Oh how I love a new cast-on.

There’s nothing like a new project. Pulling the first strand from that fresh cake of yarn and making the slipknot. All the hope of a new beginning. A beautiful clean start.
At the opening of our new Knit Stars Flagship Store, someone said to me, “Does this feel like the the fruition of a lifelong dream?”

And my answer was, it feels like the beginning.

Last year, smack-dab in the middle of a pandemic, I signed a lease on a 6,200 square foot space – a former gym that had sat empty and abandoned for 6 years and looked like something out of a horror movie. It was a crazy move and it was full of hope.

Hope for a future where we are all seen and valued for the creative artists that we are. 

Hope for a future where we can come together – online and in person – and connect through our shared passion.

Hope for a future where, instead of pointing out each other’s mistakes (or our own!), we lift each other up, shine a light on others, and let our own fiber flags fly high. 

It’s a beautiful thing that we do, together, every day in this very special yarn store.

You are beautiful.

And I’m so humbled and grateful to share this beautiful new beginning with you.

xoxo

P.S. Click here to join me, Adella from LolaBean Yarn Co. and Francoise from Aroha Knits this Tuesday starting at 7pm Central for our Virtual Grand Opening event! Tickets are just $25 and you get a $25 shopping credit to use through the weekend, so it’s essentially free. There will be a recording for you to watch back at your convenience.

To get a preview of what you’ll see at the Virtual Grand Opening event, check out this post that my friend Gaye Glasspie posted live from the Grand Opening.

Last week we debuted our “party in a bag” – the Grand Opening Celebration kit. And the excitement is still going strong!

As of today, our #1 selling color has been Fog Machine, a lovely go-with-it-all gray in the softest Loops Luxe Royal Alpaca/Silk Light. No matter which color you choose, this kit is loaded with goodies that will elevate your knitting session into full celebration-mode. Click here to pick out your favorite color, and keep the party going!

NOTE: All of our new Flagship Stores’ unique offerings, except the LolaBean Hot Loops Wall yarn and projects, have been added to our online shopping site here. Be sure to check out the new custom Knit Collage Yarns, Urth “Sweet 16” 16-micron merino, exclusives from Mitchell’s Creations, Moondrake Co., Twisted Ambitions and so much more!

Masterclass Tip

Andrea Wong grew up in Brazil and learned to knit from her mother and grandmother who were avid knitters. The Portuguese style of knitting that she practices is very portable and allows her to knit without having to look at her work. This frees her up to do other activities such as walking, watching a movie, etc at the same time as furthering her project. It’s also a really useful method for many with vision issues and limb differences.

In this short tutorial from Knit Stars Season 4, Andrea takes you step-by-step through the mechanics of creating a knit stitch using the Portuguese technique she learned as a child. With only very small movements, Andrea is able to create stunning projects even while on the go.

CLICK HERE to learn how Portuguese Knitting can help you take your knitting to the next level, and buy your own Portuguese Knitting Pin here.

These cookies look like a celebration, and you’ll do a little happy dance when you see just how easy they are to make! We love the combo of cake flavor and cookie texture, and all of the little sprinkles and tons of chocolate chips put them over the top.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter melted
  1/2 cup brown sugar
  2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cake mix white, yellow, or Funfetti variety
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup sprinkles

Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
-Add the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a mixer and beat until well combined.
-Beat in the egg and vanilla.
-Add the flour, cake mix, baking soda, and salt to the mixer and mix until just combined.
-Stir in the milk and white chocolate chips and sprinkles until combined.
-Use a medium cookie scoop to drop spoonfuls of dough on the prepared baking sheet.
-Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set but centers are still soft and slightly underdone.
-Cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before serving.