KNIT STARS BLOG!

🧶When you need a baby blanket yesterday…

I can barely stand it… It’s almost time!!! In just a couple of days, the Stars for our upcoming Masterclass Season 8 premiere will start dropping hints on Instagram… And then this Friday April 21 they’ll all announce together on Instagram – and Earlybird signups will begin! We’ve all kept this secret for almost a year, which…
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🎁The gift you gave Louis

Just two years ago, Louis Boria was working full-time in a hospital, repeatedly getting sick with COVID while trying to keep his fledgling knit design business afloat. Sure, he’d had a big break – a broadway star snapped a photo of Louis while he was knitting on a Brooklyn subway, and the photo went viral.…
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🎁 All new, for you

“I just felt flat,” Gin admitted. “All through lockdown, knitting kept me sane. But I hadn’t felt excitement about knitting in a long time. I thought, something has to change. I need some joy in my life.” How about you? Could you use more joy and creativity in your life?  For the past few years,…
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🧶Small changes, big differences

Hi everyone, Sunnie back again for another newsletter takeover 😎! I hope this newsletter finds you well. In last week’s Yarniverse LIVE, I was blown away by our special guest, Season 7 Star Mary Martin, and her story that fueled the development of her innovative Fission and Fusion Knitting techniques. In case you weren’t there, I’ll let…
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🧶I’m not crying you’re crying

    This week y’all have had me in all my feels. My weekend was a little rough. First off, I’m in a hand splint (ruptured ligament in my right pointer finger) and tried knitting on the plane – a definite no-go for the next 6 weeks 😩. Then all my credit cards and license…
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🧶The 30-minute scarf

Nearly a decade ago, we designed a scarf that was so fast and easy, it was almost a cheat. A tiny rectangle with loooooong fringe that could be made in half an hour, start to finish. We called it the Necks Big Thing (I know – it’s ok to groan at the dad joke) and…
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🧶Big week ahead!

    Thank you for a beautiful response to Moving the Needle last week. Your words filled my soul and I am so grateful that people take the time to read this newsletter. It’s always amazing to hear from you!  Although we did receive a little bit of backlash over the fact that the newsletter was exclusively…
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🧶It’s better with friends

    To make Shelley’s version of “The Shift” by Andrea Mowry, you’ll need one skein each of Spincycle Dyed in the Wool “Starstruck,” Spincycle “Wilder” and 2 skeins Sweet 16 “Sea.” Nearly a year ago, I left Tulsa – the town  where (not counting college) I’d lived since birth. The town where I raised…
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🧶We are hooked!

  The pattern is the Edith Dress by Dominique Calvillo and I used a DK weight cotton in the photo above. BUT you could gauge swatch, potentially use a smaller hook, and try our beautiful Plant Based Princess!   Hello Fiber lovers and HAPPY CROCHET MONTH! Sunnie here, and when I heard March was crochet month, I…
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🧶Square needles and running in circles

Catch the replay of this week’s Yarniverse LIVE with Ann + Kay of MDK here Remember when there wasn’t enough knitting content out in the world? This past week we did a really fun Yarniverse LIVE with Ann + Kay of Modern Daily Knitting. And we were musing back 10 years, when we were all so desperate for…
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🧶Wear the dang knits

Photo courtesy of Caitlin Hunter via Ravlery Just the other day, an email from a faithful newsletter reader named Dez dropped into my inbox. She was responding to a recent issue of Moving the Needle titled The sweater you’ll wear 24/7. I’ve excerpted her very thoughtful letter for you here. “Thank you for calling my attention to…
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✨it’s the alpaca-lypse 🦙

Don’t look now but it might be… The Alpaca-lypse! 🦙 In this week’s Yarniverse LIVE!, hosted by Knit Stars Gaye Glasspie (@ggmadeit) and Louis Boria (@brooklynboyknits), there were so many great moments. Louis gave us a sneak peek of his runway look for VK Live… He talked about why he said “yes” to Knit Stars……
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🧶Joji bag dream come true

Somebody please, pinch me. No really… Has this all just been a dream? Did Joji really make a bag just for us? And is it really the style I love the very most, the Santa Cruz with its modern square shape and exposed seams, big enough for a big sweater project plus all my other everyday bag stuff (wallet,…
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🧶5 favorite things

Sometimes in life, you just want to keep things simple. In fact, I believe that the appeal of simplicity is the very thing that brings most of us to knitting to begin with. Taking sticks and string and a simple repetitive motion and creating something beautiful. That’s why we’re all here together, isn’t it? Over…
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🧶The sweater you’ll wear 24/7

“I want to help you make that sweater you’ll wear out to lunch – not just to that knitting festival.” – Amy Herzog, Knit Stars Season 2 Raise your hand if you’ve ever cast on a sweater design just because everyone else on Ravelry was making it? If you finished it, how often did you…
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🧶The joy of the shift

Ghost Ranch Hat by Andrea Mowry, made by Sunnie. You need 1 skein Spincycle Dyed in the Wool + 1 skein Rowan Felted Tweed. Raise your hand if you remember your first skein of color-changing yarn!✋ In the early days of Loops, it was Noro Kureyon. The yarn was scratchy AF, but you didn’t care… Because the way…
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🧶 From our family to you

“My favorite project I made this year was the Brookline Blouse by Kate (@mezzomakes) in Loops Luxe Plant-Based Princess in the colorway Cottonwood.” This project kept my mind calm and hands busy in the days following a bad car accident. It was also my first non-wool project and kept me stylish all summer long. -Sunnie Operations Manager,…
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🧶Curse schmurse

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…
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🧶The gift of a lifeline

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…
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Zero pressure gift knitting

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.…
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🧶 Nothing in the way

The funniest thing happened this past week, and I think it might hold a valuable little nugget for you. I took Charles Barkley out on an early morning beach walk like we usually do. It’s his favorite part of the day. Dogs are allowed on the beach in the early morning and late afternoon. So…
Read More

🧶The Sunday Yarn: Mattie’s Story

Last week I talked about a rollercoaster of emotions, but that was nothing compared with this past week. Wherever you may live in the world, and whatever your beliefs, no doubt you have felt the intensity of emotions in the wake of the US elections. So in this week’s Sunday read, I would like to…
Read More

🧶C’mon take a ride with me

On our first beach walk after flying back from Tulsa, Charlie just sat and watched the sunset. How’s your week been? For me it’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. 🎢 The day after I flew back home to Florida from Rhinebeck, I hopped on another plane to Tulsa, where my dad had just…
Read More

🧶How to take a compliment

My whole life, I’ve struggled with compliments. Not the giving part (I love love love making others feel good), but the accepting part. And to get really vulnerable for a minute…I’ve spent a lot of time in therapy over the years trying to understand why. My therapist has a couple strong theories, going back to…
Read More

🧶The most important one

This feels like the most important newsletter I’ve written all year. I really want to get it right…for you to feel what’s in my heart and for it to touch your own heart, deeply. So here goes… (deep breath)… This past week I met with some dear friends from around the world. We are a…
Read More

🧶The no that launched thousands of yeses

Pull up a chair and get comfy, because this week I have a little longer yarn that I’ve never shared publicly before. When was the last time you had to build up your courage for weeks to ask something of someone you really admired, and they told you no? Or even worse, just ignored you?…
Read More

🧶Revive your whole wardrobe

Happy Sunday! Is there one compliment you love getting more than any other kind? Over the past 9 years of producing Knit Stars Masterclasses, there’s one customer comment that’s my absolute favorite to read… “This workshop alone was worth the price of admission for the whole Season!” And of course I feel that way about…
Read More

🧶Is this a “crazy” idea?

This week, let’s talk a bit about “crazy” ideas. Knit Stars Season 5 was the high Season of COVID. I had planned the ultimate travel bucket list year, with plans to film in Australia, Japan, Mallorca, Copenhagen and points all across North America. It all fell away in a heartbeat as all the countries closed.…
Read More

🧶Join the inner circle

You know how last week I talked about dissolving the “nots” in our knitting? Well this week, it’s confession time. Because there was an insidious “not” that ensnared my first couple decades as a maker. I was NOT going to touch circular knitting! I made dozens of adult and baby sweaters, all seamed. I was…
Read More

🧶Goodbye, nots!

Lately I’ve been doing some deep thinking – about knots. You’re a Yarnie, so you know the feeling. You’re flowing along in the zone on your project, and all of a sudden you hit a dreaded knot. You have to stop, decide whether it can be undone or cut, leaving two more ends to weave…
Read More

🧶Your next capsule wardrobe

It’s that time of year when my WIPs begin that eternal battle with one another… Crank out one more crochet crop for those last dog days of summer…Or cast on a new knit sweater in fall hues??? Right now for me, the latter is winning out – especially after I took a peek at the…
Read More

🧶Do you wanna go faster? 🎢

The year was circa 1978. It was my first time visiting Bell’s Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was nervous to ride Zingo, the big wooden roller coaster. So I decided to work up my courage on an easier ride first. “The Himalaya” was one of those rides where the cars fly around in a…
Read More

🧶A different kind of love story

I’ve been a dog lover for as long as I can remember. Our first pup as a young family was Lucy the Lhasa Apso. Longtime readers will remember my beloved Purl, who survived a horrific attack and went on to grace our home with so much love, wiggles and furry hugs, that before we knew…
Read More

🧶What a surprise!

Striking my best Olympic pose after finishing my new crochet top! Hey there, If you’re like me, now that the Olympics is over, you’re looking for your next escape. I’ve been thinking, and it’s occurred to me that every Knit Stars Masterclass is like three of my favorite escapes, all rolled into one. There’s the…
Read More

🧶Turn stash into kindness

Dear reader, this week I’d like to introduce you to a real life Soap Star. 🤩 Stacy Wiener is the founder of S.A.C.K. – Supporting A Community with Kindness. She was nominated by TWO of our Yarniverse members to be a Rising Star – and in the exact same month that I found out about…
Read More

🧶 Get to know Emma

I first saw Emma Fassio’s name many years ago, on a pattern my friend Gina Hills was working on. Many of you might remember Gina, a manager at our Loops stores for more than a decade. Gina was (still is) a style inspiration of mine, a big fan of iconic Italian fashion houses like Missoni.…
Read More

🧶Catching the Doodle bug

Jamie Lomax took up knitting in 2020 as a COVID hobby. She was working as a senior project manager for a large retail and food service company in Seattle at the time. “We all got sent home, and I was on Teams calls all day every day. I have ADHD so I was struggling to…
Read More

🧶Something new is blooming…

Happy Sunday, beautiful reader! Do you ever have those moments like I do, when you’re scrolling social media, and an image makes you stop and audibly gasp – causing anyone else in your household to run in and see if you’re ok? This past week I had one of those moments, and (after assuring said…
Read More

🧶Sprinkle that stuff on everything…

TW: This week’s newsletter includes sensitive mental health topics. Sending all of our love our beautiful readers, family and friends ❤️.  “I had two options. I could either let it wreck me and disrupt my life, or I could inspire myself and others, share my story, and use it to help raise awareness.” These are the wise words of…
Read More

🧶Back in the saddle

Hello dear reader, How’s it going in your creative world? These past few weeks have been even more whirlwind-y than usual for me, as Knit Stars Season 9 filming has kicked into high gear. I made a commitment to go to all the filmings this year, which means I’m up in the air, upside down,…
Read More

Posts

🧶 Nothing in the way

The funniest thing happened this past week, and I think it might hold a valuable little nugget for you. I took Charles Barkley out on an early morning beach walk like we usually do. It’s his favorite part of the day. Dogs are allowed on the beach in the early morning and late afternoon. So…
Read More

🧶The Sunday Yarn: Mattie’s Story

Last week I talked about a rollercoaster of emotions, but that was nothing compared with this past week. Wherever you may live in the world, and whatever your beliefs, no doubt you have felt the intensity of emotions in the wake of the US elections. So in this week’s Sunday read, I would like to…
Read More

🧶C’mon take a ride with me

On our first beach walk after flying back from Tulsa, Charlie just sat and watched the sunset. How’s your week been? For me it’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. 🎢 The day after I flew back home to Florida from Rhinebeck, I hopped on another plane to Tulsa, where my dad had just…
Read More

🧶How to take a compliment

My whole life, I’ve struggled with compliments. Not the giving part (I love love love making others feel good), but the accepting part. And to get really vulnerable for a minute…I’ve spent a lot of time in therapy over the years trying to understand why. My therapist has a couple strong theories, going back to…
Read More

🧶The most important one

This feels like the most important newsletter I’ve written all year. I really want to get it right…for you to feel what’s in my heart and for it to touch your own heart, deeply. So here goes… (deep breath)… This past week I met with some dear friends from around the world. We are a…
Read More

🧶The no that launched thousands of yeses

Pull up a chair and get comfy, because this week I have a little longer yarn that I’ve never shared publicly before. When was the last time you had to build up your courage for weeks to ask something of someone you really admired, and they told you no? Or even worse, just ignored you?…
Read More

🧶Revive your whole wardrobe

Happy Sunday! Is there one compliment you love getting more than any other kind? Over the past 9 years of producing Knit Stars Masterclasses, there’s one customer comment that’s my absolute favorite to read… “This workshop alone was worth the price of admission for the whole Season!” And of course I feel that way about…
Read More

🧶Is this a “crazy” idea?

This week, let’s talk a bit about “crazy” ideas. Knit Stars Season 5 was the high Season of COVID. I had planned the ultimate travel bucket list year, with plans to film in Australia, Japan, Mallorca, Copenhagen and points all across North America. It all fell away in a heartbeat as all the countries closed.…
Read More

🧶Join the inner circle

You know how last week I talked about dissolving the “nots” in our knitting? Well this week, it’s confession time. Because there was an insidious “not” that ensnared my first couple decades as a maker. I was NOT going to touch circular knitting! I made dozens of adult and baby sweaters, all seamed. I was…
Read More

🧶Goodbye, nots!

Lately I’ve been doing some deep thinking – about knots. You’re a Yarnie, so you know the feeling. You’re flowing along in the zone on your project, and all of a sudden you hit a dreaded knot. You have to stop, decide whether it can be undone or cut, leaving two more ends to weave…
Read More

🧶Your next capsule wardrobe

It’s that time of year when my WIPs begin that eternal battle with one another… Crank out one more crochet crop for those last dog days of summer…Or cast on a new knit sweater in fall hues??? Right now for me, the latter is winning out – especially after I took a peek at the…
Read More

🧶Do you wanna go faster? 🎢

The year was circa 1978. It was my first time visiting Bell’s Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was nervous to ride Zingo, the big wooden roller coaster. So I decided to work up my courage on an easier ride first. “The Himalaya” was one of those rides where the cars fly around in a…
Read More

🧶A different kind of love story

I’ve been a dog lover for as long as I can remember. Our first pup as a young family was Lucy the Lhasa Apso. Longtime readers will remember my beloved Purl, who survived a horrific attack and went on to grace our home with so much love, wiggles and furry hugs, that before we knew…
Read More

🧶What a surprise!

Striking my best Olympic pose after finishing my new crochet top! Hey there, If you’re like me, now that the Olympics is over, you’re looking for your next escape. I’ve been thinking, and it’s occurred to me that every Knit Stars Masterclass is like three of my favorite escapes, all rolled into one. There’s the…
Read More

🧶Turn stash into kindness

Dear reader, this week I’d like to introduce you to a real life Soap Star. 🤩 Stacy Wiener is the founder of S.A.C.K. – Supporting A Community with Kindness. She was nominated by TWO of our Yarniverse members to be a Rising Star – and in the exact same month that I found out about…
Read More

🧶 Get to know Emma

I first saw Emma Fassio’s name many years ago, on a pattern my friend Gina Hills was working on. Many of you might remember Gina, a manager at our Loops stores for more than a decade. Gina was (still is) a style inspiration of mine, a big fan of iconic Italian fashion houses like Missoni.…
Read More

🧶Catching the Doodle bug

Jamie Lomax took up knitting in 2020 as a COVID hobby. She was working as a senior project manager for a large retail and food service company in Seattle at the time. “We all got sent home, and I was on Teams calls all day every day. I have ADHD so I was struggling to…
Read More

🧶Something new is blooming…

Happy Sunday, beautiful reader! Do you ever have those moments like I do, when you’re scrolling social media, and an image makes you stop and audibly gasp – causing anyone else in your household to run in and see if you’re ok? This past week I had one of those moments, and (after assuring said…
Read More

🧶Sprinkle that stuff on everything…

TW: This week’s newsletter includes sensitive mental health topics. Sending all of our love our beautiful readers, family and friends ❤️.  “I had two options. I could either let it wreck me and disrupt my life, or I could inspire myself and others, share my story, and use it to help raise awareness.” These are the wise words of…
Read More

🧶Back in the saddle

Hello dear reader, How’s it going in your creative world? These past few weeks have been even more whirlwind-y than usual for me, as Knit Stars Season 9 filming has kicked into high gear. I made a commitment to go to all the filmings this year, which means I’m up in the air, upside down,…
Read More

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