swatching for sweaters, I tend to avoid swatching for hats. And also because I’ve never really taken the time to understand my own noggin, and customize a hat that’s truly perfect for me.

Louis’ class addresses all that. He gives sizing charts, shows you how to convert stitch patterns from flat charts into the round, shares his favorite fool-proof techniques for things like stretchy brims, and shows you how to personalize your hat with patches, pompoms and create styling.

Grab Louis’ hat class while it’s on sale for $67, here.
Or get the full Season 6 (including Louis’ class) for just $197, here.

Now for that update on the filming of Knit Stars Season 11: Your Season of Genius.

Last week was a real full-circle moment for me, as we entered the Beacon, New York home of author and maker Melanie Falick.

When I opened Loops a Yarn Store 20+ years ago, Melanie’s books were some of the first to fill my shelves. Kids Knitting, Weekend Knitting and Knitting Across America…

Chances are, if you’ve been knitting awhile, some of these titles are on your shelf, too!

Right off the bat, a couple of things stand out in Melanie’s home…

First of all, there are books. Lots of books, everywhere.

And secondly, but perhaps less obviously, there are countless winks and nods to Melanie’s personal passion for making everyday objects by hand.

Baskets handwoven. Vegetables, homegrown and hand-picked. Dresses, hand-stitched. Everyday dishes, hand-formed and glazed, stacked quietly on a shelf..

And a marriage memento full of meaning, hanging close by.

Melanie's Knit Stars masterclass will be titled The Maker's Way: A Roadmap to Joy, and I'm betting it will encourage you to take a completely fresh look at the way you spend your time, use your hands and fill your home.

Melanie capped off her filming day with a cartwheel - a nod to her earliest days, as a gymnast (and also the circumstances in which she met her husband - but you’ll have to sign up for the Season to hear that whole story😉)

And we finished with a soft-serve wrap party. This may need to become a new Knit Stars tradition!

Just two masterclasses left to film for this Season, with Adella Colvin of LolaBean Yarn Co. and Chandi Agee of Expression Fiber Arts. Watch for more updates in upcoming issues of this newsletter. And thank you, as always, for reading!

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. A tip o’ the hat to Beth Gorishek @adaptiveknitter and Relationships Lead for Knit Stars…she recently modeled for Kim McBrien Evans’ upcoming book, “The Knitter’s Sweater Fitting Bible,” featuring models who are makers (as opposed to professional models). Pre-order signed copies here.

Louis Boria has released a couple of new patterns this year, and they’re both winners!

“De Novo” is an aran-weight hat with a beautiful sentiment behind it. Louis writes: “This design is a reminder that with every new beginning comes warmth, resilience, and a chance to create something truly our own. When you wear ‘De Novo,’ it’s like carrying a piece of that journey… a promise to keep moving forward, stitch by stitch.”

Louis’ “Danza de Luz Wrap” is a light, textural shawl made with worsted weight. And as of this writing, the pattern is free! Find it here.

Recipe and photo: NY Times Cooking

Slow Cooker Tajín Chicken and Peppers

If you happen to be new here…I’ve been sharing a “less cooking, more making” recipe every week for almost 20 years. This week’s recipe fits the bill perfectly - five minutes to make, and four hours in the slow cooker (i.e. four hours to knit!). Tajín is a pantry staple for me, since I love it as a rim for margaritas and mocktails alike. So I was extra-excited to put this on my recipe rotation for the week!

If you make it, let me know how you like it. 🫶

Ingredients

• 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed

• 3 (4-ounce) cans hot or mild chopped green chiles (not drained)

• 1 bell pepper, sliced into ¼-inch wide strips

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoons Tajín seasoning, plus more for serving

• 2 tablespoons canola oil

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

• Crumbled queso fresco, for serving

• Rice, tortillas or tortilla chips, for serving

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Happy Sunday! I’m freshly back from the Northeast filming trip for Knit Stars Season 11, and filming with a bunch of GOATS - literally and figuratively.

Let’s start with Gale Zucker, a former photojournalist who is widely recognized as one of the Greatest Of All Time when it comes to modern knitwear photography.

In our short time together, I learned so many great tips for taking and editing photos of my makes - and that’s saying something, considering my phone camera is full of more than 50,000 photos of makes and yarn, taken over the past 20 years of owning Loops and Knit Stars. 😅

(One of these days, I’ve really gotta clean out my photos!)

Jaime Lannister, one of the more roguish Olympia Farm residents.

For the first half of Gale’s filming, we started at the crack of dawn at Olympia Farm in Guilford, CT, owned by Anne McIntyre-Lahner and Mark Lahner.

Here we were greeted by a sweet and lively herd of both sheep and (literal) goats. Including Jaime Lannister, apparently so named because his twin sister turned up unexpectedly pregnant (Game of Thrones fans will understand the reference).

He wasn’t the only frisky goat in the herd…

Gale and cinematographer Brad immediately vibed, geeking out over all things photography.

Brad and I both immediately fell in love with Gale, whose energy and zest for life are completely infectious. She moves around with the verve and flexibility of a teenager. We discovered that friends often joke that she's a mermaid, she swims in the sea most every morning, kayaks with her 14-year-old granddaughter and recently earned her marine animal rescue badge.

When we moved locations from the farm to Gale’s house, you could see signs of her colorful personality everywhere.

And when we wrapped our filming, Brad and I were both a little sad to leave - this place, these lovely people and even the goats.

But the Knit Stars team’s work is never done…so next it’s on to Beacon, New York to film with Melanie Falick. See you there next week!

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. If you’re not yet enrolled in Season 11, you can join the waitlist here!

Belivdere Shawl by Mary Lou Egan. Shout-out to Ariana, our model and (not pictured) Gale’s other assistant Yliana. Together she affectionately refers to them as “the yanas.”

A really cool thing about these Knit Stars shoots is when I discover new-to-me designers.

For instance, how had I never heard of Mary Lou Egan, the designer of the two pieces Gale shot as examples in her shoot?

Mary Lou has 133 patterns on Ravelry. 133! 🤯

And she co-authored a really great book with Gale called Drop Dead Easy Knits, so full of timeless designs that I really want to add it to my personal library.

I haven’t met Mary Lou in person, but based on her Ravelry profile I know I’d like her (Fave curse word? “I’m so fluent, it’s hard to narrow down” she writes.)

“Belvidere Shawl” is perfect for that variegated skein of fingering weight yarn you couldn’t resist, paired with a semi-solid skein.

“Finito Scarf 2” uses a simple technique that looks like complex colorwork. Worked lengthwise, end to end, each row uses only one color, and the wrong side rows are all knit stitch. Worked lengthwise, you leave yarn ends for fringe, so there are no weaving in of colors. When you are finished, it is Finito!

“Muriel” is worked top-down in one piece.

“The circular yoke has mosaic colorwork reminiscent of mid-century modern design elements,” Mary Lou writes. “Was there a formica table in your childhood that looked like this? Muriel is a good mid-century name, and when I was designing the yoke another Muriel was painting the streets in Washington DC!”

Best of all, there is a pocket! It’s a contrast pocket, worked after the sweater is finished.

Check out all of Mary Lou’s designs on Ravelry. ❤️

I told Gale I liked to feature easy, yummy recipes in this newsletter each Sunday. So the day after we left Connecticut, I got this message from her…

“Earlier today Ariana had the idea to make this for our lunch because I famously hate fresh tomatoes but we wanted a summery lunch like a caprese salad. So credit to Ariana Mclean. Feel free to use the photo by me! (iPhone cam).”

So here is Ariana’s yummy salad. Enjoy!

Peach Mozz Basil Salad

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe peach

• 1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese

• fresh picked basil

• olive oil

• aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze

• cracked pepper

• sea salt flakes

Preparation

1. Slice the mozzarella, cut the peach into thick slices, wash and dry the basil leaves.

2. Assemble a plate with a slice of mozzarella , then a basil leaf, then a slice of peach. Continue in that order, laying them out in a row.

3. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

4. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and flakey sea salt.

5. Serve with good bread sliced thin or crackers.

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Through the years, Knit Stars has filmed with legends, geniuses, and two Hollywood actors…but as far as I can remember, only one actual rock star.

“Luna Park Hat” by Nina Machlin Dayton.

Nina Machlin-Dayton has lived such a fascinating life, including fronting her band, “Nina and the Upstarts” in the late 1980s.

Nina Machlin-Dayton has lived such a fascinating life, including fronting her band, Nina and the Upstarts in the late 1980s.

These days, Nina is one of the yarn world’s most beloved and prolific designers and teachers, who consistently and supports an uplifts so many other designers behind the scenes.

That’s why I’m so excited to shine a light on her today, with the release of her Season 6 Knit Stars masterclass as our latest Featured Single.

Starting today, you can add Nina’s Knit Stars Single, “One Cowl: 16 Decorative Techniques” to your library for the intro price of just $67, here.

As the title indicates, Nina teaches you 16 techniques that will quickly become part of your personal skill toolbox. Her easy manner and sparkle will really encourage you to play with all of the techniques. And the included pattern is a stunner!

“I get wonderful feedback on my Knit Stars class,” Nina says. “And what I hear the most is that people love the amount of technical knowledge that they can gain from one class.”

“Some have said they use it like a stitch/technique dictionary, dipping in regularly when they either encounter a decorative technique in a pattern that they don't remember how to do, or when they are looking for something to add to a plain piece to jazz it up.”

“I love that my class has, for some, become an ongoing resource that folks can continue to use over and over again. I think my class is great value for the price in terms of information that can be used again and again, in pieces or as a whole, whether they make the cowl or not.”

So if you don’t already own Knit Stars Season 6, now is the perfect time to add Nina’s Single to your library - and become your own knitting rock star. 🤘

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. To keep up with Nina’s latest offerings, including her Murder & Mayhem Book Club, you can join her newsletter list here.

Little scarves are everywhere right now, and I love this one that Nina recently released as part of her “Family Tree Project.” You only need 100-125 yards of worsted weight yarn.

“The Jo Scarflet is a small piece with a big heart — inspired by the elegant little neck scarves my mother used to wear, and that I still love and wear today,” Nina writes.

“The design evokes the timeless grace of vintage style, reimagined for modern knitters. Quick to knit and endlessly wearable, I have already made this in four colors, and keep casting on more! It’s perfect for adding a polished touch or a pop of color to any outfit, a heartfelt nod to the accessories that never go out of style.”

Find the Jo Scarflet on Ravelry here.

Recipe and photo: NY Times Cooking

I’m always looking for new ways to eat my veggies, and this zingy broccoli salad from Kay Chun New York Times Cooking really took me by surprise. Most broccoli salads I’ve tried are of the mayo variety, and can feel a little heavy. This one is light, bright, full of flavor, and even better as leftovers the next day. This one will be going on my weekly meal prep rotation!

P.S. I like it even better warm than chilled.

Ginger Scallion Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

• ½ cup thinly sliced scallions

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

• 1 tablespoon white miso

• Salt and pepper

• 1 pound broccoli florets, cut into 1 ½- to 2-inch pieces

Preparation

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the scallions, oil, lemon juice, ginger and miso; season with salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined, mashing the miso until it dissolves.

3. Lightly salt the boiling water, then add broccoli and cook until bright green and slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Drain well, shaking the colander to remove the excess water. Transfer broccoli to a paper towel-lined plate and drain for 5 minutes, giving it a toss to eliminate any excess water.

4. Add broccoli to the large bowl with dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss until evenly coated. Transfer to a large serving bowl and serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

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It was the worst of times, it was the best of times…

On the European filming trip for Knit Stars Season 11, I was reminded yet again of the importance of staying present with my knitting.

But before I get into the story, a gentle reminder that today’s the last day for our first-ever BOGO Sale.

Enroll in this year’s upcoming Season 11 Premiere, and get a coupon code for any previous Season of your choice, free. You can use the coupon and start enjoying your free Season right away.

Click here to shop the BOGO sale.

Our previous Seasons are also on sale through midnight tonight, at just $197 each (regularly $470). You’ll find those here.

And we have this cool new Passport Flipbook tool to help you decide which Season/s to get, here.

Now for that story…

Apparently, after all these years of knitting, I still can’t get it through my 58-year-old brain that it’s meant to be relaxing - not a life-or-death competition with myself.

And so it came to be that I embarked on the first flight to England with a cast-on and a dream, to make an entire “Bea Top” by PetiteKnit on the journey.

It all went pretty well at first. I was making great progress. Somewhere across the Atlantic, my shoulder began to complain, quietly. So I adjusted positions and pressed on…and on…and on.

By the time we arrived in London, I’d knit about 8 inches of sweater, but I could tell my shoulder was done.

And by the time we’d finished filming with Erika Knight and Debbie Bliss, I woke up and couldn’t move my shoulder, my arm or my hand. It was completely locked up and even Advil wouldn’t touch the pain. Looking back, you can see it in my face…

Thank goodness for Season 11 Star Alice Hammer, who directed me to her Chinese Medicine practitioner in Vichy, France. I hobbled my way there, early on the morning after we arrived in Vichy. And he performed true miracles with acupuncture and energy healing.

(“You have too much fire,” he said, pointing to his poster of the five elements of Chinese medicine. “You need more water, more calm.”)

Hmmm yes, so I’ve been told. 😅

So with my shoulder tenderly un-frozen, I hobbled back the mile or so toward my hotel. I was almost back when I heard some enchanting music start up, somewhere in the distance. I knew there was some kind of festival going on, so I let my curiosity lead me toward the music.

And oh my goodness, look who I found!

Franklin Habit, Season 10 Knit Star, was in town for the festival along with hundreds of other dancers for a traditional dance display.

I was entranced! As it turns out, Franklin even sewed his whole costume…And this was the first time his dancing in costume had ever been captured on video!

Knit Stars magic is real, friend.

So all’s well that ends well with the frozen shoulder saga. (I really need to find a doctor like that here in Florida.)

And please, next time you pick up your needles or hook, remember to do as I say and not as I did. Slow down, breathe, enjoy - and always listen to your body. 🤍

Until next week…

xoxo,

Shelley

Speaking of the fabulous Franklin Habit, did you see the projects he created for his Season 10 Masterclass? They take “illusion knitting” to a whole new level.

And the kits created by his Star Dyer, Dragonfly Fibers/Canon Hand-dyes, are so spectacular!

We have a very limited number of these kits available, and when you purchase them, we’ll include Franklin’s pattern PDFs from Season 10 for free. Click here to shop.

We also have some extras of the LolaBean Yarn kits for London Kaye’s Season 10 masterclass. It includes the pattern PDF for these adorable crocheted vases…or just add these exclusive yarns to your LolaBean collection and I promise you’ll find something you’re excited to make with them.

Shop the LolaBean kits here (again, very limited quantities so please don’t wait too long).

Recipe and photo: NY Times Cooking

It’s July 4th weekend in the U.S. but I’m still in a French state of mind after my recent trip, so I’m sharing this scrumptious take on the classic steak au poivre. It comes together in less than an hour but tastes like it simmered on the stove all day. Be sure to grab a baguette to soak up the delicious juices!

Chicken Au Poivre

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)

• Salt

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons minced shallot

• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 3 thyme sprigs

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnishing

• Crusty bread or egg noodles (optional), for serving

Preparation

1. Place peppercorns in a small resealable bag. Using a mallet or the bottom of a saucepan, gently crush the peppercorns until coarsely cracked. (Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle.) Set aside.

2. In a 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat oil over medium. Season chicken with salt. In two batches, sear chicken until light golden all over, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Pour off any remaining oil in the skillet.

3. Add butter and shallot to the skillet and cook, stirring, until butter is melted and shallot is softened, 1 minute. Add broth, heavy cream, thyme sprigs and cracked peppercorns and mix well, stirring to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

4. Add chicken (and any accumulated juices), bring to a simmer and cook, turning and basting occasionally with the sauce, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Divide chicken among 4 serving plates and discard thyme.

6. Add lemon juice to the skillet and stir until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and stir in parsley.

7. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with more parsley. Serve with crusty bread or egg noodles, if desired.

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This week I have a fun update on the final leg of our European filming tour for Knit Stars Season 11: Your Season of Genius. But before I get into that, here’s a quick public service announcement…

We’re having a sale! Today through next Sunday, July 5th, when you enroll in Knit Stars Season 11, you’ll get a coupon for a previous Season of your choice for FREE.(That’s a $470 value 🤩)

And to help you choose, we even made this fun online “Passport” flipbook so you can browse through each Season and see which one floats your boat the most!

And if you see this in time, I’d love for you to join me today, Sunday June 28th starting at 1pm for “Around the Yarn World in 80 Days,” a free live event where I’ll attempt to distill all the learning, fun and thrills of the past 11 Seasons into a single hour (ish). There will be prizes and lots of great takeaway tips.

You can register for the webinar here and you should get the access info right away.

Now…let me share a little about the last stop of the European filming extravaganza, in Vichy, France with the fabulous Alice Hammer…

The ladderback jacquard expert, who grew up in Paris and moved to Vichy to enjoy a slower pace of life…

Who also plays the harp…

Who also sews and knits all of her own clothes…

Who also collects egg cups and has two soft-boiled eggs each morning, carefully selecting the egg cup to match her mood.

Brad and I were instantly charmed by this beautiful woman and her beautiful town, where life does indeed seem to move slower, keeping pace with the lazy river that winds through the city.

Vichy is a “thermal city” where generations of folks have come to drink and soak in its thermal waters which are believed to be beneficial for those suffering from various ailments. So much so, that the government has a program that supports people making the health pilgrimage here.

We stayed at a lovely spa hotel, apparently dodging this alternative (shown below) where might have checked in any time we liked, but we could never leave… 😉

Unfortunately the air conditioning in our hotel broke down, and poor cinematographer Brad was diagnosed with strep throat, so decided to make a last-minute switcheroo to another hotel where Brad could get some real rest. I was also struggling with a frozen shoulder at this point in our journey, but Alice helped us feel better by sharing one of her favorite French sayings which may become my new life mantra…

“There’s a solution for every problem.

And if there is no solution, there is no problem!”

I have to say, Alice and her partner Arnaud could not have been kinder, more helpful or more welcoming!

Arnaud made the most fabulous salad for lunch (see recipe at end of newsletter) and we had *just a little* French cheese.

Alice’s Knit Stars masterclass on ladderback jacquard is going to be one you refer to again and again. It’s such a brilliant way to simplify colorwork, and you can apply it to lots of other colorwork projects beyond her class project.

(Not to mention, she could read the phone book and it would be pure pleasure to listen to with her melodic French accent.)

After we wrapped up in Vichy, Brad and I boarded a 3-hour train to Paris, where I would catch my flight back home to Florida and Charles Barkley yayyyyyy🐶

Before leaving, I took the “lift” up to the rooftop restaurant of my hotel. I was starving so my first focus was on the menu…then I glanced up and look what was right in front of me!

Knit Stars magic is real and it was alive and well in France. Next week, I’ll share about a truly gobsmacking experience I had while in Vichy involving another Knit Star…can you spot them in this picture? 👀

Until next week…

xoxo,

Shelley

My “Bea” top by PetiteKnit is well underway, but had to go into a little timeout thanks to that frozen shoulder I mentioned (more on this in next week’s newsletter).

Meanwhile, allow me to regale you with some of my favorites from Alice’s library of more than 200 patterns…

Calliope by Alice Hammer

Parisienne by Alice Hammer

Théodora by Alice Hammer

Chausettes Olivia by Alice Hammer

Salade de Poulet á la Grecque

A French twist on Greek salad

The “French Greek” salad that Arnaud made us for lunch was so delicious, I immediately made one upon returning to the States. The recipe was from a French cookbook that I didn’t get the title of, so I’ve done my own interpretation for you, below. P.S. Did you know that you can translate the text of any photo on an iPhone by clicking the little square with lines in it in the bottom right corner? Genius!

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups of cooked chicken (I shredded a Rotisserie from the grocery)

• 1 lemon, cut into slices

• 60g frozen peas

• 3 green onions

• 1 cucumber

• Romaine lettuce, 1 large head or 2 smaller ones

• One small bunch mint leaves

• 100g pitted kalamata olives

• 150g crumbled feta cheese

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 T vinegar (I used cider apple vinegar)

• 1 ½ T grainy mustard

• 2 T extra virgin olive oil

• 1 t pure maple syrup or more to taste (original recipe called for ½ to 1 CUP!)

Instructions

1. Prepare vinaigrette by shaking in a closed mason jar for 1 minute to emulsify.

2. Pour peas to a small heat-resistant container, cover with boiling water and let stand one minute. Drain, cool in cold water and drain again.

3. Slice the green onions cucumber, lettuce and mint, and mix it all together with the chicken, peas, olives and feta.

4. Serve with a drizzle of vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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I’m writing you from the train as Brad and I make our way from Vichy, France to Paris, winding up the European leg of filming for Knit Stars Season 11.

While I spend a lot of my life on planes and boats don’t bother me, trainsickness can really get me. There’s something about the landscape whizzing by in my peripheral vision that can make everything tilt a little out of balance.

But that’s perfect, because today I’m going to share a bit about filming with the legendary Debbie Bliss in London last week. And the word she chose to represent her masterclass is “balance.”

I asked Debbie to hold some books on her head for this shot, and she showed off by releasing her hands and waltzing across her courtyard without spilling a one.

I think it’s fair to say that Debbie Bliss has built one of the most impressive careers in modern hand-knitting history. She has published more than 35 books. The yarn brand bearing her name became THE yarn for shops around the world to stock, and still is today. After the successful sale of that brand in 2018 to LoveCrafts, she now designs alongside her new business partner, Chloé Elizabeth Birch, under the label Birch + Bliss.

Through it all, while raising two children with her husband, Barry, a filmmaker and artist, Debbie says she always struggled with work-life balance.

Now she finally feels like she may be just starting to get it right.

When I first reached out to Debbie about possibly being in Knit Stars, she had recently learned that her first grandchild would be born with a rare condition that would render him unable to swallow, and would likely require multiple surgeries and an extended stay in NICU.

When sweet Marlowe was born, his condition turned out to be even more serious than first thought, and as of this writing (at age 7 months) he remains in the hospital, but doctors are optimistic he will be able to come home soon.

(TOFS, the charity that helps support children with Marlowe’s condition is Debbie’s chosen charity for Knit Stars Season 11.🤍)

While Debbie’s family has always been the center of her life, this episode has brought everyone even closer, and has helped Debbie find a deeper balance that she hopes to pass on to you through her upcoming Knit Stars Masterclass: Creative Cables for Balance, Harmony and Texture.

Debbie has had a lifetime love connection with cables - she loves building a cable motif and balancing it with other textures like bobbles and edgings. Like Coco Chanel, she believes in building the design then “taking away just one element,” she says.

For her masterclass, she’s designed a masterpiece of a sweater in both an adult, shaped slightly cropped version and a more squared-off child’s design.

Now, can I be real and tell you just how surreal it is to have knit someone’s designs for 30+ years and looked up to them all your life, and suddenly you’re standing in their living room, cuddling their dogs and drinking their tea?

(Meet Bear and Dave.🐾💕)

And what about having THE Debbie Bliss prepare a scrumptious spread of English delights for you, for a mid-filming lunch break?

I will never quite get used to these moments!

After we finished filming her interview and class, Debbie led us to one of her favorite neighborhood spots where crafters gather regularly, and have recently completed the most amazing quilt to welcome others to the area.

We met Debbie’s good friend Zahida (@mamamughal_ on Instagram) who makes the cutest plushies for sale.

And we finished off filming with a well-deserved margarita!

Cheers to the halfway point of filming for Season 11…and onward to Vichy! I’ll be sharing our adventures with Alice Hammer next Sunday. See you then!

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. At every filming there’s always a little message winking at me somewhere in the Star’s home. This was in Debbie’s hallway. ✨

Introducing the Knit Stars Passport!

Yarnies are always asking us, which Knit Stars Season should I get next?

(Of course, our best answer is “all of them!” 😉)

But we thought it would be helpful to put together a little flipbook about what makes each Season special.

It’s also a fun way to track which Seasons you’ve already collected, like adding stamps to your passport. 🤸

So voilá, the Knit Stars Passport! You can access it for free and download it here.

Remember the movie “Around the World in 80 Days?”

Well, we’re going to attempt to go around the Yarn World in 80 minutes! 😅

Join me live on Sunday, June 28th at 1pm CT, when I’ll share a free preview of every Knit Stars Season from 1-11, including some of our favorite lifestyle movie moments with the Stars, and some of the best takeaway “tips” that will are sure to change your yarn game - and maybe even inspire your next technique obsession.

It’s free and as always, we’ll have prizes!

Register here for reminders and to get your logon link.

I’ll see you then!

P.S. We don’t do these sorts of free events often, but when we do, they’re always a big time!

While filming with Debbie, I also had the pleasure of hanging out briefly with her delightful and talented designing partner, Chloé Elizabeth Birch (pictured above wearing Debbie’s white cabled sweater in her garden).

Together they are Birch + Bliss, and you can find a bunch of their collaborative designs on Ravelry here.

Shown above: Bird Jumper

Shown below: Golden Lily Reversible Cowl and Strawberry Thief Blanket.

Recipe and Image credit Delicious. Magazine

Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Blondies

While filming with Debbie, Brad and I *may* have become addicted to English tea with milk along with Tunnock’s caramel wafer biscuits. We pretty much mainlined them all day long. And oh joy! I looked it up, and the biscuits are available in the US from various sources, including the Tunnock’s site, Amazon and Walmart. To make them even more decadent, you can whip up a batch of these glorious blondies.

Ingredients

• 200g unsalted butter

• 250g soft light brown sugar

• 80g caster sugar

• 2 medium free-range eggs

• 230g plain flour

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes, roughly crushed between your fingers

• 4 Tunnock’s caramel wafers, roughly chopped

You’ll also need

• 20cm square brownie tin, completely lined with foil or baking paper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 150°C fan/gas 3½. Put the butter in a medium saucepan and set it over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, turn up the heat so it sizzles and cook for 2-3 minutes until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell biscuity. Remove from the heat and immediately tip in both the sugars to stop the butter cooking. Stir together, leave to cool for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the eggs and then the flour, along with the baking powder and salt. Stir in half the chopped wafers, then transfer the mixture to the lined tin, using a spatula to scrape it all out.

2. Scatter the remaining wafer pieces over the top, then bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes – 45 minutes will give you very squidgy blondies, 55 minutes will give you more cake-like ones.

3. Once the blondies have set on top, puffed up a bit and turned crisp around the edges, remove them from the oven and leave to cool for 20 minutes in the tin (they will sink a little). After 20 minutes, carefully use the foil/baking paper to lift them out of the tin, then leave to cool completely on a wire rack. If they’re super squidgy in the middle, it may be easier to chill them in the fridge for a few hours before slicing into 16 squares.

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Happy Sunday!

This week, I’m thrilled to report that legendary designer, author, lecturer, and trend forecaster Erika Knight is just like us.

No, really!

She loves her grandson.

She loves her, pup, Slippers.

She stores her notions in egg cartons.

She goes rummaging on the beach and fills her pockets with special rocks and found objects (which she then uses, more often than not, to inspire her next designs).

“It’s never just a walk,” she says.

When she wants to get in her creative genius zone, she spreads everything out on the floor.

(Back when she was designing for a major British retailer, she was once told she had to get up from the floor and sit at the desk like a proper worker. 😮)

And she has stash, just like us! In fact, in preparing to film her Knit Stars masterclass with us this week in St. Leonard by the Sea, Erika discovered what she believes to be the oldest ball of yarn in her stash - clocking in at more than 55 years old.

I’ve just spent a glorious two days with Erika, diving deep into her fascinating creative process that’s deeply rooted in experimentation, disruption and the beauty of imperfection.

Erika embodies the mantra of one of her earliest mentors, who often said “Every fault, a fashion.” The idea is that so-called mistakes can often lead to innovation - and even one’s own signature style.

The square Erika has designed for “group project” is a clever use of squares and ladders, aka dropped stitches. She then developed the motif into a striking shawlette (shown below) made from a single skein of Uncommon Thread's “Heavenly” fingering weight.

And while I was with Erika, I discovered she initially made a mini version…it's so cute that I've convinced her to include this pattern in her masterclass, too!

On a personal note, it’s been decades since I spent any real time in the London area, and it’s been such fun to see this part of the world from a local’s perspective, re-discovering the joy of things like English tea with milk, real pub food and jellied eels.

Just kidding. I didn’t touch the jellied eels!

But I did have a bit of a fright when I checked into my charming hotel room…

Comfy bed with dried lavender sprigs on the pillows - check!

Tea with buttery biscuits - check!

Beautiful antique bathtub - check!

But where was the toilet? 😱

Hiding behind the false “bookcase,” it turns out!

What charms await at our next stop, filming with Debbie Bliss in northern London? Find out in next week’s newsletter!

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. There’s so much more where this came from! If you’re not already signed up for Knit Stars Season 11: Your Season of Genius, get on the list here. Once you’re in, you’ll be able to watch all of my behind-the-scenes video updates!

Did you hear?

Knit Stars Season 7 is on sale here for just $197 (regularly $470) and Patty Lyon’s Single is also on sale, for just $67(regularly $97) …but only for the month of June.

Patty’s masterclass is one of our most popular Singles releases to date, so this is a great time to snap up her “Circular Knitting Hacks” on sale here.

“I loved that Knit Stars let me take a deep dive into circular-knitting tricks,” Patty says. “Not just ‘row 1 do this’ type of class, but a true technique exploration that knitters can grow with. It’s packed with jogless tricks, short row tricks, fixes, special cast-on and bind-offs, and so much more. I was also really happy with the way the Luminary Cowl turned out, which ties it all together.”

“It was also important to me to take the time to demo in all styles and methods,” she adds. “It doesn’t matter if you are an English knitter, a Continental knitter, even an Eastern or Combination knitter, you’ll see demos in the style you are comfy with.”

What else has Patty been up to lately?

“Most of the last year has been spent chained to my desk writing my newest book, Knitting ER: A Step-By-Step Guide to Fixing Your Knits, Before and After Bind-Off,” she says. “It comes out in October. I was super happy to be working with Franklin (fellow Knit Star) Habit again on this third book!”

“The other thing I’ve been up to this year is knitting travel! I taught on a dreamy knitting and hiking trip to Colorado, a knitting cruise on the Danube, and another one on the Rhine, my own retreat in Cooperstown, and this fall, I’m running a knitting trip to Shetland. My schedule felt downright Shelleyesque!”

To pre-order Patty’s new book, click here.

As promised, I cast on my new “Bea” top with DanDoh silk before my first flight to London. It’s coming along nicely (more pics next week…)

And in case you’re feeling inspired to cast on an Erika Knight design ahead of her masterclass release this fall, here are a few ideas!

Ravello, a chic little vest.

Siena, a linen tee with a subtle sheer yoke.

And Cutie Pie, an adorable little gender-neutral topper.

Air Fried Shrimp Fajitas

Where has the air fryer been all my life? It’s sorcery, I tell you! A knitter’s dream! Just pop everything in for 10 minutes, give it a shake halfway through, and dinner is served. You don’t even have to defrost the shrimp! (Sorry no pics…I ate it too fast 😋)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen shrimp

• 1.5 cups sliced fajita veggies (I used onions and red peppers but poblanos would be nice, too!)

• 1 packet taco seasoning

• 2-3 T olive oil

• Juice of one lime

Method:

Toss everything together and air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes, shaking halfway through. Remove and enjoy with or without tortillas and fajita fixings like salsa, sour cream, avocado, shredded lettuce and cheese.

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This week I’ve been organizing my photos from our recent filming trip to Taiwan, as I prepare to fly out on our next filming trip - this time, to Europe.

And I normally save most of the behind-the-scenes stuff for our Earlybirds - the folks who sign up for the next Season early, which helps fund the filmmaking. But I thought it would be fun to put together a “photo dump” of my favorite phone shots from Taiwan - where we filmed around Tai Pei, what we ate and drank, the yarn we shopped…

And I quickly realized it wouldn’t all fit in the newsletter, so I made a dedicated photo dump page for you.

Click here to see it.

(On the photo dump page, you’ll also find a surprise secret link in case you’d like to join in the full Earlybird experience that’s going on right now…)

I’ll be back next week with some musings from our first European film shoot, with the legendary Erika Knight for Knit Stars 11: Your Season of Genius.

xoxo,

Shelley

Huzzah!

We’ve officially added the new YouTube private link function to all Knit Stars Seasons and Singles!

That means you can now…

• Easily stream Knit Stars Seasons and Singles to your smart TV

• Watch continuously without clicking from module to module

• Watch in all 80+ of YouTube’s languages!

To celebrate, we’ve put Season 7 on sale for just $197 for the month of June, here. It’s the perfect time to add it to your Knit Stars library.

And to add to the fun, we’ve just released Anna Hrachovec’s Knit Stars Masterclass from Season 7 as a Single!

I checked in with Anna to see what she’s been up to, and asked her what she loves most about her Knit Stars class.

“I love that my Knit Stars class encompasses just about everything I have to impart about knitting toys, from tackling a big, huggable project to making tiny, detailed toys, along with all that goes into designing these projects,” Anna said.

“The unhurried pace of the videos allows for a comprehensive view of my whole process, even including a look at how I make a stop-motion video using my knitted characters. There’s really nothing else like it!”

“I created The Squeezable Kingdom specifically for this Knit Stars class, and it’s my favorite kind of knitted toy design—interactive, conducive to storytelling, and endlessly modifiable.”

And what else has Anna been up to since her Knit Stars class was released?

For starters, she has a new knitting book coming out June 30th!

“KNIT MINI AMIGURUMI CATS!” features 20 cat-themed amigurumi knitting projects, each of which is no bigger than a mouse. Technique tutorials and all knitting essentials are included. Just add yarn scraps, needles, and a little stuffing for all the tiny kitty knitting you could need!

To pre-order a signed copy that comes with four bonus cat stickers, plus exclusive early access to a demo video showing you how to knit cat fries, click here.

“And this is crazy, but I have a TV show too!” Anna said. “WOOLLY WOOLLY is an animated children’s series based on my knitted world. It debuted on TV in France and Canada last year, and it’s now streaming for free on YouTube in the U.S, U.K., Australia, and other countries.”

Click here to watch.

Thank you to everyone who wrote in with your suggestion for my next cast-on. “Summertide” by Isabell Kraemer was the big winner!

But when I went stash diving, I found some Dan Doh silk that is perfect for the weight and feel I have in mind, so I pivoted to a different style and will be casting it on for the Europe filming trip. I’ve decided to make this simple boatneck Bea Top from Petiteknit. I’ll keep you posted on my progress!

Recipe and Image credit NYTimes Cooking

Salted Margarita Bars

Next time you’re invited to a pool party and they ask you to bring drinks or a dessert, you can say “both!” These edible cocktails by Vaughn Vreeland are “key lime pie’s boozier, saltier cousins.” You’re sure to be invited to pool parties all summer long! 😎

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing the pan

• About 40 saltine crackers (from one 4-ounce/113-gram sleeve)

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

FOR THE FILLING

• 2 teaspoons lime zest plus ½ cup juice (from about 4 limes)

• ¼ cup tequila (preferably blanco)

• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier

• Pinch of kosher salt

• 5 large egg yolks

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

• Flaky salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter (or use the wrapper from your stick of butter). Line the buttered pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. (This will help you pull the bars out of the pan easily.)

2. Prepare the crust: In a food processor, pulse the saltines until ground like coarse sand. (Alternatively, place them in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.) It’s OK if there are a few larger pieces. Add the melted butter, sugar and salt, and pulse a few more times until all the crumbs are evenly saturated (or mix to combine in a medium bowl). Pour the mixture into the lined pan, press into an even layer and freeze for about 15 minutes.

3. After the crust has chilled, bake it until fragrant and golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

4. While the crust cools, make the filling: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur and salt.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks and sweetened condensed milk. Add the tequila-lime mixture to the yolk mixture, whisk to combine, then pour into the prepared crust. (It’s OK if the crust is not yet completely cool.) You may be tempted to prepare the curd earlier, but don’t do so more than 10 minutes before baking, as the lime juice will start to thicken it, which could affect the bake.

6. Bake 15 to 17 minutes until the curd is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center.

7. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, then freeze for at least 2 hours.

8. After freezing, remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with flaky salt, cut into 16 bars and serve right away. Store leftovers in the freezer. Cheers!

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Dear friend,

A couple of months ago, I posted a video on the Knit Stars instagram that got 30,000 views - in the first hour.

A video with that much initial engagement can easily reach hundreds of thousands, or even millions of viewers.

And a couple of hours later, I deleted it. At the time, I was embarrassed, but now I’ve decided it’s important to share about it - and what I learned from the experience - because I think it might help you or someone like you, in your knitting and maybe even in your life.

The video was called “Knitter vs. Flight Attendant.” I made it the night I flew to film the first masterclass of our upcoming Knit Stars 2026: Your Season of Genius.

To be honest, when I was making it, I had a feeling it might go viral. It had that thing that so many content gurus say makes a great video - the “negative hook.” (In case this term is new to you, it’s a psychological strategy used in content creation to grab attention quickly by using a harsh truth, warning, or negative-sounding statement.)

I’m generally not a fan of this idea. I’d rather stay positive, even if it means that fewer people see my posts. After all, our mission is to Knit and Crochet the World Together, right?

But I made the video anyway. I told myself, maybe I won’t post it. But since I’m being transparent here here…it was fun to make. Cathartic.

Here’s why...

On my first flight, the flight attendant had walked by, noticed my knitting and pointed out what she thought was a mistake. (It was the hole that can happen at the underarm join). Most likely, she was just trying to make conversation, and to be helpful.

Then I asked her if she was a knitter, and she said “Oh, I would never have the time.”

Well look…that’s a perfectly normal thing to say. Especially for someone who works as a flight attendant on short haul flights. It’s highly demanding with a huge amount of responsibility.

But for some reason, this comment just went all over me.

My mind went to the thousands of people through the years who I felt judged by…who might have been asking perfectly innocent questions about my knitting, but I assumed they were thinking things like “must be nice to not have a job” or “what a grandma thing to do” or even “what a nerd!”

So I decided to make my little Instagram video. Then I posted it. Watched it immediately catch on. But even as the engagement numbers went wild, even as the comments of agreement and support poured in, something was gnawing at the pit of my stomach.

Then came a couple of brave comments that made me pause. “This woman is just doing her job,” said one. “I expect better of you,” said another.

Ooof.

And I knew they were right. So even though the “attagirl” comments far outweighed the “nope, not cool” ones, I deleted the video. And even though I was careful to hide the flight attendant’s identity, I am still sorry to her, and to anyone else that saw the video and felt that same gnawing pit in their stomach that I did.

Now that I’ve had time to reflect, I realize the whole situation was an important teacher to me.

It reminded me how much the mind can love a villain.

It’s so easy, when triggered, for the brain to look for someone to blame.

Like maybe when you find a knot (or three) in your yarn.

Or when you walk into a yarn store and don’t get greeted immediately by the overwhelmed staff.

Or when you buy a pattern and realize it only has charts, no written instructions.

In these moments, I try to remind myself that everyone is doing their best. And that, like the stitches we create, we are all intertwined. Even in a “negative hook” world, there is still so much more that connects us than divides us.

Thank you for being here, for being a part of this big intertwined community committed to lifelong learning and growth. 🤍✨

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. Speaking of connection, we just re-opened our Knit Stars Masterclass Facebook Group after a long pause. If you own one or more Seasons, you can jump back into the conversation and share pics of your latest Knit Stars makes here. I look forward to seeing you inside!

After filming with Rastus Hsu in Taiwan for the upcoming Knit Stars Season premiere, my daughter, Mallory and I caught a flight from Tai Pei to Osaka, where we fulfilled a long-overdue plan to visit Japan that was thwarted back in Season 5 by the pandemic.

After a few days in Osaka and neighboring Kyoto, we took a high-speed train to Tokyo, where we visited the Shimokitazawa district famous for its thrift stores.

Both Mallory and I were taken by the fashion we saw everywhere on the streets of Tokyo. We saw so many women of all ages in long, swishy skirts with layers of black tulle or lace, usually topped with simple, dainty tops in white or ivory.

Since returning from Asia, I haven’t been able to get the elegance of it all out of my mind…so I’ve been searching Ravelry for a simple top I could work up quickly in white or ivory to pair with a long, flowing black skirt - perhaps to wear on my next filming trip, to Europe.

Here are the current contenders…which would you make???

Stella Top by Svetlana Volkova

Ease Tee by Anne Ventzel

Summertide by Isabell Kraemer.

Cadaqués by Emilie Luis

Recipe and Image credit FoodNetwork

Recipe and Image credit NYTimes Cooking

Sheet Pan Party Cake

It’s graduation season and even though I don’t personally have a grad to bake for this year, who needs an excuse to make a “giant, fluffy vanilla cake” with buttercream frosting and sprinkles??? Save this recipe from New York Times Cooking for the next time you need a relatively quick (but homemade) way to make 30 people smile.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for the pan

• All-purpose flour, for the pan

• 1½ cups/339 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 2½ cups/ 500 grams granulated sugar

• 6 large eggs, at room temperature

• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• 3¾ cups/488 grams all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon baking soda

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

• 2 cups/480 milliliters buttermilk, at room temperature

For the frosting:

• 1 pound/454 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 6 ounces/170 grams cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• Food coloring (optional)

• 1 (16-ounce/454 gram) box powdered sugar

• Sprinkles (optional), for decorating

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a 13-by-18-by-1-inch half-sheet pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease and flour the paper.

3. Prepare the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until just combined.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, alternate gradually adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in several parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure the batter is well mixed.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake until the cake is lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 24 to 28 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and mix on medium-low just until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

7. Add the vanilla and a few drops of food coloring if desired. Then, with the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated, scraping down the paddle and sides of the bowl as necessary.

8. Frost the cake, decorate with sprinkles or as desired, cut into squares and serve.

Tip

The cake can be baked up to 24 hours before being frosted. Cool completely, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store on the counter. (Do not refrigerate.) Once frosted the cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours, wrapped in plastic.

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Rastus Hsu’s new origami shawl design for the upcoming Knit Stars 2026: Your Season of Genius.

So you know how the old saying goes…

You can take a girl out of the yarn store, but you can’t take the yarn store out of the girl!

(Well, the old saying goes something like that 🤣)

So many of you reading this were customers of my very first yarn shop, which I opened 20 years ago this month. 🥹

As our idea of a more modern, friendly yarn shop took hold and evolved over the years, maybe you visited one of our next three stores, in person or online.

Debbie Bliss’ new cable sweater design for Knit Stars 2026: Your Season of Genius.

Maybe you discovered us more recently, after we decided to pivot and pour everything we have into what we do best…filming cinematic masterclasses and making the best teaching more accessible to Yarnies worldwide. When we went from “selling the yarns” to “telling the yarns,” full-time. 🫶

The one exception was the curated yarns and kits that go along with each year’s new Knit Stars masterclass premiere. We knew our Knit Stars fans really savored the chance to learn about and support independent yarn dyers, and to get exclusive colors and kits that were perfectly matched to each Star’s class.

Alice Hammer’s new ladderback jacquard sweater design for Knit Stars 2026: Your Season of Genius.

Because we love to innovate each Season, and especially since we’re turning the corner into our second decade of Masterclass premieres, we decided to introduce some new things for 2026.

One of those was adding two exclusive “sampler” kits where you can try out each Star’s technique on an 8x8 square, and make it your own by combining the squares into a blanket, wall hanging or project of your own imagination.

“But wait!” sang out thousands of Yarnies around the world, seemingly in unison.

(Picture that scene from “The Grinch” where all the whos in whoville hold hands and sing…)

“We want the blanket kit AND we still want kits to go with the bonus patterns the new Stars are designing!”

In other words…”More yarn, please!” 🤗

And as fellow yarn lovers, how could we say no to that?

So the new Knit Stars Marketplace was born. Eight brand-new kits to go with eight brand-new projects, being designed by some of the world’s most genius designers. There are two sweater kits, accessories and a stunner of a giant origami wrap.

Some dyers are longtime favorites (like LolaBean Yarn Co and Kim Dyes Yarn) while others are new to the Knit Stars universe (hello, Plucky Knitter and Fonty!).

Some of the kits will ship from our warehouse, and others will ship directly from the dyers - a move to streamline the process, lessen the carbon footprint and also give you more “happy mail” moments between now and when the new Season premieres this fall.

As always, we’ll be providing a Materials List to our Season of Genius enrollees closer to the event, so you can shop your local yarn store or go stash diving. (Side note: Many of this year’s projects are designed with stash busting in mind.)

If you’re already enrolled in Knit Stars 2026: Your Season of Genius, watch your email this morning for your secret link to shop the Marketplace.

If you’ve meant to enroll but haven’t had the chance, we’ve re-opened signups, but just for a couple of weeks. You can enroll here through Sunday, May 31.

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. After signing up, you’ll get an email with the link to shop the yarns, as well as links to the private community, the Season of Genius Earlybird Experience, and your online learning portal.

It’s Golden Hour time! 💛

One day each month (so technically 24 hours), we put our Golden Ticket on super-sale. With just a couple clicks, you can go from newsletter reader to Knit Stars All Star - owning all 10 Seasons and accessing all the extra All-Star perks at a savings of a whopping $3173.

And this time around, we’re even adding your enrollment in Knit Stars 2026: Your Season of Genius as a bonus.

Click here to get your Golden Ticket for just $1997. (It will go back up to $2997 starting this Tuesday, May 26th).

Y’all! I finally conquered second sock syndrome and finished my first-ever pair of socks!

(It only took two years, lol 😅😅😅)

Here’s one blocked and one pre-blocked, ta-da!

The pattern is Cider House Socks by Summer Lee. I used the special kit dyed for her masterclass that year.

Summer has a new pattern out called “Clog Socks Lite” that caught my attention this past week. I love the unique cable and heel - whoever said wearing socks with sandals isn’t cool, never saw a pair of Summer’s socks

And if socks are on your to-do list (or if you’re always looking to up your sock game), you should know that Summer’s Knit Stars masterclass from Season 7 is our top-selling Single of all time. It includes three patterns, and all 3 can be made from a total of 3 skeins of sock yarn. 💖

Find Summer’s Knit Stars Single (with new YouTube watching option) here.

Recipe and Image credit FoodNetwork

Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken

On the way back from filming in Taiwan with Rastus Hsu, I was feeling that familiar “travel bloat” that comes from eating unfamiliar foods and traversing the planet at 40,000 feet. So I put together a meal plan for myself for the next week, to help me get my digestion back on track - resisting the urge to pay too much money for one of those gimmicky mail-order “resets.”

At the top of my list was this Lemon Chicken Breast recipe from Ina Garten. You cook the garlic in the olive oil to make a sauce first, then layer the chicken breasts on top and brush them with oil, to help them brown up nicely in the oven. It’s so simple, fresh and lemony! All it needs is a side salad to make a delicious meal, and the leftovers are great to have in the fridge.

Let me know if you make it, or if you’re interested in my sharing my little reset plan in a future newsletter. ✨

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup good olive oil

• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)

• 1/3 cup dry white wine

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)

• 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

3. Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

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Have you ever asked yourself if you knit the “right” way? 👀

If you’re like most of us, chances are someone has told you at some point that “you’re doing it wrong.”

But Beth is here to tell you, if you’re knitting, you’re doing it right.

Beth, who was born with a rare congenital deformity of her right arm and hand, wants you to know there is no “right” way to knit.

“Don’t apologize for how you knit,” Beth says. “Just join the club! Knitting is knitting - fast or slow, left-handed or right-handed, upside-down on a pole…however you’re doing it, you’re knitting.”

“Everyone deserves to make beautiful things with sticks and string.”

This week, we’ve released Beth Gorishek’s Masterclass from Knit Stars Season 8 as our newest single and I think it’s exactly the breath of fresh air we all need right now.

You may be thinking, “I don’t have a disability. Why would I need this class?”

But here’s the thing. While I hope it never happens…chances are, at some point in your life, you will encounter a rough patch where you’ll need to adapt your knitting style.

It happened to me two years ago, when I knit a bulky sweater too fast and ended up in a finger brace.

And lately, that nasty fellow Arthur Itis has set up shop in my thumb joints, making it tougher for me to knit for extended periods of time.

“We’re all adapting, all the time, in so many ways,” Beth says. “I want you to watch my masterclass now, so you’ll be ready when life happens and you need it.”

In her Knit Stars class, Beth helps you slow down and really understand what your fingers are doing when you knit and purl. Then she shows you how to adapt if, for example, you were to break your finger and have two fingers tethered together.

Her course includes “Born This Way,” a gorgeous shawl pattern built for gradient yarn, designed to help you take stock of your knit and purl styles, and really understand how you personally build your stitches.

She also covers tools and props - “Choose for comfort, not convention!” she quips. And there’s a beautiful documentary that chronicles her journey, her mission, and the true story of how she joined the Knit Stars Team. 💖

Beth’s Single Masterclass is simply a great watch - and a beautiful reminder that we are all adapting, all of the time. If you don’t already own Season 8, do yourself a favor and get it while it’s on introductory special for just $67, here.

You will feel so empowered, and you are sure to smile.

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. Beth’s Knit Stars Season called “Breaking the Ice is also on sale here through the end of May for just $197 (regularly $470). It includes all of the following:

Hélène Magnússon ✨ Traditional Icelandic Lopi Sweaters

Olga Buraya-Kefelian ✨ 3D Knitwear

Alexandra Tavel ✨ The Duality of Knit and Crochet

Dawn Barker ✨ Assigned Pooling

Jonah Larson ✨ Crochet!

Nancy Ricci ✨ “It’s Just A Rectangle”

Chelsea Heranic ✨ Crocheting Bikinis That Fit Your Body

Ross Taylor ✨ Yarn Dyeing

Beth Gorishek✨ Adaptive Knitting

And Featuring

Ginnifer Goodwin✨Practical and Cozy: Elevate the Everyday

It’s been a couple of years since I did any “speed knitting,” having learned my lesson in 2024 when I injured my finger (see story above).

And I’m definitely knitting slower these days, thanks to arthritis in both of my thumb joints.

Still, I was just so darn excited to find yarn in my stash for this “Little Lace Crop” by Chantal Miyagishia of Knitatude, that I made almost the whole top on my flights to Taiwan, to film with Rastus Hsu for our upcoming Knit Stars 2026: Your Season of Genius!

I used a DK-weight cotton hand-dyed by Tropical Yarnie, that I bought awhile back for an ill-fated crochet project that ended up in the frog pile.

This was my first time making a Knitatude design, and it was incredibly well-written and fun to make. So I’m eyeing my next project!

Which do you think I should cast on next? Chantal’s “Bombshell Crop,” or her “Lily Crewneck” t-shirt from Knit Stars Season 9?

By the way, if you’re looking for some support to make your first garment, Chantal’s masterclass from Season 9 (which includes her Lily Crewneck design) is out as a Knit Stars Single here.

And Season 9 is on sale through May, along with Season 8! You can pick that up here.

Recipe and Image credit NY Times Cooking

Citrus Soy Chicken Ramen

After filming with Rastus in Taipei, Taiwan this week, Mallory and I flew to Japan for some more Yarnie mother-daughter adventures. Longtime readers may remember we were supposed to film the Amirisu Magazine masterclass in Japan for Season 5, when COVID hit and we had to stay put in the U.S. and hire a local film crew. So it has been such a beautiful experience to finally get to be here, soaking up the beauty of Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo before returning home at long last to my sweet Charles Barkley. 🐶

While in Osaka, we got to enjoy some very authentic ramen in a walk-in gem that Mallory found, where we were immediately asked by the locals “how did you find this place?” This sent me looking for a much simpler ramen I could make at home…and this 5-Star New York Times Cooking recipe is just the ticket for an easy weeknight comfort meal.

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) rotisserie chicken

• Salt and pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or other oil of your choice

• 3 heads garlic, halved crosswise

• 2 large yellow onions (about 1 pound), unpeeled, quartered

• 1 small bunch cilantro, thick stems cut off and reserved

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more for serving

• 6 to 8 ounces thin dried noodles (such as ramen, lo mein or soba)

• 2 limes, cut in half

• 2 lemons, cut in half

• Sesame seeds or toasted sesame oil, for serving

Instructions

1. Pick and shred the meat off the chicken (you should have about 3½ cups), season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside; save the bones and skin.

2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken bones and skin, cilantro stems, soy sauce and 8½ cups of water. Bring to a gentle simmer, and let cook until flavorful with a distinct chicken essence, 15 to 20 minutes. Using a spider or fine-mesh sieve, lift or strain out the vegetables and chicken pieces and discard.

3. Bring the broth back up to a simmer. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions, then turn off heat.

4. To serve, ladle the broth into bowls (tongs work well for the noodles) and add as much chicken as you’d like. Squeeze in lime and lemon juice to taste, then, if you like, toss in the spent citrus halves to let the oils from the peels subtly infuse the broth. Top with cilantro leaves and tender stems, along with sesame seeds or sesame oil and more soy sauce, if desired.

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This week’s newsletter will be a little shorter and sweeter as I’m preparing to fly to Taiwan to film with Rastus Hsu for Knit Stars 2026: You Season of Genius.

And this week, this idea is what I’m sitting with…

The only one who can complete you

and the only one who can defeat you

is you.

Once more, a little louder for those in the back…

I’ve spent so many years of my life looking externally for a person or idea or goal make me feel complete…

And I’ve spent so many more years letting other people and ideas and goals make me feel small or, sometimes, even defeated.

But no more.

Everything I need is inside of me, and everything you need is inside of you.

Please don’t let anyone else’s shiny finished objects or judgements of your technique or “offhand” comments about the size of your stash take away one single moment of your creative joy.

Your creativity is yours and yours alone. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and it deserves to be nourished, watered and cared for as lovingly - and as often - as possible.

If you think it might be helpful to print out one of the graphics above and put it on your bathroom mirror as a reminder, please do.

And if you need something more substantial to reignite and reclaim your passion for knitting, Knit Stars Seasons 8 and 9 are on sale this week through the end of May. You’ll find them (and all of our current offerings) here on our sale page.

xoxo,

Shelley

I needed a couple of smaller projects to take on the very long trip to Taiwan for filming this week.

I had some beautiful cotton yarn from Tropical Yarnie that I originally purchased for a crochet project, but never really got it off the ground. It turned out to be the perfect match for “Little Lace Crop Top” by Chantal Miyagishima (who, by the way, has an amazing masterclass for creating your first garment design in Knit Stars Season 9 - on sale this week).

I love the wider straps and the little touch of lace at the bottom. This beginner-friendly design will be perfect airplane knitting, and it’s such a quick knit that maybe I’ll even finish it in time to wear it on the trip? Maybe???

Then, because I always take at least one “back up” project, I pulled out this lovely little kit that I purchased on impulse last year when Gudrun Johnston (also from Season 9!) released it. It’s called “Lera Voe Beanie” and uses a bunch of colors of Jamieson’s of Shetland Double Knitting yarn. But they come in such neat little balls that they won’t take up too much space in my bag.

To see how far I get (and follow along on my travel adventures), be sure you’re following us on Instagram here @knitstars 🌟

Slow Cooker Hot Honey Ribs

I made ribs in the slow cooker on Sunday and it was a revelation. I’ve made them in a slow cooker before, but what was different this time was the method - you rub them with a spice mixture, then stand them on their end and coil them around the edges of the crock pot. This lets them braise in their own juices without getting too soggy.

I followed a different recipe than this one from New York Times Cooking, but I’ll use this one next time! Another fun tip: If you layer baked beans, then onions, then corn on the cobb in the middle of the slow cooker, you get a whole 4th of July picnic in a single pot!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika

• 1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon mustard powder

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• Black pepper

• 2 racks baby back ribs (about 4 pounds total)

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

• Vegetable oil or cooking spray, for greasing

• ⅔ cup honey

• 5 red Thai chiles or 2 red jalapeño or serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced (or 2 tablespoons red-pepper flakes)

• 3 (1-inch) strips lime peel and the juice of ½ lime (about 1 tablespoon juice)

• 1tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Add the sweet and hot smoked paprika, mustard and garlic powders and several generous grinds of black pepper to a small bowl; mix to combine.

2. Remove the ribs from the packaging and pat them dry with paper towels. Turn the ribs over to remove the membrane that covers the back of the ribs. Season the ribs all over, front and back, about 1 tablespoon of salt per rack of ribs. Coat the ribs in the spice mixture, patting it all over both sides of the ribs.

3. Lightly coat a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker pot with oil or cooking spray. With the meaty sides facing out and the bones pointing up, coil the ribs into the pot, standing them up in a circle. Cook on low until the meat is very tender when flaked with a fork, but the ribs are not quite falling apart, 6 to 8 hours. Optional: Layer canned baked beans of your choice, then slices onions, then corn on the cob in the middle of the pot at the 2-3 hour mark.

4. Meanwhile, make the hot honey: Combine the honey, chiles and lime peel in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let the mixture get very hot, until it simmers and then starts to foam, about 2 minutes. Remove it from the heat, pour it into a small heatproof bowl and set aside.

5. Line a sheet pan with foil. Using tongs, transfer the ribs to the sheet pan, meaty side up. Heat the broiler. Remove the lime zest from the honey (leave the chiles in) and stir the lime juice and apple cider vinegar into the honey. Using a spoon, drizzle the honey all over the ribs, using about half the honey, but leaving the chiles in the bowl.

6. Broil the ribs until they are caramelized, sizzling and lightly charred in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. (Check the ribs every 30 seconds or so to prevent burning, and rotate them to make sure that all the surfaces get caramelized.) Season the ribs with salt then drizzle more of the hot honey and chiles this time over the ribs, to taste. Serve with any remaining hot honey on the side.

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Are you like me, really feeling the “doom” in “doomscrolling” these days?

Do you sometimes crave a few simple moments of Yarnie eye candy, uninterrupted by pushy ads for “miracle” face creams or people shouting through the tiny screen at you?

Of course you do…that’s why you’re here, right? 😊

So let me cordially invite you to visit a “site” for your sore eyes…the magical world that is Dawn Barker’s website, BarkerWool.com.

I hadn’t been to Dawn’s site for several years, since she was part of Knit Stars Season 8: Breaking the Ice.

But oh my goodness…the wonder that awaits. My favorite page is the “House Collection,” where Dawn’s current colorways reside, many of which are specially dyed (all by Dawn) to showcase the Assigned Pooling technique.

(In case you’re not familiar with this technique, it’s a special dyeing and design process that results in artistic pieces that remarkably mimic the look of embroidery on knitted fabric.)

“Float” 5th Anniversary Edition Kit

When you hover over some of Dawn’s colorways, a project photo emerges using the yarn, and instantly you can see how these specially-dyed skeins translate the Assigned Pooling designs…

Which, again, Dawn makes all by herself. 💪

So browsing her site feels like a beautiful Easter egg hunt.

“Float” by Dawn Barker

This year, Dawn is celebrating 5 years of creating Assigned Pooling colorways and patterns. And it’s frankly astounding how prolific she has been.

Here are just a couple more of my favorites…

“Wild Violet AP” colorway

"Calico” by Dawn Barker

“Beauty AP” colorway

“Beacon” by Dawn Barker

This week, we’re so excited to debut Dawn’s Season 8 Masterclass as a Knit Stars Single.

“I created my Knit Stars course to be a true masterclass,” Dawn said when I caught up with her this week. “Everything you need to know about Assigned Pooling is all in one place, from the basics all the way up to advanced motifs, next-level stitch combinations, garments and styling.”

Dawn’s Knit Stars masterclass includes her exclusive “Wonder & Grow” pattern, which combines slipped stitch colorwork with Assigned Pooling to create a mock-embroidered basketweave fabric. In her class, she walks you step-by-step through how to make it. (“Safe Harbor AP” and “Wonder AP” would both be great colorways for Wonder & Grow, when paired with a tonal companion skein)

Also this week, we’ve re-released Knit Stars Season 8 with YouTube private links, so you can easily watch continuously on your smart TV in 80+ languages.

Season 8 and Season 9 are both on sale through May for just $197 each (regularly $470). Snap them up on sale on our library page here.

xoxo,

Shelley

Here are a few more assigned pooling patterns from the brilliant mind of Dawn Barker for your viewing pleasure…

“Makepeace” is a giant rectangle wrap that uses a clever mix of assigned pooling and slipped-stitch colorwork.

“Nona's Waltz” is a bias triangle shawl that mimics the look of embroidered flowers on a field of contrasting blocks.

And one that’s been in my personal queue for awhile now…”A Murder of Crows” pullover, available in sizes to fit chest circumferences from 30” - 62.” Tiny bobbles are made on a field of plain stockinette stitch each time the accent color occurs in a skein of specially designed variegated yarn. The texture pattern is reminiscent of crows swooping together in a flock and then alighting on a telephone line.

And if you want a really low-commitment way to dip your toe into Assigned Pooling, check out “Eventide.” Dawn has just re-released the colorway she created for our Hot Loops Wall a few years ago, available for pre-order here.

“Sweet Pea” by Dawn Barker

Find all of Dawn’s patterns here. There are also kits and yarn available on her site. Enjoy browsing - it is a real treat!

This awesome “can” was spotted at Xandy Peter’s Knit Stars masterclass filming.

Easiest Ever Tomato Soup

Ever since I was a tiny tot, I’ve been obsessed with tomato soup. So much so that my parents used to tote along a can of Campbell’s to restaurants and beg them to heat it up for me! So I was jazzed to stumble across this simple formula for a 3-ingredient creamy tomato soup using stuff that was already in my pantry and fridge.

All you do is blend these 3 ingredients in your blender or food processor:

1 cup marinara sauce (I love Rao’s Arrabiata)

1 cup cottage cheese (Good Culture is my fave)

1 cup bone broth (or broth of choice)

After blending, just heat over medium low for a few minutes and enjoy! Bonus: When made with bone broth it has 40g of protein. 💪

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One of the earlier Hot Loops Walls.

We’ve had a lovely influx of new readers the past few weeks, so if that’s you, welcome! 🤗

Some newer readers may not know that before starting Knit Stars, I had a local yarn store called Loops.

I started it in 2005, as a mom of 3 young kids. I had also loved knitting since I learned from a local yarn store owner at age 16, but had always felt isolated. I dreamed a beautiful, happy space where people could come to hang out, or find a great project fast.

The store was called “Loops” and one of the hallmarks was something we called the Hot Loops Wall, where we curated our favorite yarns and paired them with a perfect project, then photographed the finished pieces and put them all together in one big display I invented myself, and a carpenter friend brought to life.

The first yarn rep I met with told me the wall idea was great but would never last.

Two decades later, it was still going strong when I decided the time had come for us to go from selling the yarns, to telling the yarns full-time. Closing the yarn store was one of the toughest decisions - but ultimately, one of the best decisions - I have ever made. It’s enabled us to focus solely on what we do best - shining a light on brilliant makers in our space, and making their teachings more accessible to Yarnies worldwide.

So in celebration of Local Yarn Store Day (yesterday), I’d like to thank everyone here who has ever shopped at Loops or any other local yarn store. Your support really matters. It’s literally what keeps the doors open.

And a special shout-out to those of you reading this, who own local yarn stores and are probably working on a Sunday, because as an LYS owner you are probably almost always working and almost never sleeping.

I still believe some of the very best patterns originate from local yarn stores. So I’m gifting you one of my throwback favorites, the Lulu Cashmere Cowl. It’s a great way to use up any worsted weight odds and ends from your stash, plus you get to dive into your button box!

Enjoy and feel free to pass it on to your knitting friends. 🫶

xoxo,

Shelley

P.S. If you’re a paid Substack member, be sure to check out “These Little Yarns” this week for an extra freebie, my “Vinyarnsa” pattern that’s made for fingering-weight stash.

📣Big news! 📣

We’ve just added YouTube functionality to Knit Stars Season 9: Permission to Shine…and we’ve put it on sale!

Now through May 31st, you can add Season 9 to your Knit Stars library for just $197 (regularly $470). And with the new private YouTube links, you can easily stream the masterclasses to your TV, watch in YouTube’s 80+ languages and enjoy the modules continuously without extra clicking.

Season 9 includes all of these fabulous shining Stars:

Carol Feller 🌟Celtic Cable Deep Dive: With a Reversible Twist!

Hazel Tindall 🌟Traditional Shetland: Colorwork Cushion with Lace Edging

Gudrun Johnston 🌟Modern Shetland: A Current Take on Lace, Colorwork and Shetland Wool.

Emma Fassio 🌟One Sweater Ten Ways: Make it Modern, Make it Yours!

Thomas Gregory Hamilton 🌟Crochet Runway: Fashion-Forward Stitches to Elevate Any Project

Chantal Miyagishima 🌟Designing Garments 101: How to design, grade and sell your first sweater pattern

Gary Boston 🌟Share your Shine: How to be a Craftivist (with bonus on self-striping yarns)

Carolyn Bloom 🌟Pretty, Practical, and Personal: Embroidering on Crochet

ChiWei Ranck 🌟Amagurumi: Size – I mean, Yarn – Matters!

Willie Smith 🌟Yarn Freedom: Successful Substitution

This week, I caught up with Season 9 Star Gary Boston and he had so much to share!

“I can’t believe it has been almost two years (!) since you and Brad were here filming my Masterclass,” Gary said. “Thinking back to our filming, I am seeing all of the details for the upcoming Season of Genius and I am getting excited for what you are all up to.”

“I’ve been loving the ability to watch via the private YouTube channel. It is fantastic to be able to watch a Masterclass seamlessly on a TV and to have the program run without interruptions. I also love being able to watch with subtitles in other languages,” he said.

“I’ve been studying Italian for several years and already watch a couple of Italian knitting podcasts. I recently started studying Portuguese and having different languages available for the Masterclasses is an amazing way to ‘double-dip’ on my learning, picking up knitting terminology in new languages as well as improving my language reading skills.”

You can catch up and keep up with Gary on his Instagram or YouTube!

Gary shared one of his latest FO’s and it’s a beauty!

He made Season 2 Star Andrea Mowry’s Harlow Worsted Hat using Lolabean Yarn Co’s “City So Nice They Named It Twice” in the Atebo Bean base, and Spincycle’s “Color So Nice.”

“Nothing like a completely serendipitous Knit Stars collab!” Gary said.

Next up on Gary’s needles is a pair of Novus Shorties by Season 3 Star Laura Nelkin.

“I’ve become a voracious sock knitter and am fascinated by their unique construction, and by how fun they look in self-striping yarn (my other obsession!)” Gary added. Look for some new designs from him featuring self-striping yarn later this year. 🤩

Novus Shorties by Laura Nelkin

These cutie shorties are also a great use for stash (doesn’t have to be self-striping at all!).

And if you’d like to augment with something new, Adella has a bunch of hand-dyed Lolabean yarn on-hand because she dyed a metric ton for Nash Yarn Fest, so even after her booth was inundated all weekend, she still came back with a nice inventory.

She’s got fingering (sock) weight options in various blends, including pure merino, merino/nylon and silk. Shop all of her in-stock skeins - from lace weight up to DK - right here.

Recipe and photo: Epicurious

Berry Cream Cheese Cake

If you’ve watched Knit Stars Season 9, you also know that Season 9 Star Gary Boston is an amazing cook! This weekend, he’ll be going on his first-ever knitting retreat with the LA Fiber Dudes, and he’ll be baking this cake to take. It is from the wonderful Snacking Cakes cookbook by Yossi Arefy. Here’s the recipe...

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup (150g) dark brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 3/4 cup (165g) sour cream

• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1 1/2cups (190g) all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 cup (70g) cream cheese, cold

• 1 cup (160g) mixed fresh berries

• 1 tbsp turbinado sugar

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, butter, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl. Whisk until well-combined and smooth.

4. Use your fingers to break up the cream cheese into teaspoon-size pieces and scatter them over the top of the batter. Fold in the cream cheese and 1/2 cup (80g) of the berries.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with an offset spatula. Scatter the remaining berries over the top and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

6. Bake the cake until puffed and golden, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 45 minutes. Set the cake on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Store the cake, wrapped tightly, in the fridge, for up to three days.)

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Tomorrow is Local Yarn Store day.

It’s had me thinking a lot about my first two decades in the yarn business, starting with opening my first little store called Loops, in Tulsa’s Utica Square shopping center.

It was May, 2005. Ravelry didn’t yet exist. We had books. We had old-fashioned printed patterns.

But as a local yarn store owner, I had something perhaps even more powerful than all of those things. I had decades of experience as a knitter and crocheter. I had the input of thousands of customers coming in day after day, year after year, telling me what they were looking for…firsthand market experience. I had sat with hundreds of yarn reps, touched hundreds of thousands of yarn samples.

And most of all, I had shelf after shelf of beautiful yarns that I needed to keep moving if I were going to stay in business.

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. And that meant becoming an ad hoc designer of sorts - inventing patterns that were enjoyable to make, beautiful to wear, and that paired well with yarn.

And if I were going to the trouble to make a shop sample, the pattern needed to be versatile too - pairing not just with one yarn, but with a variety of yarns as inventory shifted through the years. Bonus points if the pattern worked with a variety of gauges.

The result? I wound up with a treasure trove of “store patterns” worth their weight in gold (or maybe in cashmere :).

They became the tried-and-true patterns our customers went back to again and again, making them on repeat in a rainbow of colors.

I closed my last yarn store a few years ago, with a heavy heart but a clear purpose. It was time to lean fully into producing new Knit Stars Seasons each year and optimizing our library of 120+ cinematic masterclasses.

Only a tiny fraction of the in-store patterns we created at Loops over two decades made it onto Ravelry. We were never really consistent about getting them online. There are 42 listed under my name, 176 listed under Knit Stars, and several hundred more living in two very heavy 3-ring binders on the shelf in my storage closet.

But that’s ok, because I know what’s most important is the hundreds of thousands of projects that have been made, one by one, by Yarnies who visited our store over the years…touching all the yarns and working with our Loops Troops to pick out the perfect colors…and those magical moments when we got to say “Here! I have a perfect store pattern for that.”

In celebration of Local Yarn Store day I’m sharing two of those patterns here on Substack - my worsted-weight Lulu Cashmere Cowl for all subscribers (I’ll be posting that later today), and my Vinyarnsa pattern for paid subscribers (see below).

Vinyarnsa was inspired by a popular scarf being offered by Lululemon at the time called “Vinyasa.” It had snaps all along one short side, giving it the versatility to wear lots of different ways - unsnapped as a scarf, snapped together as a loop, or partially snapped as an asymmetrical cowl.

My handknit version employs buttons instead of snaps, and is a terrific way to use up scraps of fingering weight and sock yarn in your stash.

Read more