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This week I have a bit of a different story for you. Back when I was dating in my 20s, my friend Kristy and I made a pact: to never knit for our partners. Why? Somewhere along the way, we’d heard it was back luck. Superstitions like this abound in knitting. There’s even a book…

Isn’t it interesting how much beginners can teach us? I’m reading Michelle Obama’s newest book, “The Light We Carry.” Or to be more specific…I’m listening to her read the book on my morning walks, then running back home to highlight my hard copy. Even if she didn’t talk about knitting and how it helped her through…

My latest WIP: “Strata” hat by Tif Neilan from “Worsted” by Aimée Gille, made with LolaBean Cool Beans Worsted. Kits here. I’ve noticed a trend the past few years… More and more people seem to be swearing off holiday gift making. Maybe it was the pandemic, that made people re-evaluate how they spent their free time.…

Since many of us are all hanging out in a turkey tryptophan haze… I decided to start out this week’s newsletter with an ode to the premiere of our 7th Masterclass Season, which just finished premiering last week. And what better ode than a blooper reel? 🤪 Enjoy watching the 3-minute clip above, where I…

Paper clips. Safety pins. Yarn scraps. Dental floss. Ever used any of these things as a stitch marker in a pinch? I sure have. We’ve all found ourselves stuck without a stitch marker right when we need it, digging in the couch cushions while lifting up a silent prayer to the notions gods… Amiright? But…

“Wispy Haze” shawl in custom colorway “Cayanne’s Wedding” This week I finished one of the most joyful projects I’ve ever made… But it didn’t start out that way. My niece Cayanne was married this weekend in the Bahamas. I wasn’t there, but I can imagine how stunning she looked walking along that Bahamian blue water, wrapping…

Writing this newsletter at the ATL airport enroute from the beach to TUL. Right now, if it can’t be knit at 32,000 feet, it’s not going on my needles. I’ve always loved “airplane knitting” – the portable, meditative projects that don’t require a lot of concentration… (read: can be worked while sipping a Delta bloody…

Last week we told you about our project manager Sunnie and her Noodlyknits Hat Drive benefiting patients at the cancer treatment hospital her uncle runs in Gwangju, South Korea. Now it’s true, the usual thing when making for charity is to use a basic pattern and stash yarn and knock them out “on repeat”… But…

Make the Ena Pullover with our exclusive colors of LolaBean Cool Beans Sport. It’s a funny thing… As makers, sometimes we get so busy making things, we don’t even realize how much impact we’re having on the wider world. Our amazing readers helped make a heroic difference last week – and at first I didn’t even…

This week I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to “deserve” something. Here’s why.  Tomorrow is the last chance to sign up for our 7th Masterclass Event called Texture + Wonder. And all week, I’ve been in the comments online, listening as knitters and crocheters all over the world angst over whether to invest…

CLICK HERE to listen to an audio version of this newsletter These days we’re all moving so fast… Many of us live in such a constant state of fight or flight, we actually become accustomed to fighting against what’s possible. When challenges pop up, we tell ourselves “I can’t” over and over. And then one day,…

This past week, we debuted the new Hot Loops Project Wall that we curated with Aimée from La Bien Aimée hand-dyed yarns. Apparently, this is what happens when you get a hot indie dyer, a bunch of awesome designers and 1,500 yarn lovers on Zoom all at once: To say I’m grateful to our amazing team and our loyal…

I’m writing this week’s newsletter by candlelight, looking out onto the south Florida sea as Hurricane Ian huffs and puffs out my window. When I moved a few months ago, I thought I was trading a lifetime of Oklahoma tornadoes for a hurricane or two here and there. Silly me! Last night Ian served up…

It’s here! Last night, we revealed our 36th Hot Loops Wall. What started as my antidote to the frustration I experienced as a younger knitter – always struggling to find a cute pattern paired with the perfect yarn – has evolved into a sort of New York Fashion Week for yarn. On a live, global Zoom…

Have you ever wondered how a custom color is born? I get this question a lot, actually. People wonder how we work with indie dyers to develop our custom yarn colors. And the truth is, every collaboration is a little bit different. So this week, I’m sharing a couple behind-the-scenes stories of two very different,…