Mandy Sieja

They say when opportunity knocks, you should always answer. But what if, right when that knock comes, you get knocked down by a tragedy you never saw coming? That’s what happened to Knit Star Jeanette Sloan right after filming her Beaded Colorwork masterclass for Season 6. I caught up with Jeanette this past week, on…

This last week I celebrated my 56th trip around the sun. Part of my gift was that my cake had the wrong year…so I’m officially aging backwards! In celebration of the occasion and our upcoming 9th Premiere Season of Knit Stars, I thought it would be fun to share 9 notables with you…nine things I’m…

Every one of Åsa Söderman’s personal emails have the same closing… Knit with abandon. If you’ve been lucky enough to take an in-person class with Åsa, you know she exudes this philosophy. Fearlessness. Adventure. Abandon. “When I do workshops I find so many people don’t trust themselves. They often follow the pattern too closely. I…

I first met Mitzi when she would come into our second location in South Tulsa, back in 2015. I remember what first struck me most about her was a) her bright smile, b) her cheerful energy, and c) the chip on her shoulder. 😜 You see, today Mitzi is one of the most prolific textile…

Happy first week of March, ! It’s my birthday month and everyone’s been asking what I want. I know this is kind of a mom answer but when I say “nothing” I really mean it. I have my health. Lord knows I have plenty of yarn (hello, S.A.B.L.E.!) And best of all, I am so…

Just when I think I’ve started to make a real dent in my travel bucket list… My friend Bronnie a.k.a. Casapinka sends me a text… from Antarctica. 🤯 It just goes to show, there’s always somewhere new to explore, and always more to learn. That’s what we love so much about being Yarnies, right?! We…

Welcome to your Sunday, ! How will you use the gift of this day to fuel your creativity? Well for starters, we’ve put together a little goody bag as a gift with purchase this week. Everything on our site is 30% off right now, and when you order $100 or more we will include these…

The last couple weeks I had some extended time to myself for the first time in a couple of years. After two weeks of traveling around for work (from Florida to Texas for Luke’s job, then to Tulsa for mine), he was called back to Nacogdoches, TX for another unspecified length of time. Having slept…

Hello from Nacogdoches, Texas, a.k.a. “Nac!” 🤠 Yes, you read that right. After several idyllic months working from paradise in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, Hot Luke’s work has brought us to East Texas for a spell. It might be a week…or it might turn into a month or two…or longer. We got word of this…

A Yarn Story in 3 Chapters Chapter 3 Dear faithful reader, Eighteen years ago I planted a seed…a humble little yarn store with a big dream. To honor the craft that’s given me so much joy, and to share that joy with other like-minded people. Like everything that grows, so much has evolved over those…

Corinne: “Hello?” Me: “Hi Corinne! Am I pronouncing your name right?” Corinne: “Yes. Wait…who is this. It sounds like…Shelley?” Me: (laughing) “It IS Shelley! How did you know?” Corinne: (laughing now too) “I was watching Ginnifer Goodwin’s workshop yesterday, and you talk a lot in it…so I recognized your voice! But why are you calling…

When Olga Buraya-Kefelian @olgajazzy was growing up in Belarus, she would save up money each month to buy a Cosmopolitan magazine. She and her mother, a seamstress, would pore over the pages together. They couldn’t afford to buy the clothes, but her mom would sew and Olga would knit. Then Olga married her enlisted spouse, and…

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had more hat-making mishaps than any other kind of yarn disaster. There was the time I didn’t swatch, and ended up with a hat so big it came down past my nose (remember Mushmouth from Fat Albert?) And the time I used the wrong yarn, so my brim…

Can you believe it? It’s my first time. After 18 years in this amazing business…my very first Rhinebeck! So I’m writing your newsletter a couple days early this week, and it’ll be a bit shorter than usual since I’m busy packing (and freaking out a bit with all the excitement!) Before I forget, since I’m…

We all have our favorites. Each of us follows lots of different independent dyers and makers. Every day my feed is full of new colors and fibers, each handmade as a true (and often backbreaking) labor of love. Each with its own story of a beautiful, creative human who brought it to life. I try…

Apparently you Yarnies are into trivia! 😎 Last week’s Knit Stars Trivia was such a hit, we’re doing it again…this time with questions about our upcoming Masterclass Season 8 Premiere. This week’s winner will receive an updated “Nice Ice Baby” package of Season 8 exclusive yarns, kits and extras…including this new, commemorative Koigu Pencil Box…